Form 485APOS Investment Managers Seri
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
REGISTRATION NOS. 333-191476
811-22894
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | [ ] | |
| PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. | [ ] | |
| POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 633 | [X] | |
| AND/OR | ||
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | [ ] | |
| AMENDMENT NO. 635 | [X] |
INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST II
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
235 West Galena Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (626) 385-5777
Diane J. Drake
Mutual Fund Administration, LLC
2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226
Glendora, CA 91740
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
COPIES TO:
Laurie Anne Dee
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
| [ ] | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485; or | |
| [ ] | on _______________ pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485; or | |
| [ ] | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485; | |
| [ ] | on _______________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485; or | |
| [X] | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485; or | |
| [ ] | on _______________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485; or | |
| [ ] | on _______________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) of Rule 485. |
If appropriate, check the following box:
| [ ] | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
The information in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer of sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Dated September 11, 2026

EMBASSY
The Envoy Fund
Institutional Class Shares (Ticker Symbol: [ ])
Class S Shares (Ticker Symbol: [ ])
PROSPECTUS
[ ],
2026
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
1
The
Envoy Fund
A series of Investment
Managers Series Trust II (the “Trust”)
Table of Contents
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SUMMARY SECTION |
1 |
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MORE ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS |
11 |
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
21 |
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YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE FUND |
23 |
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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
32 |
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FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES |
32 |
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
33 |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION |
Back Cover |
This Prospectus sets forth basic information about the Fund that you should know before investing. It should be read and retained for future reference.
The date of this Prospectus is [ ], 2026.
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SUMMARY SECTION
Investment Objective
The investment objective of The Envoy Fund (the “Fund”) is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees to financial intermediaries which are not reflected in the table and example below.
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Shareholder Fees |
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Class S Shares |
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Institutional Class Shares |
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Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases |
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None |
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None |
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Maximum deferred sales charge (load) |
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None |
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None |
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Wire fee |
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$20 |
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$20 |
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Overnight check delivery fee |
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$25 |
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$25 |
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Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee) |
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$15 |
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$15 |
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
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Management fees |
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0.75% |
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0.75% |
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Distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees |
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0.25% |
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None |
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Other expenses1 |
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[0.55]% |
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[0.55]% |
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Total annual fund operating expenses |
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[1.55]% |
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[1.30]% |
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Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed2 |
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([0.75])% |
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([0.50])% |
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Total annual fund operating expenses after fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed2 |
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[0.80]% |
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[0.80]% |
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| 1 | “Other expenses” have been estimated for the current fiscal year. The Fund invests in a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. “Other expenses” include expenses of both the Fund and the wholly owned subsidiary. Actual expenses may differ from estimates. |
| 2 | The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees, taxes, interest on borrowings other than commitment fees associated with borrowing arrangements, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [0.80%] of the average daily net assets of the Fund. This agreement is in effect through [ ], 2027, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement. |
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Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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One Year |
Three Years |
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Institutional Class |
$[___] |
$[___] |
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Class S |
$[___] |
$[___] |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund does not have an operating history, and turnover data therefore is not available.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by investing in four major asset classes: equities, commodities, currencies and fixed income.
Typically, the Fund will gain exposure to these four asset classes by investing in U.S. exchange-traded futures contracts, but it may also invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), other exchange-traded products that are not registered investment companies, such as trusts that hold physical gold and pools that invest in currency futures contracts (together with ETFs, “Exchange-Traded Products”), options and other derivative instruments that, in each case, provide investment exposure to (i) the equity securities of companies contained in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (“S&P 500”), (ii) gold, (iii) the value of the U.S. dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies, or (iv) long-dated U.S. Treasuries (collectively, the “Instruments”). The Fund may either invest directly in the Instruments or indirectly through a wholly owned Cayman Islands subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”) that is advised by Embassy Asset Management LP (“Embassy” or the “Advisor”), the Fund’s advisor.
In constructing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the Advisor uses a proprietary allocation model to adjust the proportion of the Fund that is allocated to each asset class. The model is generally systematic and rules-based. The Advisor uses momentum signals, which measure an asset class’s performance over a trailing period, as a guide in determining the desired allocation across the four asset classes to seek to achieve an overall portfolio that is intended to be resilient across a wide range of market conditions. Essentially, a momentum strategy seeks to invest in assets that are increasing in value and either avoid or sell assets
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that are decreasing in value. The Fund takes long positions only, although the Advisor may reduce or close out an existing position at any time. The Fund does not have fixed minimum or maximum allocations to any one asset class; position sizes are instead determined by the Advisor’s risk management process and will vary with prevailing volatility and market conditions. Accordingly, the Fund may have limited or no exposure to one or more asset classes at any given time. The Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of its portfolio investments, including regular rolling of futures and options contracts as they approach expiration.
A significant portion of the Fund’s assets is typically held in cash, cash equivalents and/or other short-term investments, including but not limited to obligations of the U.S. government (including U.S. treasury bills with maturities greater or less than 90 days), money market fund shares, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and/or bankers acceptances, as well as other short-term interest-bearing or discount obligations or debt instruments that carry an investment grade rating by a national rating agency (collectively, “Cash and Short-Term Investments”). The Cash and Short-Term Investments are intended to earn income for the Fund, provide liquidity, preserve capital and serve as collateral for the Fund’s or Subsidiary’s derivative positions. There may be times when the Fund is not invested in any of the asset classes and is invested solely in Cash and Short-Term Investments, including when none of the asset classes exhibit positive momentum signals.
Futures contracts are contractual agreements to buy or sell a particular currency, commodity or financial instrument at a pre-determined price in the future. An options contract gives the purchaser of the options contract the right to purchase (for a call option) or sell (for a put option) the underlying asset at a specified price (the “strike price”). If exercised, an options contract obligates the seller to deliver the underlying asset or instrument (for a sold call option) or buy the underlying asset or instrument (for a sold put option) at the strike price. The purchaser of the options contract pays the option seller for the rights granted by the option (this is referred to as the “premium”). The Fund does not intend to engage in cash borrowing; however, the Fund’s investments in futures contracts and other derivatives will create economic leverage, which may be substantial and may magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. There is no assurance that the Fund’s use of Instruments providing enhanced exposure will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
The Fund intends to gain exposure to commodity-linked Instruments, including futures contracts and Exchange-Traded Products, by investing through the Subsidiary. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary, tested at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Subsidiary will generally invest in futures contracts, but it may invest in other Instruments, including Exchange-Traded Products that hold physical gold, that do not generate “qualifying income” under the source of income test required to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund is the sole investor in the Subsidiary and does not expect the shares of the Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors. Except as otherwise noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investments include the Fund’s indirect investments through the Subsidiary.
The Fund is “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means that it may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of securities than a “diversified” mutual fund.
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The Advisor may sell all or a portion of a position in the Fund’s portfolio when, in its opinion, one or more of the following occurs, among other reasons: (1) the momentum signals indicate to sell a particular holding; (2) the sale is necessary or appropriate to comply with the Fund’s regulatory, tax, or liquidity requirements, including the limit on the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary; (3) the Advisor otherwise determines it is in the best interests of the Fund or its shareholders to do so; or (4) the Fund requires cash to meet redemption requests.
Principal Risks of Investing
Risk is inherent in all investing and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is not designed to be a complete investment program and the Fund is not suitable as a short-term investment. The Fund is intended for long-term investors. A summary description of certain principal risks of investing in the Fund is set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, please carefully consider these risk factors associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
• Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer, company, or asset class such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for individual consumers and borrowers, credit markets and corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, technological advances (such as artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning), the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
• Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Using derivatives exposes the Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase Fund volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund’s other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk, including settlement issues, and legal risk, including that underlying documentation is incomplete or ambiguous. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund’s relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm.
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The Fund is subject to Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Derivatives Rule”), which governs the use of derivatives by registered investment companies and requires the Fund either to limit its derivatives exposure or to adopt and implement a written derivatives risk management program and comply with an outer limit on Fund leverage risk based on value at risk. The effect of the Derivatives Rule could impede the employment of the Fund’s strategies or adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Certain risks relating to various types of derivatives in which the Fund may invest are described below:
• Futures Risk. The Fund’s use of exchange-traded futures contracts exposes the Fund to leverage and tracking risks because a small investment in futures contracts may produce large losses and futures contracts may not be perfect substitutes for securities.
o Equity Futures Risk. Equity futures are subject to general market risks and may not track the equity securities or index for which they are intended to serve as substitutes.
o Debt Futures Risk. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of debt futures. Current conditions may result in a rise in interest rates, which in turn may result in a decline in the value of the debt futures held by the Fund.
o Currency Futures Risk. Currency trading risks include market risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.
o Commodity Futures Risk. Investing in the commodities markets through futures may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative investments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
o U.S. Treasury Futures Risk. Futures can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices than conventional securities, which can result in greater losses for the Fund. To the extent the Fund uses U.S. Treasury futures, it is exposed to additional volatility and potential losses resulting from leverage. In addition, the prices of the U.S. Treasury futures and the price of U.S. Treasuries may not move together as expected. A risk of the Fund’s use of U.S. Treasury futures is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the relevant reference asset, U.S. Treasuries.
• Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur
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transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
• Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the likelihood or probability that a party involved in a transaction might default on its contractual obligation. Where the Fund enters into derivative contracts that are exchange-traded, the Fund is subject to the counterparty risk associated with the Fund’s clearing broker or clearinghouse. Relying on a counterparty exposes the Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. If a counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, this default will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease. In addition, to the extent the Fund deals with a limited number of counterparties, it will be more susceptible to the credit risks associated with those counterparties. The Fund’s assets deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin are held in commingled customer accounts. If the futures commission merchant becomes insolvent or fails to segregate customer assets properly, the Fund may not recover all of its margin, may recover only a pro rata share of customer property, and may be unable to access or transfer its positions for a period of time.
• Momentum Strategy Risk. The Fund’s strategy relies on momentum signals, which assume that recent price trends will persist. Momentum strategies can perform poorly, and can produce significant losses, in markets that lack a sustained trend or that reverse direction sharply. In choppy or range-bound markets the Fund may repeatedly increase exposure to an asset class shortly before it declines and reduce exposure shortly before it rises. Because the Fund’s signals are based on past prices, the Fund may not reduce its exposure to an asset class until after a decline has begun, and may not re-establish exposure until after a recovery is underway. Momentum strategies can underperform for extended periods, including during periods in which equity or fixed income markets generally rise.
• Model Risk. The Advisor’s strategy depends on a proprietary quantitative model. Models may contain design flaws, be based on one or more incorrect assumptions, or rely on incomplete or inaccurate data inputs, any of which may result in a decline in the value of an investment in the Fund. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in the short-term effectiveness of a model. The Advisor may also depart from the allocations indicated by the model, and any such departure may cause the Fund to underperform the allocations targeted by the model. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
• Asset Allocation Risk. The Fund’s performance depends on the Advisor’s allocations among equities, commodities, currencies and fixed income. The Advisor may allocate too much or too little to an asset class at any time. The asset classes may also become more correlated with one another, particularly in stressed markets, which would reduce the diversification the Fund’s multi-asset approach is intended to provide. In addition, the Fund may have limited or no exposure to one or
6
more asset classes at any given time and therefore may not participate in gains in an asset class that it does not hold.
• Leverage Risk. Certain Fund transactions, such as entering into futures contracts, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund’s investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
• Equity Risk. The Fund’s equity exposure is typically obtained principally through futures contracts and other instruments whose value is derived from the S&P 500 Index rather than through direct holdings of equity securities. The value of that exposure may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries represented in the index, or factors relating to specific companies included in the index. Because the Fund’s equity exposure is generally obtained through a single broad-based U.S. equity index, the Fund will not benefit from favorable performance of equity securities or equity markets outside that index.
• Investments in Other Investment Companies and Exchange-Traded Products Risk. To the extent the Fund gains exposure through Exchange Traded Products or other investment companies, the Fund bears its proportionate share of those vehicles’ fees and expenses in addition to its own and is exposed to the risks of their investments. Such investments are also subject to market and manager risk. Shares of an Exchange-Traded Product may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value, and the market for an Exchange-Traded Product’s shares may be less liquid than the market for its underlying holdings. An exchange-traded vehicle that is not registered under the 1940 Act, such as a trust holding physical gold, does not provide the investor protections of the 1940 Act, and income and gains from such a vehicle may not be qualifying income for purposes of the Fund’s qualification as a regulated investment company. The Fund may also be subject to the risk that an Exchange-Traded Product does not accurately track the performance of its underlying assets or reference asset.
• Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer’s credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, and longer-term and lower rated securities are more volatile than shorter-term and higher rated securities.
• Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s fixed income exposure is obtained principally through futures contracts on long-dated U.S. Treasury bonds and other Instruments linked to U.S. Treasury bonds, which have a long duration and are therefore particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a seven-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 7% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity
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and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund’s income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund’s investments. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
• Currency Risk. The Fund’s currency exposure is obtained principally through futures contracts and other Instruments linked to the value of the U.S. dollar against a basket of foreign currencies. The value of that exposure increases or decreases as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change, and the Fund’s currency positions are not intended to hedge the currency exposure of its other holdings. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
• Gold Risk. Investments related to gold are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide economic, financial and political factors. The price of gold may fluctuate sharply over short periods of time, even during periods of rising prices, due to changes in inflation or expectations regarding inflation in various countries, the availability of supplies, changes in industrial and commercial demand, limited markets, fabricator demand, gold sales by governments, trade imbalances and restrictions, currency devaluation or revaluation, central banks or international agencies, investment speculation, inability to raise capital, increases in production costs, political unrest in nations where sources of gold are located, monetary and other economic policies of various governments and government restrictions on private ownership of gold and mining land.
• Gold Futures Risk. The Fund’s use of gold futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund. This risk could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Futures contracts may become mispriced or improperly valued when compared to the Advisor’s expectation and may not produce the desired investment results. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying gold bullion due to factors such as temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances, speculation, or other pressures on the market. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intra-day price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading.
• U.S. Government Securities Risk. Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the
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U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise.
• Subsidiary Risk. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The futures contracts and other investments held by the Subsidiary are subject to the same economic risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to continue to operate as it does currently and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns. In addition, the Subsidiary is also subject to many of the risks to which the Fund is subject, such as tax risks, commodity related risks, and market and data risks. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the end of each fiscal quarter. If the Subsidiary appreciates relative to the Fund’s other holdings, the Fund may be required to redeem interests in the Subsidiary, or the Subsidiary may be required to liquidate positions, at disadvantageous times or prices in order to remain within that limit.
• Commodity Pool Regulatory Risk. The Fund is a commodity pool, and the Advisor is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund and is a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”). As a result, the Fund is subject to additional regulatory requirements administered by the CFTC and the NFA. Changes in the regulation of commodity interests, including changes to position limits, margin requirements, or the tax treatment of commodity interests, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategy or the value of its investments.
• Tax Risk. To qualify for the tax treatment available to RICs under the Code, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as “qualifying income.” In general, income derived from direct investments in commodities is not “qualifying income.” In addition, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has issued a revenue ruling concluding that income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute “qualifying income.” Investment through the Subsidiary is expected to allow the Fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to RICs. The tax treatment of the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary could nevertheless be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations.
Investment through the Subsidiary may affect the timing and character of income and gain recognized by the Fund, and of distributions to shareholders. For example, the tax treatment of any gains/losses from trading in 1256 futures contracts, such as exchange-traded commodity futures contracts, are generally taxed 60% as long-term capital gains/ losses and 40% short term capital gains/losses. However, because the Subsidiary is a “controlled foreign corporation” for U.S. federal
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income tax purposes, any income or gain recognized in respect of its investments in 1256 futures contracts will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income, and distributions attributable to such income and gains will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.
If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and was ineligible for, or did not avail itself of, relief provisions under the Code, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the applicable corporate rate without a deduction for distributions to shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders.
Separately, under current the Code and existing U.S. Treasury regulations, income from the Fund’s investments in Instruments linked to foreign currency-related transactions is expected to be treated as “qualifying income.” The U.S. Treasury has specific statutory authority to promulgate Treasury Regulations excluding from the definition of qualifying income foreign currency gains which are not directly related to a RIC’s principal business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities), although to date no such Treasury Regulations have been issued or proposed. In any event, the Fund anticipates that, in general, its investments in Instruments linked to foreign currency-related transactions will be directly related to its business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities); however, it is possible that future Treasury Regulations could recharacterize some or all of the income and gains from those positions as nonqualifying income and could be retroactive in application.
• Cash and Short-Term Investments Risk. At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash, cash equivalents and/or other short-term investments, including but not limited to obligations of the U.S. government (including U.S. treasury bills with maturities greater or less than 90 days), money market fund shares, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and/or bankers acceptances, as well as other short-term interest-bearing or discount obligations or debt instruments that carry an investment grade rating by a national rating agency. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in Cash and Short-Term Investments, there is the risk that the value of such investments, including any interest earned, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time. In addition, when the Fund holds a substantial portion of its assets in Cash and Short-Term Investments, the Fund may not participate in gains in the asset classes to which it is not exposed and may underperform funds that remain more fully invested in securities or other instruments.
• Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, asset class, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect. The Fund’s investment strategy depends on the Advisor’s ability to allocate the Fund’s assets among the applicable asset classes and to implement the strategy effectively. The Advisor’s judgments regarding asset allocation,
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position sizing and risk management may prove to be incorrect and may result in losses or cause the Fund to underperform.
• Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. In addition, the reduction in dealer market-making capacity in the fixed income markets that has occurred in recent years has the potential to decrease the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value. The Fund’s investments in futures, options and other derivative instruments may become less liquid or may be subject to reduced trading volumes during periods of market stress, which could make it difficult or impossible for the Fund to close out positions at favorable prices.
• Limited Operating History. The Fund is recently organized and has a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.
• Portfolio Turnover Risk. Active and frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio investments, including the regular rolling of futures and options contracts, may lead to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions than would otherwise be the case, which could negatively affect the Fund’s performance. A high rate of portfolio turnover is 100% or more.
• Non-Diversification Risk: The Fund is classified as “non-diversified”, which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
• Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. U.S. and international markets have recently experienced, and may continue to experience, periods of significant volatility due to various factors, including uncertainty regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate changes, the possibility of a national or global recession, changes in U.S. trade, tariff, and foreign policy, and political and geopolitical events. In addition, wars or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments. Damage to energy infrastructure from conflicts in the Middle East, reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and other energy supply constraints could also have long-term adverse impacts on the U.S. and world economies. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
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• Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning could exacerbate these risks. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
Performance
As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.embassyfunds.com.
Investment Advisor
Embassy Asset Management LP is the Fund’s investment advisor.
Portfolio Manager
Richard Campagna is the portfolio manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Campagna is an employee of Embassy Asset Management LP. and has managed the Fund since the Fund’s inception in 2026.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is generally sold to (i) institutional investors, including registered investment advisors (“RIAs”); and (ii) clients of such institutional investors. The minimum initial investment for each class (which may be waived or reduced in certain circumstances) is $1,000. These minimums may be modified and/or applied in the aggregate for certain intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors (e.g., RIAs or benefit plans). Differences in the policies of different intermediaries may include different minimum investment amounts. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
Fund shares are redeemable on any business day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for business by written request or by telephone.
Investors may be charged a fee if they effect transactions through an intermediary, broker, or agent. The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to receive on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives the order. Customer orders will be priced at the Fund’s NAV next computed after they are received by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable, and will ordinarily be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a
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401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Shareholders investing through such tax-advantaged arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The Fund is not generally sold through financial intermediaries other than certain registered investment advisers, and no sales loads are charged to investors or paid to financial intermediaries. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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MORE ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund’s investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by investing in four major asset classes: equities, commodities, currencies and fixed income.
Typically, the Fund will gain exposure to these four asset classes by investing in U.S. exchange-traded futures contracts, but it may also invest in Exchange-Traded Products, options and other derivative instruments, in each case providing investment exposure to (i) the equity securities of companies contained in the S&P 500, (ii) gold, (iii) the value of the U.S. dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies, or (iv) long-dated U.S. Treasuries (collectively, the “Instruments”). The Fund may either invest directly in the Instruments or indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary that is advised by the Advisor.
In constructing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the Advisor uses a proprietary allocation model to adjust the proportion of the Fund that is allocated to each asset class. The model is generally systematic and rules-based. The Advisor uses momentum signals, which measure an asset class’s performance over a trailing period, as a guide in determining the desired allocation across the four asset classes to seek to achieve an overall portfolio that is intended to be resilient across a wide range of market conditions. Essentially, a momentum strategy seeks to invest in assets that are increasing in value and either avoid or sell assets that are decreasing in value. The Fund takes long positions only, although the Advisor may reduce or close out an existing position at any time. The Fund does not have fixed minimum or maximum allocations to any one asset class; position sizes are instead determined by the Advisor’s risk management process and will vary with prevailing volatility and market conditions. Accordingly, the Fund may have limited or no exposure to one or more asset classes at any given time. The Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of its portfolio investments, including regular rolling of futures and options contracts as they approach expiration.
A significant portion of the Fund’s assets is typically held in Cash and Short-Term Investments. The Cash and Short-Term Investments holdings are intended to earn income for the Fund, provide liquidity, preserve capital and serve as collateral for the Fund’s or Subsidiary’s derivative positions. There may be times when the Fund is not invested in any of the asset classes and is invested solely in Cash and Short-Term Investments, including when none of the asset classes exhibit positive momentum signals.
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Futures contracts are contractual agreements to buy or sell a particular currency, commodity or financial instrument at a pre-determined price in the future. An options contract gives the purchaser of the options contract the right to purchase (for a call option) or sell (for a put option) the underlying asset at a specified price (the “strike price”). If exercised, an options contract obligates the seller to deliver the underlying asset or instrument (for a sold call option) or buy the underlying asset or instrument (for a sold put option) at the strike price. The purchaser of the options contract pays the option seller for the rights granted by the option (this is referred to as the “premium”). The Fund does not intend to engage in cash borrowing; however, the Fund’s investments in futures contracts and other derivatives will create economic leverage, which may be substantial and may magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Economic leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying an Instrument, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Fund did not use Instruments that have a leveraging effect. There is no assurance that the Fund’s use of Instruments providing enhanced exposure will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
The Fund intends to gain exposure to commodity-linked Instruments, including futures contracts and Exchange-Traded Products, by investing through the Subsidiary. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary, tested at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Subsidiary will generally invest in futures contracts, and may invest in other Instruments, including Exchange-Traded Products that hold physical gold, that do not generate “qualifying income” under the source of income test required to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in futures contracts; however, the Subsidiary will comply with the same 1940 Act requirements that are applicable to the Fund’s transactions in derivatives, including by complying with the Derivatives Rule on a consolidated basis with the Fund. In addition, the Subsidiary will be subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions and will follow the same compliance policies and procedures as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a RIC under the Code. The Fund is the sole investor in the Subsidiary and does not expect the shares of the Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors. Except as otherwise noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investments include the Fund’s indirect investments through the Subsidiary.
The Fund is “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act, which means that it may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a “diversified” mutual fund.
The Advisor may sell all or a portion of a position of the Fund’s portfolio holdings when, in its opinion, one or more of the following occurs, among other reasons: (1) the momentum signals indicate to sell a particular holding; (2) the sale is necessary or appropriate to comply with the Fund’s regulatory, tax, or liquidity requirements, including the limit on the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary; or (3) the Advisor otherwise determines it is in the best interests of the Fund or its shareholders to do so; or (4) the Fund requires cash to meet redemption requests.
When the Advisor believes that current market, economic, political or other conditions are unsuitable and would impair the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective, including when none of the asset classes display positive momentum signals, the Fund may invest some or all of its assets in Cash and Short-Term Investments. When the Fund takes a defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective for as long as those conditions persist.
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Principal Risks of Investing
The Fund’s principal risks are set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause you to lose money.
• Market Risk: The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, technological advances (such as AI and machine learning), the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. Such events could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the Advisor. In response to certain crises, the United States and other governments have taken steps to support financial markets. The withdrawal of this support or failure of efforts in response to a crisis could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as the value and liquidity of certain securities. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
• Derivatives Risk: Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Depending on how the Fund uses derivatives and the relationship between the market value of the derivative and the underlying instrument, the use of derivatives could increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the underlying instrument. Using derivatives exposes the Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase the Fund’s volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund’s other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk (such as documentation issues and settlement issues) and legal risk (such as insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of a counterparty, and issues with the legality or enforceability of a contract). For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund’s relationship with a brokerage firm
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through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm. The Fund would also be exposed to counterparty risk with respect to the clearinghouse. Financial reform laws have changed many aspects of financial regulation applicable to derivatives. Once implemented, new regulations, including margin, clearing, and trade execution requirements, may make investments in derivatives more costly, may limit their availability, may present different risks or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of these instruments. The extent and impact of these regulations are not yet fully known and may not be known for some time.
In October 2020, the SEC adopted the Derivatives Rule, which provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund, and sets an outer limit on leverage based on value-at-risk (or “VaR”). The Derivatives Rule generally requires the Fund to comply with a derivatives risk management program, including a VaR-based limit on leverage risk, unless the Fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user” and complies with the conditions applicable to such funds. The effect of the Derivatives Rule could, among other things, make investment in derivatives more costly, limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives, or otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Any such adverse future developments could impair the effectiveness or raise the costs of the Fund’s derivative transactions, impede the employment of the Fund’s derivatives strategies, or adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Certain risks relating to various types of derivatives in which the Fund may invest are described below.
• Futures Risk. The Fund invests in exchange-traded futures contracts. A futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take delivery of) the specified security, commodity or currency underlying the contract on the expiration date of the contract at an agreed upon price. An index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the value of a specific 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 securities in the index is made. Generally, these futures contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contracts. The value of a futures contract tends to increase or decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the instruments and the price of the underlying securities. The Fund’s use of futures contracts (and related options) exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures
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contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.
o Equity Futures Risk. Equity futures are subject to general market risks and may not track the equity securities or index for which they are intended to serve as substitutes.
o Debt Futures Risk. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of debt futures. Current conditions may result in a rise in interest rates, which in turn may result in a decline in the value of the debt futures held by the Fund.
o Currency Futures Risk. Currency trading risks include market risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.
o Commodity Futures Risk. Investing in the commodities markets through futures may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative investments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The Fund’s commodity exposure may be concentrated in gold, and the value of gold futures may be particularly sensitive to factors affecting the price of gold.
o U.S. Treasury Futures Risk. Futures can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices than conventional securities, which can result in greater losses for the Fund. To the extent the Fund uses U.S. Treasury futures, it is exposed to additional volatility and potential losses resulting from leverage. In addition, the prices of the U.S. Treasury futures and the price of U.S. Treasuries may not move together as expected. A risk of the Fund’s use of U.S. Treasury futures is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the relevant reference asset, U.S. Treasuries.
• Liquidity of Futures Contracts. In connection with the Fund’s use of futures, the Advisor will determine and pursue all steps that are necessary and advisable to ensure compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Under certain market conditions, the Fund may find it difficult or impossible to liquidate a position. Futures positions may be illiquid because certain commodity exchanges limit fluctuations in certain futures contract prices during a single day (each a “daily limit”). Under such daily limits, during a single trading day no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limits. Once the price of a particular futures contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit,
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positions in that contract can neither be entered into nor liquidated unless traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit. Futures prices have occasionally moved beyond the daily limits for several consecutive days with little or no trading. Over-the-counter instruments generally are not as liquid as instruments traded on recognized exchanges. These constraints could prevent the Fund from promptly liquidating unfavorable positions, thereby subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In addition, the CFTC and various exchanges limit the number of positions that the Fund may indirectly hold or control in particular commodities.
• Options Risk. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund expires without being sold or exercised, the Fund would lose the premium it paid for the option. The risk involved in writing a covered call option is the lack of liquidity for the option. If the Fund is not able to close out the option transaction, the Fund would not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or is exercised. The risk involved in writing an uncovered call option is that there could be an increase in the market value of the underlying security caused by declining interest rates or other factors. If this occurs, the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be sold by the Fund at a lower price than its current market value. The risk involved in writing a put option is that the market value of the underlying security could decrease as a result of rising interest rates or other factors. If this occurs, the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be sold to the Fund at a higher price than its prevailing market value. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those entailed in exchange-traded transactions, which generally are backed by clearing organization guarantees, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections and expose the parties to the risk of counterparty default.
• Counterparty Risk. Many purchases, sales, financing arrangements, and derivative transactions in which the Fund may engage involve instruments that are not traded on an exchange. Rather, these instruments are traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contract. Although the Fund expects to enter into transactions only with counterparties believed by the Advisor to be creditworthy, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.
In situations where the Fund is required to post margin or other collateral with a counterparty, the counterparty may fail to segregate the collateral or may commingle the collateral with the counterparty’s own assets. As a result, in the event of the
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counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the Fund’s collateral may be subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty’s creditors and the Fund may be exposed to the risk of being treated as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.
The Fund is subject to the risk that issuers of the instruments in which it invests and trades may default on their obligations, and that certain events may occur that have an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of those instruments. There can be no assurance that an issuer will not default, or that an event that has an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of an instrument will not occur, and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.
• Momentum Strategy Risk. The Fund’s strategy relies on momentum signals, which assume that recent price trends will persist. Momentum strategies can perform poorly, and can produce significant losses, in markets that lack a sustained trend or that reverse direction sharply. In choppy or range-bound markets the Fund may repeatedly increase exposure to an asset class shortly before it declines and reduce exposure shortly before it rises. Because the Fund’s signals are based on past prices, the Fund may not reduce its exposure to an asset class until after a decline has begun, and may not re-establish exposure until after a recovery is underway. Momentum strategies can underperform for extended periods, including during periods in which equity or fixed income markets generally rise.
• Model Risk. The Advisor’s strategy depends on a proprietary quantitative model. Models may contain design flaws, be based on one or more incorrect assumptions, or rely on incomplete or inaccurate data inputs, any of which may result in a decline in the value of an investment in the Fund. Rapidly changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in the short-term effectiveness of a model. In addition, issues in the construction and implementation of models, including software or hardware malfunction, power loss, software bugs, malicious code, viruses, system crashes, and other technological failures or various other events or circumstances may adversely impact the Fund. The Advisor may also depart from the allocations indicated by the model, and any such departure may cause the Fund to underperform the allocations targeted by the model. No assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful under all or any market conditions.
• Asset Allocation Risk. The Fund’s performance depends on the Advisor’s allocations among equities, commodities, currencies and fixed income. The Advisor may allocate too much or too little to an asset class at any time. The asset classes may also become more correlated with one another, particularly in stressed markets, which would reduce the diversification the Fund’s multi-asset approach is intended to provide. In addition, the Fund may have limited or no exposure to one or more asset classes at any given time and therefore may not participate in gains in an asset class that it does not hold.
• Leverage Risk. Certain Fund transactions, such as entering into futures contracts, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund’s investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund
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may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
• Equity Risk. The Fund’s equity exposure is typically obtained principally through futures contracts and other instruments whose value is derived from the S&P 500 Index rather than through direct holdings of equity securities. The value of that exposure may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries represented in the index, or factors relating to specific companies included in the index. Because the Fund’s equity exposure is generally obtained through a single broad-based U.S. equity index, the Fund will not benefit from favorable performance of equity securities or equity markets outside that index. In addition, while broad market measures of common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns.
• Investments in Other Investment Companies and Exchange-Traded Products Risk. To the extent the Fund gains exposure through Exchange-Traded Products or other investment companies, the Fund bears its proportionate share of those vehicles’ fees and expenses in addition to its own and is exposed to the risks of their investments. Such investments are also subject to market and manager risk. Shares of an Exchange-Traded Product may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value, and the market for an Exchange-Traded Product’s shares may be less liquid than the market for its underlying holdings. An exchange-traded vehicle that is not registered under the 1940 Act, such as a trust holding physical gold, does not provide the investor protections of the 1940 Act, and income and gains from such a vehicle may not be qualifying income for purposes of the Fund’s qualification as a regulated investment company. The Fund may also be subject to the risk that an Exchange-Traded Product does not accurately track the performance of its underlying assets or reference asset.
• Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer’s credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, and longer-term and lower rated securities are more volatile than shorter-term and higher rated securities. The longer the effective maturity and duration of the Fund’s portfolio, the more the Fund’s share price is likely to react to changes in interest rates. (Duration is a weighted measure of the length of time required to receive the present value of future payments, both interest and principal, from a fixed income security.) Some fixed income securities give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity dates. If an issuer calls its security during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value of the security as a result of declining interest rates. During periods of market illiquidity or rising interest rates, prices of callable issues are subject to increased price fluctuation. In addition, the Fund may be subject to extension risk, which occurs during a rising interest rate environment because certain obligations may be paid off by an issuer more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of those securities held by the Fund to fall.
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• Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s fixed income exposure is obtained principally through futures contracts on long-dated U.S. Treasury bonds and other Instruments linked to U.S. Treasury bonds, which have a long duration and are therefore particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a seven-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 7% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund’s income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund’s investments. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
• Currency Risk. The Fund’s currency exposure is obtained principally through futures contracts and other Instruments linked to the value of the U.S. dollar against a basket of foreign currencies. The value of that exposure increases or decreases as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change, and the Fund’s currency positions are not intended to hedge the currency exposure of its other holdings. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
• Gold Risk. Investments related to gold are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide economic, financial and political factors. The price of gold may fluctuate sharply over short periods of time, even during periods of rising prices, due to changes in inflation or expectations regarding inflation in various countries, the availability of supplies, changes in industrial and commercial demand, limited markets, fabricator demand, gold sales by governments, trade imbalances and restrictions, currency devaluation or revaluation, central banks or international agencies, investment speculation, inability to raise capital, increases in production costs, political unrest in nations where sources of gold are located, monetary and other economic policies of various governments and government restrictions on private ownership of gold and mining land.
• Gold Futures Risk. The Fund’s use of gold futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund. This risk could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Futures contracts may become mispriced or improperly valued when compared to the Advisor’s expectation and may not produce the desired
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investment results. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying gold bullion due to factors such as temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances, speculation, or other pressures on the market. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intra-day price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading.
• U.S. Government Securities Risk. Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks in comparison to U.S. Treasury securities or other securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Any security guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, or a security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States, is guaranteed or backed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity, but the market values for such securities are not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
Any market movements, regulatory changes or changes in political or economic conditions that affect the U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities in which the Fund invests may have a significant impact on the Fund’s performance. Events that would adversely affect the market prices of securities issued or guaranteed by one government agency or instrumentality may adversely affect the market price of securities issued or guaranteed by other government agencies or instrumentalities. Because many types of U.S. government securities trade actively outside the United States, their prices may rise and fall as changes in global economic conditions affect the demand for these securities.
• Subsidiary Risk. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The futures contracts and other investments held by the Subsidiary are subject to the same economic risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to continue to operate as it does currently and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns. In addition, the Subsidiary is also subject to many of the risks to which the Fund is subject, such as tax risks, commodity related risks, and market and data risks. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the end of each fiscal quarter. If the Subsidiary appreciates relative to the Fund’s other holdings, the Fund may be required to redeem
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interests in the Subsidiary, or the Subsidiary may be required to liquidate positions, at disadvantageous times or prices in order to remain within that limit.
• Commodity Pool Regulatory Risk. The Fund is a commodity pool, and the Advisor is registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund and is a member of the NFA. As a result, the Fund is subject to additional regulatory requirements administered by the CFTC and the NFA. Changes in the regulation of commodity interests, including changes to position limits, margin requirements, or the tax treatment of commodity interests, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategy or the value of its investments.
• Tax Risk. To qualify for the tax treatment available to RICs under the Code, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as “qualifying income.” Income derived from direct investments in commodities is not “qualifying income.” In addition, the IRS has issued a revenue ruling concluding that income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute “qualifying income.” Investment through the Subsidiary is expected to allow the Fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to RICs. The tax treatment of the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary could nevertheless be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations.
Investment through the Subsidiary may affect the timing and character of income and gain recognized by the Fund, and of distributions to shareholders. For example, the tax treatment of any gains/losses from trading in 1256 futures contracts, such as exchange-traded commodity futures contracts, are generally taxed 60% as long-term capital gains/ losses and 40% short term capital gains/losses. However, because the Subsidiary is a “controlled foreign corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes, any income or gain recognized in respect of its investments in 1256 futures contracts will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income, and distributions attributable to such income and gains will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.
If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and was ineligible for, or did not avail itself of, relief provisions under the Code, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the applicable corporate rate without a deduction for distributions to shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders.
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Separately, under the Code and existing U.S. Treasury regulations, income from the Fund’s investments in Instruments linked to foreign currency-related transactions is expected to be treated as “qualifying income.” The U.S. Treasury has specific statutory authority to promulgate Treasury Regulations excluding from the definition of qualifying income foreign currency gains which are not directly related to a RIC’s principal business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities), although to date no such Treasury Regulations have been issued or proposed. In any event, the Fund anticipates that, in general, its investments in Instruments linked to foreign currency-related transactions will be directly related to its business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities); however, it is possible that future Treasury Regulations could recharacterize some or all of the income and gains from those positions as nonqualifying income and could be retroactive in application.
• Cash and Short-Term Investments Risk. At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash, cash equivalents and/or other short-term investments, including but not limited to obligations of the U.S. government (including U.S. treasury bills with maturities greater or less than 90 days), money market fund shares, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and/or bankers acceptances, as well as other short-term interest-bearing or discount obligations or debt instruments that carry an investment grade rating by a national rating agency. When the Fund holds a significant amount of Cash and Short-Term Investments, such as highly-rated short-term fixed income securities, and does not have significant exposures through investments in derivatives, it may not meet its investment objective and the Fund’s performance may significantly lag that of market indices which, by definition, are composed of groups of securities without a cash component. In addition, increases in inflation may lead to a decline in the value of Cash and Short-Term Investments. When the Fund holds a substantial portion of its assets in Cash and Short-Term Investments, the Fund may not participate in gains in the asset classes to which it is not exposed and may underperform funds that remain more fully invested in securities or other instruments.
• Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, asset class, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect. Investment strategies employed by the Advisor in selecting investments for the Fund may not result in an increase in the value of your investment or in overall performance equal to other investments. The Fund’s investment strategy depends on the Advisor’s ability to allocate the Fund’s assets among the applicable asset classes and to implement the strategy effectively. The Advisor’s judgments regarding asset allocation, position sizing and risk management may prove to be incorrect and may result in losses or cause the Fund to underperform.
• Liquidity Risk. Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, such as market turmoil, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Liquidity risk arises, for example, from small average trading volumes, trading restrictions, or temporary suspensions of trading. In addition, when the market for certain investments is illiquid, the Fund may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquid investments may become illiquid or less liquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Illiquid and relatively less liquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets. Moreover, the reduction in dealer market-making capacity in the fixed income markets that has occurred in recent years has the potential to decrease the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. The Fund’s investments in futures, options and other derivative
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instruments may become less liquid or may be subject to reduced trading volumes during periods of market stress, which could make it difficult or impossible for the Fund to close out positions at favorable prices.
• Limited Operating History. The Fund is recently organized and has a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.
• Portfolio Turnover Risk. Active and frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio investments, including the regular rolling of futures and options contracts, may lead to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions than would otherwise be the case, which could negatively affect the Fund’s performance. A high rate of portfolio turnover is 100% or more.
• Non-Diversification Risk: The Fund is classified as “non-diversified”, which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
• Recent Market Events: Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. U.S. and international markets have recently experienced, and may continue to experience, periods of significant volatility due to various factors, including uncertainty regarding inflation and central banks’ interest rate changes, the possibility of a national or global recession, changes in U.S. trade, tariff, and foreign policy, and political and geopolitical events. In addition, wars or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments. Damage to energy infrastructure from conflicts in the Middle East, reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and other energy supply constraints could also have long-term adverse impacts on the U.S. and world economies. The imposition of tariffs and trade barriers may lead to retaliatory measures by affected countries, increased and prolonged market volatility, and sector-specific downturns in industries reliant on international trade. Reductions in the headcount or funding of U.S. government agencies could increase administrative burdens on remaining government employees, increase processing times of company filings, alter regulatory policymaking, and increase regulatory volatility. These and other similar developments may have unforeseen consequences on the economy and markets generally, and could negatively impact the Fund.
Raising the ceiling on U.S. government debt and passing periodic legislation to fund the government have become increasingly politicized. Any failure to do either could lead to a default on U.S. government obligations, with unpredictable consequences for economies and markets in the United States and elsewhere.
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Changing interest rate environments (whether downward or upward) impact various sectors of the economy and asset classes in different ways. For example, low interest rate environments tend to be positive for the equity markets, whereas high interest rate environments tend to apply downward pressure on earnings and equity prices. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might change, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such changes in interest rates, or when such changes might stop or reverse course. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to significant market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market.
The events and circumstances described above could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Other market events may cause similar disruptions and effects.
• Cybersecurity Risk: Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to the Fund’s assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. A cybersecurity incident may disrupt the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, and prevent shareholders from redeeming their shares.
Issuers of securities that the Fund has investment exposure to are also subject to cybersecurity risks and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents affecting such companies may disrupt business operations, result in equipment failures, data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, regulatory fines, remediation costs or other liabilities, and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments. The use of AI, machine learning and other emerging technologies may exacerbate cybersecurity and operational risks.
While the Fund, its service providers, and the companies it has investment exposure to may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent, detect and mitigate cybersecurity incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified and that prevention, detection or remediation efforts may not be successful.
Portfolio Holdings Information
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s SAI. Currently, disclosure of the Fund’s holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the Fund’s Form N-CSR filings, and in its monthly holdings report on Form N-PORT.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The Advisor
Embassy Asset Management LP, a Delaware limited partnership which maintains its principal office at 1200 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3005, Short Hills, New Jersey, 07078, acts as the investment advisor to the Fund
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pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor is an investment advisor registered with the SEC and is registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator and as a commodity trading advisor and is a member of the NFA. As the Fund’s investment advisor, Embassy provides investment advisory services to the Fund, including: (i) designing the Fund’s initial investment policies and developing evolutionary changes to such policies as appropriate for presentation to the Board; (ii) being responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, selection of the Fund’s portfolio investments and supervision of its portfolio transactions subject to the general oversight of the Board; (iii) providing overall supervision for the general investment management operations of the Fund; and (iv) providing related administrative services. As of [ ], 2026, the Advisor had approximately $[ ] million in assets under management.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Advisor an annual advisory fee of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the services and facilities it provides, payable on a monthly basis.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s first Form N-CSR filing.
Portfolio Manager
Richard Campagna is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Mr. Campagna began consulting for the Advisor in March 2025 and joined the Advisor full-time as a Managing Director on August 1, 2025. Previously, he founded and served as CEO of MRC Wealth Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor, from 2020 to 2024, where he managed hedged equity strategies for high-net-worth investors. From 2018 to 2020, he was Director of Investment Management Services and Head of the Western U.S. at Emerge Capital Management. Mr. Campagna served as CEO and CIO of 300 North Capital, LLC from 2005 to 2018, leading a billion-dollar asset management firm while managing several traditional and alternative investment products. From 2001 to 2005, Mr. Campagna was Head of Research and Portfolio Manager at Shaker Investments, LLC, where he managed long-short and micro-cap products, and co-managed a $600 million small/mid-cap growth product. Earlier roles included Senior Analyst at Manning & Napier Advisors, Inc. from 1996 to 2001, managing equity and fixed income assets; and Principal at McKinley Capital Partners, Ltd. from 1994 to 1996, managing international investments for a hedge fund and expanding into emerging markets. Mr. Campagna began his career as a Financial Analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. from 1989 to 1992. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and has over 35 years of experience in investment management, risk mitigation, portfolio strategy, and capital raising across traditional and alternative asset classes. Mr. Campagna earned an MBA with Honors from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, with an emphasis on Finance, and a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in Biological Sciences and Economics from Duke University.
The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s method of compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Fund securities.
Other Service Providers
IMST Distributors, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group) (the “Distributor”) is the Trust’s principal underwriter and acts as the Trust’s distributor in connection with the
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offering of Fund shares. The Distributor may enter into agreements with banks, broker-dealers, or other financial intermediaries through which investors may purchase or redeem shares. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Advisor, or any other service provider for the Fund.
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; 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; expenses in connection with the issuance and offering of shares; brokerage commissions and other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio holding of the Fund; and any litigation expenses.
The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees, taxes, interest on borrowings other than commitment fees associated with borrowing arrangements, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [0.80%] of the average daily net assets of the Fund. This agreement is in effect through [ ], 2027, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s 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 ending three full years after the date of reduction or payment if the Advisor so requests. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement. 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 of the reimbursed amounts. The Fund must pay current ordinary operating expenses before the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or Fund expenses.
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees (For Class S Shares)
The Trust has adopted a plan on behalf of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act (the “12b-1 Plan”), which allows the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its Class S shares and/or shareholder liaison service fees in connection with the provision of personal services to shareholders of Class S shares and the maintenance of their shareholder accounts.
The 12b-1 Plan provides for the payment of such fees at the annual rate of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets attributable to Class S shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets attributable
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to the Fund’s Class S shares, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The net income attributable to Class S shares will be reduced by the amount of distribution and shareholder liaison service fees and other expenses of the Fund associated with that class of shares.
Institutional Class shares are not subject to any distribution fees under the 12b-1 Plan.
To assist investors in comparing classes of shares, the table under the Prospectus heading “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” provides a summary of expenses and an example of the sales charges and expenses of the Fund applicable to each class of shares offered in this Prospectus.
Manager of Managers Structure
The Advisor and the Trust have received an exemptive order from the SEC for the Fund which allows the Advisor to operate the Fund under a “manager of managers” structure (the “Order”). Pursuant to the Order, the Advisor may, subject to the approval of the Board, hire or replace sub-advisors and modify any existing or future agreement with such sub-advisors without obtaining shareholder approval.
Pursuant to the Order, the Advisor, with the approval of the Board, has the discretion to hire and terminate any sub-advisor, and allocate and reallocate the Fund’s assets among the Advisor and any other sub-advisor. The Advisor has the ultimate responsibility, subject to the oversight and supervision by the Board, to oversee any sub-advisor for the Fund and to recommend, for approval by the Board, the hiring, termination and replacement of sub-advisors for the Fund. In evaluating a prospective sub-advisor, the Advisor will consider, among other things, the proposed sub-advisor’s experience, investment philosophy and historical performance. The Advisor remains ultimately responsible for supervising, monitoring and evaluating the performance of any sub-advisor retained to manage the Fund. Within 90 days after hiring any new sub-advisor, the Fund’s shareholders will receive information about the new sub-advisory relationship.
Use of the “manager of managers” structure does not diminish the Advisor’s responsibilities to the Fund under its Advisory Agreement. The Advisor has overall responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, to oversee the sub-advisors and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. Specifically, the Advisor will, subject to the review and approval of the Board: (a) set the Fund’s overall investment strategy; (b) evaluate, select and recommend sub-advisors to manage all or a portion of the Fund’s assets; and (c) implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that each sub-advisor complies with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. Subject to the review by the Board, the Advisor will: (a) when appropriate, allocate and reallocate the Fund’s assets among multiple sub-advisors; and (b) monitor and evaluate the performance of the sub-advisors. Replacement of the Advisor or the imposition of material changes to the Advisory Agreement would continue to require prior shareholder approval.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The Advisor may pay service fees to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors or other financial institutions, some of which may be affiliates, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held of record in omnibus accounts, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents.
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The Advisor, out of its own resources, and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may provide additional cash payments or non-cash compensation to broker-dealers or intermediaries that sell or custody shares of the Fund. These additional payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. The Advisor may pay cash compensation for inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or in other sales programs, or may pay an expense reimbursement in cases where the intermediary provides shareholder services to the Fund’s shareholders. The Advisor may also pay cash compensation in the form of finder’s fees that vary depending on the dollar amount of the shares sold.
YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE FUND
Share Price
The offering price of each class of the Fund’s shares is the NAV of that class. The difference between the classes’ NAVs reflects the daily expense accruals of the distribution and service fees applicable to Class S shares. The Fund’s NAVs are calculated as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the NYSE, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. If, for example, the NYSE closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the Fund’s NAVs would still be determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In this example, portfolio securities traded on the NYSE would be valued at their closing prices unless the Advisor determines that a “fair value” adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events. The NAV of each class is determined by dividing the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities, cash and other assets (including accrued interest) allocable to such class, less all liabilities (including accrued expenses) allocable to such class, by the total number of outstanding shares of such class. The Fund’s NAVs may be calculated earlier if permitted by the SEC. The NYSE is closed on weekends and most U.S. national holidays. However, foreign securities listed primarily on non-U.S. markets may trade on weekends or other days on which the Fund does not value its shares, which may significantly affect the Fund’s NAVs on days when you are not able to buy or sell Fund shares.
The Fund’s securities generally are valued at market price. Securities are valued at fair value when market quotations are not readily available. The Board has designated the Advisor as the Fund’s valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) to make all fair value determinations with respect to the Fund’s portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. As the Valuation Designee, the Advisor has adopted and implemented policies and procedures to be followed when the Fund must utilize fair value pricing, including when reliable market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund’s pricing service does not provide a valuation (or provides a valuation that, in the judgment of the Advisor, does not represent the security’s fair value), or when, in the judgment of the Advisor, events have rendered the market value unreliable (see, for example, the discussion of fair value pricing of foreign securities in the paragraph below). Valuing securities at fair value involves reliance on the judgment of the Advisor, and may result in a different price being used in the calculation of the Fund’s NAVs from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value determinations are made by the Advisor, in good faith, in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. There can be no assurance that the Fund will obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it sells the security.
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In certain circumstances, the Advisor employs fair value pricing to ensure greater accuracy in determining the Fund’s daily NAVs and to prevent dilution by frequent traders or market timers who seek to exploit temporary market anomalies. Fair value pricing may be applied to foreign securities held by the Fund upon the occurrence of an event after the close of trading on non-U.S. markets but before the close of trading on the NYSE when the Fund’s NAVs are determined. If the event may result in a material adjustment to the price of the Fund’s foreign securities once non-U.S. markets open on the following business day (such as, for example, a significant surge or decline in the U.S. market), the Advisor may value such foreign securities at fair value, taking into account the effect of such event, in order to calculate the Fund’s NAVs.
Other types of portfolio securities that the Advisor may fair value include, but are not limited to: (1) investments that are illiquid or traded infrequently, including “restricted” securities and private placements for which there is no public market; (2) investments for which, in the judgment of the Advisor, the market price is stale; (3) securities of an issuer that has entered into a restructuring; (4) securities for which trading has been halted or suspended; and (5) fixed income securities for which there is no current market value quotation.
Pricing services generally value debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but such securities may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.
Purchase of Shares
This Prospectus offers two class of shares of the Fund, designated as Class S and Institutional Class shares.
• Class S shares are subject to distribution and service fees.
• Institutional Class shares are not subject to distribution and service fees.
Both Class S and Institutional Class shares are generally sold to (i) institutional investors, including RIAs, that meet certain qualifications and have completed an educational program provided by the Advisor; and (ii) clients of such institutional investors. The minimum initial investment (which may be waived or reduced in certain circumstances) is $1,000, which applies at the RIA level. These minimums may be modified and/or applied in the aggregate for certain intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors (e.g., registered investment advisors or benefit plans). Differences in the policies of different intermediaries may include different minimum investment amounts. There is no minimum for subsequent investments. All share purchases are subject to approval of the Advisor. The Advisor has the discretion to further modify or waive the eligibility requirements and to waive the investment minimum. Shares of the Fund generally may be sold only to U.S. citizens, U.S. residents, and U.S. domestic corporations, partnerships, trusts or estates. The Fund reserves the right to refuse any request to purchase Shares.
Shareholders who invest in the Fund through a financial intermediary should contact their financial intermediary regarding purchase procedures. Financial intermediaries may provide varying arrangements for their clients to purchase and redeem shares, additional fees and different investment minimums. In addition, from time to time, a financial intermediary may modify or waive the initial and subsequent investment minimums.
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Customer Identification Information
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, date of birth (for a natural person), your residential address or principal place of business, and mailing address, if different, as well as your Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number. Additional information is required for corporations, partnerships and other entities, including the name, residential address, date of birth and Social Security Number of the underlying beneficial owners and authorized control persons of entity owners. Applications without such information will not be considered in good order. The Fund reserves the right to deny any application if the application is not in good order.
This Prospectus should not be considered a solicitation to purchase or as an offer to sell shares of the Fund in any jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so under the laws of that jurisdiction. Please note that the value of your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.
Timing and Nature of Requests
The purchase price you will pay for the Fund’s shares will be the next NAV calculated after the Transfer Agent or your authorized financial intermediary receives your request in good order. “Good order” means that your purchase request includes: (1) the name of the Fund, (2) the dollar amount of shares to be purchased, (3) your purchase application, and (4) a wire or check payable to The Envoy Fund. All requests received in good order before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on any business day will be processed on that same day. Requests received at or after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) will be transacted at the next business day’s NAV. All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions.
33
Methods of Buying
|
Through
a broker- |
The Fund is offered through certain approved financial intermediaries (and their designees). The Fund is also offered directly. A purchase order placed with a financial intermediary or its authorized designee is treated as if such order were placed directly with the Fund, and will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when the financial intermediary or its authorized designee receives the order and executed at the next NAV calculated by the Fund. Your financial intermediary will hold your shares in a pooled account in its (or its designee’s) name. The Fund may pay your financial intermediary (or its designee) to maintain your individual ownership information, maintain required records, and provide other shareholder services. A financial intermediary which offers shares may charge its individual clients transaction fees which may be in addition to those described in this Prospectus. If you invest through your financial intermediary, its policies and fees may be different than those described in this Prospectus. For example, the financial intermediary may charge transaction fees or set different minimum investments. Your financial intermediary is responsible for processing your order correctly and promptly, keeping you advised of the status of your account, confirming your transactions and ensuring that you receive copies of the Fund’s Prospectus. Please contact your financial intermediary to determine whether it is an approved financial intermediary of the Fund or for additional information. The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to receive purchase orders on its behalf. | |
|
By mail |
The Fund will not accept payment in cash, including cashier’s checks. Also, to prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks, money orders or starter checks for the purchase of shares. All checks must be made in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. To buy shares directly from the Fund by mail, complete an account application and send it together with your check for the amount you wish to invest to the Fund at the address indicated below. To make additional investments once you have opened your account, write your account number on the check and send it to the Fund together with the most recent confirmation statement received from the Transfer Agent. If your check is returned for insufficient funds, your purchase will be canceled and a $25 fee will be assessed against your account by the Transfer Agent. | |
|
|
Regular
Mail |
Overnight
Delivery |
34
|
|
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. | |
|
By wire |
To open an account by wire, a completed account application form must be received by the Fund before your wire can be accepted. You may mail or send by overnight delivery your account application form to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application form, an account will be established for you. The account number assigned to you will be required as part of the wiring instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include the name of the Fund, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit monies by wire to:
UMB
Bank, n.a.
Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-877-771-7731 to notify it of your intention to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire. Your bank may charge a fee for its wiring service.
Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on a business day to be eligible for same day pricing. The Fund and UMB Bank, n.a. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions. | |
35
Selling (Redeeming) Fund Shares
|
Through
a broker- |
If you purchased your shares through an approved financial intermediary, your redemption order generally must be placed through the same financial intermediary. Such financial intermediaries are authorized to designate other financial intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a redemption order when a financial intermediary (or its authorized designee) receives the order. The financial intermediary (or its authorized designee) must receive your redemption order prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on a business day for the redemption to be processed at the current day’s NAV. Orders received at or after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on a business day or on a day when the Fund does not value its shares will be transacted at the next business day’s NAV. Please keep in mind that your financial intermediary (or its authorized designee) may charge additional fees for its services. In the event your approved financial intermediary is no longer available or in operation, you may place your redemption order directly with the Fund as described below. The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to receive redemption orders on its behalf. | |
|
By mail |
You may redeem shares purchased directly from the Fund by mail. Send your written redemption request to The Envoy Fund at the address indicated below. Your request must be in good order and contain the Fund name, the name(s) on the account, your account number and the dollar amount or the number of shares to be redeemed. The redemption request must be signed by all shareholders listed on the account. Additional documents are required for certain types of shareholders, such as corporations, partnerships, executors, trustees, administrators, or guardians (i.e., corporate resolutions dated within 60 days, or trust documents indicating proper authorization). | |
|
|
Regular
Mail |
Overnight
Delivery |
|
|
A Medallion signature guarantee must be included if any of the following situations apply: • You wish to redeem more than $50,000 worth of shares; • When redemption proceeds are sent to any person, address or bank account not on record; • If a change of address was received by the Transfer Agent within the last 15 days; • If ownership is changed on your account; or • When establishing or modifying certain services on your account. | |
Medallion Signature Guarantee
In addition to the situations described above, the Fund reserves the right to require a Medallion signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.
36
Shareholders redeeming more than $50,000 worth of shares by mail should submit written instructions with a Medallion signature guarantee from an eligible institution acceptable to the Transfer Agent, such as a domestic bank or trust company, broker, dealer, clearing agency or savings association, or from any participant in a Medallion program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association. The three currently recognized Medallion programs are Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, Stock Exchanges Medallion Program and New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program. Signature guarantees that are not part of these programs will not be accepted. Participants in Medallion programs are subject to dollar limitations which must be considered when requesting their guarantee. The Transfer Agent may reject any signature guarantee if it believes the transaction would otherwise be improper. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee.
Payment of Redemption Proceeds
You may redeem shares of the Fund at a price equal to the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent and/or authorized designee receives your redemption request in good order. Generally your redemption request cannot be processed on days the NYSE is closed. Redemption proceeds for requests received in good order by the Transfer Agent and/or authorized designee before the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will usually be sent to the address of record or the bank you indicate, or wired using the wire instructions on record, on the following business day. Payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than typically expected, but will be sent within seven calendar days after the Fund receives your redemption request, except as specified below.
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 calendar days while the Fund waits for the check to clear. Furthermore, the Fund may suspend the right to redeem shares or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than seven calendar days: (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE is restricted; (2) for any period during which an emergency exists affecting the sale of the Fund’s securities or making such sale or the fair determination of the value of the Fund’s net assets not reasonably practicable; or (3) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund’s shareholders.
Other Redemption Information
IRA and retirement plan redemptions from accounts for which UMB Bank, n.a. is the custodian must be completed on an IRA Distribution Form or other acceptable form approved by UMB Bank, n.a. Shareholders who hold shares of the Fund through an IRA or other retirement plan must indicate on their redemption requests whether to withhold federal income tax. Such redemption requests will generally be subject to a 10% federal income tax withholding unless a shareholder elects not to have taxes withheld. An IRA owner with a foreign residential address may not elect to forgo the 10% withholding. In addition, if you are a resident of certain states, state income tax also applies to non-Roth IRA distributions when federal withholding applies. Please consult with your tax professional.
The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. The Fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests by selling portfolio assets or by using holdings of cash or cash equivalents. On a less regular basis, the Fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing a temporary overdraft facility offered through its custodian, UMB Bank, n.a., in order to assist the Fund in meeting redemption requests.
37
The Fund uses these methods during both normal and stressed market conditions. During conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and/or in order to protect the interests of the Fund’s remaining shareholders, the Fund may pay all or part of a shareholder’s redemption proceeds in portfolio securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (redemption-in-kind) in lieu of cash. The Fund may redeem shares in kind during both normal and stressed market conditions. Generally, in-kind redemptions will be effected through a pro rata distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities. If the Fund redeems your shares in kind, you will bear any market risks associated with investment in these securities, and you will be responsible for the costs (including brokerage charges) of converting the securities to cash.
The Fund may redeem all of the shares held in your account if your balance falls below the Fund’s minimum initial investment amount due to your redemption activity. In these circumstances, the Fund will notify you in writing and request that you increase your balance above the minimum initial investment amount within 60 days of the date of the notice. If, within 60 days of the Fund’s written request, you have not increased your account balance, your shares will be automatically redeemed at the current NAV. The Fund will not require that your shares be redeemed if the value of your account drops below the investment minimum due to fluctuations of the Fund’s NAV.
In-Kind Purchases and Redemptions
The Fund reserves the right to accept payment for shares in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the Fund. The Fund also reserves the right to pay redemptions by an “in-kind” distribution of portfolio securities (instead of cash) from the Fund. In-kind purchases and redemptions are generally taxable events and may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. See the SAI for further information about the terms of these purchases and redemptions.
Cost Basis Information
Federal tax law requires that a mutual fund, such as the Fund, report its shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the IRS on the shareholders’ Consolidated Forms 1099 when “covered” shares of the mutual fund are sold. Covered shares are any shares acquired (including pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan) on or after January 1, 2012.
The Fund has chosen “first-in, first-out” (“FIFO”) as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders, which means this is the method the Fund will use to determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing NAVs and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund’s standing tax lot identification method is the method it will use to report the sale of covered shares on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. Redemptions are taxable and you may realize a gain or a loss upon the sale of your shares. Certain shareholders may be subject to backup withholding.
Subject to certain limitations, you may choose a method other than the Fund’s standing method at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Treasury regulations or consult your tax advisor with regard to your personal circumstances.
Tools to Combat Frequent Transactions
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by Fund shareholders. The Trust discourages excessive, short-term trading
38
and other abusive trading practices that may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm the Fund’s performance. The Trust takes steps to reduce the frequency and effect of these activities on the Fund. These steps may include monitoring trading activity and using fair value pricing. In addition, the Trust may take action, which may include using its best efforts to restrict a shareholder from making additional purchases in the Fund, if that shareholder has engaged in four or more “round trips” in the Fund during a 12-month period. Although these efforts (which are described in more detail below) are designed to discourage abusive trading practices, these tools cannot eliminate the possibility that such activity may occur. Further, while the Trust makes efforts to identify and restrict frequent trading, the Trust receives purchase and sale orders through financial intermediaries and cannot always know or detect frequent trading that may be facilitated by the use of intermediaries or the use of group or omnibus accounts by those intermediaries. The Trust seeks to exercise its judgment in implementing these tools to the best of its ability in a manner that the Trust believes is consistent with the interests of Fund shareholders.
|
Monitoring Trading Practices |
The Trust may monitor trades in Fund shares in an effort to detect short-term trading activities. If, as a result of this monitoring, the Trust believes that a shareholder of the Fund has engaged in excessive short-term trading, it may, in its discretion, ask the shareholder to stop such activities or refuse to process purchases in the shareholder’s accounts. In making such judgments, the Trust seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interest of Fund shareholders. Due to the complexity and subjectivity involved in identifying abusive trading activity, there can be no assurance that the Trust’s efforts will identify all trades or trading practices that may be considered abusive. |
General Transaction Policies
Some of the following policies are mentioned above. In general, the Fund reserves the right to:
• vary or waive any minimum investment requirement;
• refuse, change, discontinue, or temporarily suspend account services, including purchase privileges for any reason;
• reject any purchase request for any reason (generally the Fund does this if the purchase is disruptive to the efficient management of the Fund due to the timing of the investment or an investor’s history of excessive trading);
• delay paying redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days after receiving a request, if an earlier payment could adversely affect the Fund;
• reject any purchase or redemption request that does not contain all required documentation; and
• subject to applicable law and with prior notice, adopt other policies from time to time requiring mandatory redemption of shares in certain circumstances.
Your broker or other financial intermediary may establish policies that differ from those of the Fund. For example, the organization may charge transaction fees, set higher minimum investments, or impose certain limitations on buying or selling shares in addition to those identified in this Prospectus. Contact your broker or other financial intermediary for details.
39
Please note that the value of your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.
Conversion of Shares
A share conversion is a transaction in which shares of one class of the Fund are exchanged for shares of another class of the Fund. Share conversions can occur between Class S and Institutional Class shares of the Fund. Generally, share conversions occur when a shareholder becomes eligible for another share class of the Fund or no longer meets the eligibility criteria of the share class owned by the shareholder (and another class exists for which the shareholder would be eligible). Please note that a share conversion is generally a non-taxable event, but you should consult with your personal tax advisor on your particular circumstances. Please also note, all share conversion requests must be approved by the Advisor.
A request for a share conversion will not be processed until it is received in “good order” (as defined above) by the Fund or your financial intermediary. To receive the NAV of the new class calculated that day, conversion requests must be received in good order by the Fund or your financial intermediary before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time or the financial intermediary’s earlier applicable deadline. Please note that, because the NAV of each class of the Fund will generally vary from the NAV of the other class due to differences in expenses, you will receive a number of shares of the new class that is different from the number of shares that you held of the old class, but the total value of your holdings will remain the same.
The Fund’s frequent trading policies will not be applicable to share conversions. If you hold your shares through a financial intermediary, please contact the financial intermediary for more information on share conversions. Please note that certain financial intermediaries may not permit all types of share conversions. The Fund reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify the share conversion privilege for any shareholder or group of shareholders.
The Fund reserves the right to automatically convert shareholders from one class to another if they either no longer qualify as eligible for their existing class or if they become eligible for another class. Such mandatory conversions may be as a result of a change in value of an account due to market movements, exchanges or redemptions. The Fund will notify affected shareholders in writing prior to any mandatory conversion.
Availability of Information
The Prospectus and SAI are available on the Fund’s website at www.embassyfunds.com.
Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings
In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and Prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those of other members of your household, please contact your authorized dealer or the Transfer Agent.
Additional Information
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others the Advisor, who provides services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or “third party”) beneficiaries of, those contractual arrangements.
40
The Prospectus and the SAI provide information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. The Fund may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this Prospectus nor the SAI is intended to give rise to any contract rights or other rights in any shareholder, other than any rights conferred by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund will make distributions of net investment income, if any, monthly and of net capital gains, if any, at least annually, typically in December. The Fund may make additional payments of dividends or distributions if it deems it desirable at any other time during the year. Fund Investors will have the option to reinvest dividends and distributions in Fund shares. All dividends and distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you choose one of the following options: (1) to receive net investment income dividends in cash, while reinvesting capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares; or (2) to receive all dividends and distributions in cash. If you wish to change your distribution option, please write to the Transfer Agent before the payment date of the distribution.
If you elect to receive distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if your distribution check has not been cashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account at the Fund’s then current NAV and to reinvest all subsequent distributions.
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following discussion is very general and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold Fund shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account. The SAI contains further information about taxes. Because each shareholder’s circumstances are different and special tax rules may apply, you should consult your tax advisor about your investment in the Fund.
You will generally have to pay federal income taxes, as well as any state or local taxes, on distributions received from the Fund, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. If you sell Fund shares, it is generally considered a taxable event. If you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another fund, the exchange will generally be treated as a sale of the Fund’s shares and any gain on the transaction may be subject to federal income tax.
Distributions of net investment income, other than distributions the Fund reports as “qualified dividend income,” are taxable for federal income tax purposes at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are also generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain (i.e., the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) are taxable for federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares.
Dividends paid by the Fund (but none of the Fund’s capital gain distributions) may qualify in part for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions that the Fund reports as “qualified dividend income” may be eligible to be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates
41
applicable to long-term capital gain if derived from the Fund’s qualified dividend income and/or if certain other requirements are satisfied. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market.
You may want to avoid buying shares of the Fund just before it declares a distribution (on or before the record date), because such a distribution will be taxable to you even though it may effectively be a return of a portion of your investment.
Although distributions are generally taxable when received, dividends declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record as of a date in such month and paid during the following January are treated as if received on December 31 of the calendar year when the dividends were declared.
Information on the federal income tax status of dividends and distributions is provided annually.
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 3.8% Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.
If you do not provide the Fund with your correct taxpayer identification number and any required certifications, you will be subject to backup withholding on your redemption proceeds, dividends and other distributions. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%.
Dividends and certain other payments made by the Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder are subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). Dividends that are reported by the Fund as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” are generally exempt from such withholding. In general, the Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S.-source interest and the Fund may report short-term capital gain dividends to the extent its net short-term capital gain for the taxable year exceeds its net long-term capital loss. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax described in this paragraph.
Under legislation commonly referred to as “FATCA,” unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold shares comply with requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to dividends payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
42
Although not currently expected, it is possible that some of the Fund’s investment income may be subject to foreign income taxes that are withheld at the country of origin. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes, but there can be no assurance that the Fund will qualify for treaty benefits.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this prospectus. Financial information therefore is not available.
43
Investment
Advisor
Embassy Asset Management LP
1200
Morris Turnpike, Suite 3005
Short Hills, New Jersey, 07078
Fund
Co-Administrator
Mutual Fund Administration, LLC
2220
E. Route 66, Suite 226
Glendora, California 91740
Fund
Co-Administrator, Transfer Agent and Fund Accountant
UMB Fund Services, Inc.
235
West Galena Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Custodian
UMB
Bank, N.A.
928 Grand Boulevard, 5th Floor
Kansas
City, Missouri 64106
Distributor
IMST
Distributors, LLC
190 Middle Street, Suite 301
Portland,
Maine 04101
www.foreside.com
Counsel
to the Trust and Independent Trustees
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
600
Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800
Costa Mesa, California 92626
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
[ ]
44
The
Envoy Fund
A series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information. The SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.
Shareholder Reports and Financials and Other Information
Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and the Fund’s Financials and Other Information, which are each included in the Fund’s Form N-CSR filings. In the Fund’s annual report (when available), you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year. In the Fund’s Financials and Other Information, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
The Fund’s SAI, annual and semi-annual reports, and Financials and Other Information are available free of charge on the Fund’s website at www.embassyfunds.com. You can obtain a free copy of the Fund’s SAI or annual and semi-annual reports, request other information, or inquire about the Fund by contacting a broker that sells shares of the Fund or by calling the Fund (toll-free) at 1-877-771-7731 or by writing to:
The
Envoy Fund
P.O. Box 2175
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53201
Reports and other information about the Fund will also be available:
• Free of charge, on the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov; or
• For a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
(Investment Company Act file number 811- 22894.)
45
The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer of sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Dated September 11, 2026

EMBASSY
Statement of Additional Information
[ ], 2026
The Envoy Fund
Institutional Class Shares (Ticker Symbol: [ ])
Class S Shares (Ticker Symbol: [ ])
a series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated [ ], 2026, as may be amended from time to time, of The Envoy Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Investment Managers Series Trust II (the “Trust”). Embassy Asset Management LP (the “Advisor”) is the investment advisor to the Fund. A copy of the Fund’s Prospectus can be obtained by contacting the Fund at the address or telephone number specified below.
The Envoy Fund
P.O. Box 2175
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
1-877-771-7731
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
THE TRUST AND THE FUND |
B-3 |
|
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS |
B-3 |
|
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
B-22 |
|
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE |
B-31 |
|
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER |
B-32 |
|
PROXY VOTING POLICY |
B-32 |
|
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM |
B-32 |
|
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION |
B-32 |
|
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE |
B-34 |
|
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES |
B-35 |
|
FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS |
B-36 |
|
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
B-41 |
|
GENERAL INFORMATION |
B-42 |
|
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
B-43 |
|
APPENDIX A - DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS |
B-44 |
|
APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES |
B-49 |
|
|
|
B-2
THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 20, 2013. The Trust currently consists of several other series of shares of beneficial interest. This SAI relates only to the Fund and not to the other series of the Trust.
The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company. Such a registration does not involve supervision of the management or policies of the Fund. The Prospectus of the Fund and this SAI omit certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of such information may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee.
The Fund is a non-diversified fund, which means it is not subject to the diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of one issuer (and in not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer), excluding cash, government securities, and securities of other investment companies. Although the Fund is not required to comply with the above requirement, the Fund intends to diversify its assets to the extent necessary to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
The Fund currently offers two classes of shares: Institutional Class and Class S. Other classes may be established from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”). Each class of shares of the Fund generally is identical in all respects except that Institutional Class shares are not subject to distribution and service fees, and Class S shares are subject to distribution and service fees.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS
The discussion below supplements information contained in the Fund’s Prospectus pertaining to the investment policies of the Fund.
Principal Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks
Market Conditions
Events in certain sectors historically have resulted, and may in the future result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. These events have included, but are not limited to: bankruptcies, corporate restructurings, and other events related to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in 2008; governmental efforts to limit short selling and high frequency trading; measures to address U.S. federal and state budget deficits; social, political, and economic instability in Europe; economic stimulus by the Japanese central bank; steep declines in oil prices; dramatic changes in currency exchange rates; public health emergencies (including widespread health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic); China’s economic slowdown; expansion of government deficits and debt; bank failures; higher inflation; and military conflicts and wars, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflicts among nations and other militant groups in the Middle East, and the increase in protectionist trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and trade barriers. Interconnected global economies and financial markets increase the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. Such events may cause significant declines in the values and liquidity of many securities and other instruments. It is impossible to predict whether such conditions will recur. Because such situations may be widespread, it may be difficult to identify both risks and opportunities using past models of the interplay of market forces, or to predict the duration of such events.
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High public debt in the United States and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. Raising the ceiling on U.S. Government debt and passing periodic legislation to fund the U.S. Government have become increasingly politicized. Any failure to do either could lead to a default on U.S. Government obligations, with unpredictable consequences for economies and markets in the United States and elsewhere, and the Funds’ investments.
Rates of inflation have risen in recent years. Inflation has affected the global economy and global financial markets. Inflation occurs when prices increase and the purchasing power of money decreases. The value of assets or income from an investment may be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of a portfolio’s assets can decline as can the value of a portfolio’s distributions.
Advancements in technology, including the rapid development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence, may adversely impact markets and liquidity. As artificial intelligence becomes more widely utilized, the profitability and growth of certain issuers and industries may be negatively impacted in ways that cannot be predicted, which could adversely impact the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Changing interest rate environments (whether downward or upward) impact various sectors of the economy and asset classes in different ways. For example, low interest rate environments tend to be positive for the equity markets, whereas high interest rate environments tend to apply downward pressure on earnings and equity prices. It is difficult to accurately predict the pact at which interest rates might change, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such changes in interest rates, or when such changes might stop or reverse course. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to significant market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market.
Derivatives
The Fund may utilize a variety of derivatives contracts, such as futures and options, for investment purposes. The regulation of derivatives markets in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), signed into law in 2010, granted significant authority to the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) to impose comprehensive regulations on the over-the-counter (“OTC”) and cleared derivatives markets. These regulations include, but are not limited to, mandatory clearing of certain derivatives and requirements relating to disclosure, margin and trade reporting. New regulations could adversely affect the value, availability and performance of certain derivative instruments, may make them more costly, and may limit or restrict their use by the Fund.
The regulation of derivatives markets in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. These regulations include, but are not limited to, mandatory clearing of certain derivatives and requirements relating to disclosure, margin and trade reporting. New regulations could adversely affect the value, availability and performance of certain derivative instruments, may make them more costly, and may limit or restrict their use by the Fund.
Effective August 19, 2022, the Fund began operating under the Derivatives Rule, which, among other things, governs the use of derivative instruments and certain financing transactions (e.g., reverse repurchase agreements) by registered investment companies. The Derivatives Rule requires investment companies that enter into derivatives transactions and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations to, among other things, (i) comply with a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, and (ii) adopt and implement a comprehensive written derivatives risk management program. These and other requirements apply unless (a) the Fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” which the Derivatives Rule defines as a fund that limits its derivatives exposure to 10% of its net assets, or (b) the Fund does not engage in derivatives transactions as defined in the Derivatives Rule. Complying with the Derivatives Rule may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely
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affect investors. The Derivatives Rule may not be effective to limit the Fund’s risk of loss. In particular, measurements of VaR rely on historical data and may not accurately measure the degree of risk reflected in the Fund’s derivatives or other investments. Other potentially adverse regulatory obligations can develop suddenly and without notice.
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 index credit default 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 swaps. The Fund will make and receive payments owed under cleared derivatives transactions (including margin payments) through its 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 Advisor 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 its 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 derivatives transactions, which amounts are generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing house for all customers of the clearing member. For commodities futures positions, the clearing house may use all of the collateral held in the clearing member’s omnibus account to meet a loss in that account, without regard to which customer in fact supplied that collateral. Accordingly, in addition to bearing the credit risk of its clearing member, each customer to a futures transaction also bears “fellow customer” risk from other customers of the clearing
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member. However, with respect to cleared swaps, recent 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. Because margin in respect of cleared swaps must be earmarked for specific clearing member customers, the clearing house may not use the collateral of one customer to cover the obligations of another 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, a clearing member may generally choose to provide to the clearing house the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of the clearing member’s 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.
Options on Securities and Securities Indices
The Fund may invest in options on securities and stock indices. A call option entitles the purchaser, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities at a specified price during the option period. A put option entitles the purchaser, in return for the premium paid, to sell specified securities during the option period. The Fund may invest in both European-style or American-style options. A European-style option is only exercisable immediately prior to its expiration. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to the expiration date of the option.
Writing Call Options. The Fund may write covered call options. A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute right to acquire the security without additional cash consideration or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or cash equivalents in such amounts as held in a segregated account by the Fund’s custodian. The writer of a call option receives a premium and gives the purchaser the right to buy the security underlying the option at the exercise price. The writer has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price during the option period. If the writer of an exchange-traded option wishes to terminate his obligation, he may effect a “closing purchase transaction.” This is accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. A writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after it has been notified of the exercise of an option.
Effecting a closing transaction in a written call option will permit the Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with either a different exercise price, expiration date or both. Also, effecting a closing transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent sale of any securities subject to the option to be used for other investments of the Fund. If the Fund desires to sell a particular security from its portfolio on which it has written a call option, it will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale of the security.
The Fund will realize a gain from a closing transaction if the cost of the closing transaction is less than the premium received from writing the option or if the proceeds from the closing transaction are more than the premium paid to purchase the option. The Fund will realize a loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the closing transaction is more than the premium received from writing the option or if the proceeds from the closing transaction are less than the premium paid to purchase the option. However, because increases in the market price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss to the Fund resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund.
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.
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In addition to covered call options, the Fund may write uncovered (or “naked”) call options on securities, including shares of ETFs, and indices.
Writing Covered Index Call Options. The Fund may sell index call options. The Fund may also execute a closing purchase transaction with respect to the option it has sold and then sell another option with either a different exercise price and/or expiration date. The Fund’s objective in entering into such closing transactions is to increase option premium income, to limit losses or to protect anticipated gains in the underlying stocks. The cost of a closing transaction, while reducing the premium income realized from the sale of the option, should be offset, at least in part, by the appreciation in the value of the underlying index, and by the opportunity to realize additional premium income from selling a new option.
When the Fund sells an index call option, it does not deliver the underlying stocks or cash to the broker through whom the transaction is effected. In the case of an exchange-traded option, the Fund establishes an escrow account. The Fund’s custodian (or a securities depository acting for the custodian) acts as the Fund’s escrow agent. The escrow agent enters into documents known as escrow receipts with respect to the stocks included in the Fund (or escrow receipts with respect to other acceptable securities). The escrow agent releases the stocks from the escrow account when the call option expires or the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Until such release, the underlying stocks cannot be sold by the Fund. The Fund may enter into similar collateral arrangements with the counterparty when it sells OTC index call options.
The purchaser of an index call option sold by the Fund may exercise the option at a price fixed as of the closing level of the index on exercise date. Unless the Fund has liquid assets sufficient to satisfy the exercise of the index call option, the Fund would be required to liquidate portfolio securities to satisfy the exercise. The market value of such securities may decline between the time the option is exercised and the time the Fund is able to sell the securities. 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. If the Fund fails to anticipate an exercise, it may have to borrow from a bank (in amounts not exceeding 5% of the Fund’s total assets) pending settlement of the sale of the portfolio securities and thereby incur interest charges. If trading is interrupted on the index, the Fund would not be able to close out its option positions.
Risks of Transactions in Options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities and indices. Options may be more volatile than the underlying securities and, therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation in value than an investment in the underlying securities themselves. There are also significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objective. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options of underlying securities; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or clearing corporation may not be adequate to handle current trading volume at all times; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
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A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. The extent to which the Fund may enter into options transactions may be limited by the requirements of the Code for qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company.
OTC Options. The Fund may engage in transactions involving OTC as well as exchange-traded options. Certain additional risks are specific to OTC options. The Fund may engage a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, but if the Fund purchased an OTC option, it must then rely on the dealer from which it purchased the option if the option is exercised. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by the Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction.
Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while OTC options may not. Consequently, the Fund may generally be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes an OTC option, the Fund may generally be able to close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to whom the Fund originally wrote the option. While the Fund will seek to enter into OTC options only with dealers who will agree to and are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will at any time be able to liquidate an OTC option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless the Fund, as a covered OTC call option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate an OTC option. With respect to options written by the Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to the Fund.
The SEC has taken the position that purchased OTC options are illiquid securities. The Fund may treat the cover used for written OTC options as liquid if the dealer agrees that the Fund may repurchase the OTC option it has written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the OTC option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option. Accordingly, the Fund will treat OTC options as subject to the Fund’s limitation on illiquid securities. If the SEC changes its position on the liquidity of OTC options, the Fund will change the treatment of such instruments accordingly.
Stock Index Options. The Fund may invest in options on indices, including broad-based security indices. Puts and calls on indices are similar to puts and calls on other investments except that all settlements are in cash and gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question rather than on price movements in individual securities. When the Fund writes a call on an index, it receives a premium and agrees that, prior to the expiration date, the purchaser of the call, upon exercise of the call, will receive from the fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the call is based is greater than the exercise price of the call. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the call times a specified multiple (“multiplier”), which determines the total dollar value for each point of such difference. When the Fund buys a call on an index, it pays a premium and has the same rights as to such call as are indicated above. When the Fund buys a put on an index, it pays a premium and has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the seller of the put, upon the Fund’s exercise of the put, to deliver to the fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the put is based is less than the exercise price of the put, which amount of cash is determined by the multiplier, as described above for calls. When the Fund writes a put on an index, it receives a premium and the purchaser of the put has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the Fund to deliver to it an amount of cash equal to the difference between the closing level of the index and exercise price times the multiplier if the closing level is less than the exercise price.
The risks of investment in options on indices may be greater than options on securities. Because index options are settled in cash, if the Fund writes a call on an index it cannot provide in advance for its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying index. The Fund can offset some of the risk of writing a call index option by holding a diversified portfolio of securities or instruments similar to those on which the underlying index is based.
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However, the Fund cannot, as a practical matter, acquire and hold a portfolio containing exactly the same securities or instruments as underlie the index and, as a result, bears a risk that the value of the securities or instruments held will vary from the value of the index.
Even if the Fund could assemble a portfolio that exactly reproduced the composition of the underlying index, it still would not be fully covered from a risk standpoint because of the “timing risk” inherent in writing index options. When an index option is exercised, the amount of cash that the holder is entitled to receive is determined by the difference between the exercise price and the closing index level on the date when the option is exercised. As with other kinds of options, the Fund as the call writer will not learn of the assignment until the next business day at the earliest. The time lag between exercise and notice of assignment poses no risk for the writer of a covered call on a specific underlying security or instrument, such as common stock, because there the writer’s obligation is to deliver the underlying security or instrument, not to pay its value as of a fixed time in the past. So long as the writer already owns the underlying security or instrument, it can satisfy its settlement obligations by simply delivering it, and the risk that its value may have declined since the exercise date is borne by the exercising holder. In contrast, even if the writer of an index call holds investments that exactly match the composition of the underlying index, it will not be able to satisfy its assignment obligations by delivering those investments against payment of the exercise price. Instead, it will be required to pay cash in an amount based on the closing index value on the exercise date. By the time it learns that it has been assigned, the index may have declined, with a corresponding decline in the value of its portfolio. This “timing risk” is an inherent limitation on the ability of index call writers to cover their risk exposure by holding security or instrument positions.
If the Fund has purchased an index option and exercises it before the closing index value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the level of the underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out-of-the-money, the Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing index value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.
Options on Exchange-Traded Commodity Linked Securities
The Fund may purchase and sell options on exchange-traded commodity linked securities. 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.
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
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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. The Fund, as a writer of an option, may have no control over whether the underlying futures contracts may be sold (call) or purchased (put) and as a result, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the valuation of the futures contracts underlying the written option. The Fund, as a purchaser of an option, bears the risk that the counterparties to the option may not have the ability to meet the terms of the option contract.
The Fund and the Subsidiary (as defined below) are subject to regulation by the CFTC as commodity pools and the Advisor is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with respect to the Fund under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Advisor does not currently rely on an exclusion from the definition of CPO in CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund’s use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts and other commodity interests is not limited to bona fide hedging and at times is expected to exceed both the 5% initial margin and premium test and the 100% net notional test of Regulation 4.5(c)(2)(iii).
Futures and options on futures are regulated by the CFTC. The Advisor is registered as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund. As a result, the Advisor is subject to CFTC requirements in its capacity as such with respect to the Fund, including recordkeeping, reporting, and disclosure requirements. In addition, the Advisor may be subject to substantially the same requirements with regard to the Subsidiary.
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.
Stock Index Futures
The Fund uses stock index futures contracts as its principal means of obtaining exposure to the equity asset class, rather than as a substitute for a position in the underlying securities that the Fund otherwise holds. 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.
OTC Derivatives Transactions
The Fund may enter into OTC derivatives transactions. The Dodd-Frank Act established a new statutory framework that comprehensively regulated the OTC derivatives markets for the first time. Key Dodd-Frank Act provisions relating to OTC derivatives require rulemaking by the SEC and the CFTC, not all of which has been proposed or finalized as at the date of this SAI. Prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, the OTC derivatives markets were traditionally traded on a bilateral basis (so-called “bilateral OTC transactions”). Now certain OTC derivatives contracts are required to be centrally cleared and traded on exchanges or electronic trading platforms called swap execution facilities (“SEFs”).
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Bilateral OTC transactions differ from exchange-traded or cleared derivatives transactions in several respects. Bilateral OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, bilateral 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 bilateral OTC transactions are entered into directly with a dealer, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of its insolvency or otherwise. Under recently-adopted CFTC regulations, counterparties of registered swap dealers and major swap participants have the right to elect segregation of initial margin in respect of uncleared swaps. If a counterparty makes such an election, any initial margin that is posted to the swap dealer or major swap participant must be segregated in individual customer accounts held at an independent third-party custodian. In addition, the collateral may only be invested in certain categories of instruments identified in the CFTC’s regulations. Agreements covering these segregation arrangements must generally provide for consent by both the counterparty and the swap dealer or major swap participant to withdraw margin from the segregated account. Given these limitations on the use of uncleared swaps collateral, there is some likelihood that the electing counterparty will experience an increase in the costs associated with trading swaps with the relevant swap dealer or major swap participant. Certain other protections apply to a counterparty to uncleared swaps under the CFTC’s regulations even if the counterparty does not elect segregation of its initial margin. These regulations are newly adopted, and it remains unclear whether they will be effective in protecting initial margin in the manner intended in the event of significant market stress or the insolvency of a swap dealer or major swap participant.
Furthermore, a bilateral OTC transaction may only be terminated voluntarily by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer with which 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 will seek 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.
The requirement to execute certain OTC derivatives contracts on SEFs may offer certain advantages over traditional bilateral OTC trading, such as ease of execution, price transparency, increased liquidity and/or favorable pricing. However, SEF trading may make it more difficult and costly for the Fund to enter into highly tailored or customized transactions and may result in additional costs and risks. Market participants such as the Fund that execute derivatives contracts through a SEF, whether directly or through a broker intermediary, are required to submit to the jurisdiction of the SEF and comply with SEF and CFTC rules and regulations which impose, among other things disclosure and recordkeeping obligations. In addition, the Fund will generally incur SEF or broker intermediary fees when it trades on a SEF. The Fund may also be required to indemnify the SEF or broker intermediary for any losses or costs that may result from the Fund’s transactions on the SEF.
Commodities and Commodity Contracts
The Fund may purchase and sell commodity futures contracts and options; may enter into foreign exchange contracts; may enter into swaps and other financial transactions not requiring the delivery of physical commodities; and may purchase or sell physical 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,
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commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, and other risks affecting a particular industry or commodity. The Fund will only invest in commodities transactions that the Advisor believes can be readily liquidated.
There are additional factors associated with commodity futures contracts which may subject the Fund’s investments in them to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. In the commodity futures markets there are often costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodities markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing futures contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. The commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of the supplies of other materials.
Changes in the regulation of derivatives, including commodity-based derivatives, arising from the Dodd-Frank Act may make it more expensive for the Fund and otherwise limit the Fund’s ability to engage in such trading, which could adversely affect the Fund.
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
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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.
Equity Securities
Common Stock
The Fund may invest in common stock. Common stock represents an equity (ownership) interest in a company, and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price.
The fundamental risk of investing in common stock is that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. While common stocks have historically provided greater long-term returns than preferred stocks, fixed-income and money market investments, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility than the returns from those other investments.
Preferred Stock
The Fund may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends and a share of the proceeds resulting from the issuer’s liquidation although preferred stock is usually subordinate to the debt securities of the issuer. Some preferred stocks also entitle their holders to receive additional liquidation proceeds on the same basis as the holders of the issuer’s common stock. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights and its market value may change based on changes in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, a negative feature when interest rates decline. In addition, the Fund may receive stocks or warrants as a result of an exchange or tender of fixed income securities. Preference stock, which is more common in emerging markets than in developed markets, is a special type of common stock that shares in the earnings of an issuer, has limited voting rights, may have a dividend preference, and may also have a liquidation preference. Depending on the features of the particular security, holders of preferred and preference stock may bear the risks regarding common stock or fixed income securities.
Debt Securities
The Fund may invest in debt securities. Debt securities are used by issuers to borrow money. Generally, issuers pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero-coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are purchased at a discount from their face values and accrue interest at the applicable coupon rate over a specified time period. Some debt securities pay a periodic coupon that is not fixed; instead payments “float” relative to a reference rate, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). This “floating rate” debt may pay interest at levels above or below the previous interest payment. The market prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality and maturity. In general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall.
Lower rated debt securities, those rated Ba or below by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and/or BB or below by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, are described by the rating agencies as speculative and involve greater risk of default or price changes than higher rated
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debt securities due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or the fact that the issuer may already be in default. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty. It may be more difficult to sell or to determine the value of lower rated debt securities.
Certain additional risk factors related to debt securities are discussed below:
Sensitivity to interest rate and economic changes. Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. In addition, during an economic downturn or periods of rising interest rates, issuers that are highly leveraged may experience increased financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to meet projected business goals, obtain additional financing, and service their principal and interest payment obligations. Furthermore, periods of economic change and uncertainty can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) related to the security or other assets or indices.
Payment expectations. Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate environment, the Fund would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the Fund may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.
Liquidity. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, or reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. In such cases, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve investments in securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign non-U.S. securities, Rule 144A securities, illiquid sectors of fixed income securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Further, fixed income securities with longer durations until maturity face heightened levels of liquidity risk as compared to fixed income securities with shorter durations until maturity. Finally, liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for the Fund to fully honor redemption requests within the allowable time period. Meeting such redemption requests could require the Fund to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the Fund. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate fixed income holdings at the same time as the Fund, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure.
The Advisor attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the Fund’s portfolio, credit analysis of each issuer, and by monitoring broad economic trends as well as corporate and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. Credit ratings of debt securities provided by rating agencies indicate a measure of the safety of principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency’s view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect actual outcomes. There can be a lag between corporate developments and the time a rating is assigned and updated.
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Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions. Following the financial crisis that began in 2007, the U.S. government and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), as well as certain foreign governments and central banks, took steps to support financial markets, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels and by purchasing large quantities of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities on the open market (“Quantitative Easing”). Similar steps were taken again in 2020 in an effort to support the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, the Federal Reserve began to unwind its balance sheet by not replacing existing bond holdings as they mature (“Quantitative Tightening”). Also in 2022, the Federal Reserve began raising the federal funds rate in an effort to fight inflation. Such policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments and share price to decline. If the Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed income markets it may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in derivatives. Government interventions such as those described above may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results.
Bond markets have consistently grown over the past three decades while the capacity for traditional dealer counterparties to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace and in some cases has decreased. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which provide a core indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to “make markets,” are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty.
Bond
Ratings. Bond rating agencies may assign modifiers (such as +/–) to ratings categories to signify the relative position of
a credit within the rating category. Investment policies that are based on ratings categories should be read to include any security within
that category, without considering the modifier. Please refer to Appendix A for more information about credit ratings.
Over-the-Counter Transactions – Fixed Income Securities
The Fund may enter into OTC transactions involving fixed income securities. 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. 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.
Floating Rate, Inverse Floating Rate and Index Obligations
The Fund may invest in debt securities with interest payments or maturity values that are not fixed, but float in conjunction with (or inversely to) an underlying index or price. These securities may be backed by sovereign or corporate issuers, or by collateral such as mortgages. The indices and prices upon which such securities can be based include interest rates, currency rates and commodities prices. Floating rate securities pay interest according to a coupon which is reset periodically. The reset mechanism may be formula based, or reflect the passing through of floating interest payments on an underlying collateral pool. Inverse floating rate securities are similar to floating rate securities except that their coupon payments vary inversely with an underlying index by use of a formula. Inverse floating rate securities tend to exhibit greater price volatility than other floating rate securities. Interest rate
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risk and price volatility on inverse floating rate obligations can be high, especially if leverage is used in the formula. Index securities pay a fixed rate of interest, but have a maturity value that varies by formula, so that when the obligation matures a gain or loss may be realized. The risk of index obligations depends on the volatility of the underlying index, the coupon payment and the maturity of the obligation.
Government Obligations
The Fund may invest in U.S. government obligations. Such obligations include Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises.
Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises, where it is not obligated to do so. In addition, U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.
Short-Term Investments
The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits
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 or savings and loan association for a definite period of time that earn 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. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. The Fund may only acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, and time deposits issued by commercial banks or savings and loan associations that, at the time of the Fund’s investment, 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 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 Investments” 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
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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, are 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.
Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations
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 S&P, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by 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.
Investment Company Shares
The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (each, an “Underlying Fund”), including open-end funds, closed-end funds, unit investment trusts (“UITs”) and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions set forth in this SAI.
Under Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, the Fund may acquire shares of an Underlying Fund in amounts which, as determined immediately after the acquisition is made, do not exceed (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such Underlying Fund, (ii) 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and (iii) 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets when combined with all other Underlying Fund shares held by the Fund. The Fund may exceed these statutory limits when permitted by SEC order or other applicable law or regulatory guidance, such as is the case with many ETFs. In October 2020, the SEC adopted certain regulatory changes and took other actions related to the ability of an investment company to invest in the shares of another investment company. These changes include, in part, the rescission of certain SEC exemptive orders permitting investments in excess of the statutory limits, the withdrawal of certain related SEC staff no-action letters, and the adoption of Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, which permits the Fund to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. Rule 12d1-4, among other things, (1) applies to both “acquired funds” and “acquiring funds,” each as defined under the rule; (2) includes limits on control and voting of acquired funds’ shares; (3) requires that the investment advisers of acquired funds and acquiring funds relying on the rule make certain specified findings based on their evaluation of the relevant fund of funds structure; (4) requires acquired funds and acquiring funds that are relying on the rule, and which do not have the same investment adviser, to enter into fund of funds investment agreements, which must include specific terms; and (5) includes certain limits on complex fund of funds structures. Investments by the Fund in money market funds are made in reliance on Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act, which does not require a fund of funds investment agreement but conditions the relief on the Fund not paying a sales charge or service fee, or on the waiver or offset of any such charge or fee.
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Generally, under Sections 12(d)(1)(F) and 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act and SEC rules adopted pursuant to the 1940 Act, the Fund may acquire the shares of affiliated and unaffiliated Underlying Funds subject to the following guidelines and restrictions:
| • | The Fund may own an unlimited amount of the shares of any registered open-end fund or registered UIT that is affiliated with the Fund, so long as any such Underlying Fund has a policy that prohibits it from acquiring any shares of registered open-end funds or registered UITs in reliance on certain sections of the 1940 Act. |
| • | The Fund and its “affiliated persons” may own up to 3% of the outstanding stock of any fund, subject to the following restrictions: |
| i. | the Fund and each Underlying Fund, in the aggregate, may not charge a sales load greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341(d)(3) of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) applicable to funds of funds; |
| ii. | each Underlying Fund is not obligated to redeem more than 1% of its total outstanding shares during any period less than 30 days; and |
| iii. | 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. |
Underlying Funds typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund’s purchase of such investment company shares 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 shares 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.
Exchange-Traded Funds
The Fund may invest in 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 UITs. 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 large aggregations of shares known as “Creation Units” in exchange for a “Portfolio Deposit” consisting of (a) a portfolio of securities designated by the ETF, (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 designed to equalize the net asset value of the shares and the net asset value of a Portfolio Deposit.
Shares of ETFs are not individually redeemable, except upon the reorganization, merger, conversion or liquidation of the ETF. To redeem shares of an ETF, an investor must accumulate enough shares of the ETF to reconstitute a Creation
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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 investor will receive securities designated by the ETF (“Redemption Securities”) and a cash payment in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed and the net asset value of the Redemption Securities.
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 Products that are not Registered Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in exchange-traded products that are not registered as investment companies under the 1940 Act, including grantor trusts that hold physical gold and commodity pools that invest in currency futures contracts. Because these products are not registered investment companies, they are not subject to the limits of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the conditions of Rule 12d1-4 do not apply to them. They also do not provide the investor protections of the 1940 Act, including limits on leverage and affiliated transactions, independent board oversight, and the custody and valuation requirements applicable to registered funds.
Investments in the Subsidiary
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the shares of the wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary (the a “Subsidiary”). The Subsidiary is an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands and is overseen by its own board of directors. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is advised by the Advisor, and has the same investment objective as the Fund. With respect to its contract with the Subsidiary, the Advisor complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts (Section 15). The Subsidiary complies with Section 8 of the 1940 Act governing investment policies and Section 18 of the 1940 Act governing capital structure and leverage on an aggregate basis with the corresponding Fund. The Subsidiary also complies with Section 17 of the 1940 Act governing affiliated transactions and custody. Because the Subsidiary invests in some of the investments described in this SAI, the Fund will be directly or indirectly exposed to such investments. For that reason, references in the SAI to investments by, and activities and risks of, the Fund may also include investments by, and activities and risks of, the Subsidiary.
Investments in the Subsidiary are expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of the Code. The Subsidiary invests primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments, including swaps, commodity options, futures and options on futures, and may also invest in exchange-traded products that hold or whose performance is otherwise linked to the price of commodities. Although the Fund may enter into these commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund will likely gain exposure to these derivative instruments indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will also invest in fixed income instruments, some of which are intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivatives positions.
The Subsidiary is otherwise generally subject to the same fundamental, non-fundamental and certain other investment restrictions as the Fund, including the timing and method of the valuation of the Subsidiary’s portfolio investments and shares of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is managed pursuant to compliance policies and procedures that are the same, in all material respects, as the policies and procedures adopted by the Fund.
The Subsidiary has an investment management agreement with the Advisor pursuant to which the Advisor manages the assets of the Subsidiary, but receives no additional compensation for doing so. The Subsidiary has also entered
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into separate contracts for the provision of custody, transfer agency, and accounting agent services with the same or with affiliates of the same service providers that provide those services to the Fund.
The financial statements of the Subsidiary are consolidated with the Fund’s financial statements, which are included in the Fund’s Annual Financials and Other Information, which are included as part of the Fund’s Form N-CSR filings. Copies of the Annual Financials and Other Information will be provided without charge upon request as indicated on the front cover of this SAI.
The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus or this SAI, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by the Advisor, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in its Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. As noted above, the Subsidiary will generally be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. In addition, changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiary to operate as described in the Prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that a Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.
The Fund does not currently intend to create or acquire primary control of any entity which engages in investment activities in securities or other assets, other than entities it wholly-owns.
Leverage
The Fund does not intend to engage in cash borrowing; however, the Fund’s investments in futures contracts and other derivatives will create economic leverage, which may be substantial and may magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Utilization of leverage involves special risks and should be considered to be speculative. Specifically, leverage creates the potential for greater gains to fund shareholders during favorable market conditions and the risk of magnified losses during adverse market conditions. Leverage is likely to cause higher volatility of the NAVs of the Fund’s shares. Leverage may also involve the creation of a liability that does not entail any interest costs or the creation of a liability that requires a fund to pay interest which would decrease the Fund’s total return to shareholders. A decline in the Fund’s assets due to losses magnified by instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations when it may not be advantageous to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund’s use of instruments providing enhanced exposure will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Other Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks
Equity Securities
Warrants and Rights
The Fund may invest in warrants or rights (including those acquired in units or attached to other securities) that entitle (but do not obligate) the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time but will do so only if such equity securities are deemed appropriate by the Advisor. Rights are similar to warrants but typically have a shorter duration and are issued by a company to existing stockholders to provide those holders the right to purchase additional shares of stock at a later date. Warrants and rights do not have voting rights, do not earn dividends, and do not entitle the holder to any rights with respect to the assets of the company that has issued them. They do not represent ownership of the underlying companies but only the right to purchase shares of those
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companies at a specified price on or before a specified exercise date. Warrants and rights tend to be more volatile than the underlying stock, and if at a warrant’s expiration date the stock is trading at a price below the price set in the warrant, the warrant will expire worthless. Conversely, if at the expiration date the stock is trading at a price higher than the price set in the warrant or right, the Fund can acquire the stock at a price below its market value. The prices of warrants and rights do not necessarily parallel the prices of the underlying securities. An investment in warrants or rights may be considered speculative.
Convertible Securities
The Fund may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a preferred stock, warrant or other security that may be converted or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other security of the same or a different issuer or into cash within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive the dividend or interest until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities generally have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with fixed income securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stocks and, therefore, also will react to variations in the general market for equity securities. A significant feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so they may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.
Debt Securities
Zero Coupon, Step Coupon, and Pay-In-Kind Securities
The Fund may invest in zero coupon, pay-in-kind, and step coupon securities. Zero coupon bonds are securities that make no fixed interest payments but instead are issued and traded at a discount from their face value. They do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity. Step coupon bonds trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. The discount from the face amount or par value depends on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. Pay-in-kind bonds normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or give the holder of the security a similar bond with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made.
Generally, the market prices of zero coupon, step coupon, and pay-in-kind securities are more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest periodically and in cash and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than other types of debt securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
Sovereign Debt Obligations
The Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations, which are securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, governmental agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions, including debt of developing countries. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Sovereign debt of developing countries may involve a high degree of risk, and may be in default or present the risk of default. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due, and may require renegotiation or rescheduling of debt
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payments. In addition, prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. government securities, repayment of principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. government. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.
Floating Rate, Inverse Floating Rate and Index Obligations
The Fund may invest in debt securities with interest payments or maturity values that are not fixed, but float in conjunction with (or inversely to) an underlying index or price. These securities may be backed by sovereign or corporate issuers, or by collateral such as mortgages. The indices and prices upon which such securities can be based include interest rates, currency rates and commodities prices. Floating rate securities pay interest according to a coupon which is reset periodically. The reset mechanism may be formula based, or reflect the passing through of floating interest payments on an underlying collateral pool. Inverse floating rate securities are similar to floating rate securities except that their coupon payments vary inversely with an underlying index by use of a formula. Inverse floating rate securities tend to exhibit greater price volatility than other floating rate securities. Interest rate risk and price volatility on inverse floating rate obligations can be high, especially if leverage is used in the formula. Index securities pay a fixed rate of interest, but have a maturity value that varies by formula, so that when the obligation matures a gain or loss may be realized. The risk of index obligations depends on the volatility of the underlying index, the coupon payment and the maturity of the obligation.
Investment Company Shares
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 the Fund’s shareholders being subject to higher expenses than if he or she invested directly in the closed-end fund(s).
Business Development Companies
The Fund may invest in business development companies. A business development company (“BDC”) is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. The 1940 Act imposes certain restraints upon the operations of a BDC. For example, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of private companies or thinly traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. Generally, little public information exists for private and thinly traded companies, and there is a risk that investors may not be able to make a fully informed investment decision. With investments in debt instruments, there is a risk that the issuer may default on its payments or declare bankruptcy. Additionally, a BDC may incur indebtedness only in amounts such that the BDC’s asset coverage equals at least 200% after such incurrence. These limitations on asset mix and leverage may prohibit the way that the BDC raises capital. BDCs generally invest in less mature private companies, which involve greater risk than well-established, publicly traded companies.
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
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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.
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 objective during temporary defensive periods.
Borrowing
The Fund may engage in limited borrowing activities. 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, 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.
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Illiquid and Restricted Securities
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are securities that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, and the Fund may have difficulty or be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
The Fund may invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the 1933 Act, or an exemption from registration. While restricted securities are generally presumed to be illiquid, it may be determined that a particular restricted security is liquid. Rule 144A under the 1933 Act establishes a safe harbor from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Institutional markets for restricted securities sold pursuant to Rule 144A in many cases provide both readily ascertainable values for restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment to satisfy share redemption orders. Such markets might include automated systems for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers, such as the PORTAL System sponsored by Nasdaq. An insufficient number of qualified buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A eligible restricted securities, however, could adversely affect the marketability of such portfolio securities and result in the Fund’s inability to dispose of such securities promptly or at favorable prices.
The Fund may purchase commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act. 4(a)(2) commercial paper typically has the same price and liquidity characteristics as commercial paper, except that the resale of 4(a)(2) commercial paper is limited to the institutional investor marketplace. Such a restriction on resale makes 4(a)(2) commercial paper technically a restricted security under the 1933 Act. In practice, however, 4(a)(2) commercial paper can be resold as easily as any other unrestricted security held by the Fund.
Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act requires, among other things, that the Fund establish a liquidity risk management program (“LRMP”) that is reasonably designed to assess and manage liquidity risk. Rule 22e-4 defines “liquidity risk” as the risk that a fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the fund without significant dilution of the remaining investors’ interests in the fund. The Fund has implemented a LRMP to meet the relevant requirements. Additionally, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved the designation of the Advisor as the Fund’s LRMP administrator to administer such program, and will review no less frequently than annually a written report prepared by the Advisor that addresses the operation of the LRMP and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation. Among other things, the LRMP provides for the classification of each Fund investment as a “highly liquid investment,” “moderately liquid investment,” “less liquid investment” or “illiquid investment.” The liquidity risk classifications of the Fund’s investments are determined after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. To the extent that the Fund investment is deemed to be an “illiquid investment” or a “less liquid investment,” the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk. There is no guarantee the LRMP will be effective in its operations, and complying with Rule 22e-4, including bearing related costs, could impact the Fund’s performance and its ability to seek its investment objective.
The Fund will not purchase illiquid securities if, as a result of the purchase, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in such securities. If at any time a portfolio manager and/or the Advisor determines that the value of illiquid securities held by the Fund exceeds 15% of the Fund’s net assets, the Fund’s portfolio managers and the Advisor will take such steps as they consider appropriate to reduce the percentage as soon as reasonably practicable.
B-24
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 U.S. 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.
Cybersecurity Risk
Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cybersecurity breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund or the Advisor, the Fund’s custodian or transfer agent, or intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. While the Fund and its service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent or reduce the impact of cybersecurity attacks, such plans and systems have inherent limitations due in part to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics, and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by its service providers.
Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.
B-25
Investment Restrictions
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. | 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; |
| 2. | 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; |
| 3. | 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)); |
| 4. | 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; |
| 5. | Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that for this purpose currencies are not considered physical commodities, and that this restriction shall not prevent the Fund or any wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund from (i) purchasing or selling securities or instruments (including exchange-traded products) of companies that purchase or sell commodities or that invest in commodities; (ii) engaging in any transaction involving options, forwards, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swaps, hybrid instruments, or other derivative instruments; or (iii) purchasing or selling investments in securities or engaging in transactions in other instruments that are linked to or secured by physical or other commodities; or |
| 6. | Invest 25% or more of its total assets, calculated at the time of purchase, in any one industry or related group of industries, except as permitted by exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority of competent jurisdiction. This limit does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. |
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to concentration set forth in (6) above, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could change in the future. A fund that invests a significant percentage of its total assets in a single industry may be particularly susceptible to adverse events affecting that industry and may be more risky than a fund that does not concentrate in an industry. The policy in (6) above will be interpreted to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to
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time. The policy also will be interpreted to permit investment without limit in securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to the Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries. When identifying industries for purposes of its concentration policy, the Fund may rely upon available industry classifications (e.g., Bloomberg L.P. classifications, MSCI Global Industry Classification Standard). The Fund may change any source used for determining industry classifications without shareholder approval.
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 that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities.
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.
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. Thomas Knipper, Kathleen K. Shkuda, Larry D. Tashjian and John P. Zader 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”).
Effective January 19, 2023, Eric M. Banhazl, who served as a Trustee of the Trust from September 2013 to January 19, 2023, is serving as a Trustee Emeritus of the Trust. As a Trustee Emeritus, Mr. Banhazl may attend the meetings of the Board of Trustees or any of its committees, but has no duties, powers or responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
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|
Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust |
Term of Officeb and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years and Other Affiliations |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trusteec |
Other Directorships Held by Trusteed |
|
“Independent” Trustees: | ||||
|
Thomas Knipper, CPA (inactive) a (born 1957) Trustee |
Since September 2013 |
Retired (April 2022 – present); Independent Consulting, financial services organizations (March 2021 – March 2022); Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Ameritas Investment Partners, a registered investment advisor (1995 – March 2021). |
3 |
Monachil Credit Income Fund, a closed-end investment company. |
|
Kathleen K. Shkuda a (born 1951) Trustee |
Since September 2013 |
Zigzag Consulting, a financial services consulting firm (2008 – present); Director, Managed Accounts, Merrill Lynch (2007 – 2008). |
3 |
None. |
|
Larry D. Tashjian a (born 1953) Trustee and Chairman of the Board |
Since September 2013 |
Principal, CAM Capital Advisors, a family office (2001 – present). |
3 |
General Finance Corporation. |
|
John P. Zader a (born 1961) Trustee |
Since September 2013 |
Retired (June 2014 – present); CEO, UMB Fund Services, Inc., a mutual fund and hedge fund service provider, and the transfer agent, fund accountant, and co-administrator for the Fund (December 2006 – June 2014); President, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2007 – June 2014). |
3 |
Investment Managers Series Trust III, a registered investment company (includes 14 portfolios); Source Capital, a closed-end investment company. |
|
Interested Trustees: |
|
|
| |
|
Joy Ausili a,f (born 1966) Trustee, Vice President and Assistant Secretary |
Since January 2023 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer (2016 – present), and Vice President (2006 – 2015), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (January 2016 – present), Investment Managers Series Trust II; Vice President and Secretary, Investment Managers Series Trust (March 2016 – present); Co-President, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – 2022). |
3 |
None. |
|
Terrance P. Gallagher a,e (born 1958) Trustee |
Since July 2019 |
Retired (October 2025 – present); Executive Vice President and Trust Platform Director (2024 – October 2025), and Executive Vice President and Director of Fund Accounting, Administration and Tax (2007 – 2023), UMB Fund Services, Inc.; President, Investment Managers Series Trust II (September 2013 – April 2025); Executive Vice President and Director of Fund Accounting, Administration and Tax, UMB Fund Services, Inc. (2007 – 2023). |
3 |
Various closed-end investment companies.g |
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|
Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust |
Term of Officeb and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years and Other Affiliations |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trusteec |
Other Directorships Held by Trusteed |
|
Officers of the Trust: |
|
| ||
|
Rita Dam a (born 1966) Treasurer and Assistant Secretary |
Since September 2013 |
Co-Chief Executive Officer (2016 – present), and Vice President (2006 – 2015), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC; Co-President, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – 2022). |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Diane Drake a (born 1967) Secretary |
Since January 2016 |
Senior Counsel, Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (October 2015 – present); Chief Compliance Officer, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – 2019). |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Michael Dziura a (born 1985) Chief Compliance Officer |
Since January 2025 |
Partner (July 2024 – present), Managing Director (2023 – 2024), and Director (2017 – 2023), Dziura Compliance Consulting, LLC; Chief Compliance Officer, Etna Capital Management Limited (2024 – present); Chief Compliance Officer, Westfuller Advisors, LLC (2023 – present), Chief Compliance Officer, Climate Finance Partners, LLC (2022 – present). |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Joshua Gohr a (born 1988) Vice President |
Since April 2024 |
Vice President (December 2020 – present), and Assistant Vice President (December 2018 – November 2020), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC. |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Scott Schulenburg a (born 1976) President |
Since May 2025 |
Senior Vice President, Director of Client Services & TA Administration and Technology (2005 – present), UMB Fund Services, Inc.; President, UMB Distribution Services, LLC (2020 – 2024). |
N/A |
N/A |
| a | Address for the Trustees and officers: 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212. |
| b | Trustees and officers serve until their successors have been duly elected. |
| c | The Trust is comprised of [ ] series managed by unaffiliated investment advisors. Each Trustee serves as Trustee of each series of the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the series managed by the same investment advisor. The Advisor also serves as investment advisor to The Diplomat Fund (together with the Fund, the “Funds”), which is offered in a separate prospectus. The Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust, for purposes of investment and investor services. |
| d | “Other Directorships Held” includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (that is, “public companies”), or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. |
| e | Mr. Gallagher is an “interested person” of the Trust by virtue of his position with UMB Fund Services, Inc. |
| f | Ms. Ausili is an “interested person” of the Trust by virtue of her position with Mutual Fund Administration, LLC. |
| g | AFA Private Credit Fund, Agility Multi-Asset Income Fund, Aspiriant Risk Managed Capital Fund, Aspiriant Risk Managed Real Asset Fund, Destiny Alternative Fund (TEI) LLC, Destiny Alternative Fund LLC, Felicitas Private Markets Fund, First Trust Alternative Opportunities Fund, First Trust Enhanced Private Credit Fund, First Trust Hedged Strategies Fund, First Trust Private Assets Fund, First Trust Private Credit Fund, First Trust Real Assets Fund, FT Vest Hedged Equity Income Fund: Series A2, FT Vest Hedged Equity Income Fund: Series A3, FT Vest Hedged Equity Income Fund: Series A4, FT Vest Hedged Equity Income Fund: Series B1, FT Vest Hedged Equity Income Fund: Series B2, FT Vest Total Return Income Fund: Series A2, FT Vest Total Return Income Fund: Series A3, FT Vest Total Return Income Fund: Series B1, FT Vest Total Return Income Fund: Series B2, Infinity Core Alternative Fund, Keystone Private Income, Pender Real Estate Credit Fund, Variant Alternative Income Fund, Variant Alternative Lending Fund, Variant Impact Fund, each a closed-end investment company. |
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Compensation
Effective November 1, 2025, each Independent Trustee receives a quarterly retainer of $31,250; $6,000 for each special in-person meeting attended, or any special meeting attended by videoconference or teleconference in lieu of in-person attendance in accordance with SEC exemptive relief or to address particularly complex matters or matters requiring review of significant materials in advance of the meeting; and $2,500 for each other special meeting attended by videoconference or teleconference at which Board action is taken and/or materials were prepared for review. In addition, Mr. Tashjian receives an additional annual retainer of $15,000 for serving as Chairperson of the Board; Mr. Knipper receives an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for serving as Chairperson of the Audit Committee; and Mr. Zader receives an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for serving as Chairperson of the Nominating, Governance and Regulatory Review Committee (the “Nominating Committee”). Effective January 21, 2026, the annual compensation of each Independent Trustee will be increased by $1,000 for each new fund launched during any quarter in which ten or more new funds commence operations; and if fewer than ten new funds commence operations in any given quarter, the number of such newly launched funds will be carried forward and aggregated with new funds launched in subsequent quarters until the cumulative total equals or exceeds ten, at which time the annual compensation of each Independent Trustee will be increased by $1,000 for each new fund included in such cumulative total.
The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No other entity affiliated with the Trust pays any compensation to the Trustees.
The Trustees may elect to defer payment of their compensation from the Fund pursuant to the Trust’s non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees which permits the Trustees to defer receipt of all or part of their compensation from the Trust. Amounts deferred are deemed invested in shares of one or more series of the Trust, as selected by the Trustee from time to time. A Trustee’s deferred compensation account will be paid in cash at such times as elected by the Trustee, subject to certain mandatory payment provisions in the Deferred Compensation Plan. Deferral and payment elections under the Deferred Compensation Plan are subject to strict requirements for modification.
|
Name of Person/Position |
Aggregate Compensation From the Fund ($)1 |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund’s Expenses ($) |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement ($) |
Total Compensation from Fund and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees ($)1,2 |
|
Thomas Knipper, Independent Trustee and Audit Committee Chair |
|
|
|
|
|
Kathleen K. Shkuda, Independent Trustee |
|
|
|
|
|
Larry D. Tashjian, Independent Trustee and Chairman |
|
|
|
|
|
John Zader, Independent Trustee and Nominating, Governance and Regulatory Review Committee Chair |
|
|
|
|
| 1 | Estimated annual compensation for the first year. |
| 2 | There are currently numerous portfolios comprising the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the series managed by the same investment advisor. The Advisor also serves as investment advisor to the Diplomat and Ambassador Funds, which are each offered in a separate prospectus. The Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust, for purposes of investment and investor services. |
B-30
Ms. Ausili and Mr. Gallagher are not compensated for their service as Trustees because of their affiliation with the Trust. Officers of the Trust are not compensated by the Fund for their services.
As a Trustee Emeritus of the Trust, Mr. Banhazl does not receive any compensation from the Trust; however, he is entitled to reimbursement of expenses related to his attendance at any meetings of the Board of Trustees or its committees.
Additional Information Concerning the Board and the Trustees
The current Trustees were selected in September 2013 (July 2019 for Mr. Gallagher and January 2023 for Ms. Ausili) 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 Ms. Ausili, Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Zader (at that time), satisfying the criteria for not being classified as an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act; and, as to Ms. Ausili and Mr. Gallagher, their positions with Mutual Fund Administration, LLC and UMB Fund Services, Inc., respectively, 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:
| • | Mr. Knipper has substantial experience with respect to the operation, administration and compliance programs of mutual funds and as a senior executive with a registered investment advisor. |
| • | Ms. Shkuda has substantial experience in the investment management industry, including as a consultant with respect to operations and marketing of investment managers and distribution of mutual funds and other investment products. |
| • | Mr. Tashjian has extensive leadership experience in the investment management industry, including as a principal and a chief executive officer of a registered investment advisor. |
| • | Ms. Ausili has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administration service providers. |
| • | Mr. Zader has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administration service providers. |
| • | Mr. Gallagher has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administration 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 Fund. 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.
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The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee.
| • | The function of the Audit Committee, with respect to each series of the Trust, is to review the scope and results of the series’ annual audit and any matters bearing on the audit or the series’ financial statements and to assist the Board’s oversight of the integrity of the series’ pricing and financial reporting. The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees and is chaired by Mr. Knipper. It does not include any Interested Trustees. The Audit Committee is expected to meet twice a year, with respect to the Fund. |
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee 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 Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing matters pertaining to composition, committees, and operations of the Board, as well as assisting the Board in overseeing matters related to certain regulatory issues. The Nominating Committee meets from time to time as needed. The Nominating Committee will consider trustee 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. Zader. The Nominating Committee meets as necessary. |
Independent Trustees comprise 67% of the Board and Larry Tashjian, 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 Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (the “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
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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 objective, 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
As of the date of this SAI, none of the Trustees owned any shares of the Funds.
Control Persons, Principal Shareholders, and Management Ownership
[As of the date of this SAI, the Fund is under the control of the Advisor, which had voting authority with respect to 100% of the outstanding shares in the Fund on such date. However, once the Fund commences investment operations and its shares are sold to the public, this control will be diluted. The Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group did not own more than 1% of the outstanding 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.]
The Advisor
Embassy Asset Management LP located at 1200 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3005, Short Hills, New Jersey, 07078, acts as investment advisor to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor is majority (approximately 70%) employee owned.
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 with respect to the Fund 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 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.
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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; 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 total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees, taxes, interest on borrowings other than commitment fees associated with borrowing arrangements, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [0.80%] of the average daily net assets of the Fund. This agreement is in effect through [ ], 2027, and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s 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 ending three full years after the date of reduction or payment if the Advisor so requests. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement. 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 of the reimbursed amounts. The Fund must pay current ordinary operating expenses before the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or Fund expenses.
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.
Portfolio Managers
Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Manager. As of the date of this SAI, information on other accounts managed by the Fund’s portfolio manager is as follows.
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|
Richard Campagna |
|
|
With Advisory Fee based on performance |
|
Type of Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) ($) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) ($) |
|
Registered Investment Companies |
[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
|
Other Pooled Investments |
[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
|
Other Accounts |
[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
$[ ] |
Material Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. Where conflicts of interest arise between the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, the Advisor seeks to manage such conflicts in a manner that it believes to be fair and equitable to the Fund over time. The Advisor also manages private funds and other accounts that pursue different strategies, may pay the Advisor performance-based compensation, or are not subject to the investment restrictions applicable to the Fund. Those differences may create an incentive to favor accounts other than the Fund in the allocation of investment opportunities or the allocation of the Advisor’s time and resources. There may be instances where similar portfolio transactions may be executed for the same security for numerous accounts managed by the portfolio managers. In such instances, securities will be allocated in accordance with the Advisor’s trade allocation policy. The Advisor has implemented specific policies and procedures (e.g., a code of ethics and trade allocation policies) that seek to address potential conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with the management of the Fund and other accounts and that are designed to ensure that all accounts, including the Fund, are treated fairly and equitably over time.
Compensation Mr. Campagna is an employee of the Advisor. He is compensated through a base salary and additional variable compensation based on the growth of the Fund.
Ownership of the Fund by the Portfolio Manager. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio manager did not own any shares of the Fund.
Organization and Management of the Subsidiary
The Fund intends to gain exposure to commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, by investing through the Subsidiary, which is advised by the Advisor. The Subsidiary is a company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, whose registered office is located at [ ]. The Subsidiary’s affairs are overseen by a separate board of directors.
The Subsidiary has entered into a separate agreement with the Advisor pursuant to which the Advisor provides investment advisory services to the Subsidiary. The Advisor receives no compensation for the services it provides to the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary has also entered into separate contracts for the provision of custody, and transfer agency services with the same or affiliates of the same service providers that provide those services to the Fund.
Service Providers
Pursuant to a Co-Administration Agreement (the “Co-Administration Agreement”), UMB Fund Services, Inc. (“UMBFS”), 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, and Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (“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
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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 Co-Administration Agreement.
Pursuant to the Co-Administration Agreement, the Fund pays the Co-Administrators a fee for administration services. The fee is payable monthly based on the Fund’s average daily net assets.
UMBFS also acts as the Trust’s fund accountant, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent pursuant to separate agreements.
UMB Bank, n.a. (the “Custodian”), an affiliate of UMBFS, 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. In addition, UMB Bank, n.a., serves as the custodian for the assets of the Subsidiary. The Custodian’s address is 928 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. The Custodian does not participate in decisions pertaining to the purchase and sale of securities by the Fund.
[ ], 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.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (“Morgan Lewis”), 600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800, Costa Mesa, California 92626, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Independent Trustees.
Distributor and the Distribution Agreement
IMST Distributors, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), 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 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, as novated September 30, 2021 (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 commercially reasonable 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.
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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.
Rule 12b-1 Plan
The Trust has adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “12b-1 Plan”) that provides for Fund assets to be used for the payment for distribution services for Class S shares. The 12b-1 Plan provides alternative methods for paying sales charges and may help the Fund grow or maintain asset levels to provide operational efficiencies and economies of scale. The 12b-1 Plan also provides for the payment of service fees in connection with the provision of post-sales shareholder liaison services to holders of Class S shares, as defined in FINRA regulations, including personal services such as responding to customer inquiries, and services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Because 12b-1 fees are paid out of Fund assets attributable to Class S shares on an ongoing basis, they will, over time, increase the cost of an investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges.
The 12b-1 Plan provides that the distribution fees paid by Class S shares of the Fund may be used to pay for any expenses primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of such Class, including, but not limited to: (a) costs of payments, including incentive compensation, made to agents for and consultants to the Distributor or the Trust, including pension administration firms that provide distribution services and broker-dealers that engage in the distribution of the shares of such Class of the Fund; (b) payments made to, and expenses of, persons who provide support services in connection with the distribution of shares of such Class of the Fund; (c) payments made pursuant to any dealer agreements between the Distributor and certain broker-dealers, financial institutions and other service providers with respect to such Class of the Fund; (d) costs relating to the formulation and implementation of marketing and promotional activities; (e) costs of printing and distributing prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports of the Fund to prospective shareholders of such Class of the Fund; (f) costs involved in preparing, printing and distributing sales literature pertaining to such Class of the Fund; (g) costs involved in obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing and promotional activities that the Trust may deem advisable with respect to such Class of the Fund; and (h) reimbursement to the Advisor for expenses advanced on behalf of the Fund or Class with respect to such activities. The 12b-1 Plan is a compensation plan, which means that
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the Distributor is compensated regardless of its expenses, as opposed to a reimbursement plan which reimburses only for expenses incurred. The Distributor does not retain any 12b-1 fees for profit. All 12b-1 fees are held in a retention account by the Distributor to pay for and/or reimburse the Advisor for distribution-related expenditures.
The 12b-1 Plan may not be amended to materially increase the amount to be paid by the Fund’s Class S shares for distribution services without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such shares. The 12b-1 Plan shall continue in effect indefinitely with respect to a Class, provided that such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of a majority of the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose or by vote of at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Class. The 12b-1 Plan may be terminated with respect to a Class at any time without penalty by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Class.
If the 12b-1 Plan is terminated for the Fund’s Class S shares in accordance with its terms, the obligation of the Fund to make payments pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan will cease and the Fund will not be required to make any payments past the termination date. Thus, there is no legal obligation for the Fund to pay any expenses incurred by the Distributor other than fees already payable under the 12b-1 Plan, if the 12b-1 Plan is terminated in accordance with its terms for any reason.
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 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 OTC 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
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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. The brokers may also supply the Fund with research, statistical and other services.
Holdings of Securities of the Fund’s Regular Brokers or Dealers
From time to time, the Fund may acquire and hold securities issued by its “regular brokers or dealers” or the parents of those brokers or dealers. “Regular brokers or dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year, (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions, (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of the portfolio transactions of the Fund, or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Fund’s shares. Any securities of any “regular brokers or dealers” held by the Fund during a fiscal year will be disclosed by the Fund after the end of such fiscal year.
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 generally be taxed at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes. The Fund is newly-created and, as a result, does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate.
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PROXY VOTING POLICY
The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the “Trust Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegates the responsibility for voting the Fund’s proxies to the Advisor, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. The Trust Policies require that the Advisor votes proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund. The Trust Policies also require the Advisor to present to the Board, at least annually, the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the “Advisor 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 Trust Policies and Advisor Policies. The Trust Policies and the Advisor Policies are intended to serve as guidelines and to further the economic value of each security held by the Fund. The Trust’s CCO will review the Trust Policies and Advisor Policies annually. 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 ended June 30 of each year. Once filed, the Fund’s proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free 1- 877-771-7731, by visiting the Fund’s website at www.embassyfunds.com, or by visiting 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 the Fund’s 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, 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, Morgan Lewis, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, [ ] , and ICE Data Services, which assists the Fund with classifying its holdings pursuant to its liquidity risk management program (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
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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 CCO 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 (www.embassyfunds.com) or (2) disclosed in periodic regulatory filings on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). Management of the Fund may make publicly available its portfolio holdings as of the most recent calendar quarter/on a monthly basis on the Fund’s 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 receiving in-kind redemptions (as described below).
Evaluation Service Providers. These third parties include mutual fund evaluation services, such as Morningstar, Inc. and Lipper, Inc., 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 may, in certain circumstances, pay redemption proceeds to a shareholder by an in-kind distribution of portfolio securities (instead of cash). 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 CCO of the Trust. The CCO 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.
The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advice to clients other than the Fund that have investment objectives that may be substantially similar to those of the Fund. These clients also may have portfolios consisting of holdings substantially similar to those of the Fund and generally have access to current portfolio holdings
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information for their accounts. These clients do not owe the Advisor or the Fund a duty of confidentiality with respect to disclosure of their portfolio holdings.
Current Arrangements Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. As of the date of this SAI, the Trust or the Fund has ongoing 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) the Advisor, MFAC and UMB (the Co-Administrators) and UMB 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 time lag); (ii) [ ] (independent registered public accounting firm), Morgan Lewis (attorneys) to which the Trust provides portfolio holdings information on a regular basis with varying lag times after the date of the information, and (iii) Practical Computer Application to which MFAC provides the Trust’s portfolio holdings information on a daily basis for programming and database hosting services in connection with MFAC’s administrative services to the Trust; (iv) Donnelley Financial Solutions to which the Trust provides portfolio holdings information on a monthly basis in connection with filings of Form N-PORT; (v) ICE Data Services, which assists the Fund with classifying its holdings pursuant to its liquidity risk management program, to which the Trust provides portfolio holdings information on a monthly basis with a one- to ten-day time lag; (vi) Morningstar, Inc., Lipper Inc., Refinitiv, 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-PORT (for the first and third fiscal quarters) or Form N-CSR (for the second and fourth fiscal quarters), as applicable; and (vii) Gainskeeper, Inc. and its affiliates, pursuant to an administrative agency agreement under which the Trust provides the Fund’s portfolio tax lot holdings and transaction level data information on a daily basis.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The net asset value per share (the “NAV”) of each class of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate and is determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAVs may be calculated earlier 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, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that announcement.
The NAV of each class 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 attributable to the class by (b) the number of shares outstanding in that class. Each NAV takes into account all of the expenses and fees of that class of the Fund, including management fees and administration fees, which are accrued daily.
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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 pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board. Pursuant to those procedures, the Board has designated the Advisor as the Fund’s valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) responsible for determining whether market quotations are readily available and reliable, and making good faith determinations of fair value when appropriate. The Valuation Designee carries out its responsibilities with respect to fair value determinations. As the Valuation Designee, the Advisor is responsible for the establishment and application, in a consistent manner, of appropriate methodologies for determining the fair value of investments, periodically reviewing the selected methodologies used for continuing appropriateness and accuracy, and making any changes or adjustments to the methodologies as appropriate. The Valuation Designee is also responsible for
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the identification, periodic assessment, and management of material risks, including material conflicts of interest, associated with fair value determinations, taking into account the Fund’s investments, significant changes in the Fund’s investment strategies or policies, market events, and other relevant factors. The Valuation Designee is subject to the general oversight of the Board.
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.
Pricing services generally value debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but such securities may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.
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. OTC securities which are not traded in the Nasdaq National Market System are 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 the Advisor’s procedures, which have been approved by the Board. The Advisor will periodically test the appropriateness and accuracy of the fair value methodologies that have been selected for the Fund. The Fund may hold portfolio securities, such as those traded on foreign securities 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 60th day, based on the value determined on the 61st day.
All other assets of the Fund are valued in such manner as the Advisor, 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-advantaged 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
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(usually defined as more than four round-trip transactions out of the Fund within a calendar year). Furthermore, the Fund 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 affecting the sale of the Fund’s securities or making such sale or the fair determination of the value of the Fund’s net assets not reasonably practicable; or (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund’s shareholders. In addition, if shares are purchased using a check and a redemption is requested before the check has cleared, the Fund may postpone payment of the 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 more that 15% 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 has elected (or intends to elect) to be, and intends to qualify each year for treatment 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) (“Qualifying RIC Income”); (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, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, 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;” and (c) distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).
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In general, income derived from direct investments in commodities is not Qualifying RIC Income. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has issued a revenue ruling concluding that income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives do not constitute Qualifying RIC Income. It is possible that the Fund will from time to time make investments in commodities and commodity-linked instruments directly, rather than through the Subsidiary, and therefore it is possible that some of the Fund’s income will not constitute Qualifying RIC Income. To the extent necessary for it to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund intends to generally limit its investments in commodities and commodity-linked instruments to those that it expects will generate Qualifying RIC Income. The IRS has indicated in another revenue ruling that income from certain instruments, such as certain structured notes, that create commodity exposure may constitute Qualifying RIC Income. Investment through the Subsidiary is expected to allow the Fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The tax treatment of the Fund’s investment in commodity-linked instruments or in the Subsidiary could nevertheless be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations. If income derived by the Fund from its investments in commodity-linked instruments and/or in the Subsidiary does not constitute Qualifying RIC Income, the Fund may not be able to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code; in that case, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the applicable corporate rate on its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions made to shareholders out of earnings and profits would be treated as dividend income. In the event that future legislation, Treasury regulations or IRS guidance prevents the Fund from treating its income from its investments in commodity-linked instruments or in the Subsidiary as Qualifying RIC Income, the Fund and the Advisor will consider what action to take, including potentially liquidating the Fund.
Separately, under the Code and existing U.S. Treasury regulations, income from the Fund’s investments in instruments linked to foreign currency-related transactions is expected to be treated as Qualifying RIC Income. The U.S. Treasury has specific statutory authority to promulgate Treasury regulations excluding from the definition of qualifying income foreign currency gains which are not directly related to a regulated investment company’s principal business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities), although to date no such Treasury regulations have been issued or proposed. In any event, the Fund anticipates that, in general, its investments in instruments linked to foreign currency-related transactions will be directly related to its business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities); however, it is possible that future Treasury regulations could recharacterize some or all of the income and gains from those positions as income that is not treated as Qualifying RIC Income and could be retroactive in application.
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 also avoid liability for a non-deductible 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 generally 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 the applicable corporate tax rate 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 gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) 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.
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Redemptions of Fund shares may indirectly result in taxable distributions to non-redeeming shareholders. Redemptions may directly or indirectly result from actions taken (or not taken) by the Trust, the Advisor, a fund or an affiliate. Those actions may include changes to investment strategies, liquidation or combination of funds, elimination or addition of share classes and launches of new funds. To generate cash to pay redeeming shareholders, the Fund may dispose of its underlying investments, which may result in the recognition of taxable income or gain, which generally needs to be distributed to avoid Fund-level taxation.
The Fund may use so-called “equalization accounting” in determining whether it satisfies its distribution requirements. If the Fund uses equalization accounting in a year, it will allocate a portion of its income and gain to redemptions of its shares, and that portion will be deemed distributed by the Fund for purposes of the distribution requirements under the Code. Use of equalization accounting may reduce the amount of income or gain that the Fund is otherwise required to distribute to non-redeeming shareholders. Equalization accounting does not affect the treatment of redeeming shareholders. The IRS has not published guidance on the method by which a regulated investment company should allocate income and gain to redemptions for purposes of equalization accounting. If the IRS were to determine that the Fund is using an improper method of allocation when using equalization accounting, the Fund could be liable for additional federal income or excise tax and could potentially lose its eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company. The use of equalization accounting is generally not required, and the Fund might determine not to use equalization accounting.
If, for any taxable year, the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company or were to fail 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 capital gain, 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 distribute 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 five years of qualifying as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.
Shareholders generally 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 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 and certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.
In general, dividends may be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund. Qualified dividend income generally means dividend income received from the Fund’s investments in common and preferred stock of U.S. companies and stock of certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by both the Fund and its shareholders. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
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A foreign corporation is treated as a qualified foreign corporation for this purpose if it is incorporated in a possession of the United States or it is eligible for the benefits of certain income tax treaties with the United States and meets certain additional requirements. Certain foreign corporations that are not otherwise qualified foreign corporations will be treated as qualified foreign corporations with respect to dividends paid by them if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Passive foreign investment companies are not qualified foreign corporations for this purpose.
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. Eligibility for 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.
Under Section 163(j) of the Code, a taxpayer’s business interest expense is generally deductible to the extent of the taxpayer’s business interest income plus certain other amounts. If the Fund earns business interest income, it may report a portion of its dividends as “Section 163(j) interest dividends,” which its shareholders may be able to treat as business interest income for purposes of Section 163(j) of the Code. The Fund’s “Section 163(j) interest dividend” for a tax year will be limited to the excess of its business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. In general, the Fund’s shareholders may treat a distribution reported as a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income only to the extent the distribution exceeds the sum of the portions of the distribution reported as other types of tax-favored income. To be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income, a shareholder may need to meet certain holding period requirements in respect of the Fund shares and must not have hedged its position in the Fund shares in certain ways.
Distributions of net capital gain, if any, that the Fund reports as capital gain dividends 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.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is permitted to carry forward indefinitely a net capital loss from any taxable year to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.
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Distributions in excess of earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares. A distribution treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or a decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on a later sale of such shares. After the shareholder’s basis is reduced to zero, any distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as a capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her shares as capital assets.
A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax generally applies to all or a portion of the net investment income of a shareholder who is an individual and not a nonresident alien for federal income tax purposes and who has adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) that exceeds a threshold amount ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (among other categories of income) are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.
Certain tax-exempt educational institutions are subject to an excise tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions, and certain gains from the disposition of Fund shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.
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. In addition, certain distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Fund may be “spilled back” and treated for certain purposes as paid by the Fund during such taxable year. In such case, shareholders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. For purposes of calculating the amount of a regulated investment company’s undistributed income and gain subject to the 4% excise tax described above, such “spilled back” dividends are treated as paid by the regulated investment company when they are actually paid.
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 are held for more than one year, and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized upon a 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 Fund or substantially identical stock or securities are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the redemption.
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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 (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS 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 so reportable does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper.
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 (including certain exchange-listed futures) 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 generally 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.
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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. The Fund does not expect to be eligible to elect to pass foreign taxes through to its shareholders, who therefore will not be entitled to credits or deductions on their own tax returns for foreign taxes paid by the Fund. The Fund generally may deduct any foreign taxes that are not passed through to its shareholders in computing its income available for distribution to shareholders to satisfy applicable tax distribution requirements. Under certain circumstances, if the Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of the Fund’s shares could be affected.
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 generally expects that its investments in foreign currency futures will be treated as Section 1256 contracts.
The Fund intends to invest a portion of its assets (subject to the diversification rules applicable to regulated investment companies) in the Subsidiary, which is intended to be treated as a “controlled foreign corporation” (“CFC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Subsidiary generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis unless it is deemed to be engaged in the conduct of a trade or business within the United States. The Subsidiary intends to conduct its activities in a manner that is expected to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under the Code under which a taxpayer engaged solely in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities for its own account will not be deemed to be engaged in a trade or business within the United States. If the Subsidiary were to fail to qualify for this safe harbor and any income earned by a Subsidiary were treated as “effectively connected” with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States, such income would be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax and the so called “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30%.
A foreign corporation that is not engaged in the conduct of a U.S. trade or business is nevertheless generally subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a flat rate of 30% on the gross amount of certain U.S. source income, such as dividends and certain interest income. This withholding tax does not apply to U.S. source capital gains (whether long term or short term) or to certain interest payments.
In general, a “United States shareholder” of a CFC must include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes its share of the CFC’s “subpart F income,” regardless of whether the CFC distributes that income to the United States shareholder. A “United States shareholder” is a United States person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) 10% or more of the total combined (i) voting power of all classes of a foreign corporation’s voting stock or (ii) value of shares of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation. A foreign corporation is a CFC if, on any day during its taxable year, “United States shareholders” own more than 50% of the voting power or value of its stock. The Fund expects that the Subsidiary will be treated as a CFC and that the Fund will be treated as a “United States shareholder” of the Subsidiary. As a “United States shareholder” of the Subsidiary, the Fund will be required to include in its gross income its share of subpart F income earned by the Subsidiary, regardless of whether corresponding cash amounts are distributed to the Fund in a given year. The Fund must distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its share of the Subsidiary’s subpart F income, to qualify to for treatment as a regulated investment company under the Code and avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may require the Fund to dispose of portfolio investments or to borrow, in each case potentially under disadvantageous circumstances, to generate cash necessary to satisfy such distribution requirement. Such a disposition of investments will potentially cause the Fund to realize additional taxable gain or loss.
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Investment through the Subsidiary may also change the character of the Fund’s income. Gains and losses on commodity futures contracts held directly would generally be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss under Section 1256 of the Code. Because those contracts are held by the Subsidiary, the resulting income is included by the Fund as ordinary income, and distributions attributable to that income are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income rather than as capital gain. Losses of the Subsidiary do not pass through to the Fund and may not be used to offset the Fund’s income or gains. Changes in United States or Cayman Islands law, or in positions of the IRS, could adversely affect the treatment described above.
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 Treasury regulations. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. 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.
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 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 or similar form 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 an IRS 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. Instead, the effectively connected dividends 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 a lower treaty rate).
The 30% withholding tax described in the preceding paragraph generally will not apply to distributions of net capital gain, to redemption proceeds, or 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 an exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form). Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to this 30% withholding tax.
less certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to the Fund’s dividends payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental 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.
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.
Shareholders and 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.
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Dividends and Distributions
Very generally, the Fund's income earned on its investments, in securities and certain derivatives 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 and in connection with certain derivatives. 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 generally 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. As noted above, Section 1256 contracts are generally marked to market annually and generate 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. 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 NAVs 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 will generally be taxable, even if it effectively represents a partial return of the shareholder’s capital.
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.
The Fund’s investments in partnerships, if any, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
General Information
The Trust is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 20, 2013. The Trust has a number of outstanding series of shares of beneficial interest, 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 are 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
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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. With respect to the Fund, the Trust currently offers two classes of shares: Class S and Institutional Class. The Trust has reserved the right to create and issue additional series or classes. 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, California 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 immaterial 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.
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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 has also entered into an indemnification agreement with each Trustee which provides that the Trust shall advance expenses and indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee in certain circumstances against any expenses incurred by the Trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the Trustee's service to the Trust, to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, and which provides for certain procedures in connection with such advancement of expenses and indemnification.
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.
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 as of the date of this SAI, 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.
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APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
Corporate Bonds (Including Convertible Bonds)
Moody’s
Aaa Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
Aa Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery.
C Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
S&P
AAA An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
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Note Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.
D An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P Global Ratings 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 or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Note 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. The “r” symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected returns, which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include: obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities; obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk-such as interest-only or principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky interest terms, such as inverse floaters.
Preferred Stock
Moody’s
Aaa An issue that is rated “Aaa” is considered to be a top-quality preferred stock. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.
Aa An issue that is rated “Aa” is considered a high-grade preferred stock. This rating indicates that there is a reasonable assurance the earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.
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A An issue that is rated “A” is considered to be an upper-medium grade preferred stock. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “Aaa” and “Aa” classification, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.
Baa An issue that is rated “Baa” is considered to be a medium-grade preferred stock, 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 An issue that is rated “Ba” is considered to have speculative elements and its 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.
B An issue that is rated “B” generally lacks the characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of dividend payments and maintenance of other terms of the issue over any long period of time may be small.
Caa An issue that is rated “Caa” is likely to be in arrears on dividend payments. This rating designation does not purport to indicate the future status of payments.
Ca An issue that is rated “Ca” is speculative in a high degree and is likely to be in arrears on dividends with little likelihood of eventual payments.
C This is the lowest rated class of preferred or preference stock. Issues so rated can thus be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Note Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each rating classification: the modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
S&P
AAA This is the highest rating that may be assigned by S&P Global Ratings to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.
AA 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.
A 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.
BBB An issue rated BBB is regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations. Whereas 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 a preferred stock in this category than for issues in the A category.
BB, B, CCC Preferred stock rated BB, B, and CCC is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. BB indicates the lowest degree of speculation and CCC the highest. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.
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CC The rating CC is reserved for a preferred stock issue that is in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
C A preferred stock rated C is a nonpaying issue.
D A preferred stock rated D is a nonpaying issue with the issuer in default on debt instruments.
N.R. This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
Note Plus (+) or minus (-). To provide more detailed indications of preferred stock quality, 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.
Short Term Ratings
Moody’s
Moody’s employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
Prime-1 Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
• Leading market positions in well-established industries.
• High rates of return on funds employed.
• Conservative capitalization structure 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.
Prime-2 Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt 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, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Prime-3 Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
Not Prime Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
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S&P
A-1 A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2 A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3 A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D A short-term obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P Global Ratings 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 or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
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APPENDIX B
INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST II
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Investment Managers Series Trust II (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 will 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. An Advisor may delegate this responsibility to a Fund’s Sub-Advisor(s).
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 will perform these duties in accordance with the Advisor’s proxy voting policy, a copy of which will be presented to the Board for its review. Each Advisor will promptly provide to the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) updates to its proxy voting policy as they are adopted and implemented, and the Trust’s CCO will then report such updates to the Board.
Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders
If a Fund or an Advisor has a website, 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 transfer agent will notify the Advisor of any such request of proxy voting procedures. The Advisor shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three (3) business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
Each Advisor will provide a complete annual 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 no later than July 31st of each year. 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 31st of each year.
Each Advisor is responsible for providing its current proxy voting policies and procedures and any subsequent amendments to the Trust’s CCO. SEC Form N-PX is filed with respect to each Fund by MFAC (acting as filing agent), by no later than August 31st of each year. Each such filing details all proxies voted on behalf of the Fund for the prior twelve months ended June 30th. In connection with each filing on behalf of the Fund, the Advisor’s CCO must sign and return to MFAC no later than July 30th a Form N-PX Certification stating that the Advisor has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures in compliance with the SEC’s Proxy Voting Rule.
B-60
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES OF
EMBASSY ASSET MANAGEMENT LP
Background
Embassy Asset Management LP (“Embassy”) has a fiduciary duty to its clients. Consequently, there is an obligation to place the best interests of its clients first in all situations. Proxy voting is one such situation. To fulfill this duty, an investment adviser must cast votes in a manner consistent with the best interests of its clients.
Embassy has adopted these policies and procedures to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities to clients and to comply with the requirements of Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act.
In addition, Embassy delegates trading and proxy voting for one of the Funds to a Sub-Advisor. As part of its Sub-Advisor oversight responsibilities, Embassy will periodically review the proxy voting reports of the Sub-Advisor to ensure that ballots are voted in the best interest of the Funds.
Embassy will vote proxies in a manner that it believes will maximize value for the Firm’s clients.
Procedures
Embassy does not currently engage in, nor does it anticipate engaging in, the purchase or sale of voting securities and therefore currently does not receive, nor vote, proxies nor does it anticipate receiving or voting proxies. In the event Embassy engages in the purchase or sale of voting securities and receives proxies, Embassy will follow the procedures set forth below.
In order to maximize shareholder value, Embassy will vote proxies in a manner that it believes will lead to securities increasing the most, or declining the least, in value. Embassy will consider the short and long-term implications of the proposal to be voted on.
The CCO will work with the members of the Governance Committee to ensure that all proxies received by Embassy are voted on in a timely manner and in a manner consistent with Embassy’s determination of its clients’ best interests.
Conflicts of Interest
Embassy will review each proxy to assess the extent, if any, to which there may be a material conflict of interest. If Embassy determines that a potential conflict may exist, it shall resolve the conflict in a manner consistent with the best interests of its clients.
All personnel are required to notify the CCO of any material conflict that may impair Embassy’s ability to vote proxies in an objective manner. Any attempt to influence the voting of client proxies in a manner that is inconsistent with this proxy voting policy must be reported to the CCO.
B-1
PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
The Envoy Fund
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ITEM 28. |
EXHIBITS |
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(a) |
(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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(4) |
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(5) |
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Certificate of Designation for The Envoy Fund dated September 8, 2026 – filed herewith. |
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(b) |
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(c) |
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Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders is incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Bylaws. |
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(d) |
(1) |
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Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Embassy Asset Management LP – to be filed by amendment. |
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(2) |
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Investment Advisory Agreement between Embassy Asset Management LP and The Envoy Fund Ltd. – to be filed by amendment. |
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(e) |
(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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(f) |
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Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts is not applicable. |
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(g) |
(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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Custody Agreement between UMB Bank, N.A. and The Envoy Fund Ltd. – to be filed by amendment. |
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(h) |
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Other Material Contracts |
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(1) |
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(2) |
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Amended and Restated Fund Accounting Agreement dated March 6, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 519 filed with the Commission on February 25, 2026. |
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(3) |
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Amended and Restated Co-Administration Agreement dated March 6, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 519 filed with the Commission on February 25, 2026. |
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(i) |
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(4) |
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Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement – to be filed by amendment. |
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(5) |
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Administration, Fund Accounting, and Recordingkeeping Agreement between UMB Fund Services, Inc. and The Envoy Fund Ltd. – to be filed by amendment. |
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(i) |
(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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(4) |
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Opinion and Consent of Legal Counsel for The Envoy Fund – to be filed by amendment. |
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(j) |
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – to be filed by amendment. |
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(k) |
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Not applicable. |
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(l) |
(1) |
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(2) |
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(3) |
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(4) |
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Form of Initial Subscription Agreement for The Envoy Fund – to be filed by amendment. |
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(m) |
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Amended and Restated Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan – to be filed by amendment. |
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(n) |
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Rule 18f-3 Plan – to be filed by amendment. |
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(o) |
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(p) |
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Code of Ethics |
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(1) |
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(2) |
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ITEM 29. |
PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE FUND |
See the Statement of Additional Information.
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ITEM 30. |
INDEMNIFICATION |
Pursuant to Del. Code Ann. Title 12 Section 3817, a Delaware statutory trust may provide in its governing instrument for the indemnification of its officers and Trustees from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever.
Reference is made to Article 8, Section 8.4 of the Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which provides:
Subject to the limitations, if applicable, hereinafter set forth in this Section 8.4, the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets of the Series or Series to which the conduct in question relates) each of its Trustees, officers, employees and agents (including Persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise
(hereinafter, together with such Person's heirs, executors, administrators or personal representative, referred to as a "Covered Person")) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants' and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, except with respect to any matter as to which it has been determined that such Covered Person (i) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust; (ii) had acted with willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office (iii) for a criminal proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful (the conduct described in (i), (ii) and (iii) being referred to hereafter as "Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal of a court action or an administrative proceeding against a Covered Person for insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the indemnity was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote of a majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to the proceeding (the "Disinterested Trustees"), or (b) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses, including accountants' and counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by one or more Series to which the conduct in question related in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding; provided that the Covered Person shall have undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such Series if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article 8 and (i) the Covered Person shall have provided security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the disinterested Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant has also entered into Indemnification Agreements with each of its trustees which provide that the Registrant shall advance expenses and indemnify and hold harmless each trustee in certain circumstances against any expenses incurred by a trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the trustee's service to the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and which provide for certain procedures in connection with such advancement of expenses and indemnification.
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement between the Trust and IMST Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), the Trust has agreed to indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor, and each of its present or former directors, members, officers, employees, representatives and any person who controls or previously controlled the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (“Distributor Indemnitees”), free and harmless (a) from and against any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, charges, payments, costs and expenses (including the costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, charges, payments, costs or expenses and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) of any and every nature (“Losses”) which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other statute (including Blue Sky laws) or any rule or regulation thereunder, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in the registration statement or any prospectus, an annual or interim report to shareholders or sales literature, or any amendments or supplements thereto, or arising out of or based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that the Trust’s obligation to indemnify Distributor and any of the Distributor Indemnitees shall not be deemed to cover any Losses arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Distributor and furnished to the Trust or its counsel by Distributor in writing for the purpose of, and used in, the preparation thereof; (b) from and against any and all Losses which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur in connection with this Agreement or the Distributor’s performance hereunder, except to the extent the Losses result from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, (c) from and against any and all Losses which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur resulting from the actions or inactions of any prior service provider to the Trust or any Funds in existence prior to, and added to Schedule A after, the date of this Agreement, or (d) from and against any and all Losses which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur when acting in accordance with instructions from the Trust or its representatives; and provided further that to the extent this agreement of indemnity may require indemnity of any Distributor Indemnitee who is also a trustee or officer of the Trust, no such indemnity shall inure to the benefit of such trustee or officer if to do so would be against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act.
|
ITEM 31. |
BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER |
With respect to the Advisor, the response to this Item will be incorporated by reference to the Advisor’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Advisor’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
|
ITEM 32. |
IMST DISTRIBUTORS, LLC |
| (a) | IMST Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: |
1. AAM/HIMCO Short Duration Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
2. AAM/Insight Select Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
3. Abraham Fortress Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
4. ACR Equity International Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
5. ACR Opportunity Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
6. Arena Strategic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
7. Genter Dividend Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
8. Ironclad Managed Risk Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
9. Kennedy Capital ESG SMID Cap Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
10. Kennedy Capital Small Cap Growth Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
11. Kennedy Capital Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
12. Palmer Square Income Plus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
13. Palmer Square Ultra-Short Duration Investment Grade Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
14. Riverbridge Growth Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
15. The Ambassador Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
16. The Diplomat Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust II
17. Wealthfront Treasury Money Market Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
| (b) | The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. |
|
Name |
Address |
Position with Underwriter |
Position with Registrant |
|
Teresa Cowan |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 |
President/Manager |
None |
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Chris Lanza
Kate Macchia |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President
Vice President |
None
None |
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Gabriel E. Edelman
Susan L. LaFond |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 |
Secretary
Treasurer, Vice President, and Chief Compliance Officer |
None
None |
|
Weston Sommers |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 |
Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer |
None |
| (c) | Not applicable. |
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS.
The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained at the following locations:
|
Records Relating to: |
Are located at: |
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Registrant’s Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant and Co-Administrator |
UMB Fund Services, Inc. |
|
Registrant’s Co-Administrator |
Mutual Fund Administration, LLC |
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Registrant’s Custodian |
UMB Bank, n.a. |
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Registrant’s Advisor |
Embassy Asset Management LP 1200 Morris Turnpike Suite 3005 Short Hills, NJ 07078 |
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Registrant’s Distributor |
IMST Distributors, LLC Portland, Maine 04101 |
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ITEM 34. |
MANAGEMENT SERVICES |
Not applicable
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ITEM 35. |
UNDERTAKINGS |
Not applicable
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, on the 11th day of September, 2026.
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INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST II |
| |
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By: |
/s/ Scott Schulenburg |
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Scott Schulenburg, President and Principal Executive Officer |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed on the 11th day of September, 2026, by the following persons in the capacities set forth below.
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Signature |
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Title |
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† |
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Thomas Knipper |
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Trustee |
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† |
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Kathleen K. Shkuda |
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Trustee |
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† |
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Larry D. Tashjian |
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Trustee |
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† |
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John P. Zader |
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Trustee |
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† |
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Joy Ausili |
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Trustee |
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† |
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Terrance P. Gallagher |
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Trustee |
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/s/Scott Schulenburg |
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|
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Scott Schulenburg |
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President and Principal Executive Officer |
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/s/ Rita Dam |
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Rita Dam |
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Treasurer, Principal Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer |
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† By |
/s/ Rita Dam |
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Attorney-in-fact, pursuant to power of attorney previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 455 filed on May 30, 2025 | ||
Exhibit Index
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Exhibits |
Exhibit No. |
ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS
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