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i.
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the Fund and the Underlying Fund, in the aggregate, may not charge a sales load greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2830(d)(3) of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) applicable to funds of funds;
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ii.
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the Underlying Fund is not obligated to redeem more than 1% of its total outstanding securities during any period less than 30 days; and
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iii.
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the purchase or acquisition of the Underlying Fund is made pursuant to an arrangement with the Underlying Fund or its principal underwriter whereby the Fund is obligated either to (i) seek instructions from its shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies with respect to the Underlying Fund and to vote in accordance with such instructions, or (ii) to vote the shares of the Underlying Fund held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of the Underlying Fund.
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Acquired funds typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses as Fund shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying Fund expenses. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to certain leverage risks. The net asset value and market value of leveraged securities will be more volatile and the yield to shareholders will tend to fluctuate more than the yield generated by unleveraged securities. Investment companies may have investment policies that differ from those of the Fund.
Under certain circumstances an open-end investment company in which the Fund invests may determine to make payment of a redemption by the Fund wholly or in part by a distribution in kind of securities from its portfolio, instead of in cash. As a result, the Fund may hold such securities until the Advisor determines it is appropriate to dispose of them. Such disposition will impose additional costs on the Fund.
Investment decisions by the investment advisors to the registered investment companies in which the Fund invests are made independently of the Fund. At any particular time, one Underlying Fund may be purchasing shares of an issuer whose shares are being sold by another Underlying Fund. As a result, under these circumstances the Fund indirectly would incur certain transactional costs without accomplishing any investment purpose.
Closed-End Funds
The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds. Investments in closed-end funds are subject to various risks, including reliance on management’s ability to meet the closed-end fund’s investment objective and to manage the closed-end fund portfolio; fluctuation in the net asset value of closed-end fund shares compared to the changes in the value of the underlying securities that the closed-end fund owns; and bearing a pro rata share of the management fees and expenses of each underlying closed-end fund resulting in Fund’s shareholders being subject to higher expenses than if he or she invested directly in the closed-end fund(s).
Exchange Traded Funds ("ETFs")
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that generally seek to track the performance of specific indices. ETFs may be organized as open-end funds or as unit investment trusts. Their shares are listed on stock exchanges and can be traded throughout the day at market-determined prices.
An ETF generally issues index-based investments in aggregations of 50,000 shares known as “Creation Units” in exchange for a “Portfolio Deposit” consisting of (a) a portfolio of securities substantially similar to the component securities (“Index Securities”) of the applicable index (the “Index”), (b) a cash payment equal to a pro rata portion of the dividends accrued on the ETF’s portfolio securities since the last dividend payment by the ETF, net of expenses and liabilities, and (c) a cash payment or credit (“Balancing Amount”) designed to equalize the net asset value of the Index and the net asset value of a Portfolio Deposit.
Shares of ETFs are not individually redeemable, except upon termination of the ETF. To redeem shares of an ETF, an investor must accumulate enough shares of the ETF to reconstitute a Creation Unit. The liquidity of small holdings of ETF shares, therefore, will depend upon the existence of a secondary market for such shares. Upon redemption of a Creation Unit, the portfolio will receive Index Securities and cash identical to the Portfolio Deposit required of an investor wishing to purchase a Creation Unit that day.
The price of ETF shares is based upon (but not necessarily identical to) the value of the securities held by the ETF. Accordingly, the level of risk involved in the purchase or sale of ETF shares is similar to the risk involved in the purchase or sale of traditional common stock, with the exception that the pricing mechanism for ETF shares is based on a basket of stocks. Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETF shares purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on such shares. There is no assurance that the requirements of the national securities exchanges necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any ETF will continue to be met.
Exchange Traded Notes ("ETNs")
An investment in an ETN involves risks, including possible loss of principal. ETNs are unsecured debt securities issued by a bank that are linked to the total return of a market index. Risks of investing in ETNs also include limited portfolio diversification, uncertain principal payment, and illiquidity. Additionally, the investor fee will reduce the amount of return on maturity or at redemption, and as a result the investor may receive less than the principal amount at maturity or upon redemption, even if the value of the relevant index has increased. An investment in an ETN may not be suitable for all investors.
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles, including limited partnerships. Examples of such vehicles include private equity funds and private equity funds of funds. A private equity fund generally invests in non-public companies that the fund’s manager believes will experience significant growth over a certain time period. A private equity fund of funds invests in other private equity funds of the type described. Investments in private equity funds, once made, typically may not be redeemed for several years, though they may be sold to other investors under certain circumstances.
To the extent that the Fund invests in pooled investment vehicles, such investments may be deemed illiquid. In addition, the Fund will bear its ratable share of such vehicles’ expenses, including its management expenses and performance fees. Performance fees are fees paid to the vehicle’s manager based on the vehicle’s investment performance (or returns) as compared to some benchmark. The fees the Fund pays to invest in a pooled investment vehicle may be higher than the fees it would pay if the manager of the pooled investment vehicle managed the Fund’s assets directly. Further, the performance fees payable to the manager of a pooled investment vehicle may create an incentive for the manager to make investments that are riskier or more speculative than those it might make in the absence of an incentive fee.
Indexed Securities
The Fund may purchase securities whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indices, currencies, precious metals or other commodities, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined by reference to a specific instrument or statistic. Gold-indexed securities, for example, typically provide for a maturity value that depends on the price of gold, resulting in a security whose price tends to rise and fall together with gold prices. Currency-indexed securities typically are short-term to intermediate-term debt securities whose maturity values or interest rates are determined by reference to the values of one or more specified foreign currencies, and may offer higher yields than U.S. dollar-denominated securities of equivalent issuers. Currency-indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed; that is, their maturity value may increase when the specified currency value increases, resulting in a security that performs similarly to a foreign-denominated instrument, or their maturity value may decline when foreign currencies increase, resulting in a security whose price characteristics are similar to a put on the underlying currency. Currency-indexed securities may also have prices that depend on the value of a number of different foreign currencies relative to each other.
The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the performance of the security, currency, or other instrument to which they are indexed, and may also be influenced by interest rate changes in the United States and abroad. At the same time, indexed securities are subject to the credit risks associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline substantially if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Recent issuers of indexed securities have included banks, corporations, and certain U.S. government agencies. Indexed securities may be more volatile than the underlying instruments.
Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”)
An MLP is an entity receiving partnership taxation treatment under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and whose interests or “units” are traded on securities exchanges like shares of corporate stock. A typical MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners; however, some entities receiving partnership taxation treatment under the Code are established as limited liability companies. The general partner manages the partnership; has an ownership stake in the partnership, typically a 2% general partner equity interest and usually additional common units and subordinated units; and is typically eligible to receive an incentive distribution. The limited partners provide capital to the partnership, have a limited (if any) role in the operation and management of the partnership, and receive cash distributions. An MLP typically pays an established minimum quarterly distribution to common unit holders, as provided under the terms of its partnership agreement. Common units have arrearage rights in distributions to the extent that the MLP fails to make minimum quarterly distributions. Once the MLP distributes the minimum quarterly distribution to common units, subordinated units then are entitled to receive distributions of up to the minimum quarterly distribution, but have no arrearage rights. At the discretion of the general partners’ Board of Directors, any distributable cash that exceeds the minimum quarterly distribution that the MLP distributed to the common and subordinated units is then distributed to both common and subordinated units, typically on a pro rata basis. An incentive distribution to the general partner provides that as the distribution to limited partnership interests increases, the general partner may receive a proportionately larger share of the total distribution. Incentive distributions are designed to encourage the general partner, who controls and operates the partnership, to maximize the partnership’s cash flow and increase distributions to the limited partners.
Generally speaking, MLP investment returns are enhanced during periods of declining or low interest rates and tend to be negatively influenced when interest rates are rising. As an income vehicle, the unit price can be influenced by general interest rate trends independent of specific underlying fundamentals. In addition, most MLPs are fairly leveraged and typically carry a portion of a “floating” rate debt. As such, a significant upward swing in interest rates would also drive interest expense higher. Furthermore, most MLPs grow by acquisitions partly financed by debt, and higher interest rates could make it more difficult to make acquisitions.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in securities that directly or indirectly represent participations in, or are collateralized by, payable from, mortgage loans secured by real property (“Mortgage-Backed Securities”). Mortgage-Backed Securities represent pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by various governmental agencies such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”) and government-related organizations such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as by nongovernmental issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, and private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain Mortgage-Backed Securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured. If the Adviser purchases a Mortgage-Backed Security at a premium, that portion may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying mortgage collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. However, though the value of a Mortgage-Backed Security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages underlying the securities are prone to prepayment. For this and other reasons, a Mortgage-Backed Security’s stated maturity may be shortened by unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgages and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the securities’ return to the Fund. In addition, regular payments received in respect of Mortgage-Backed Securities include both interest and principal. No assurance can be given as to the return the Fund will receive when these amounts are reinvested.
There are a number of important differences among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government that issue Mortgage-Backed Securities and among the securities that they issue. Mortgage-Backed Securities issued by Ginnie Mae include Ginnie Mae Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates which are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by Ginnie Mae. This guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned U.S. government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Mae certificates also are supported by the authority of Ginnie Mae to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage-Backed Securities issued by Fannie Mae include Fannie Mae Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as “Fannie Maes”) which are guaranteed as to timely payment of the principal and interest by Fannie Mae. Fannie Maes are solely the obligations of Fannie Mae and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States. Fannie Mae is a government sponsored organization owned entirely by private stockholders. Mortgage-Backed Securities issued by Freddie Mac include Freddie Mac Mortgage Participation Certificates (also known as “Freddie Mac PC’s”). Freddie Mac is a corporate instrumentality of the United States, created pursuant to an Act of Congress, which is owned entirely by Federal Home Loan Banks. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States or by any Federal Home Loan Banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or any Federal Home Loan Bank. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. When Freddie Mac does not guarantee timely payment of principal, Freddie Mac may remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable.
The Fund may also invest in Mortgage-Backed Securities which are collateralized mortgage obligations structured on pools of mortgage pass-through certificates or mortgage loans (“CMOs” and “REMICs”) and derivative multiple-class mortgage-backed securities (“Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities” or “SMBSs”).
Recently, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-related securities (which may include certain of the mortgage-related securities in which the Fund may in the future invest), and may continue to do so in the future. If a mortgage-related security in which the Fund is invested is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of the security may decline and the Fund may experience losses.
Further, the recent and unprecedented disruption in the residential mortgage-related securities market (and in particular, the “subprime” residential mortgage market), the broader mortgage-related securities market and the asset-backed securities market have resulted in downward price pressures and increasing foreclosures and defaults in residential and commercial real estate. Concerns over inflation, energy costs, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, the mortgage market and a declining real estate market have contributed to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the economy and markets going forward, and have contributed to dramatic declines in the housing market, with falling home prices and increasing foreclosures and unemployment, and significant asset write-downs by financial institutions. The continuation or worsening of this general economic downturn may lead to further declines in income from, or the value of, real estate, including the real estate which secures the mortgage-related securities held by the Fund. Additionally, a lack of credit liquidity and decreases in the value of real property have occurred and may continue to occur or worsen, and potentially prevent borrowers from refinancing their mortgages, which may increase the likelihood of default on their mortgage loans.
These economic conditions may also adversely affect the amount of proceeds the holder of a mortgage loan or mortgage-related securities would realize in the event of a foreclosure or other exercise of remedies. Moreover, even if such mortgage-related securities are performing as anticipated, their value in the secondary market may fall or continue to fall as a result of deterioration in general market conditions for such securities or other asset-backed or structured products. Trading activity associated with market indices may also drive spreads on those indices wider than spreads on mortgage related securities, thereby resulting in a decrease in the value of such mortgage-related securities. Mortgage loans backing non-agency mortgage-related securities are more sensitive to economic factors that could affect the ability of borrowers to pay their obligations under the mortgage loans backing these securities.
These economic conditions may reduce the cash flow that the Fund investing in such mortgage-related securities receives from such securities and increase the incidence and severity of credit events and losses in respect of such securities. In addition, interest rate spreads for mortgage backed securities have widened and are more volatile when compared to the recent past due to these adverse changes in market conditions. In the event that interest rate spreads for mortgage-related securities continue to widen following the purchase of such assets by the Fund, the market value of such securities is likely to decline and, in the case of a substantial spread widening, could decline by a substantial amount.
Furthermore, these adverse changes in market conditions have resulted in a severe liquidity crisis in the market for mortgage-backed securities (including the mortgage-related securities in which certain of the Fund may invest) and increasing unwillingness by banks, financial institutions and investors to extend credit to servicers, originators and other participants in the mortgage-related securities market for these securities and other asset-backed securities. As a result, the liquidity and/or the market value of any mortgage-related securities that are owned by the Fund may experience further declines after they are purchased by the Fund.
The recent rise in the rate of foreclosures of properties has resulted in legislative, regulatory and enforcement actions seeking to prevent or restrict foreclosures. Actions have also been brought against issuers and underwriters of residential mortgage-backed securities collateralized by such residential mortgage loans and investors in such residential mortgage-backed securities. Future legislative or regulatory initiatives by federal, state or local legislative bodies or administrative agencies, if enacted or adopted, could delay foreclosure or the exercise of other remedies, provide new defenses to foreclosure, or otherwise impair the ability of the loan servicer to foreclose or realize on a defaulted residential mortgage loan included in a pool of residential mortgage loans backing such residential mortgage-backed securities.
The nature or extent of any future limitations on foreclosure or exercise of other remedies that may be enacted is uncertain. Governmental actions that interfere with the foreclosure process, for example, could increase the costs of such foreclosures or exercise of other remedies, delay the timing or reduce the amount of recoveries on defaulted residential mortgage loans and securities backed by such residential mortgage loans owned by the Fund, and could adversely affect the yields on the mortgage related securities owned by the Fund and could have the effect of reducing returns to the Fund that has invested in mortgage-related securities collateralized by these residential mortgage loans.
Private Placements and Restricted Securities
The Fund may invest in restricted securities (securities with limited transferability under the securities laws) acquired from the issuer in “private placement” transactions. Private placement securities are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and are subject to restrictions on resale. They are eligible for sale only to certain qualified institutional buyers, like the Fund, and are not sold on a trading market or exchange. While private placement securities offer attractive investment opportunities otherwise not available on an open market, because such securities are available to few buyers, they are often both difficult to sell and to value. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be placed in smaller, less seasoned, issuers that present a greater risk due to limited product lines and/or financial resources. The issuer of privately placed securities may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements of a public trade. Additionally, the Fund could obtain material non-public information from the issuer of such securities that would restrict the Fund’s ability to conduct transactions in underlying securities.
Privately placed securities can usually only be resold to other qualified institutional buyers, or in a private transaction, or to a limited number of purchasers, or in a limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration. The Fund may incur more cost in the disposition of such securities because of the time and legal expense required to negotiate a private placement. Because of the limited market, the Fund may find it difficult to sell the securities when it finds it advisable to do so and, to the extent such securities are sold in private negotiations, they may be sold for less than the price for which they were purchased or less than their fair market value.
Privately placed securities cannot be resold to the public unless they have been registered under the Securities Act or pursuant to an exemption, such as Rule 144A. Although securities which may be resold only to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with the provisions of Rule 144A under the Securities Act are technically considered “restricted securities,” the Fund may purchase Rule 144A securities without regard to the limitation on investments in illiquid securities described above in the “Illiquid Securities” section, provided that a determination is made that such securities have a readily available trading market. The Fund may also purchase certain commercial paper issued in reliance on the exemption from regulations in Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (“4(2) Paper”). The Adviser will determine the liquidity of Rule 144A securities and 4(2) Paper under the supervision of the Board of Trustees. The liquidity of Rule 144A securities and 4(2) Paper will be monitored by the Adviser, and if as a result of changed conditions it is determined that a Rule 144A security or 4(2) Paper is no longer liquid, the Fund’s holdings of illiquid securities will be reviewed to determine what, if any, action is required to assure that the Fund does not exceed its percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities.
Short Sales
The Fund may seek to hedge investments or realize additional gains through the use of short sales. Short sales are transactions in which the Fund sells a security it does not own, in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at or prior to the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker (or by the Fund’s custodian in a special custody account), to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. The Fund also will incur transaction costs in effecting short sales.
Until the Fund replaces a borrowed security, it is required to maintain a segregated account of cash or liquid assets with a broker or custodian to cover the Fund’s short position. Securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other liquid assets. The Fund’s ability to access the pledged collateral may also be impaired in the event the broker fails to comply with the terms of the contract, due to, for instance, its insolvency or bankruptcy. In such instances the Fund may not be able to substitute or sell the pledged collateral. Additionally, the Fund must maintain sufficient liquid assets (less any additional collateral pledged to the broker), marked-to-market daily, to cover the short sale obligation. This may limit the Fund’s investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
The Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends, interest or expenses the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale.
In a short sale against the box, a fund agrees to sell at a future date a security that it either currently owns or has the right to acquire at no extra cost.
DERIVATIVES
The Fund may utilize a variety of financial instruments, such as derivatives, options, and forward contracts, both for investment purposes and for hedging purposes. Hedging involves special risks including the possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Advisor’s assessment of certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of hedging could result in losses greater than if hedging had not been used. Nonetheless, with respect to certain investment positions, the Fund may not be sufficiently hedged against market fluctuations, in which case an investment position could result in a loss greater than if the Advisor had been sufficiently hedged with respect to such position.
The Advisor will not, in general, attempt to hedge all market or other risks inherent in the Fund’s positions, and will hedge certain risks, if at all, only partially. Specifically, the Advisor may choose not, or may determine that it is economically unattractive, to hedge certain risks, either in respect of particular positions or in respect of the Fund’s overall portfolio. Moreover, it should be noted that the Fund’s portfolio always will be exposed to unidentified systematic risk factors and to certain risks that cannot be completely hedged, such as credit risk (relating both to particular securities and counterparties). The Fund’s portfolio composition may result in various directional market risks remaining unhedged, although the Advisor may rely on diversification to control such risks to the extent that the Advisor believes it is desirable to do so.
Options Transactions
The Fund may invest in put and call options transactions involving options on securities and on stock indices that are traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets. Securities and options exchanges have established limitations on the maximum number of options that an investor or group of investors acting in concert may write. It is possible that the Fund, other investment vehicles advised by the Advisor and other clients of the Advisor may be considered such a group. Position limits may restrict the Fund's ability to purchase or sell options on particular securities and on stock indices. Index prices may be distorted if trading in certain stocks included in the index is interrupted. Trading in the index options may also be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of stocks included in the index. If this occurred, the Fund would not be able to close out options which it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might be unable to exercise an option it held, which could result in substantial losses to the Fund.
Covered Option Writing
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The Fund may write "covered" calls and "covered" puts on equity or debt securities and on stock indices in seeking to enhance investment return or to hedge against declines in the prices of portfolio securities. In addition, the Fund may write put options to hedge against increases in the prices of securities which it intends to purchase. A call option is covered if the Fund holds, on a share-for-share basis, either the underlying shares or a call on the same security as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written (or greater than the exercise price of the call written if the difference is maintained by the Fund in cash, treasury bills or other high grade short-term obligations in a segregated account with its custodian). A put option is "covered" if the Fund maintains cash, treasury bills or other high grade short-term obligations with a value equal to the exercise price in a segregated account with its custodian, or holds on a share-for-share basis a put on the same equity or debt security as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or lower than the exercise price of the put written if the difference is maintained in a segregated account with its custodian.
Options on Stock Indices
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The Fund may write call options on broadly based stock market indices only if at the time of writing it holds a portfolio of stocks. When the fund writes a call option on a broadly based stock market index, it will segregate or put into escrow with its custodian any combination of cash, cash equivalents or "qualified securities" with a market value at the time the option is written of not less than 100% of the current index value times the multiplier times the number of contracts. A "qualified security" is an equity security which is listed on a securities exchange or on the NASDAQ against which the fund has not written a call option and which has not been hedged by the sale of stock index futures.
Futures and Options on Futures
The Fund may use interest rate, foreign currency, index and other futures contracts. The Fund may use options on futures contracts. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified quantity of the security or other financial instrument at a specified price and time. A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index contract originally was written. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, physical delivery of these securities is not always made. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes, as well as financial instruments, including, without limitation: U.S. Treasury bonds; U.S. Treasury notes; GNMA Certificates; three-month U.S. Treasury bills; 90-day commercial paper; bank certificates of deposit; Eurodollar certificates of deposit; the Australian dollar; the Canadian dollar; the British pound; the Japanese yen; the Swiss franc; the Mexican peso; and certain multinational currencies, such as the euro. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future.
The Fund may purchase and write (sell) call and put futures options. Futures options possess many of the same characteristics as options on securities and indexes (discussed above). A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price upon expiration of, or at any time during the period of, the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. When a purchase or sale of a futures contract is made by the Fund, the Fund is required to deposit with its futures commission merchant a specified amount of liquid assets ("initial margin"). The margin required for a futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. The Fund expects to earn taxable interest income on its initial margin deposits.
Futures and options on futures are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). The Fund invests in futures, options on futures and other instruments subject to regulation by the CFTC in reliance upon and in accordance with CFTC Regulation 4.5. Under Regulation 4.5, if the Fund uses futures, options on futures, or swaps other than for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC), the aggregate initial margin and premiums on these positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options that are “in-the-money” at the time of purchase of a new position are “in-the-money”) may not exceed 5% of the Fund’s net asset value, or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of those positions at the time may not exceed 100% of the Fund’s net asset value (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Regulation 4.5. Therefore, neither the Trust nor the Fund is deemed to be a “commodity pool” or “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), and they are not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA. In addition, as of the date of this SAI, the Advisor is not deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” or “commodity trading adviser” with respect to the advisory services it provides to the Fund. In the future, if the Fund’s use of futures, options as futures, or swaps requires the Advisor to register as a commodity pool operator with the CFTC, the Advisor will do so at that time.
A futures contract held by the Fund is valued daily at the official settlement price of the exchange on which it is traded. Each day the Fund pays or receives cash, called "variation margin", equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. This process is known as "marking to market". Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by the Fund but is instead a settlement between the Fund and the broker of the amount one would owe the other if the futures contract expired. In computing daily net asset value, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. The Fund also is required to deposit and to maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option and other futures positions held by the Fund. Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying securities, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (involving the same exchange, underlying security or index and delivery month). If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs also must be included in these calculations.
The Fund may write covered straddles consisting of a call and a put written on the same underlying futures contract. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Fund's immediate obligations. The Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options if the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or if the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund also will segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is "in the money."
Stock Index Futures
The Fund may invest in stock index futures only as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. A stock index future obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to accept), effectively, an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying stocks in the index is made. With respect to stock indices that are permitted investments, the Fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts on the stock index for which it can obtain the best price with consideration also given to liquidity.
Swap Agreements
The Fund may invest in options, futures, swaps and related products. The Fund may enter into interest rate, currency and index swaps and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors and collars. The Fund may enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations or to protect against any increase in the price of securities it anticipates purchasing at a later date. Swaps may be used in conjunction with other instruments to offset interest rate, currency or other underlying risks. For example, interest rate swaps may be offset with "caps," "floors" or "collars". A "cap" is essentially a call option which places a limit on the amount of floating rate interest that must be paid on a certain principal amount. A "floor" is essentially a put option which places a limit on the minimum amount that would be paid on a certain principal amount. A "collar" is essentially a combination of a long cap and a short floor where the limits are set at different levels.
The Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis; that is, the two payment streams will be netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. To the extent obligations created thereby may be deemed to constitute senior securities, the Fund will maintain required collateral in a segregated account consisting of U.S. government securities or cash or cash equivalents. If the Fund were assigned an exercise notice on a call it has written, it would be required to liquidate portfolio securities in order to satisfy the exercise, unless it has other liquid assets that are sufficient to satisfy the exercise of the call. If the Fund has written a call, there is also a risk that the market may decline between the time the Fund has a call exercised against it, at a price which is fixed as of the closing level of the index on the date of exercise, and the time it is able to sell securities in its portfolio. As with stock options, the Fund will not learn that an index option has been exercised until the day following the exercise date but, unlike a call on stock where it would be able to deliver the underlying securities in settlement, the Fund may have to sell part of its securities portfolio in order to make settlement in cash, and the price of such securities might decline before they can be sold. For example, even if an index call which the Fund has written is "covered" by an index call held by the Fund with the same strike price, it will bear the risk that the level of the index may decline between the close of trading on the date the exercise notice is filed with the Options Clearing Corporation and the close of trading on the date the Fund exercises the call it holds or the time it sells the call, which in either case would occur no earlier than the day following the day the exercise notice was filed.
Total Return Swaps
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The Fund may enter into total return swap contracts for investment purposes. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or security indexes during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate of the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market, including in cases in which there may be disadvantages associated with direct ownership of a particular security. In a typical total return equity swap, payments made by the Fund or the counterparty are based on the total return of a particular reference asset or assets (such as an equity security, a combination of such securities, or an index). That is, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, basket of stocks, or stock index in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Total return swaps involve not only the risk associated with the investment in the underlying securities, but also the risk of the counterparty not fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.
Credit Default Swaps
. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements for investment purposes. A credit default swap agreement may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. Credit default swaps may also be structured based on the debt of a basket of issuers, rather than a single issuer, and may be customized with respect to the default event that triggers purchase or other factors. As a seller, the Fund would generally receive an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must pay the buyer the full face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference obligations that may have little or no value. The notional value will be used to segregate liquid assets for selling protection on credit default swaps. If the Fund were a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund would recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. The use of swap agreements by a fund entails certain risks, which may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the securities and other investments that are the referenced asset for the swap agreement. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index, but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all the possible market conditions. Because some swap agreements have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
The Fund may also purchase credit default swap contracts in order to hedge against the risk of default of the debt of a particular issuer or basket of issuers, in which case the Fund would function as the counterparty referenced in the preceding paragraph. This would involve the risk that the investment may expire worthless and would only generate income in the event of an actual default by the issuer(s) of the underlying obligation(s) (or, as applicable, a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). It would also involve the risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default. The purchase of credit default swaps involves costs, which will reduce the Fund's return.
Currency Swaps.
The Fund may enter into currency swap agreements for investment purposes. Currency swaps are similar to interest rate swaps, except that they involve multiple currencies. The Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has exposure to one currency and desires exposure to a different currency. Typically the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. In addition to paying and receiving amounts at the beginning and termination of the agreements, both sides will also have to pay in full periodically based upon the currency they have borrowed. Change in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.
Interest Rate Swaps.
The Fund may enter into an interest rate swap in an effort to protect against declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. In such an instance, the Fund may agree to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) while a counterparty agrees to pay a floating rate (multiplied by the same notional amount). If interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the fund’s portfolio, the fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value.
Options on Swaps.
An option on a swap agreement, or a “swaption,” is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. In return, the purchaser pays a “premium” to the seller of the contract. The seller of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes on the underlying swap. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. The Fund may also enter into swaptions on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether the Fund is hedging its assets or its liabilities. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The Fund may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its holdings, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or for any other purposes, such as for speculation to increase returns. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in the Fund’s use of options.
Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.
Over-the-Counter Transactions
Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) transactions differ from exchange-traded transactions in several respects. OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, OTC transaction pricing is normally done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by the Advisor and verified in appropriate cases. As OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of the insolvency of such dealer or otherwise. An OTC transaction may only be terminated voluntarily by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer with whom the Fund originally dealt. Any such cancellation may require the Fund to pay a premium to that dealer. In those cases in which the Fund has entered into a covered transaction and cannot voluntarily terminate the transaction, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying security until the transaction expires or is exercised or different cover is substituted. The Fund intends to enter into OTC transactions only with dealers which agree to, and which are expected to be capable of, entering into closing transactions with the Fund. There is also no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an OTC transaction at any time prior to expiration.
Certain additional risk factors related to derivatives are discussed below:
Derivatives Risk.
Under recently adopted rules by the CFTC, transactions in some types of interest rate swaps and credit default index swaps on North American and European indices will be required to be cleared. In a cleared derivatives transaction, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house (such as CME Clearing, ICE Clearing or LCH.Clearnet), rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members, who are futures commission merchants that are members of the clearing houses and who have the appropriate regulatory approvals to engage in swap transactions. The Fund will make and receive payments owed under cleared derivatives transactions (including margin payments) through their accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients’ obligations to the clearing house. In contrast to bilateral derivatives transactions, following a period of advance notice to the Fund, clearing members generally can require termination of existing cleared derivatives transactions at any time and increases in margin above the margin that it required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing transactions and to terminate transactions. Any such increase or termination could interfere with the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. Also, the Fund is subject to execution risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or that the Manager expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund’s behalf. While the documentation in place between the Fund and their clearing members generally provides that the clearing members will accept for clearing all transactions submitted for clearing that are within credit limits specified by the clearing members in advance, the Fund could be subject to this execution risk if the Fund submits for clearing transactions that exceed such credit limits, if the clearing house does not accept the transactions for clearing, or if the clearing members do not comply with their agreement to clear such transactions. In that case, the transaction might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of any increase in the value of the transaction after the time of the transaction. In addition, new regulations could, among other things, restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund or increasing margin or capital requirements. If the Fund is not able to enter into a particular derivatives transaction, the Fund’s investment performance and risk profile could be adversely affected as a result.
Counterparty Risk.
Counterparty risk with respect to OTC derivatives may be affected by new regulations promulgated by the CFTC and SEC affecting the derivatives market. As described under “Derivatives Risk” above, some derivatives transactions will be required to be cleared, and a party to a cleared derivatives transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivative transaction. Clearing members are required to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to cleared derivatives transactions from the clearing member’s proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are generally held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, which may also invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. The assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the Fund’s clearing member because the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing broker’s customers for a relevant account class. Also, the clearing member transfers to the clearing house the amount of margin required by the clearing house for cleared swaps, which amounts are generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing house for all customers of the clearing member. Regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the clearing member notify the clearing house of the amount of initial margin provided by the clearing member to the clearing house that is attributable to each customer. However, if the clearing member does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is subject to the risk that a clearing house will use the Fund’s assets held in an omnibus account at the clearing house to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing house. In addition, clearing members generally provide to the clearing house the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount of each customer. The Fund is therefore subject to the risk that a clearing house will not make variation margin payments owed to the Fund if another customer of the clearing member has suffered a loss and is in default.
Commodities and Commodity Contracts
The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts and options; may enter into foreign exchange contracts; may enter into swap agreements and other financial transactions not requiring the delivery of physical commodities; may purchase or sell precious metals directly (metals are considered "commodities" under the federal commodities laws), and purchase or sell previous metal commodity contracts or options on such contracts in compliance with applicable commodities laws. Investing in commodities in this manner carries risks. The Fund may also invest in instruments related to commodities, including structured notes, securities of commodities finance and operating companies. The Fund's exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, and other risks affecting a particular industry or commodity. The Fund will only invest in commodities that the Advisor believes can be readily liquidated.
TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS
The Fund may take temporary defensive measures that are inconsistent with the Fund’s normal fundamental or non-fundamental investment policies and strategies in response to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions as determined by the Advisor. Such measures could include, but are not limited to, investments in (1) highly liquid short-term fixed income securities issued by or on behalf of municipal or corporate issuers, obligations of the U.S. Government and its agencies, commercial paper, and bank certificates of deposit; (2) repurchase agreements involving any such securities; and (3) other money market instruments. The Fund also may invest in shares of money market mutual funds to the extent permitted under applicable law. Money market mutual funds are investment companies, and the investments in those companies by the Fund are in some cases subject to certain fundamental investment restrictions. As a shareholder in a mutual fund, the Fund will bear its ratable share of its expenses, including management fees, and will remain subject to payment of the fees to the Advisor, with respect to assets so invested. The Fund may not achieve its investment objectives during temporary defensive periods.
Short-Term Investments
The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments.
Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers' Acceptances and Time
Deposits
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The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and time deposits in U.S. dollar or foreign currencies. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against monies deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are "accepted" by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. These short-term instruments which the Fund may acquire must, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. Government. If the Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred if the Fund invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See "Foreign Securities" above. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located, the possible confiscation or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which may adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities.
Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds and the interest income generated from lending operations. General economic conditions and the quality of loan portfolios affect the banking industry.
As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount that they can loan to a single borrower, and are subject to regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations may not necessarily apply to foreign banks, thereby affecting the risk involved in bank obligations that the Fund may acquire.
In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment strategies and policies stated above and in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in interest-bearing time deposits or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
Savings Association Obligations
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The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. Government.
Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations
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The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.
The Fund's investment in commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase "A-2" or higher by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P"), "Prime-1" or "Prime-2" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Appendix A.
Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations, i.e., credit risk. The Advisor may actively expose the Fund to credit risk. However, there can be no guarantee that the Advisor will be successful in making the right selections and thus fully mitigate the impact of credit risk changes on the Fund.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio securities. Pursuant to such agreements, the Fund acquires securities from financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers deemed to be creditworthy by the Advisor, subject to the seller's agreement to repurchase and the Fund's agreement to resell such securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The repurchase price generally equals the price paid by the Fund plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on the underlying portfolio security). Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be held by the Custodian or in the Federal Reserve/Treasury Book-Entry System or an equivalent foreign system. The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain the value of the underlying securities at not less than 102% of the repurchase price under the agreement. If the seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, the Fund will suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from a sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price under the agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of such a defaulting seller may cause the Fund's rights with respect to such securities to be delayed or limited. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans under the 1940 Act.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into "reverse" repurchase agreements to avoid selling securities during unfavorable market conditions to meet redemptions. The Fund may invest a maximum of 10% of total assets in reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund will sell portfolio securities and agree to repurchase them from the buyer at a particular date and price. Whenever the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish a segregated account in which it will maintain liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the repurchase price marked to market daily (including accrued interest), and will subsequently monitor the account to ensure that such equivalent value is maintained. The Fund pays interest on amounts obtained pursuant to reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by the Fund.
Borrowing
Borrowing creates an opportunity for increased return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. Furthermore, if the Fund were to engage in borrowing, an increase in interest rates could reduce the value of the Fund's shares by increasing the Fund's interest expense. Subject to the limitations described under "Investment Limitations" below, the Fund may be permitted to borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of the Fund's assets and may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund's total assets made for temporary administrative purposes. Any borrowings for temporary administrative purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund's total assets will count against this asset coverage requirement. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint if the Fund sells securities at that time. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund's portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased, if any. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowings or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including (i) securities for which there is no readily available market; (ii) securities in which the disposition would be subject to legal restrictions (so called “restricted securities”); and (iii) repurchase agreements having more than seven days to maturity. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. The Board or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board has delegated to the Advisor the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any security held by the Fund, although it has retained oversight and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. Although no definitive liquidity criteria are used, the Board has directed the Advisor to consider to such factors as (a) frequency of trading and availability of quotations; (b) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the availability of buyers; (c) the willingness of dealers to be market makers in the security; and (d) the nature of trading activity including (i) the time needed to dispose of a position or part of a position and (ii) offer and solicitation methods. A considerable period of time may elapse between the Fund’s decision to sell such securities and the time when the Fund is able to sell them, during which time the value of the securities could decline. Illiquid securities will usually be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or its delegate. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets is invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities which are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as is deemed advisable, if any, to protect liquidity.
Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Restricted securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that have a readily available market usually are not deemed illiquid for purposes of this limitation by the Fund. However, investing in Rule 144A securities could result in increasing the level of the Fund’s illiquidity if qualified institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities.
Lending Portfolio Securities
Consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and the Fund’s investment restrictions, the Fund may lend portfolio securities to securities broker-dealers or financial institutions, provided that such loans are callable at any time by the Fund (subject to notice provisions described below), and are at all times secured by cash or cash equivalents, which are maintained in a segregated account pursuant to applicable regulations and that are at least equal to the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. The advantage of such loans is that the Fund continues to receive the income on the loaned securities while at the same time earns interest on the cash amounts deposited as collateral, which will be invested in short-term obligations. The Fund will not lend portfolio securities if such loans are not permitted by the laws or regulations of any state in which its shares are qualified for sale. The Fund’s loans of portfolio securities will be collateralized in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and no loan will cause the value of all loaned securities to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.
A loan may generally be terminated by the borrower on one business day’s notice, or by the Fund on five business days’ notice. If the borrower fails to deliver the loaned securities within five days after receipt of notice or fails to maintain the requisite amount of collateral, the Fund could use the collateral to replace the securities while holding the borrower liable for any excess of replacement cost over collateral. As with any extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery and in some cases even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, these loans of portfolio securities will only be made to firms deemed by the Fund’s management to be creditworthy and when the income that can be earned from such loans justifies the attendant risks. Upon termination of the loan, the borrower is required to return the securities to the Fund. Any gain or loss in the market price during the loan period would inure to the Fund. The risks associated with loans of portfolio securities are substantially similar to those associated with repurchase agreements. Thus, if the counterparty to the loan petitions for bankruptcy or becomes subject to the United States Bankruptcy Code, the law regarding the rights of the Fund is unsettled. As a result, under extreme circumstances, there may be a restriction on the Fund’s ability to sell the collateral, and the Fund would suffer a loss. When voting or consent rights that accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower, the Fund will follow the policy of calling the loaned securities, to be delivered within one day after notice, to permit the exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect on the Fund’s investment in such loaned securities. The Fund will pay reasonable finder’s, administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan of its securities.
Europe—Recent Events
A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and without Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the Euro, the common currency of the European Union, and/or withdraw from the European Union. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching. Whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments due to the interconnected nature of the global economy and capital markets. The Fund may also be susceptible to these events to the extent that the Fund invests in municipal obligations with credit support by non-U.S. financial institutions.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust (on behalf of the Fund) has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the "vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the Fund means the vote of the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund's investment objective is a non-fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund may not:
1.
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Issue senior securities, borrow money or pledge its assets, except that (i) the Fund may borrow from banks in amounts not exceeding one-third of its net assets (including the amount borrowed); and (ii) this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from engaging in options transactions or short sales or investing in financial futures, swaps, when-issued or delayed delivery securities, or reverse repurchase agreements.
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2.
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Act as underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its investment portfolio;
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3.
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Invest 25% or more of its total assets, calculated at the time of purchase and taken at market value, in any one industry (other than securities issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities);
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4.
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Purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate or real estate limited partnerships (although the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs);
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5.
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Make loans of money, except (a) for purchases of debt securities consistent with the investment policies of the Fund, (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements or, (c) through the loan of portfolio securities in an amount up to 33 1/3% of the Fund's net assets; or
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6.
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Purchase or sell commodities, except that the Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts and options; may enter into foreign exchange contracts; may enter into swap agreements and other financial transactions not requiring the delivery of physical commodities; and may purchase or sell precious metal commodity contracts or options on such contracts in compliance with applicable commodities laws.
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The Fund observes the following restriction as a matter of operating but not fundamental policy, pursuant to positions taken by federal regulatory authorities:
The Fund may not invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets in securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, securities that are not readily marketable and repurchase agreements with more than seven days to maturity.
Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage or rating restriction on 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 percentage resulting from any cause other than actions by the Fund will not be considered a violation
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With respect to borrowings, in the event that borrowings exceed the one-third limitation, the Fund will, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to the extent necessary to comply with the one-third limitation
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Trustees and Officers
The overall management of the business and affairs of the Trust is vested with its Board of Trustees. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and persons or companies furnishing services to it, including the agreements with the Advisor, co-administrators, distributor, custodian and transfer agent. The day-to-day operations of the Trust are delegated to its officers, except that the Advisor is responsible for making day-to-day investment decisions in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, strategies, and policies, all of which are subject to general supervision by the Board.
The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their years of birth and positions with the Trust, term of office with the Trust and length of time served, their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years and other directorships held during the past five years are listed in the table below. Unless noted otherwise, each person has held the position listed for a minimum of five years. Charles H. Miller, Ashley Toomey Rabun and William H. Young are all of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (collectively, the “Independent Trustees”).
Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust
|
Term of Office
c
and Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation During the
Past Five Years and Other Affiliations
|
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex
Overseen by Trustee
|
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years by Trustee
|
"Independent" Trustees:
|
|
|
|
Charles H. Miller
a
(Born 1947)
Trustee
|
Since November 2007
|
Retired (2013 – present).
Executive Vice President, Client Management and Development, Access Data Corporation, a Broadridge company, a provider of technology and services to asset management firms (1997-2012).
|
72
|
None.
|
Ashley Toomey Rabun
a
(born 1952)
Trustee and Chairperson of the Board
|
Since November 2007
|
President and Founder, InvestorReach, Inc. a financial services consulting firm (1996-present).
|
72
|
None.
|
William H. Young
a
(born 1950)
Trustee
|
Since November 2007
|
Independent financial services consultant (1996-present); Interim CEO, Unified Fund Services, Inc. (now Huntington), a mutual fund service provider (2003-2006); Board Member Emeritus- NICSA.
|
72
|
None.
|
Interested Trustees:
|
|
|
|
John P. Zader
a †
(born 1961)
Trustee and President
|
Since November 2007 as Trustee and December 2007 as President
|
CEO, UMB Fund Services, Inc., a mutual and hedge fund service provider, and the transfer agent, fund accountant, and co-administrator for the Fund, and affiliate of the custodian (2006-present); Consultant to Jefferson Wells International, a provider of professional services for multiple industries, including financial services organizations (2006); Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, a mutual and hedge fund service provider (1988-2006).
|
72
|
Investment Managers Series Trust II, a registered investment company
|
Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust
|
Term of Office
c
and Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation During the
Past Five Years and Other Affiliations
|
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex
Overseen by Trustee
|
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years by Trustee
|
Eric M. Banhazl
b†
(born 1957)
Trustee and Vice President
|
Since January 2008 as Trustee and December 2007 as Vice President
|
President, Mutual Fund Administration Corp. (2006 – present).
|
72
|
Investment Managers Series Trust II, a registered investment company
|
Officers of the Trust:
|
|
|
Rita Dam
b
(born 1966)
Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
|
Since December 2007
|
Vice President, Mutual Fund Administration Corp. (2006 – present).
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Joy Ausili
b
(born 1966)
Secretary and Assistant Treasurer
|
Since December 2007
|
Vice President, Mutual Fund Administration Corp. (2006 – present).
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Maureen Quill
a
(born 1963)
Vice President
|
Since December 2013
|
Executive Vice President, UMB Fund Services, Inc. (1996 – present).
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Terrance P. Gallagher, CPA, JD
a
(born 1958)
Vice President
|
Since December 2007
|
Executive Vice President, UMB Fund Services, Inc. (2007 – present); Director of Compliance, Unified Fund Services Inc. (2004 – 2007); Partner, The Academy of Financial Services Studies and Precision Marketing Partners (1998 - 2004); Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of AAL Capital Management and The AAL Mutual Funds (1987 - 1998).
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Todd Cipperman
b
(born 1966)
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Since December 2009
|
Founder and Principal, Cipperman & Company/Cipperman Compliance Services (2004 – present).
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
a
|
Address for certain Trustees and certain officers: 803 West Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233-2301.
|
b
|
Address for Mr. Banhazl, Ms. Ausili and Ms. Dam: 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, CA 91740. Address for Mr. Cipperman: 500 Swedesford Road, Suite 104, Wayne PA 19087.
|
c
|
Trustees and officers serve until their successors have been duly elected.
|
†
|
Each of Mr. Zader and Mr. Banhazl is an "interested person" of the Trust by virtue of his position as an officer of the Trust.
|
Compensation
Each Independent Trustee receives from the Trust a quarterly retainer of $10,000, $5,000 for each regular meeting attended and $4,000 for each special in-person meeting attended. In addition, Ms. Rabun receives an additional annual retainer of $12,000 for serving as Chairperson of the Board, each of Mr. Young and Mr. Miller receives an additional annual retainer of $8,000 for serving as Audit Committee Chair and Valuation Committee Chair, respectively, and Mr. Young receives an additional annual retainer of $4,000 for serving as Derivatives Risk Oversight Committee Chair. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No other entity affiliated with the Trust pays any compensation to the Trustees.
Name of Person/Position
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From the Fund
1
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund's Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement
|
Total Compensation from Trust (65 Funds) Paid to Trustees
1
|
Independent Trustees:
|
|
|
|
|
Charles H. Miller, Trustee and Nominating Committee and Valuation Committee Chair
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$73,000
|
Ashley Toomey Rabun, Trustee and Chairperson
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$77,000
|
William H. Young, Trustee and Audit Committee and Derivatives Committee Chair
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$77,000
|
1
|
Estimated annual compensation for the first year
.
|
Mr. Zader and Mr. Banhazl are not compensated for their services as Trustees because of their affiliation with the Trust. Officers of the Trust are not compensated for their services by the Fund.
Additional Information Concerning the Board and the Trustees
The current Trustees were selected in November 2007 (January 2008 for Mr. Banhazl) with a view towards establishing a Board that would have the broad experience needed to oversee a registered investment company comprised of multiple series employing a variety of different investment strategies. As a group, the Board has extensive experience in many different aspects of the financial services and asset management industries.
The Trustees were selected to join the Board based upon the following factors, among others: character and integrity; willingness to serve and willingness and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee; as to each Trustee other than Messrs. Banhazl and Zader, satisfying the criteria for not being classified as an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act; and, as to Messrs. Banhazl and Zader, their positions with the Trust’s co-administrators. In addition, the Trustees have the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills relevant to the operations of the Trust:
|
·
|
Ms. Rabun has substantial senior executive experience in mutual fund marketing and distribution and serving in senior executive and board positions with mutual funds, including multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.
|
|
·
|
Mr. Miller has significant senior executive experience with respect to marketing and distribution of mutual funds, including multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.
|
|
·
|
Mr. Young has broad senior executive experience with respect to the operations and management of mutual funds and administrative service providers, including multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.
|
|
·
|
Mr. Banhazl has significant experience serving in senior executive and board positions for mutual funds and with respect to the organization and operation of mutual funds and multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.
|
|
·
|
Mr. Zader has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administrative service providers.
|
In its periodic self-assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the series of the Trust. The summaries set forth above as to the qualifications, attributes and skills of the Trustees are required by the registration form adopted by the SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and do not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board as a whole than would otherwise be the case.
The Board of Trustees has four standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Derivatives Risk Oversight Committee (the “Derivatives Committee”), the Nominating and Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”), and the Valuation Committee.
|
·
|
The function of the Audit Committee, with respect to each series of the Trust, is to review the scope and results of the Trust’s annual audit and any matters bearing on the audit or the Fund’s financial statements and to assist the Board’s oversight of the integrity of the Fund’s pricing and financial reporting. The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees and is chaired by Mr. Young. It does not include any Interested Trustees. The Audit Committee is expected to meet at least twice a year with respect to each series of the Trust.
|
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer. The QLCC meets as needed.
|
·
|
The Derivatives Committee reviews the types of investments in derivatives made by various series of the Trust. The Derivatives Committee conducts meetings periodically as needed in order to inform the Board of Trustees about various series’ derivatives positions, related valuation issues and such other matters related to derivatives as the Committee determines. The Derivatives Committee is comprised of Messrs. Young and Miller and is chaired by Mr. Young.
|
|
·
|
The Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing matters pertaining to composition, committees, and operations of the Board and meets from time to time as needed but at least annually. The Nominating Committee will consider nominees properly recommended by the Trust’s shareholders. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations that include, among other things, biographical data and the qualifications of the proposed nominee to the Trust’s Secretary. The Independent Trustees comprise the Nominating Committee and the Committee is chaired by Mr. Miller.
|
|
·
|
The function of the Valuation Committee is to value securities held by any series of the Trust for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available. Such securities are valued at their respective fair values as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee and the actions of the Valuation Committee are subsequently reviewed by the Board. The Valuation Committee is comprised of all the Trustees and is chaired by Mr. Miller, but action may be taken by any one of the Trustees. The Valuation Committee meets as needed with respect to any series of the Trust.
|
Independent Trustees comprise 60% of the Board and Ashley Toomey Rabun, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairperson of the Board. The Chairperson serves as a key point person for dealings between the Trust’s management and the other Independent Trustees. As noted above, through the committees of the Board the Independent Trustees consider and address important matters involving each series of the Trust, including those presenting conflicts or potential conflicts of interest. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel. The Board has determined that its organization and leadership structure are appropriate in light of its fiduciary and oversight obligations, the special obligations of the Independent Trustees, and the relationship between the Interested Trustees and the Trust’s co-administrators. The Board also believes that its structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Fund in the interests of shareholders, the Board among other things oversees risk management of the Fund’s investment programs and business affairs directly and through the Audit Committee. The Board has emphasized to the Advisor the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management programs and procedures.
The Fund faces a number of risks, such as investment risk, valuation risk, reputational risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board, the Advisor and other service providers to the Fund employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Various personnel, including the Fund’s CCO, the Advisor’s management, and other service providers (such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm) make periodic reports to the Board or to the Audit Committee with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s investment objectives, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.
Fund Shares Beneficially Owned by Trustees.
Certain information regarding ownership by the Trustees of the Fund and other series of the Trust, as of the date of this SAI, is set forth in the following table.
Name of Trustee
|
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund
(None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, Over $100,000)
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies
|
Charles H. Miller, Independent Trustee
|
None
|
$1-$10,000
|
Ashley Toomey Rabun, Independent Trustee
|
None
|
None
|
William H. Young, Independent Trustee
|
None
|
None
|
John P. Zader, Interested Trustee
|
None
|
None
|
Eric M. Banhazl, Interested Trustee
|
None
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
Control Persons, Principal Shareholders, and Management Ownership
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of the Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders with a controlling interest could affect the outcome of voting or the direction of management of the Fund.
As of the date of this SAI, Palmer Square Capital Management LLC, the Advisor have voting authority with respect to 100% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. However, once the Fund commences investment operations and its shares are sold to the public, this ownership will be diluted.
The Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group did not own shares of the Fund. Furthermore, neither the Independent Trustees, nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially or of record in the Advisor, the Fund’s distributor, IMST Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), or any of their respective affiliates of the Advisor, or Distributor. Accordingly, neither the Independent Trustees nor members of their immediate families, have direct or indirect interests, the value of which exceeds $120,000, in the Advisor, the Distributor or any of their affiliates.
The Advisor
Palmer Square Capital Management LLC acts as investment advisor to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement").
Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees may determine, the Advisor is ultimately responsible for investment decisions for the Fund. Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor provides the Fund with such investment advice and supervision as it deems necessary for the proper supervision of the Fund’s investments. The Advisor also continuously monitors and maintains the Fund’s investment criteria and determines from time to time what securities may be purchased by the Fund.
The Advisory Agreement will remain in effect for an initial two-year period. After the initial two-year period, the Advisory Agreement will continue in effect from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities and by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Fund, upon giving the Advisor 60 days' notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund's shareholders or by a vote of a majority of the Board, or by the Advisor on 60 days' written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement provides that the Advisor under such agreement shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, or for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its duties under the Advisory Agreement.
In consideration of the services to be provided by the Advisor pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is entitled to receive from the Fund an investment advisory fee computed daily and paid monthly based on an annual rate equal to a percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets specified in the Prospectus.
Fund Expenses
The Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses (all of which will be borne directly or indirectly by the Fund’s shareholders), including among others, legal fees and expenses of counsel to the Fund and the Fund’s independent trustees; insurance (including trustees’ and officers’ errors and omissions insurance); auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental fees; listing fees; dues and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; fees and expenses of the Fund’s custodians, administrators, transfer agents, registrars and other service providers; expenses for portfolio pricing services by a pricing agent, if any; other expenses in connection with the issuance and offering of shares; expenses relating to investor and public relations; expenses of registering or qualifying securities of the Fund for public sale; brokerage commissions and other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio holding of the Fund; expenses of preparation and distribution of reports, notices and dividends to shareholders; expenses of the dividend reinvestment plan; compensation and expenses of trustees; any litigation expenses; and costs of shareholders’ and other meetings.
The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding , as applicable, any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed the limits set forth in the Prospectus (the "expense cap"). This agreement is effective until May 31, 2015 and it may be terminated before that date only by the Board of Trustees.
Any reduction in advisory fees or payment of the Fund’s expenses made by the Advisor in a fiscal year may be reimbursed by the Fund for a period of three years from the date of reduction or payment if the Advisor so requests. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the aggregate amount of operating expenses for such fiscal year, as accrued each month, does not exceed the lesser of (a) the limitation on Fund expenses in effect at the time of the relevant reduction in advisory fees or payment of the Fund’s expenses, or (b) the limitation on Fund expenses at the time of the request. The Advisor may seek reimbursement in an amount up to the difference between the operating expenses of the Fund at the time of the request and the lesser of (a) the limitation on Fund expenses in effect at the time of the relevant reduction in advisory fees or payment of the Fund’s expenses, or (b) the limitation on Fund expenses at the time of the request. However, the reimbursement amount may not exceed the total amount of fees waived and/or Fund expenses paid by the Advisor and will not include any amounts previously reimbursed to the Advisor by the Fund. Any such reimbursement is contingent upon the Board’s subsequent review and ratification of the reimbursed amounts and no reimbursement may cause the total operating expenses paid by the Fund in a fiscal year to exceed the applicable limitation on Fund expenses. The Fund must pay current ordinary operating expenses before the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or Fund expenses.
Portfolio Managers
Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
(
information as of December 31, 2013
)
|
|
|
With Advisory Fee based on performance
|
Type of Accounts
|
Number of
Accounts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Angie K. Long, CFA
|
|
|
|
|
Registered investment companies:
|
3
|
$669,385,884
|
0
|
$0
|
Other pooled investments:
|
14
|
$1,288,596,535
|
8
|
$1,116,621,352
|
Other accounts:
|
1
|
$18,675,209
|
0
|
$0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christopher D. Long
|
|
|
|
|
Registered investment companies:
|
3
|
$669,385,884
|
0
|
$0
|
Other pooled investments:
|
14
|
$1,288,596,535
|
8
|
$1,116,621,352
|
Other accounts:
|
56
|
$50,747,167
|
0
|
$0
|
Compensation of Portfolio Managers
. The portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary. E
ach portfolio manager is an equity owner of the firm and shares in the firm’s profits.
The portfolio managers’ compensation arrangements are not determined on the basis of specific funds or accounts managed.
Material Conflicts of Interest
. It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio managers' management of the Fund's investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts or vehicles for which the portfolio managers are responsible on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among the Fund and the other accounts or vehicles he advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions among the Fund and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Fund. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may provide more revenue to the Advisor. While this may appear to create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities, the Advisor strives to ensure that portfolio managers endeavor to exercise their discretion in a manner that is equitable to all interested persons. In this regard, in the absence of specific account-related impediments, it is the policy of the Advisor to allocate investment ideas pro rata to all accounts with the same primary investment objective.
The goal of the Advisor is to provide high quality investment services to all of its clients, while meeting its fiduciary obligation to treat all clients fairly. The Advisor have adopted and implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures that it believes address the conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients.
Ownership of the Fund by the Portfolio Managers.
As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers own equity securities of the Fund as follows.
Name of Portfolio Manager
|
Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned
(None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000,
$100,001 - $500,000, $500,001 - $1,000,000, Over $1,000,000)
|
Angie K. Long, CFA
|
None
|
Christopher D. Long
|
None
|
Service Providers
Pursuant to a Co-Administration Agreement (the "Co-Administration Agreement"), UMB Fund Services, Inc. ("UMBFS"), 803 W. Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, and Mutual Fund Administration Corporation ("MFAC"), 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740 (collectively the "Co-Administrators"), act as co-administrators for the Fund. The Co-Administrators provide certain administrative services to the Fund, including, among other responsibilities, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and the monitoring of performance and billing of, the Fund's independent contractors and agents; preparing for signature by an officer of the Trust of all documents required to be filed for compliance with applicable laws and regulations including those of the securities laws of various states; arranging for the computation of performance data, including net asset value and yield; arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Fund; and providing, at their own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to carry out their duties. In this capacity, the Co-Administrators do not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. The Co-Administration Agreement provides that neither Co-Administrator shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust or its series, except for losses resulting from a Co-Administrator's willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under the Agreement.
As compensation for their services, the Fund pays the Co-Administrators an administration fee payable monthly at the annual rate set forth below as a percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets:
Net Assets
|
Rate
|
First $150 million
|
0.08%
|
Next $100 million
|
0.07%
|
Thereafter
|
0.05%
|
Because the Fund is a newly formed fund and has yet to commence operations, the Fund has not paid any fees to the Co-Administrators as of the date of this SAI.
UMBFS also acts as the Trust's fund accountant, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent pursuant to separate agreements.
JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the "Custodian"), is the custodian of the assets of the Fund pursuant to a custody agreement between the Custodian and the Trust, whereby the Custodian provides services for fees on a transactional basis plus out-of-pocket expenses. The Custodian's address is 14201 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75254, The Custodian does not participate in decisions pertaining to the purchase and sale of securities by the Fund.
Tait, Weller & Baker LLP is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund's financial statements and the performance of related tax services.
Bingham McCutchen LLP (“Bingham”), 355 South Grand Avenue, Suite 4400, Los Angeles, California 90071, serves as counsel to the Trust and provides counsel on legal matters relating to the Fund. Bingham also serves as independent legal counsel to the Board of Trustees.
Distribution Agreement
IMST Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) is the distributor (also known as the principal underwriter) of the shares of the Fund and is located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Advisor, or any other service provider for the Fund.
Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated January 1, 2013 (the “Distribution Agreement”), the Distributor acts as the agent of the Trust in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust. The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Fund. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Fund and/or the Advisor, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Fund.
Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Advisor pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.
The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Fund on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.
The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof. The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect with respect to the Fund only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders or by vote of a majority of the Board, including a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Marketing and Support Payments
The Advisor, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may provide cash payments or other compensation to certain financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund. These payments are in addition to other fees described in the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI, and are generally provided for shareholder services or marketing support. Payments for marketing support are typically for inclusion of the Fund on sales lists, including electronic sales platforms. Investors may wish to take these payments into account when considering and evaluating recommendations to purchase shares of the Fund.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor and determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Fund and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions. The purchases and sales of securities in the over-the-counter market will generally be executed by using a broker for the transaction.
Purchases of portfolio securities for the Fund also may be made directly from issuers or from underwriters. Where possible, purchase and sale transactions will be effected through dealers (including banks) that specialize in the types of securities which the Fund will be holding unless better executions are available elsewhere. Dealers and underwriters usually act as principals for their own accounts. Purchases from underwriters will include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and purchases from dealers will include the spread between the bid and the asked price. If the execution and price offered by more than one dealer or underwriter are comparable, the order may be allocated to a dealer or underwriter that has provided research or other services as discussed below.
In placing portfolio transactions, the Advisor will use reasonable efforts to choose broker-dealers capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable price and execution available. The full range and quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations, such as the size of the order, the difficulty of execution, the operational facilities of the broker-dealer involved, the risk in positioning the block of securities, and other factors. In those instances where it is reasonably determined that more than one broker-dealer can offer the services needed to obtain the most favorable price and execution available, consideration may be given to those broker-dealers which furnish or supply research and statistical information to the Advisor that they may lawfully and appropriately use in their investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other services in addition to execution services. The Advisor considers such information, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by it under its Advisory Agreement with the Fund, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value.
While it is the Fund's general policy to seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, weight is also given to the ability of a broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services as defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
to the Fund or to the Advisor, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and may be useful to the Advisor in advising other clients. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith by the Advisor to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such broker-dealer. The standard of reasonableness is to be measured in light of the Advisor's overall responsibilities to the Fund.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other client accounts that may be managed or advised by the Advisor. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times, identical securities will be acceptable for both the Fund and one or more of such client accounts. In such event, the position of the Fund and such client accounts in the same issuer may vary and the holding period may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of these client accounts seek to acquire the same security as the Fund at the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as high a price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security at the same time as the Advisor's other client accounts.
The Fund does not effect securities transactions through brokers in accordance with any formula, nor does it effect securities transactions through brokers for selling shares of the Fund. However, broker-dealers who execute brokerage transactions may effect purchase of shares of the Fund for their customers.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Although the Fund generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Advisor, investment considerations warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities in the Fund's portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions. To the extent net short-term capital gains are realized, any distributions resulting from such gains will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes.
PROXY VOTING POLICY
The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies") on behalf of the Trust, which delegates the responsibility for voting the Fund's proxies to the Advisor, as applicable, subject to the Board's continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Advisor vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund. The Policies also require the Advisor to present to the Board, at least annually, the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Proxy Policies") and a record of each proxy voted by the Advisor on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Advisor as involving a conflict of interest. See Appendix B for the Advisor’s Proxy Policies and Guidelines and the Trust’s Policies. The Proxy Policies are intended to serve as a guideline and to further the economic value of each security held by the Fund. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") will review the Proxy Policies on a regular basis. Each proxy will be considered individually, taking into account the relevant circumstances at the time of each vote.
If a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Advisor’s interests and the Fund's interests, the Advisor will resolve the conflict by following the Advisor’s policy guidelines or the recommendation of an independent third party.
The Fund is required to annually file Form N-PX, which lists the Fund's complete proxy voting record for the 12-month period ending June 30
th
each year. Once filed, the Fund's proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free 1-866-933-9033 and on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM
The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the "Program") as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 ("USA PATRIOT Act"). In order to ensure compliance with this law, the Program provides for the development and implementation of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.
Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Distributor and Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, checking shareholder names against designated government lists, including Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC"), and a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The Trust has adopted policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings information (the "Disclosure Policy"). The Board of Trustees determined that the adoption of the Disclosure Policy, including the disclosure permitted therein, was in the best interests of the Trust. The Disclosure Policy applies to the Fund, Advisor, and other internal parties involved in the administration, operation or custody of the Fund, including, but not limited to UMBFS, MFAC, the Board of Trustees, counsel to the Trust and Independent Trustees, Bingham McCutchen LLP, and the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP (collectively, the "Service Providers"). Pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, non-public information concerning the Fund's portfolio holdings may be disclosed to its Service Providers only if such disclosure is consistent with the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties owed by the Fund and the Advisor to the Fund's shareholders. The Fund and its Service Providers may not receive compensation or any other consideration (which includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Fund or in other investment companies or accounts managed by the Advisor, or any affiliated person of the Advisor) in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information of the Fund. The Fund's Disclosure Policy is implemented and overseen by the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust, subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Periodic reports regarding these procedures will be provided to the Trust's Board.
Portfolio holdings information will be deemed public when it has been (1) posted to the Fund's public website at
www.palmersquarefunds.com
or (2) disclosed in periodic regulatory filings on the SEC's website (
www.sec.gov
). In addition, management of the Fund may make publicly available its portfolio holdings by posting such information to its public website, no earlier than five days after the date of such information (e.g. information as of January 31 may be made available no earlier than February 5).
Non-Public Portfolio Holdings Information Policy
. All portfolio holdings information that has not been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally as described above is considered non-public portfolio holdings information for the purposes of the Disclosure Policy. Pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, the Fund or its Service Providers may disclose non-public portfolio holdings information to certain third parties who fall within pre-authorized categories on a daily basis, with no lag time unless otherwise specified below. These third parties include: (i) the Fund's Service Providers and others who need access to such information in the performance of their contractual or other duties and responsibilities to the Fund (e.g., custodians, accountants, the Advisor, administrators, attorneys, officers and Trustees) and who are subject to duties of confidentiality imposed by law or contract, (ii) brokers who execute trades for the Fund, (iii) evaluation service providers (as described below) and (iv) shareholders requesting in-kind redemptions (as described below).
Evaluation Service Providers
. These third parties include mutual fund evaluation services, such as Morningstar and Lipper, if the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for disclosing the information, provided that the third party expressly agrees to maintain the non-public portfolio holdings information in confidence and not to trade portfolio securities based on the non-public portfolio holdings information. Subject to the terms and conditions of any agreement between the Fund or its authorized service providers and the third party, if these conditions for disclosure are satisfied, there shall be no restriction on the frequency with which the Fund's non-public portfolio holdings information is released, and no lag period shall apply. In addition, persons who owe a duty of trust or confidence to the Fund or its Service Providers (such as legal counsel) may receive non-public portfolio holdings information without entering into a non-disclosure agreement.
Shareholder In-Kind Distributions
. The Fund's shareholders may, in some circumstances, elect to redeem their shares of the Fund in exchange for their pro rata share of the securities held by the Fund. In such circumstances, pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, Fund shareholders may receive a complete listing of the portfolio holdings of the Fund up to seven (7) calendar days prior to making the redemption request provided that they represent orally or in writing that they agree to maintain the confidentiality of the portfolio holdings information and not to trade portfolio securities based on the non-public holdings information.
Other Entities
. Pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, the Fund or the Advisor may disclose non-public portfolio holdings information to a third party who does not fall within the pre-approved categories, and who are not executing broker-dealers; however, prior to the receipt of any non-public portfolio holdings information by such third party, the recipient must have entered into a non-disclosure agreement and the disclosure arrangement must have been approved by the Chief Compliance Officer and the President of the Trust. The Chief Compliance Officer will report to the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis regarding any recipients of non-public portfolio holdings information approved pursuant to this paragraph. There are no other ongoing arrangements as of the date of this SAI.
Current Arrangements Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
As of the date of this SAI, the Trust or the Fund has on-going business arrangements with the following entities which involve making portfolio holdings information available to such entities as an incidental part of the services they provide to the Trust: (i) Palmer Square Capital Management LLC (the Advisor), MFAC and UMBFS
(the Trust's Co-Administrators) and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A
.
(the Custodian) pursuant to investment management, administration and custody agreements, respectively, under which the Trust’s portfolio holdings information is provided daily on a real-time basis (i.e., with no lag time); (ii)Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP (independent registered public accounting firm), Bingham McCutchen LLP
(
attorneys) and other professionals engaged by the Trust to whom the Trust provides portfolio holdings information on a regular basis with varying lag times after the date of the information; and (iii) Morningstar, Inc., Lipper Inc., Thomson Financial, Vickers Stock Research Corporation, and Bloomberg L.P., to which the Fund’s portfolio holdings information is provided quarterly after the end of the previous fiscal quarter, with a 60-day time lag and no earlier than the date such information is filed on the SEC’s EDGAR system on Form N-Q (for the first and third fiscal quarters) or the Annual or Semi-Annual Report is mailed to shareholders (for the second and fourth fiscal quarters), as applicable.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV of the Fund's shares will fluctuate and is determined as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) each business day. The NAV may be calculated earlier if trading on the NYSE is restricted or if permitted by the SEC.
The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for trading. The most recent announcement indicates that the NYSE will not be open for the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that announcement.
The NAV is computed by dividing (a) the difference between the value of the Fund’s securities, cash and other assets and the amount of the Fund’s expenses and liabilities by (b) the number of shares outstanding. The NAV takes into account all of the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management fees and administration fees, which are accrued daily.
Net Assets
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NAV
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Shares Outstanding
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Generally, the Fund's investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of a market value, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Advisor and the Trust's Valuation Committee pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board. Pursuant to those procedures, the Board considers, among other things: 1) the last sale price on the securities exchange, if any, on which a security is primarily traded; 2) the mean between the bid and ask prices; 3) price quotations from an approved pricing service, and 4) other factors as necessary to determine a fair value under certain circumstances.
The Fund's securities which are traded on securities exchanges are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any reported sales, at the mean between the last available bid and ask prices.
Securities that are traded on more than one exchange are valued on the exchange determined by the Advisor to be the primary market. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation ("NASDAQ"), National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price ("NOCP"). If the NOCP is not available, such securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if there has not been any sale on such day, at the mean between the bid and ask prices. Over-the-counter ("OTC") securities which are not traded in the NASDAQ National Market System shall be valued at the most recent trade price.
Stocks that are "thinly traded" or events occurring when a foreign market is closed but the NYSE is open (for example, the value of a security held by the Fund has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded) may create a situation where a market quote would not be readily available. When a market quote is not readily available, the security's value is based on "fair value" as determined by procedures adopted by the Board. The Board will periodically review the reliability of the Fund's fair value methodology. The Fund may hold portfolio securities, such as those traded on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund's shares are not priced. Therefore, the value of the Fund's shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.
Short-term debt obligations with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days are valued at current market prices, as discussed above. Short-term securities with 60 days or less remaining to maturity are, unless conditions indicate otherwise, amortized to maturity based on their cost to the Fund if acquired within 60 days of maturity or, if already held by the Fund on the 60
th
day, based on the value determined on the 61
st
day.
All other assets of the Fund are valued in such manner as the Board in good faith deems appropriate to reflect as their fair value.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES
Detailed information on the purchase and redemption of shares is included in the Fund's Prospectus. Shares of the Fund are sold at the next offering price calculated after receipt of an order for purchase. In order to purchase shares of the Fund, you must invest the initial minimum investment for the relevant class of shares. However, the Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive the minimum initial investment amount for certain investors, or to waive or reduce the minimum initial investment for 401(k) plans or other tax-deferred retirement plans. You may purchase shares on any day that the NYSE is open for business by placing orders with the Fund.
The Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase requests, particularly those that would not be in the best interests of the Fund or its shareholders and could adversely affect the Fund or its operations. This includes those from any individual or group who, in the Fund's view, is likely to engage in or has a history of excessive trading (usually defined as more than four round-trip transactions out of the Fund within a calendar year). Furthermore, the Trust may suspend the right to redeem its shares or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than seven calendar days (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE is restricted; (ii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which the sale by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to fairly determine the value of its net assets; or (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. In addition, if you purchase shares using a check and request a redemption before the check has cleared, the Fund may postpone payment of your redemption proceeds up to 15 days while the Fund waits for the check to clear.
Redemptions In Kind
The Trust has filed an election under SEC Rule 18f-1 committing to pay in cash all redemptions by a shareholder of record up to amounts specified by the rule (the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the Fund’s assets). The Fund has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of its shares in excess of the amounts specified by the rule, either totally or partially, by an in-kind distribution of portfolio securities (instead of cash). The securities so distributed would be valued at the same amounts as those assigned to them in calculating the NAV for the Fund shares being redeemed. If a shareholder receives an in-kind distribution, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
The Fund does not intend to hold any significant percentage of its portfolio in illiquid securities, although the Fund, like virtually all mutual funds, may from time to time hold a small percentage of securities that are illiquid. In the unlikely event the Fund were to elect to make an in-kind redemption, the Fund expects that it would follow the normal protocol of making such distribution by way of a pro rata distribution based on its entire portfolio. If the Fund held illiquid securities, such distribution may contain a pro rata portion of such illiquid securities or the Fund may determine, based on a materiality assessment, not to include illiquid securities in the in-kind redemption. The Fund does not anticipate that it would ever selectively distribute a greater than pro rata portion of any illiquid securities to satisfy a redemption request. If such securities are included in the distribution, shareholders may not be able to liquidate such securities and may be required to hold such securities indefinitely. Shareholders’ ability to liquidate such securities distributed in-kind may be restricted by resale limitations or substantial restrictions on transfer imposed by the issuers of the securities or by law. Shareholders may only be able to liquidate such securities distributed in-kind at a substantial discount from their value, and there may be higher brokerage costs associated with any subsequent disposition of these securities by the recipient.
FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS
The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal (and, where noted, state and local) income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The discussion is very general. Current and prospective shareholders are therefore urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this SAI and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
The Fund is treated as a separate entity from other series of the Trust for federal income tax purposes. The Fund intends to elect to be treated and intends to qualify each year to be taxed as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code by complying with all applicable requirements of the Code, including, among other things, requirements as to the sources of the Fund’s income, diversification of the Fund’s assets and timing of Fund distributions. To so qualify, the Fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains, and other traditionally permitted mutual fund income); and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other regulated investment companies, U.S. Government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, in the securities (other than the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or in the securities of one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships.”
As a regulated investment company, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders, provided that it satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. In order to avoid liability for federal excise tax, the Fund must distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) 98.2% of the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses for the 12-month period ending on October 31 during such year and (iii) any amounts from the prior calendar year that were not distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. The Fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporate tax rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders. The Fund’s policy is to distribute to its shareholders all investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and any net capital gains for each fiscal year in a manner that complies with the distribution requirements of the Code, so that the Fund will not be subject to any federal income or excise taxes.
If, for any taxable year, the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company or to meet certain minimum distribution requirements under the Code, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a regulated investment company, but in order to do so the Fund might incur significant Fund-level taxes and might be forced to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.
Shareholders will be subject to federal income taxes on distributions made by the Fund whether paid in cash or additional shares. Distributions of net investment income (including interest, dividend income and net short-term capital gain in excess of any net long-term capital loss, less certain expenses), other than qualified dividend income, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income, as such term is defined in Section 1(h)(11) of the Code (generally dividends received from U.S. domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met), generally will be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the federal income tax rates applicable to net capital gain, provided the Fund reports the amount distributed as qualified dividend income.
Distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, will be taxable to non-corporate shareholders as long-term capital gain without regard to how long a shareholder has held shares of the Fund. The Fund may retain certain amounts of capital gains and designate them as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amounts so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the fund on those undistributed amounts against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their federal income tax basis in their shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amounts of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Dividends paid by the Fund may qualify in part for the dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided the Fund reports the amount distributed as a qualifying dividend and certain holding period and other requirements under the Code are satisfied. The reported amount, however, cannot exceed the aggregate amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for its taxable year. However, the portion of the Fund’s gross income attributable to qualified dividend income and qualifying dividends is largely dependent on the Fund’s investment activities for a particular year and, therefore, cannot be predicted with any certainty. Qualified dividend income treatment and the dividends received deduction may be reduced or eliminated if, among other things, (i) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property or (ii) certain holding period requirements are not satisfied at both the Fund and shareholder levels. In addition, qualified dividend income treatment is not available if a shareholder elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest.
Dividends and distributions from the Fund and net gain from redemptions of Fund shares will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.
Shareholders who choose to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the NAV of a share on the reinvestment date. Distributions are generally taxable when received. However, distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in such a month and paid the following January are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared. Distributions are includable in alternative minimum taxable income in computing a shareholder’s liability for the federal alternative minimum tax.
A redemption of Fund shares may result in recognition of a taxable gain or loss. The gain or loss will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year. If the shares were held for one year or less, the gain or loss will generally be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long term capital gains during such six month period. Any loss realized upon a redemption may be disallowed under certain wash sale rules to the extent shares of the same Fund or other substantially identical stock or securities are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the redemption.
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the 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 exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. 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 considering their individual circumstances.
The Fund’s transactions in options and other similar transactions, such as futures, may be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, affect the character of any income realized by the Fund from such investments, accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, defer Fund losses, affect the holding period of the Fund’s securities, affect whether distributions will be eligible for the dividends received deduction or be treated as qualified dividend income and affect the determination of whether capital gain and loss is characterized as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions may also require the Fund to “mark-to-market” certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding U.S. federal income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor these transactions and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records, and if the Fund deems it advisable, will make appropriate elections if available in order to mitigate the effect of these rules, prevent disqualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company and minimize the imposition of U.S. federal income and excise taxes.
The Fund’s transactions in broad based equity index futures contracts, exchange-traded options on such indices and certain other futures contracts are generally considered “Section 1256 contracts” for federal income tax purposes. Any unrealized gains or losses on such Section 1256 contracts are treated as though they were realized at the end of each taxable year. The resulting gain or loss is treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Gain or loss recognized on actual sales of Section 1256 contracts is treated in the same manner. As noted above, distributions of net short-term capital gain are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income while distributions of net long-term capital gain are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held shares of the Fund.
The Fund’s entry into a short sale transaction, an option or certain other contracts, such as futures, could be treated as the constructive sale of an appreciated financial position, causing the Fund to realize gain, but not loss, on the position.
If the Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Fund must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. However, the Fund must distribute, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such accrued income to shareholders to avoid federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities (potentially under disadvantageous circumstances) to generate cash, or may have to undertake leverage by borrowing cash, to satisfy these distribution requirements. Dispositions of portfolio securities may result in additional gains and additional distribution requirements.
If the Fund invests in a market discount bond, it will be required to treat any gain recognized on the disposition of such market discount bond as ordinary income (instead of capital gain) to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund elects to include the market discount in income as it accrues as discussed above. A market discount bond is a security acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value (or its adjusted issue price if it is also an original issue discount bond).
The Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to its investments in those countries, which would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. So long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company and incurs “qualified foreign taxes,” if more than 50% of its net assets at the close of its taxable year consist of stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to “pass through” to its shareholders the amount of such foreign taxes paid. If this election is made, information with respect to the amount of the foreign income taxes that are allocated to the Fund’s shareholders will be provided to them and any shareholder subject to tax on dividends will be required (i) to include in ordinary gross income (in addition to the amount of the taxable dividends actually received) his/her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid that are attributable to such dividends; and (ii) either to deduct his/her proportionate share of such foreign taxes in computing his/her taxable income or to claim that amount as a foreign tax credit (subject to applicable limitations) against U.S. income taxes. The Fund does not expect to satisfy the requirements for passing through to its shareholders their respective pro rata shares of qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund, with the result that shareholders will not be required to include such taxes in their gross incomes and will not be entitled to a tax deduction or credit for such taxes on their own federal income tax returns.
Foreign exchange gains or losses realized by the Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain options and futures contracts relating to foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which generally causes such gains or losses to be treated as ordinary gain or loss and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.
The Fund may purchase the securities of certain foreign investment funds or trusts called passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”). PFICs may be the only or primary means by which the Fund may invest in some countries. If the Fund invests in PFICs, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend to shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on either the Fund or shareholders with respect to deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. Capital gains on the sale of such holdings will be deemed to be ordinary income regardless of how long such PFICs are held. A “qualified electing fund” election or a “mark to market” election may generally be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require the Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to regulated investment companies, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax on the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the fund. In order for the Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC, the PFIC would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.
Ordinary dividends and certain other payments made by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. shareholder who provides a Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. The effectively connected dividends in this particular instance will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate, depending on the applicable tax treaty). A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.
This 30% withholding tax generally does not apply to distributions of net capital gains. For Fund taxable years beginning before January 1, 2014, this 30% withholding tax will also not apply to dividends that the Fund reports as (a) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified net interest income,” or (b) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified short-term gain.” “Qualified net interest income” is the Fund’s net income derived from U.S.-source interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. “Qualified short-term gain” generally means the excess of the net short-term capital gain of the Fund for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder has to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute Form).
Ordinary dividends, redemption payments and certain capital gain dividends paid after December 31, 2013 to a non-U.S. shareholder that fails to make certain required certifications, or that is a “foreign financial institution” as defined in Section 1471 of the Code and that does not meet the requirements imposed on foreign financial institutions by Section 1471, will generally be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate. Withholding on such payments will begin at different times depending on the type of payment, the type of payee, and whether the shareholder’s account is opened before or after January 1, 2014. Withholding with respect to ordinary dividends is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2014 for accounts opened on or after that date and on certain later dates for accounts opened before January 1, 2014. Withholding on redemption payments and certain capital gain dividends is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2017. The extent, if any, to which such withholding tax may be reduced or eliminated by an applicable tax treaty is unclear. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
The Fund is required to withhold (as “backup withholding”) a portion of reportable payments, including dividends, capital gain distributions and the proceeds of redemptions and exchanges or repurchases of Fund shares, paid to shareholders who have not complied with certain IRS regulations. The backup withholding rate is currently 28%. In order to avoid this withholding requirement, shareholders, other than certain exempt entities, must certify on IRS Forms W-9 or on certain other documents, that the Social Security Numbers or other Taxpayer Identification Numbers they provide are their correct numbers and that they are not currently subject to backup withholding, or that they are exempt from backup withholding. The Fund may nevertheless be required to backup withhold if it receives notice from the IRS or a broker that a number provided is incorrect or that backup withholding is applicable as a result of previous underreporting of interest or dividend income.
This discussion and the related discussion in the Prospectus have been prepared by management of the Fund, and counsel to the Trust has expressed no opinion in respect thereof.
Prospective shareholders of the Fund should consult their own tax advisors concerning the effect of owning shares of the Fund in light of their particular tax situations.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund will receive income in the form of dividends and interest earned on its investments in securities. This income, less the expenses incurred in its operations, is the Fund's net investment income, substantially all of which will be declared as dividends to the Fund's shareholders.
The amount of income dividend payments by the Fund is dependent upon the amount of net investment income received by the Fund from its portfolio holdings, is not guaranteed and is subject to the discretion of the Board. The Fund does not pay "interest" or guarantee any fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.
The Fund also may derive capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Any net gain the Fund may realize from transactions involving investments held for less than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing short-term capital gains and losses (taking into account any available carryover of capital losses), although a distribution from capital gains, will be distributed to shareholders with and as a part of the income dividends paid by the Fund and will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. If during any year the Fund realizes a net gain on transactions involving investments held for more than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing long-term capital gains and losses, the Fund will have a net long-term capital gain. After deduction of the amount of any net short-term capital loss, the balance (to the extent not offset by any capital losses available to be carried over) generally will be distributed and treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of the shareholders regardless of the length of time the Fund's shares may have been held by the shareholders. For more information concerning applicable capital gains tax rates, see your tax advisor.
Any dividend or distribution paid by the Fund reduces the Fund's NAV on the date paid by the amount of the dividend or distribution per share. Accordingly, a dividend or distribution paid shortly after a purchase of shares by a shareholder would represent, in substance, a partial return of capital (to the extent it is paid on the shares so purchased), even though it would be subject to federal income taxes.
Dividends and other distributions will be made in the form of additional shares of the Fund unless the shareholder has otherwise indicated. Investors have the right to change their elections with respect to the reinvestment of dividends and distributions by notifying the transfer agent in writing, but any such change will be effective only as to dividends and other distributions for which the record date is seven or more business days after the transfer agent has received the written request.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Investment Managers Series Trust is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on February 15, 2005. The Trust has a number of outstanding series of shares of beneficial interest, par value of $0.01 per share, each of which represents interests in a separate portfolio of securities.
The Trust’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to create additional series of shares, to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of each series, including the Fund, and to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in the series. The assets belonging to a series is charged with the liabilities in respect of that series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that series only. Therefore, any creditor of any series may look only to the assets belonging to that series to satisfy the creditor’s debt. Any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as pertaining to any particular series are allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among the existing series in the sole discretion of the Trustees. Each share of the Fund represents an interest in the Fund proportionately equal to the interest of each other share. Upon the Fund’s liquidation, all shareholders would share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders.
The Trust may offer more than one class of shares of any series. Each share of a series or class represents an equal proportionate interest in that series or class with each other share of that series or class.
The shares of each series or class participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series or class. Expenses of the Trust, which are not attributable to a specific series or class, are allocated among all the series in a manner believed by management of the Trust to be fair and equitable. Shares issued do not have pre-emptive or conversion rights. Shares when issued are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. Shares of each series or class generally vote together, except when required under federal securities laws to vote separately on matters that only affect a particular series or class, such as the approval of distribution plans for a particular class.
The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders but will hold special meetings of shareholders of a series or class when, in the judgment of the Board, it is necessary or desirable to submit matters for a shareholder vote. Shareholders have, under certain circumstances, the right to communicate with other shareholders in connection with requesting a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of removing one or more trustees. Shareholders also have, in certain circumstances, the right to remove one or more trustees without a meeting. No material amendment may be made to the Trust's Declaration of Trust without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each portfolio affected by the amendment.
The Trust's Declaration of Trust provides that, at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or of any series or class, a shareholder servicing agent may vote any shares as to which such shareholder servicing agent is the agent of record for shareholders who are not represented in person or by proxy at the meeting, proportionately in accordance with the votes cast by holders of all shares of that portfolio otherwise represented at the meeting in person or by proxy as to which such shareholder servicing agent is the agent of record. Any shares so voted by a shareholder servicing agent will be deemed represented at the meeting for purposes of quorum requirements. Any series or class may be terminated (i) upon the merger or consolidation with, or the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of its assets to, another entity, if approved by the vote of the holders of two-thirds of its outstanding shares, except that if the Board recommends such merger, consolidation or sale or disposition of assets, the approval by vote of the holders of a majority of the series' or class' outstanding shares will be sufficient, or (ii) by the vote of the holders of a majority of its outstanding shares, or (iii) by the Board by written notice to the series' or class' shareholders. Unless each series and class is so terminated, the Trust will continue indefinitely.
Shareholders may send communications to the Board. Shareholders should send communications intended for the Board by addressing the communications to the Board, in care of the Secretary of the Trust and sending the communication to 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, CA 91740. A shareholder communication must (i) be in writing and be signed by the shareholder, (ii) provide contact information for the shareholder, (iii) identify the Fund to which it relates, and (iv) identify the class and number of shares held by the shareholder. The Secretary of the Trust may, in good faith, determine that a shareholder communication should not be provided to the Board because it does not reasonably relate to the Trust or its operations, management, activities, policies, service providers, Board, officers, shareholders or other matters relating to an investment in the Fund or is otherwise ministerial in nature. Other shareholder communications received by the Fund not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management, and will be forwarded to the Board only at management's discretion based on the matters contained therein.
The Declaration of Trust provides that no Trustee or officer of the Trust shall be subject to any personal liability in connection with the assets or affairs of the Trust or any of its series except for losses in connection with his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.
The Trust's Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents covering possible tort and other liabilities. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust does not require the issuance of stock certificates. If stock certificates are issued, they must be returned by the registered owners prior to the transfer or redemption of shares represented by such certificates.
Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that as to any investment company which has two or more series outstanding and as to any matter required to be submitted to shareholder vote, such matter is not deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the rule) of the voting securities of each series affected by the matter. Such separate voting requirements do not apply to the election of Trustees or the ratification of the selection of accountants. The Rule contains special provisions for cases in which an advisory contract is approved by one or more, but not all, series. A change in investment policy may go into effect as to one or more series whose holders so approve the change even though the required vote is not obtained as to the holders of other affected series.
The Trust and the Advisor have adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As the Fund has not commenced operations, there are no financial statements available at this time. Shareholders of the Fund will be informed of the Fund’s progress through periodic reports when those reports become available. Financial statements certified by the independent registered public accounting firm will be submitted to shareholders at least annually.
APPENDIX "A"
DESCRIPTION OF CREDIT RATINGS
Standard & Poor’s Corporation
A brief description of the applicable Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:
Long-Term Debt
An S&P corporate or municipal debt rating is a current assessment of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific obligation. This assessment may take into consideration obligors such as guarantors, insurers or lessees. The debt rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable. S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances. The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
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1.
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Likelihood of default-capacity and willingness of the obligor as to the timely payment of interest and repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
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2.
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Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and
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3.
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Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.
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Investment Grade
AAA
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Debt rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.
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AA
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Debt rated “AA” has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
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A
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Debt rated “A” has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
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BBB
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Debt rated “BBB” is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.
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Speculative Grade Rating
Debt rated “BB”, “B”, “CCC”, “CC” and “C” is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics these are outweighed by major uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB
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Debt rated “BB” has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The “BB” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BBB” rating.
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B
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Debt rated “B” has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The “B” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BB” or “BB” rating.
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CCC
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Debt rated “CCC” has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The “CCC” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “B” or “B” rating.
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CC
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The rating “CC” typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” debt rating.
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C
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The rating “C” typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” debt rating. The “C” rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.
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CI
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The rating “CI” is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
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D
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Debt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.
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Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Provisional Ratings: The letter “p” indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of, such completion. The investor should exercise judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
r
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The letter “r” is attached to highlight derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that S&P believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns due to non-credit risks. Examples of such obligations are: securities who’s principal or interest return is indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest only and principal only mortgage securities. The absence of an “r” symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.
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L
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The letter “L” indicates that the rating pertains to the principal amount of those bonds to the extent that the underlying deposit collateral is Federally insured by the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation* In the case of certificates of deposit the letter “L” indicates that the deposit, combined with other deposits being held in the same right and capacity will be honored for principal and accrued pre-default interest up to the Federal insurance limits within 30 days after closing of the insured institution or, in the event that the deposit is assumed by a successor insured institution, upon maturity.
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NR
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Indicates no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
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Commercial Paper
An S&P commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from “A-1” for the highest quality obligations to “D” for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1
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This highest category indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.
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A-2
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Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated “A-1.”
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*Continuance of the rating is contingent upon S&P’s receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flow.
A-3
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Issues carrying this designation have adequate capacity for timely payment. They are, however, somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.
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B
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Issues rated “B” are regarded as having only speculative capacity for timely payment.
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C
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This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a doubtful capacity for payment.
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D
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Debt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest payments or principal Payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period.
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A commercial rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to S&P by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable.
S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information or based on other circumstances.
Preferred Securities
AAA
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This is the highest rating that may be assigned to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.
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AA
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A preferred stock issue rated AA also qualifies as a high quality fixed income security. The capacity to pay preferred stock obligations is very strong, although not as overwhelming as for issues rated AAA.
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A
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An issue rated A is backed by a sound capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.
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BBB
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An issue rated BBB is regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. Although it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make payments for preferred stock in this category for issues in the A category.
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BB
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As issue rated BB is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay the preferred stock obligation. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, they are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.
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Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
A brief description of the applicable Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moody’s) follows:
Long-Term Debt
The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for corporate and municipal long-term debt:
Aaa
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Bonds are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the Fundamentally strong position of such issuer.
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Aa
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Bonds are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the “Aaa” group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in “Aaa” securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in “Aaa” securities.
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A
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Bonds possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
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Baa
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Bonds considered medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
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Ba,
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B, Caa, Ca, and C Bonds that possess one of these ratings provide questionable protection of interest and principal (“Ba” indicates some speculative elements; “B” indicates a general lack of characteristics of desirable investment; “Caa” represents a poor standing; “Ca” represents obligations which are speculative in a high degree; and “C” represents the lowest rated class of bonds). “Caa,” “Ca” and “C” bonds may be in default.
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Con. (---)
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Bonds for which the security depends upon the completion of some act or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These are bonds secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects unseasoned in operation experience, (c) rentals which begin when facilities are completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting condition attaches. Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of construction or elimination of basis of condition.
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(P)
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When applied to forward delivery bonds, indicates that the rating is provisional pending delivery of the bonds. The rating may be revised prior to delivery if changes occur in the legal documents or the underlying credit quality of the bonds.
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Note: Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups which Moody’s believes possess the strongest investment attributes are designated by the symbols, Aa1, A1, Ba1 and B1.
Short-Term Loans
MIG 1/VMIG 1
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This designation denotes best quality. There is present strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad based access to the market for refinancing.
|
MIG 2/VMIG 2
|
This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.
|
MIG 3/VMIG 3
|
This designation denotes favorable quality. All security elements are accounted for but there is lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
|
MIG 4/VMIG 4
|
This designation denotes adequate quality. Protection commonly regarded as required of an investment security is present and although not distinctly or predominantly speculative, there is specific risk.
|
S.G.
|
This designation denotes speculative quality. Debt instruments in this category lack margins of protection.
|
Commercial Paper
Issuers rated Prime-1 (or related supporting institutions) have a superior capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Prime-1 repayment capacity will normally be evidenced by the following characteristics:
|
-
|
Leading market positions in well-established industries.
|
|
-
|
High rates of return on Funds employed.
|
|
-
|
Conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.
|
|
-
|
Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.
|
|
-
|
Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
|
Issuers rated Prime-2 (or related supporting institutions) have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained. Issuers rated Prime-3 (or related supporting institutions) have an acceptable capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market composition may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and the requirement for relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Preferred Securities Ratings
aaa
|
Preferred stocks which are rated “aaa” are considered to be top quality. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.
|
aa
|
Preferred stocks which are rated “aa” are considered to be high grade. This rating indicates that there is reasonable assurance that earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.
|
a
|
Preferred stocks which are rated “a” are considered to be upper-medium grade. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “aaa” and “aa” classifications, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.
|
baa
|
Preferred stocks which are rated “baa” are judged lover-medium grade, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.
|
ba
|
Preferred stocks which are rated “ba” are considered to have speculative elements and their future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.
|
APPENDIX "B"
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
Advisor
Palmer Square Capital Management LLC
POLICY
It is the Firm’s policy, where it has accepted responsibility to vote proxies on behalf a particular client, to vote such proxies in the best interest of its clients and ensure that the vote is not the product of an actual or potential conflict of interest. For client’s that are subject to ERISA, it is the Firm’s policy to follow the provisions of any ERISA plan’s governing documents in the voting of plan securities, unless it determines that to do so would breach its fiduciary duties under ERISA.
RESPONSIBILITY
Where the Firm has accepted responsibility to vote proxies on behalf a particular client, the Chief Investment Officer is responsible for ensuring that proxies are voted in a manner consistent with the proxy voting guidelines adopted by the Firm (the “Proxy Voting Guidelines”) and the Firm’s policies and procedures.
PROCEDURES
The Firm may vote client proxies where a client requests and the Firm accepts such responsibility, or in the case of an employee benefit plan, as defined by ERISA, where such responsibility has been properly delegated to, and assumed by, the Firm. In such circumstances the Firm will only cast proxy votes in a manner consistent with the best interest of its clients or, to the extent applicable, their beneficiaries. Absent special circumstances, which are further discussed below, all proxies will be voted consistent with the guidelines attached (“Proxy Voting Guidelines”) and the Firm’s policies and procedures. The Firm shall, in its Form ADV, generally disclose to clients information about these policies and procedures and how clients may obtain information on how the Firm voted their proxies when applicable. At any time, a client may contact the Firm to request information about how it voted proxies for their securities. It is generally the Firm’s policy not to disclose its proxy voting records to unaffiliated third parties or special interest groups.
The Firm’s Proxy Voting Committee will be responsible for monitoring corporate actions, making proxy voting decisions, and ensuring that proxies are submitted in a timely manner. The Proxy Voting Committee may delegate the responsibility to vote client proxies to one or more persons affiliated with the Firm (such person(s) together with the Proxy Voting Committee are hereafter collectively referred to as “Responsible Voting Parties”) consistent with the Proxy Voting Guidelines. Specifically, when the Firm receives proxy proposals where the Proxy Voting Guidelines outline its general position as voting either “for” or “against,” the proxy will be voted by one of the Responsible Voting Parties in accordance with the Firm’s Proxy Voting Guidelines. When the Firm receives proxy proposals where the Proxy Voting Guidelines do not contemplate the issue or otherwise outline its general position as voting on a case-by-case basis, the proxy will be forwarded to the Proxy Voting Committee, which will review the proposal and either vote the proxy or instruct one of the Responsible Voting Parties on how to vote the proxy.
It is intended that the Proxy Voting Guidelines will be applied with a measure of flexibility. Accordingly, except as otherwise provided in these policies and procedures, the Responsible Voting Parties may vote a proxy contrary to the Proxy Voting Guidelines if, in the sole determination of the Proxy Voting Committee, it is determined that such action is in the best interest of the Firm’s clients. In the exercise of such discretion, the Proxy Voting Committee may take into account a wide array of factors relating to the matter under consideration, the nature of the proposal, and the company involved. Similarly, poor past performance, uncertainties about management and future directions, and other factors may lead to a conclusion that particular proposals by an issuer present unacceptable investment risks and should not be supported. In addition, the proposals should be evaluated in context. For example, a particular proposal may be acceptable standing alone, but objectionable when part of an existing or proposed package, such as where the effect may be to entrench management. Special circumstances or instructions from clients may also justify casting different votes for different clients with respect to the same proxy vote.
The Responsible Voting Parties will document the rationale for all proxy voted contrary to the Proxy Voting Guidelines. Such information will be maintained as part of the Firm’s recordkeeping process. In performing its responsibilities the Proxy Voting Committee may consider information from one or more sources including, but not limited to, management of the company presenting the proposal, shareholder groups, legal counsel, and independent proxy research services. In all cases, however, the ultimate decisions on how to vote proxies are made by the Proxy Voting Committee.
Conflicts of Interest
The Firm may occasionally be subject to conflicts of interest in the voting of proxies due to business or personal relationships it maintains with persons having an interest in the outcome of certain votes. For example, the Firm may provide services to accounts owned or controlled by companies whose management is soliciting proxies. The Firm, along with any affiliates and/or employees, may also occasionally have business or personal relationships with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships.
If the Responsible Voting Parties become aware of any potential or actual conflict of interest relating to a particular proxy proposal, they will promptly report such conflict to the Committee. Conflicts of interest will be handled in various ways depending on their type and materiality of the conflict. The Firm will take the following steps to ensure that its proxy voting decisions are made in the best interest of its clients and are not the product of such conflict:
•
|
Where the Proxy Voting Guidelines outline the Firm’s voting position, as either “for” or “against” such proxy proposal, voting will be accordance with the its Proxy Voting Guidelines.
|
•
|
Where the Proxy Voting Guidelines outline the Firm’s voting position to be determined on a “case-by-case” basis for such proxy proposal, or such proposal is not contemplated in the Proxy Voting Guidelines, then one of the two following methods will be selected by the Committee depending upon the facts and circumstances of each situation and the requirements of applicable law:
|
|
o Voting the proxy in accordance with the voting recommendation of a non-affiliated third party vendor; or
|
|
o Provide the client with sufficient information regarding the proxy proposal and obtain the client’s consent or direction before voting.
|
Third Party Delegation
The Firm may delegate to a non-affiliated third party vendor, the responsibility to review proxy proposals and make voting recommendations to the Firm. The Chief Investment Officer will ensure that any third party recommendations followed will be consistent with the Proxy Voting Guidelines. In all cases, however, the ultimate decisions on how to vote proxies are made by the Committee.
The Fund’s proxies will be voted in accordance with any applicable investment restrictions of the fund and, to the extent applicable, any resolutions or other instructions approved by an authorized person of the fund.
Special Circumstances
The Firm may choose not to vote proxies in certain situations or for certain accounts, such as: (i) where a client has informed the Firm that they wish to retain the right to vote the proxy; (ii) where the Firm deems the cost of voting the proxy would exceed any anticipated benefit to the client; (iii) where a proxy is received for a client that has terminated the Firm’s services; (iv) where a proxy is received for a security that the Firm no longer manages (i.e., the Firm had previously sold the entire position); and/or (v) where the exercise of voting rights could restrict the ability of an account’s portfolio manager to freely trade the security in question (as is the case, for example, in certain foreign jurisdictions known as “blocking markets”).
In addition, certain accounts over which the Firm has proxy-voting discretion may participate in securities lending programs administered by the custodian or a third party. Because title to loaned securities passes to the borrower, the Firm will be unable to vote any security that is out on loan to a borrower on a proxy record date. If the Firm has investment discretion, however, the Firm shall reserve the right to instruct the lending agent to terminate a loan in situations where the matter to be voted upon is deemed to be material to the investment and the benefits of voting the security are deemed to outweigh the costs of terminating the loan.
Proxy Voting Guidelines
GENERAL POSITION
|
ISSUE
|
Directors, Executives & Employees
|
F
|
Uncontested Election of Director (Against for cause)
|
C
|
Contested Election of Director
|
F
|
Majority of Independent Directors
|
F
|
Board Committee membership exclusively of independent Directors
|
A
|
Directors required to own a minimum amount of company stock
|
A
|
Limit tenure of all Directors
|
F
|
Mandatory retirement age for all directors
|
F
|
D & O indemnification
|
A
|
Re-price management options
|
C
|
Stock based compensation for Directors
|
F
|
Employee stock purchase plans
|
F
|
Disclosure of Executive and Director pay
|
F
|
Shareholder ratification of golden parachutes
|
F
|
Shareholder approval to implement ESOP
|
F
|
401(k) savings plans for employees
|
C
|
Executive and Director compensation plans
|
C
|
Expensing Stock Options
|
C
|
Board Chairmanship independent of company management
|
Proxies & Tenders
|
A
|
Staggered or classified boards
|
F
|
Annual election of all directors
|
F
|
Shareholder ability to remove directors with or without cause
|
F
|
Shareholders electing directors to fill board vacancies
|
F
|
Cumulative Voting
|
A
|
Restriction of Shareholder ability to call special meetings
|
F
|
Shareholder's rights to act independent of management
|
F
|
Fixed size board
|
A
|
Management ability to alter size of board without shareholder approval
|
F
|
Submission of poison pill for shareholder ratification (for submission in order to vote against poison pill)
|
C
|
Redemption of poison pill
|
C
|
Fair price provisions
|
A
|
Supermajority for any significant issue
|
A
|
Annual option grants where total is more than 2% shares outstanding
|
C
|
Option grants where total is less than 2% shares outstanding
|
A
|
Instituting poison pills
|
F
|
Anti-greenmail charter or by-law amendments or other such restrictions
|
A
|
Dual class exchange offers or recaps or increases in authorized shares
|
T
|
Tender offers
|
LEGEND
F - For A - Against C - Case-by-Case T - Take no action
|
GENERAL POSITION
|
ISSUE
|
Capital Structures
|
C
|
Increase shares of authorized common stock
|
C
|
Reverse stock splits
|
F
|
Requiring shareholder approval of "blank check" preferred stock
|
C
|
Authorization of preferred stock
|
F
|
Reduction of par value of common stock
|
C
|
Preemptive rights
|
C
|
Debt restructurings
|
C
|
Open market share repurchase plans
|
A
|
Creation of tracking stock
|
A
|
Opt in/out of state takeover statute
|
C
|
Mergers and acquisitions
|
C
|
Corporate restructurings, spin offs or asset sales
|
C
|
Liquidations
|
F
|
Approval rights
|
F
|
Corporate name change
|
Other Issues
|
F
|
Ratification of auditors
|
F
|
Requirement for auditor independence
|
F
|
Confidential voting
|
F
|
Equal access to proxy materials
|
A
|
Bundled proxy proposals
|
C
|
Shareholder advisory committees
|
F
|
Environment impact disclosure
|
F
|
Disclosure of military, political, employment practices
|
C
|
Blanket political, social, military principles
|
C
|
Mutual fund proxies
|
LEGEND
F - For A - Against C - Case-by-Case T - Take no action
|
APPENDIX “B”
INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”) is registered as an open-end 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 Advisors
The Board believes that the investment advisor of each Fund (each an “Advisor” and, collectively, the “Advisors”), 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 Advisor of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund.
The Trust hereby designates the Advisor 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 Advisor 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 Advisor shall perform these duties in accordance with the Advisor’s proxy voting policy, a copy of which shall be presented to this Board for its review. Each Advisor shall promptly provide to the Board updates to its proxy voting policy as they are adopted and implemented.
Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders
If a Fund or an Advisor has a web site, a copy of the Advisor’s proxy voting policy and this Policy may be posted on such website. 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 Advisor shall provide a complete voting record, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as advisor, to the Trust’s co-administrator within 15 days following the end of each calendar quarter. The Trust’s co-administrator, MFAC will file a report based on such record on Form N-PX on an annual basis with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31
st
of each year.
B-93