Form 485APOS SPDR INDEX SHARES FUNDS

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November 25, 2024 1:55 PM EST

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As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 25, 2024

Securities Act File No. 333-92106
Investment Company Act of 1940 File No. 811-21145

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933	☒
Post-Effective Amendment No. 195	☒

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940	☒
Amendment No. 198	☒

SPDR INDEX SHARES FUNDS

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

One Iron Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(617) 664-3920

(Registrant's Telephone Number)

Andrew J. DeLorme, Esq.
Chief Legal Officer

c/o SSGA Funds Management, Inc.
One Iron Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

W. John McGuire, Esq.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

☐	immediately upon filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (b)
☐	on _____________ pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (b)
☐	60 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(1)
☒	on January 31, 2025 pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(1)
☐	75 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(2)
☐	on _________________ pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(2)

If appropriate, check the following box:

☐	This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION. 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 OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Prospectus

[January 31, 2025]

SPDR® Index Shares Funds

SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF (NZAC)

SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (EDIV)

SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF (NANR)

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc. (except the SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF (NZAC) is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. Shares in the Funds are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other agency of the U.S. Government, nor are shares deposits or obligations of any bank. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Funds.

Table of Contents

Fund Summaries
SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	3
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	12
SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF	19
Additional Strategies Information	25
Additional Risk Information	26
Management	41
Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers	44
Additional Purchase and Sale Information	46
Distributions	46
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure	47
Additional Tax Information	47
General Information	51
Financial Highlights	51
Where to Learn More About the Funds	Back Cover

Fund Summaries

SPDR® MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF

Investment Objective

The SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that,

before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of an index that provides

exposure to large- and mid-cap companies in developed and emerging markets and is designed to exceed

the minimum standards for a “Paris Aligned Benchmark” under the European Union's Low Carbon

Benchmark Regulation (the “EU BMR”) by, in the aggregate, seeking to minimize exposure to physical and

transition risks of climate change and target exposure to companies more favorably positioned to benefit

from opportunities arising from the transition to a lower carbon economy.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Fund Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):

Management fees	[0.12]%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	None
Other expenses1	[0.00]%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1	[0.12]%

The Fund's “Other expenses” and “Total annual Fund operating expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees. Amounts do not reflect non-recurring expenses incurred during the prior fiscal year.

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, and then sell or hold all of your Fund Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Year 1	Year 3	Year 5	Year 10
$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was [ ]% of the average value of its portfolio.

The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy

In seeking to track the performance of the MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned Index (the “Index”), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the

Fund in pursuing its objective. The Fund is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; however, the Fund may become “non-diversified” solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). When the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)) based on securities comprising the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in equity securities that are not included in the Index (including common stock, preferred stock, depositary receipts and shares of other investment companies) . The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments (including money market funds advised by the Adviser) for cash management purposes. In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. Futures contracts (a type of derivative instrument) may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in managing cash flows.

The Index is designed to exceed the minimum standards for a “Paris-Aligned Benchmark” under the EU BMR. A Paris-Aligned Benchmark is designed to align with a principal objective of the Paris Agreement (a binding international treaty agreement on climate change) to limit the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius (preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels. The initial universe from which the Index selects constituents is the MSCI ACWI Index (the “Parent Index”), which measures the combined equity market performance of large- and mid-capitalization securities in developed and emerging market countries.

To construct the universe of constituents eligible for inclusion in the Index (the “Eligible Universe”), the Parent Index is first screened to remove securities of issuers based on any of the following exclusionary criteria:

•

All companies producing cluster bombs, landmines, depleted uranium, chemical or biological weapons, blinding laser weapons, non-detectable fragments or incendiary weapons; producing key components of cluster bombs, landmines, depleted uranium weapons, or chemical or biological weapons; owning 20% or more (50% for financial companies) of a weapons or components producer; or that are 50% or more owned by a company involved in weapons or components production.

•

All companies assigned an MSCI ESG (environmental, social or governance) Controversy Score of 0 or that are not assigned an MSCI ESG Controversy Score.

•

All companies that produce tobacco or derive 5% or more aggregate revenue from the production, distribution, retail and supply of tobacco-related products.

•

All companies assigned an MSCI Environmental Controversy Score of 0 or 1.

•

All companies deriving 1% or more revenue from mining of thermal coal and its sale to external parties (excluding all revenue from metallurgical coal, coal mined for internal power generation, intracompany sales of mined thermal coal, and coal trading).

•

All companies deriving 10% or more revenue from oil and gas related activities, including distribution/retail, equipment and services, extraction and production, petrochemicals, pipelines and transportation and refining (excluding biofuel production and sales and trading activities).

•

All companies deriving 50% or more revenue from thermal coal based, liquid fuel based and natural gas based power generation.

•

All companies that produce firearms and small arms ammunitions for civilian markets (excluding companies that cater to military, government and law enforcement markets) or derive 5% or more revenue from the production and distribution of firearms or small arms ammunition intended for civilian use.

•

All companies that (i) manufacture nuclear warheads and/or whole nuclear missiles; (ii) manufacture components that were developed or are significantly modified for exclusive use in nuclear warheads and/or nuclear missiles; (iii) manufacture or assemble delivery platforms that were developed or significantly modified for the exclusive delivery of nuclear weapons; (iv) provide auxiliary services related to nuclear weapons; (v) manufacture components that were not developed or not significantly modified for exclusive use in nuclear warheads and/or nuclear missiles but can be used in nuclear weapons; (vi) manufacture or assemble delivery platforms that were not developed or not significantly modified for the exclusive delivery of nuclear weapons but have the capability to deliver nuclear weapons; and (vii) manufacture components for nuclear-exclusive delivery platforms.

The Index Provider (defined below) incorporates data drawn from a number of sources for applying the exclusionary screens. An MSCI ESG Controversy Score provides an assessment of controversies concerning any negative environmental, social, and/or governance impact of a company's operations, products, and services. To evaluate ESG controversies, the Index Provider monitors across five categories of ESG impact – environment, human rights and communities, labor rights and supply chain, customers and governance – and 28 sub-categories. MSCI ESG Controversy Scores fall on a 0-10 scale, with 0 representing a company assessed as having involvement in very severe controversies. An MSCI Environmental Controversy Score provides an assessment of controversies related to a company's impact on the environment. Environmental controversies can relate to, among other things, toxic emissions and waste, operational waste (non-hazardous), energy and climate change, water stress, biodiversity and land use, and supply chain management. MSCI Environmental Controversy Scores fall on a 0-10 scale, with 0 and 1 representing a company having faced very severe and severe controversies pertaining to environmental issues, respectively.

The final portfolio of securities is constructed using an optimization process that seeks to select and weight securities from the Eligible Universe based on constraints designed to (i) minimize the Index's exposure to physical and transition risks of climate change (“transition and physical risk objectives”) and (ii) target exposure to sustainable investment opportunities (“transition opportunities objectives”). In addition, the optimization process also incorporates target constraints to seek to minimize the risk of significant differences in constituent, country or sector weightings relative to the Parent Index, while aiming to control for constituent turnover and minimize tracking error relative to the Parent Index (“target diversification constraints”).

The optimization process incorporates the following Index-level constraints to achieve transition and physical risk objectives:

•

At least 50% reduction in the weighted average of index constituents' greenhouse gas (“GHG”) Intensity relative to the Parent Index, taking into account Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Scope 1 emissions are direct GHG emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organization. Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions generated in the production of electricity consumed by the organization. Scope 3 emissions encompass all other indirect GHG emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the organization, but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the organization. GHG Intensity measures a company's Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions relative to its enterprise value including cash. MSCI ESG Research uses a proprietary estimation model to calculate all Scope 3 emissions, and Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions for companies who do not report GHG emissions.

•

At least 10% average reduction (per year) in GHG Intensity relative to GHG Intensity of the Index as of June 1, 2020.

•

Aggregate exposure to High Climate Impact Sectors that is not less than the aggregate exposure in the Parent Index. High Impact Climate Sectors are defined by EU BMR as those sectors that are key to the low-carbon transition.

•

At least 20% increase, relative to the Eligible Universe, in the aggregate weight of companies (i) having one or more active carbon emissions reduction target(s) approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), or (ii) companies that (a) publish emissions reduction targets, (b) publish their annual emissions levels, and (c) have reduced their GHG intensity by at least 7% over each of the last three years.

•

At least 50% reduction in the weighted average of index constituents' Potential Emissions Intensity relative to the Parent Index. Potential Emissions Intensity represents the sum of a company's estimated carbon emissions assuming the company uses its owned coal, oil and gas reserves relative to the company's enterprise value including cash.

•

Aggregate Climate Value-at-Risk (“VaR”) greater than or equal to -5% of the aggregate Climate VaR of the Parent Index. Climate VaR is designed to provide a forward looking assessment of the impacts of climate change on a company's valuation based on various global average temperature warming scenarios.

•

At least 10% increase in the weighted average of index constituents' Low Carbon Transition (LCT) Score relative to the Parent Index. The LCT Score seeks to identify a company's exposure to and management of risk and opportunities related to low carbon transition.

•

At least 50% reduction in the weighted average of index constituents' Physical Risk Climate VaR (Aggressive Scenario) relative to the Parent Index. Physical Climate VaR (Aggressive Scenario) is an assessment of a company's “worst-case” (95th percentile) future costs arising from extreme weather events and the potential impact of such costs on the company's future financial performance, assuming emissions and temperatures rise steadily, reaching approximately 4°C of global warming in 2100.

The optimization process incorporates the following Index-level constraints to achieve transition opportunities objectives:

•

At least 10% increase in weighted average of index constituents' LCT Score relative to Parent Index.

•

At least 400% increase in the ratio of Weighted Average Green Revenue/Weighted Average Fossil Fuel-based Revenue relative to the Parent Index. Weighted Average Green Revenue represents the weighted average of index constituents' percentage of revenue derived from alternative energy, energy efficiency, sustainable water, green building, pollution prevention, and sustainable agriculture. Weighted Average Fossil Fuel-based Revenue represents the weighted average of index constituents' percentage of revenue derived from the mining of thermal coal (excluding metallurgical coal, coal mined for internal power generation, intra-company sales of mined thermal coal and revenue from coal trading) or its sale to external parties, extraction, production and refining of conventional and unconventional oil and gas, and power generation based on thermal coal, liquid fuel, and natural gas.

•

At least 100% increase in Weighted Average Green Revenue relative to the Parent Index.

•

An Index Implied Temperature Rise of 2 degrees Celsius or below. The Index Provider's Implied Temperature Rise model estimates the Index constituents' alignment to a specific global temperature rise scenario based on projected forward-looking emissions. Companies that do not have data available to calculate Implied Temperature Rise are still eligible for Index inclusion but are not considered for the Index Implied Temperature Rise calculation.

•

Aggregate Cumulative Projected Emissions aligned with an Implied Temperature Rise of 1.5 degrees or below. Cumulative Projected Emissions is an estimation of a company's total carbon emissions until 2050, based on decarbonization assumptions. Companies that do not have data available to calculate Cumulative Projected Emissions are still eligible for Index inclusion but are not considered in the Index-level aggregation.

The Index's optimization process incorporates information and data from internal and external (e.g., issuers, government agencies and non-profit organizations) sources, including research, reports, publications or public records.

The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted on a semi-annual basis, as of the close of the last business day of May and November. The optimization process described above is applied in connection with the semi-annual Index review. During the semi-annual Index review, in the event the Index-level constraints are not met through the optimization process, certain target diversification constraints of the Index will be relaxed until the Index-level constraints are achieved.

As of November 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies in the [technology sector], although this may change from time to time. As of November 30, 2024, countries represented in the Fund included [Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States]. As of November 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in the [United States], although this may change from time to time. As of November 30, 2024, the Index comprised [ ] securities.

The Index is sponsored by MSCI, Inc. (the “Index Provider”), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.

Equity Investing Risk: The market prices of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer and also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

ESG Investing Risk: The Index's incorporation of ESG considerations in its methodology may cause the Fund to make different investments than funds that do not incorporate such considerations in their strategy or investment processes. Under certain economic conditions, this could cause the Fund's investment performance to be worse than funds that do not incorporate such considerations. The Index's incorporation of ESG considerations may affect the Fund's exposure to certain sectors and/or types of investments, and may adversely impact the Fund's performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. The Index methodology incorporates data and scores provided by third parties, which may be unavailable or limited for certain issuers and/or only take into account one or a few of many ESG related components of portfolio companies. In instances where data or scores are unavailable or limited, (i) the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold, securities of companies that otherwise would not be included or held if data or scores were available or more complete, or (ii) the Index, and therefore the Fund, may exclude securities of companies that otherwise would have been included or held if data or scores were available or more complete. In addition, ESG information and scores across third party data providers, indexes and other funds may differ and/or be incomparable. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Fund's ESG-related objectives and/or criteria.

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.

Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies.

Depositary Receipts Risk: Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary

receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. To the extent the Fund invests in depositary receipts based on securities included in the Index, such differences in prices may increase index tracking risk.

Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, increased potential for market manipulation, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries.

Futures Contract Risk: A futures contract is a standardized agreement that calls for the purchase or sale of a specific asset at a specific price at a specific future time, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Transactions in futures contracts can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a futures contract transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out the futures contract at a favorable time or price. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract. In the event no such market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and the Fund will be unable to terminate its exposure to the futures contract. There is also a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contract and movements in the price of the underlying assets. The counterparty to a futures contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations.

Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that invests significantly in one or more countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a fund that does not invest significantly in such countries or regions.

Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk: The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, the Index may include, and the Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. When there are changes made to the component securities of the Index and the Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the Index. The Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between the Fund's return and that of the Index.

Large-Capitalization Securities Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies.

Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis. In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector.

Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of mid-sized issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may be volatile.

Non-Diversification Risk: To the extent the Fund becomes “non-diversified,” the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. The Fund may become non-diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities).

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

Unconstrained Sector Risk: The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. Greater investment focus on one or more sectors or industries increases the potential for volatility and the risk that events negatively affecting such sectors or industries could reduce returns, potentially causing the value of the Fund's shares to decrease, perhaps significantly.

Valuation Risk: Certain portfolio holdings may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing

how the Fund's average annual returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not

necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com.

Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/24)

The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes or the Index returns due to the application of foreign tax credits and/or an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares. Effective April 22, 2022 (the “Benchmark Index Change Date”), the Fund's benchmark index changed from the MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target Index (the “Previous Benchmark Index”) to the MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned Index, consistent with a change in the Fund's principal investment strategy to track the performance of the current index. Performance of the Fund prior to the Benchmark Index Change Date is therefore based on the Fund's investment strategy to track the Previous Benchmark Index and may have been different had the Fund tracked the current index.

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Returns shown are reflective of the Index for periods beginning on the Benchmark Index Change Date and the Previous Benchmark Index for periods prior to the Benchmark Index Change Date.

Portfolio Management

Investment Adviser

SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Karl Schneider and Thomas Coleman.

Karl Schneider, CAIA, is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Co-Head of the Systematic Equity Beta Group in the Americas. He joined the Adviser in 1997.

Thomas Coleman, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Systematic Equity Beta Group. He joined the Adviser in 1998.

Purchase and Sale Information

The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.

Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Exchange”), other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.

Tax Information

The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from a tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

SPDR® S&P® Emerging Markets Dividend ETF

Investment Objective

The SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that,

before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of an index that tracks

dividend paying securities of publicly-traded companies in emerging markets.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):

Management fees	[0.49]%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	None
Other expenses	[0.00]%
Total annual Fund operating expenses	[0.49]%

Example:

Year 1	Year 3	Year 5	Year 10
$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy

In seeking to track the performance of the S&P Emerging Markets Dividend Opportunities Index (the “Index”), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective. The Fund is classified as “diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; however, the Fund may become “non-diversified” solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). When the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers.

equivalents or money market instruments (including money market funds advised by the Adviser) for cash management purposes. In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. Futures contracts (a type of derivative instrument) may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in managing cash flows.

The Index is designed to measure the performance of 100 high-yielding emerging market common stocks. The selection universe for the Index is the S&P Emerging BMI (Broad Market Index). To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a company's stock must meet the following investability criteria as of the last trading date of June (the “reconstitution reference date”): (i) float-adjusted market capitalization of at least $300 million and (ii) three-month median daily value traded of at least $1 million. Additionally, a company's stock must meet the following stability criteria as of the reconstitution reference date: (i) positive earnings-per-share (before extraordinary items) over the latest 12-month period; (ii) stable (i.e., less than 5% decline) or increasing three-year dividend growth; (iii) a dividend coverage ratio greater than 100% (defined as Funds From Operations Per Share divided by Dividend-Per-Share); and (iv) dividend yield greater than the median dividend yield of the remaining universe of stocks that have passed all other investability and stability criteria. Eligible stocks are then ranked by risk-adjusted yield, which is calculated by dividing the dividend yield by the volatility of the monthly dividend yields over the preceding thirty-six months as of the reconstitution reference date. The top 80 stocks ranked by risk-adjusted yield are automatically selected for inclusion in the Index. All stocks that are current constituents and fall within the top 150 ranking are then chosen by order of rank. If there are still fewer than 100 constituents, the remaining stocks are selected based on rank until 100 stocks are selected. No more than 30 stocks from a single country may be included in the Index.

The Index is weighted based on trailing twelve-month dividend yield, subject to specific diversification requirements. The Index is reconstituted after the U.S. market close on the last business day of July, based on information as of the last business day of June (the reconstitution reference date). The Index undergoes a secondary rebalance, as necessary, effective after the close of trading on the last business day in January, to ensure adherence to the constituent weighting criteria. Index constituents are also reviewed on a monthly basis, and if it is determined that a constituent has eliminated or suspended its dividend, or omitted a payment, the constituent is removed from the Index, effective on the first business day of the following month. The Index is subject to the following limits at rebalancing: (i) maximum single country or sector weight of 30%; (ii) maximum single stock weight of 4%; (iii) maximum combined trust exposure (including real estate investment trusts) of 10%; and (iv) the minimum portfolio size that can be turned over in a single day (based on its three month median daily value traded) is $750 million. If these weight thresholds cannot be satisfied, the minimum initial portfolio size and country stock weights may be relaxed. As of November 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies in the [financial and technology sectors], although this may change from time to time. As of November 30, 2024, countries represented in the Fund included [Brazil, China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates]. As of November 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in [China and Taiwan], although this may change from time to time. As of November 30, 2024, the Index comprised [ ] securities.

The Index is sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the “Index Provider”), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

Dividend Paying Securities Risk: Securities that pay dividends, as a group, can fall out of favor with the market, causing such companies to underperform companies that do not pay dividends. In addition, changes in the dividend policies of the companies held by the Fund or the capital resources available for such company's dividend payments may adversely affect the Fund.

respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. To the extent the Fund invests in depositary receipts based on securities included in the Index, such differences in prices may increase index tracking risk.

Financial Sector Risk: Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate.

China: The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China's total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. The Chinese government may intervene or seek to control the operations, structure, or ownership of Chinese companies, including with respect to foreign investors of such companies. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. The Fund may invest in shares of Chinese companies traded on stock markets in Mainland China or Hong Kong, which may experience high levels of volatility. The Hong Kong stock market may behave differently from the Mainland China stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the Mainland China stock market.

Taiwan: Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market. Taiwan's economy is export-oriented, so it depends on an open world trade regime and remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the world economy. Rising labor costs and increasing environmental consciousness have led some labor-intensive industries to relocate to countries with cheaper work forces, and continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index and of a relevant broad-based securities index. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com.

Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/24)

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Portfolio Management

Investment Adviser

SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Karl Schneider and Olga Winner.

Karl Schneider, CAIA, is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Co-Head of the Systematic Equity Beta Group in the Americas. He joined the Adviser in 1997.

Olga Winner, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Systematic Equity Beta Group. She joined the Adviser in 2007.

Purchase and Sale Information

Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.

Tax Information

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

SPDR® S&P® North American Natural Resources ETF

Investment Objective

The SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results

that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of an index that tracks

publicly-traded North American companies in natural resources and/or commodities businesses.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):

Management fees	[0.35]%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	None
Other expenses	[0.00]%
Total annual Fund operating expenses	[0.35]%

Example:

Year 1	Year 3	Year 5	Year 10
$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy

In seeking to track the performance of the S&P BMI North American Natural Resources Index (the “Index”), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in equity securities that are not included in the Index (including common stock, preferred stock, depositary receipts and shares of other investment companies). The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments (including money market funds advised by the Adviser) for cash management purposes. In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. Futures contracts (a type of derivative instrument) may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in managing cash flows.

The Index comprises publicly traded U.S. and Canadian companies in the natural resources and commodities businesses that meet certain investability requirements and are classified within the sub-industries of one of three natural resources categories: energy, metals & mining, or agriculture. The Index is a sub-set of the S&P Global BMI (Broad Market Index) (the “Parent Index”), which serves as the initial universe of eligible securities for the Index. The Parent Index is an equity index measuring global stock market performance that includes securities issued by small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies domiciled in both developed and emerging markets. The Index consists of companies comprising the Parent Index which: (i) are domiciled in and publicly traded in the U.S. or Canada; (ii) have a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization of $1 billion; (iii) have a minimum three-month average daily value traded of $5 million; and (iv) are included in one of the three natural resource categories. Each category includes companies classified within specific Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) sub-industries according to the company's principal business activity. The energy category consists of companies classified in the following sub-industries: coal & consumable fuels; integrated oil & gas; oil & gas drilling; oil & gas exploration & production; oil & gas refining & marketing; and oil & gas equipment & services. The metals & mining category consists of companies classified in the following sub-industries: aluminum; diversified metals & mining; steel; copper; gold; silver; and precious metals & minerals. The agriculture category consists of companies classified in the following sub-industries: agricultural products & services; fertilizers & agricultural chemicals; forest products; paper & plastic packaging products and materials; and Timber real estate investment trusts. At each quarterly Index rebalancing, the combined weight of securities of companies in the energy, metals & mining and agriculture categories are set at 45%, 35% and 20%, respectively. Index constituents are weighted within each natural resource category proportionally to their float-adjusted market capitalization subject to individual security weights limits. A company's float-adjusted market capitalization is calculated by multiplying the number of shares readily available in the market by the price of such shares. Modifications are made to the weightings, if required, to conform to requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and reduce single stock concentration. The Index is rebalanced quarterly. As of November 30, 2024, the Index comprised [ ] securities.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent that the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

Agriculture Companies Risk: Economic forces, including forces affecting agricultural markets, as well as government policies and regulations affecting agriculture companies, could adversely impact the Fund's investments. Agricultural and livestock production and trade flows are significantly affected by government policies and regulations. Governmental policies affecting agriculture companies, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities, commodity products and livestock, can influence agriculture company profitability, the planting/raising of certain crops/livestock versus other uses of resources, the location and size of crop and livestock production, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded and the volume and types of imports and exports. In addition, companies in the agriculture sector must comply with a broad range of environmental laws and regulations. Additional or more stringent environmental laws and regulations may be enacted in the future and such changes could have a material adverse effect on the business of such companies. In addition, agriculture companies may be significantly affected by adverse weather, pollution and/or disease which could limit or halt production.

Metals and Mining Companies Risk: Metals and mining companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and may be subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. Risks of metals and mining investments include: changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions that can affect the supply of precious metals and consequently the value of metals and mining company investments; the United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metals investments for strategic or other policy reasons; and increased environmental or labor costs may depress the value of metals and mining investments.

Natural Resources and Commodities Risk: Investments in companies in natural resources and commodities industries can be significantly affected by (often rapid) changes in supply of, or demand for, various natural resources and commodities. They may also be affected by changes in energy prices, the participation of speculators, international political and economic developments, environmental incidents, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in natural resource and commodity prices, limitations on the liquidity of certain natural resources and commodities, and tax and other government regulations.

Concentration Risk: When the Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not done so.

Energy Sector Risk: Issuers in energy-related industries can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels. Markets for various energy-related commodities can have significant volatility, and are subject to control or manipulation by large producers or purchasers. Companies in the energy sector may need to make substantial expenditures, and to incur significant amounts of debt, in order to maintain or expand their reserves. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters as well as changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation, world events and economic conditions. These companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims.

Canada: The Canadian economy is heavily dependent on relationships with certain key trading partners. The United States is Canada's largest trading and investment partner, and the Canadian economy is significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Any downturn in U.S. economic activity is likely to have an adverse impact on the Canadian economy The Canadian economy is also dependent upon external trade with other key trading partners, including China, Mexico and the European Union. In addition, Canada is a large supplier of natural resources (e.g., oil, natural gas and agricultural products). As a result, the Canadian economy is sensitive to fluctuations in certain commodity prices.

Materials Sector Risk: Many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies and consumer demand. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.

Non-Diversification Risk: As a “non-diversified” fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. The Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking the Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities).

Small-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of smaller issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may have significant volatility. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.

Fund Performance

https://www.ssga.com.

Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/24)

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Portfolio Management

Investment Adviser

SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Karl Schneider, Emiliano Rabinovich and Olga Winner.

Karl Schneider, CAIA, is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Co-Head of the Systematic Equity Beta Group in the Americas. He joined the Adviser in 1997.

Emiliano Rabinovich, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Co-Head of the Systematic Equity Beta Group in the Americas. He joined the Adviser in 2006.

Olga Winner, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Systematic Equity Beta Group. She joined the Adviser in 2007.

Purchase and Sale Information

Tax Information

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

Additional Strategies Information

Principal Strategies

General. Please see each Fund's “The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy” section under “Fund Summaries” above for a discussion of each Fund's principal investment strategies. A Fund may invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment techniques which are not the principal focus of the Fund and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities, techniques and practices, together with their risks, are described in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), which you may obtain free of charge by contacting shareholder services (see the back cover of this Prospectus for the address and phone number).

The Adviser seeks to track the performance of each Fund's Index as closely as possible (i.e., obtain a high degree of correlation with the Index). A number of factors may affect a Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its Index, and there can be no guarantee that a Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. For example, a Fund may not be able to achieve a high degree of correlation with its Index when there are practical difficulties or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of securities to follow the Index, when a security in the Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or legal restrictions exist that prohibit the Fund from investing in a security in the Index.

The Adviser will utilize a sampling strategy in managing the Funds. Sampling means that the Adviser uses quantitative analysis to select securities, including securities in the Index, outside of the Index and derivatives that have a similar investment profile as the relevant Index in terms of key risk factors, performance attributes and other economic characteristics. These include industry weightings, market capitalization, and other financial characteristics of securities. The quantity of holdings in a Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. In addition, from time to time, securities are added to or removed from each Index and consequently the countries represented by an Index may change, with the exception of the SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF. The Adviser may sell securities that are represented in an Index, or purchase securities that are not yet represented in an Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to an Index. Further, the Adviser may choose to overweight securities in an Index, purchase or sell securities not in an Index, or utilize various combinations of other available techniques, in seeking to track an Index.

The Funds may invest directly in local securities or in ADRs or GDRs that trade on developed market exchanges, such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the London Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). The Adviser may purchase an ADR or GDR as a replacement for the actual foreign security in the applicable Index. Conversely, the Adviser may purchase the actual foreign security as a replacement for an ADR or GDR included in the applicable Index.

Certain of the Funds, as described in the SAI, have adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of their respective net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in investments suggested by their respective names, measured at the time of investment. A Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to any change in this non-fundamental 80% investment policy. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) may change a Fund's investment strategy, Index and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus or in the SAI. The Board may also change a Fund's investment objective without shareholder approval.

Non-Principal Strategies

Certain Other Investments. Each Fund may invest in structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors such as the movement of a particular security or index), swaps and options contracts. Swaps and options contracts and structured notes may be used by a Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to its Index and in managing cash flows. Each Fund may also enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes or to gain exposure to certain currencies in an effort to track the composition of the applicable Index.

Temporary Defensive Positions. In certain situations or market conditions, a Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies, provided that the alternative is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and is in the best interest of the Fund. For example, a Fund may make larger than normal investments in derivatives to maintain exposure to its Index if it is unable to invest directly in a component security.

Borrowing Money. Each Fund may borrow money from a bank as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund, but only for temporary or emergency purposes. The 1940 Act presently allows a Fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). A Fund may also invest in reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions. Consistent with a rule under the 1940 Act, a Fund may treat such investments as either borrowings or derivatives transactions. To the extent a Fund treats reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions as borrowings, such investments will also be included in the 33 1/3% limit. Under normal circumstances, any borrowings by a Fund (including investments in reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions treated as borrowings) will not exceed 10% of the Fund's total assets.

Lending of Securities. Each Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets via a securities lending program through its securities lending agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street” or the “Lending Agent”), to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. A securities lending program allows a Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral. A Fund will receive collateral for each loaned security which is at least equal to the market value of that security, marked to market each trading day. To the extent a Fund receives cash collateral, as of the date of this Prospectus, the Adviser expects to invest such cash collateral in a fund managed by the Adviser that invests in: a broad range of money market instruments; certificates of deposit and time deposits of U.S. and foreign banks; commercial paper and other high quality obligations of U.S. or foreign companies; asset-backed securities; mortgage-related securities; repurchase agreements; and shares of money market funds. With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower may be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. A Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. In the securities lending program, the borrower generally has the right to vote the loaned securities; however, a Fund may call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund's economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Security loans may be terminated at any time by a Fund.

Additional Risk Information

The following section provides information regarding the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each Fund Summary along with additional risk information.

Principal Risks

The tables below identify the principal risks of investing in each Fund.

Fund Name	SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF
Agriculture Companies Risk			X
Concentration Risk			X
Counterparty Risk	X	X	X

Fund Name	SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF
Currency Risk	X	X	X
Depositary Receipts Risk	X	X	X
Derivatives Risk	X	X	X
Futures Contract Risk	X	X	X
Dividend Paying Securities Risk		X
Emerging Markets Risk	X	X
Energy Sector Risk			X
Equity Investing Risk	X	X	X
ESG Investing Risk	X
Financial Sector Risk		X
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk	X	X	X
Geographic Focus Risk	X	X	X
Canada			X
China		X
Taiwan		X
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk	X	X	X
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk	X		X
Leveraging Risk	X	X	X
Liquidity Risk	X	X	X
Market Risk	X	X	X
Materials Sector Risk			X
Metals and Mining Companies Risk			X
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk	X		X
Natural Resources and Commodities Risk			X
Non-Diversification Risk	X	X	X
Non-U.S. Securities Risk	X	X	X
Settlement Risk	X	X	X
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk			X
Technology Sector Risk	X	X

Fund Name	SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF
Unconstrained Sector Risk	X	X
Valuation Risk	X	X	X

Agriculture Companies Risk. Economic forces, including forces affecting agricultural markets, as well as government policies and regulations affecting agriculture companies, could adversely impact a Fund's investments. Agricultural and livestock production and trade flows are significantly affected by government policies and regulations. Governmental policies affecting agriculture companies, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities, commodity products and livestock, can influence agriculture company profitability, the planting/raising of certain crops/livestock versus other uses of resources, the location and size of crop and livestock production, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded and the volume and types of imports and exports. In addition, agriculture companies must comply with a broad range of environmental laws and regulations. Additional or more stringent environmental laws and regulations may be enacted in the future and such changes could have a material adverse effect on the business of such companies. In addition, agricultural and livestock businesses may be significantly affected by adverse weather, pollution and/or disease which could limit or halt production.

Concentration Risk. A Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Fund's underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. When a Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not focused its assets in that industry, market, or economic sector, which may increase the volatility of the Fund.

Counterparty Risk. A Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts and other transactions such as repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements. A Fund's ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. A Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving its counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If a Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if a Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, a Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of its securities and, if a Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, such Fund may also be similarly impacted.

Currency Risk. Investments in issuers in different countries are often denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in the values of those currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may have a positive or negative effect on the values of a Fund's investments denominated in those currencies. The values of other currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may fluctuate in response to, among other factors, interest rate changes, intervention (or failure to intervene) by national governments, central banks, or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, the imposition of currency controls, and other political or regulatory developments. Currency values can decrease significantly both in the short term and over the long term in response to these and other developments. Continuing uncertainty as to the status of the Euro and the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “EMU”) has created significant volatility in currency and financial markets generally. Any partial or complete dissolution of the EMU, or any continued uncertainty as to its status, could have significant adverse effects on currency and financial markets, and on the values of a Fund's portfolio investments.

Depositary Receipts Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are typically trust receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence an indirect interest in underlying securities issued by a foreign entity. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and other types of depositary receipts are typically issued by non-U.S. banks or financial institutions to evidence an interest in underlying securities issued by either a U.S.

or a non-U.S. entity. Investments in non-U.S. issuers through ADRs, GDRs, EDRs, and other types of depositary receipts generally involve risks applicable to other types of investments in non-U.S. issuers. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, a Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. There may be less publicly available information regarding the issuer of the securities underlying a depositary receipt than if those securities were traded directly in U.S. securities markets. Depositary receipts may or may not be sponsored by the issuers of the underlying securities, and information regarding issuers of securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts may be more limited than for sponsored depositary receipts. The values of depositary receipts may decline for a number of reasons relating to the issuers or sponsors of the depositary receipts, including, but not limited to, insolvency of the issuer or sponsor. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. To the extent a Fund invests in depositary receipts based on securities included in its Index, such differences in prices may increase index tracking risk.

Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. Derivative transactions typically involve leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a loss greater than the principal amount invested, and a Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. Risks associated with derivative instruments include potential changes in value in response to interest rate changes or other market developments or as a result of the counterparty's credit quality; the potential for the derivative transaction not to have the effect the Adviser anticipated or a different or less favorable effect than the Adviser anticipated; the failure of the counterparty to the derivative transaction to perform its obligations under the transaction or to settle a trade; possible mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument; imperfect correlation in the value of a derivative with the asset, rate, or index underlying the derivative; the risk that a Fund may be required to post collateral or margin with its counterparty, and will not be able to recover the collateral or margin in the event of the counterparty's insolvency or bankruptcy; the risk that a Fund will experience losses on its derivatives investments and on its other portfolio investments, even when the derivatives investments may be intended in part or entirely to hedge those portfolio investments; the risks specific to the asset underlying the derivative instrument; lack of liquidity for the derivative instrument, including, without limitation, absence of a secondary trading market; the potential for reduced returns to a Fund due to losses on the transaction and an increase in volatility; the potential for the derivative transaction to have the effect of accelerating the recognition of gain; and legal risks arising from the documentation relating to the derivative transaction.

Futures Contract Risk. The risk of loss relating to the use of futures contracts is potentially unlimited. The ability to establish and close out positions in futures contracts will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract or at any particular time. In the event no such market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and a Fund will be unable to terminate the futures contract. In using futures contracts, a Fund will be reliant on the ability of the Adviser to predict market and price movements correctly; the skills needed to use such futures contracts successfully are different from those needed for traditional portfolio management. If a Fund uses futures contracts for hedging purposes, there is a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contracts and movements in the securities or index underlying the futures contracts or movements in the prices of the Fund's investments that are the subject of such hedge. The prices of futures contracts, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the securities or index underlying them. For example, participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit requirements. Such requirements may cause investors to take actions with respect to their futures positions that they would not otherwise take. The margin requirements in the futures markets may be less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general, and as a result those markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets do. Increased participation by speculators in those markets may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Adviser still may not result in a successful futures activity over a very short time period. The risk of a position in a futures contract may be very large compared to the relatively low level of margin a Fund is required to deposit. A Fund will typically be required to post margin with its futures commission merchant in connection with its transactions in futures contracts. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. A Fund will incur brokerage

fees in connection with its futures transactions. In the event of an insolvency of the futures commission merchant or a clearing house, a Fund may not be able to recover all (or any) of the margin it has posted with the futures commission merchant, or to realize the value of any increase in the price of its positions, or it may experience a significant delay in doing so. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short positions that any person and certain affiliated entities may hold or control in a particular futures contract. In addition, federal position limits apply to swaps that are economically equivalent to futures contracts that are subject to CFTC-set speculative limits. All positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, must be aggregated for purposes of complying with position limits. It is possible that the positions of different clients managed by the Adviser may be aggregated for this purpose. Therefore, the trading decisions of the Adviser may have to be modified and positions held by a Fund liquidated in order to avoid exceeding such limits. The modification of investment decisions or the elimination of open positions, if it occurs, may adversely affect the performance of a Fund. A violation of position limits could also lead to regulatory action materially adverse to a Fund's investment strategy. In addition, exchanges may establish accountability levels applicable to a futures contract instead of position limits, provided that the futures contract is not subject to federal position limits. An exchange may order a person who holds or controls a position in excess of a position accountability level not to further increase its position, to comply with any prospective limit that exceeds the size of the position owned or controlled, or to reduce any open position that exceeds the position accountability level if the exchange determines that such action is necessary to maintain an orderly market. Position accountability levels could adversely affect a Fund's ability to establish and maintain positions in commodity futures contracts to which such levels apply, if the Fund were to trade in such contracts, and a Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective.

Futures contracts traded on markets outside the U.S. are not generally subject to the same level of regulation by the CFTC or other U.S. regulatory entities as contracts traded in the U.S., including without limitation as to the execution, delivery, and clearing of transactions. U.S. regulators neither regulate the activities of a foreign exchange, nor have the power to compel enforcement of the rules of the foreign exchange or the laws of the foreign country in question. Margin and other payments made by a Fund may not be afforded the same protections as are afforded those payments in the U.S., including in connection with the insolvency of an executing or clearing broker or a clearinghouse or exchange. Certain foreign futures contracts may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. contracts.

Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. Securities that pay dividends, as a group, can fall out of favor with the market, causing such companies to underperform companies that do not pay dividends. In addition, changes in the dividend policies of the companies held by a Fund or the capital resources available for such company's dividend payments may adversely affect the Fund.

Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging markets are generally subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This may be due to, among other things, the possibility of greater market volatility, lower trading volume and liquidity, greater risk of expropriation, nationalization, and social, political and economic instability, greater reliance on a few industries, international trade or revenue from particular commodities, less developed accounting, legal and regulatory systems, increased potential for market manipulation, higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, greater risk of market shutdown, and more significant governmental limitations on investment policy as compared to those typically found in a developed market. There may be limited legal rights and remedies for investors in companies domiciled in emerging markets. In addition, issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may have less financial stability than in other countries. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. A Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as embargo and acts of war. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility in investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar. Settlement and asset custody practices for transactions in emerging

markets may differ from those in developed markets. Such differences may include possible delays in settlement and certain settlement practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a “failed settlement.” Failed settlements can result in losses. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.

Energy Sector Risk. Issuers in energy-related industries can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels caused by geopolitical events, energy conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, the success of exploration projects, weather or meteorological events, taxes, increased governmental or environmental regulation, resource depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, or terrorist threats or attacks, among others. Markets for various energy-related commodities can have significant volatility, and are subject to control or manipulation by large producers or purchasers. Companies in the energy sector may need to make substantial expenditures, and to incur significant amounts of debt, in order to maintain or expand their reserves through exploration of new sources of supply, through the development of existing sources, through acquisitions, or through long-term contracts to acquire reserves. Factors adversely affecting producers, refiners, distributors, or others in the energy sector may affect adversely companies that service or supply those entities, either because demand for those services or products is curtailed, or those services or products come under price pressure.

Equity Investing Risk. The market prices of equity securities owned by a Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, non-compliance with regulatory requirements, and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services. The values of equity securities also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

ESG Investing Risk. An Index's incorporation of environmental, social and/or governance considerations in its methodology may cause a Fund to make different investments than funds that do not incorporate such considerations in their investment strategy or processes. An Index's incorporation of ESG considerations may affect a Fund's exposure to certain sectors and/or types of investments, and may adversely impact a Fund's performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. In addition, a Fund's investments in certain companies may be susceptible to various factors that may impact their businesses or operations, including costs associated with government budgetary constraints that impact publicly funded projects and clean energy initiatives, the effects of general economic conditions throughout the world, increased competition from other providers of services, unfavorable tax laws or accounting policies and high leverage. Each Index methodology incorporates data and scores provided by third parties, which may be unavailable or limited for certain issuers and/or only take into account one or a few of many ESG related components of portfolio companies. In instances where data or scores are unavailable or limited, (i) an Index may include, and the corresponding Fund may therefore hold, securities of companies that otherwise would not be included or held if data or scores were available or more complete, or (ii) an Index, and therefore the corresponding Fund, may exclude securities of companies that otherwise would have been included or held if data or scores were available or more complete. In addition, ESG information and scores across third party data providers, indexes and other funds may differ and/or be incomparable. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, an Index may include, and the corresponding Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Fund's ESG-related objectives and/or criteria. A Fund may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

Financial Sector Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience

a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate.

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk. The net asset value of Fund Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of a Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in a Fund's net asset value and supply and demand of Fund Shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether Fund Shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Fund Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of an Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Fund Shares may deviate significantly from the net asset value of Fund Shares during periods of market volatility. However, given that Fund Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Fund Shares should not be sustained over long periods. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Fund Shares normally will trade close to a Fund's net asset value, disruptions to creations and redemptions or market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from such Fund's net asset value. If an investor purchases Fund Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value of Fund Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value of Fund Shares, then the investor may sustain losses.

Geographic Focus Risk. The performance of a fund that invests significantly in one or more countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a fund that does not invest significantly in such countries or regions.

Canada. The Canadian economy is heavily dependent on relationships with certain key trading partners. The United States is Canada's largest trading and investment partner, and the Canadian economy is significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Since the implementation of certain intergovernmental measures agreed upon by Canada, the United States and Mexico, total two-way merchandise trade between the United States and Canada has increased significantly. However, political developments, including the implementation of tariffs by the U.S. and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) in the form of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020, could have a material adverse impact on the Canadian economy, which could impact the value of the securities whose value is linked to the Canadian economy. In addition, any downturn in U.S. or Mexican economic activity is likely to have an adverse impact on the Canadian economy. The Canadian economy is also dependent upon external trade with other key trading partners, including China and the European Union. In addition, Canada is a large supplier of natural resources (e.g., oil, natural gas and agricultural products). As a result, the Canadian economy is sensitive to fluctuations in certain commodity prices.

China. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. Since 1978, the Chinese government has been, and is expected to continue, reforming its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which a Fund invests. In the past, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or

continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well. The Chinese government also may intervene or seek to control the operations, structure, or ownership of Chinese companies, including with respect to foreign investors of such companies. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which a Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to a Fund. A Fund may invest in shares of Chinese companies traded on stock markets in Mainland China or Hong Kong, which may experience high levels of volatility. The Hong Kong stock market may behave differently from the Mainland China stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the Mainland China stock market.

A Fund may also gain investment exposure to certain Chinese companies through variable interest entity (“VIE”) structures. Such investments are subject to the investment risks associated with the Chinese-based company. The VIE structure enables foreign investors, such as a Fund, to obtain investment exposure to a Chinese company in situations in which the Chinese government has limited or prohibited non-Chinese ownership of such company. The VIE structure does not involve direct equity ownership in a China-based company, but rather involves claims to the China-based company's profits and control of the assets that belong to the China-based company through contractual arrangements. Intervention by the Chinese government with respect to the VIE structure could significantly affect the Chinese operating company's performance and thus, the value of a Fund's investment through a VIE structure, as well as the enforceability of the contractual arrangements of the VIE structure. In the event of such an occurrence, a Fund, as a foreign investor, may have little or no legal recourse. In addition to the risk of government intervention, investments through a VIE structure are subject to the risk that the China-based company (or its officers, directors, or Chinese equity owners) may breach the contractual arrangements, or Chinese law changes in a way that adversely affects the enforceability of the arrangements, or the contracts are otherwise not enforceable under Chinese law, in which case a Fund may suffer significant losses on its investments through a VIE structure with little or no recourse available.

From time to time, certain of the companies comprising the Index may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or in countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may be subject to constraints under U.S. law or regulations which could negatively affect the company's performance. Additionally, one or more of these companies may suffer damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which invests or deals with countries which are identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism or subject to sanctions. As an investor in such companies, a Fund will be indirectly subject to these risks.

Taiwan. Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market. Taiwan's economy is export-oriented, so it depends on an open world trade regime and remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the world economy. Rising labor costs and increasing environmental consciousness have led some labor-intensive industries to relocate to countries with cheaper work forces, and continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy.

Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk. Each Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. Each Fund will seek to provide investment results that correspond generally to the performance of the Index, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. Each Fund generally will buy and will not sell a security included in the Index as long as the security is part of the Index regardless of any sudden or material decline in value or foreseeable material decline in value of the security, even though the Adviser may make a different investment decision for other actively managed accounts or portfolios that hold the security. As a result, a Fund's performance may be less favorable than

that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index (in absolute terms and by comparison with other indices) and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of a Fund. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on a Fund and its shareholders. To the extent circumstances evolve in between reconstitutions, an Index may include, and the corresponding Fund may therefore hold for a period of time, securities of companies that do not align with the Index's objective and/or criteria. While the Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), a Fund's return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the return on the sample of securities purchased by a Fund (or the return on securities not included in the Index) may not correlate precisely with the return of the Index. Each Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, a Fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. The Adviser may attempt to track the Index return by investing in fewer than all of the securities in the Index, or in some securities not included in the Index, potentially increasing the risk of divergence between a Fund's return and that of the Index. Changes in the composition of the Index and regulatory requirements also may impact a Fund's ability to match the return of the Index. The Adviser may apply one or more “screens” or investment techniques to refine or limit the number or types of issuers included in the Index in which a Fund may invest. Application of such screens or techniques may result in investment performance below that of the Index and may not produce results expected by the Adviser. Index tracking risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions.

Pursuant to each Index methodology, a security may be removed from an Index in the event that it does not comply with the eligibility requirements of the Index. As a result, a Fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune times and/or unfavorable prices due to these changes in the Index components. When there are changes made to the component securities of an Index and the corresponding Fund in turn makes similar changes to its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund's portfolio and the Index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio changes will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. Unscheduled changes to an Index may expose the corresponding Fund to additional tracking error risk. A Fund may recognize gains as a result of rebalancing or reconstituting its securities holdings to reflect changes in the securities included in the corresponding Index. A Fund also may be required to distribute any such gains to its shareholders to avoid adverse federal income tax consequences.

Large-Capitalization Securities Risk. Securities issued by large-capitalization companies may present risks not present in smaller companies. For example, larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies, especially during strong economic periods. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies.

Leveraging Risk. Borrowing transactions, reverse repurchase agreements, certain derivatives transactions, securities lending transactions and other investment transactions such as when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward commitment transactions may create investment leverage. If a Fund engages in transactions that have a leveraging effect on the Fund's investment portfolio, the value of the Fund will be potentially more volatile and all other risks will tend to be compounded. This is because leverage generally creates investment risk with respect to a larger base of assets than a Fund would otherwise have and so magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund's underlying assets. The use of leverage is considered to be a speculative investment practice and may result in losses to a Fund. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. The use of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy repayment, interest payment, or margin obligations or to meet asset coverage requirements.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a Fund may not be able to dispose of investments readily at a favorable time or prices (or at all) or at prices approximating those at which a Fund currently values them. For example, certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, may trade in the over-the-counter market or in limited volume, or may not have an active trading market. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. It may be difficult for a Fund to value illiquid

investments accurately. The market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. If the liquidity of a Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Disposal of illiquid investments may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for liquid investments. A Fund may seek to borrow money to meet its obligations (including among other things redemption obligations) if it is unable to dispose of illiquid investments, resulting in borrowing expenses and possible leveraging of the Fund.

Market Risk. Market prices of investments held by a Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. A Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile, and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors, including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers and general market liquidity. Even if general economic conditions do not change, the value of an investment in a Fund could decline if the particular industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests do not perform well or are adversely affected by events. Further, legal, political, regulatory and tax changes also may cause fluctuations in markets and securities prices. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a Fund and its investments. Due to the interconnectedness of economies and financial markets throughout the world, if a Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic and financial difficulties, the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments may be negatively affected. A widespread outbreak of an infectious illness, such as COVID-19, and efforts to contain its spread, may result in market volatility, inflation, reduced liquidity of certain instruments, disruption in the trading of certain instruments, and systemic economic weakness. The foregoing could impact a Fund and its investments and result in disruptions to the services provided to a Fund by its service providers.

Additionally, in March 2023, the shutdown of certain financial institutions raised economic concerns over disruption in the U.S. banking system. There can be no certainty that the actions taken by the U.S. government to strengthen public confidence in the U.S. banking system will be effective in mitigating the effects of financial institution failures on the economy and restoring public confidence in the U.S. banking system.

Materials Sector Risk. Many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies and consumer demand. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.

Metals and Mining Companies Risk. Metals and mining companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and may be subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. Risks of metals and mining investments include: changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions that can affect the supply of precious metals and consequently the value of metals and mining company investments; the United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metals investments for strategic or other policy reasons; and increased environmental or labor costs may depress the value of metals and mining investments.

Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. The prices of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and a Fund may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in these securities than in the

case of larger companies, both of which can cause significant price volatility. Some securities of mid-sized issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale. Returns on investments in securities of mid-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger or smaller companies.

Natural Resources and Commodities Risk. Investments in companies in natural resources industries can be significantly affected by (often rapid) changes in supply of, or demand for, various natural resources and commodities. They may also be affected by changes in energy prices, the participation of speculators, international political and economic developments, environmental incidents, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in natural resource and commodity prices, limitations on the liquidity of certain natural resources and commodities, and tax and other government regulations.

Non-Diversification Risk. Funds classified as “non-diversified” may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent a Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. A diversified Fund may become non-diversified for periods of time solely as a result of tracking its Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities).

Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) entail risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Similar risks may apply to securities traded on a U.S. securities exchange that are issued by entities with significant exposure to non-U.S. countries. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with regard to U.S. investments. Because non-U.S. securities are typically denominated and traded in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, the value of the Fund's assets, to the extent they are non-U.S. dollar denominated, may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations, and restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of non-U.S. currencies. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Income and gains with respect to investments in certain countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, regulatory framework and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some non-U.S. entities are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. entities, and could become subject to sanctions or embargoes that adversely affect a Fund's investment. Non-U.S. transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions and custody costs may be higher than in the U.S. In addition, there may be a possibility of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of currency exchange controls, confiscatory taxation, and diplomatic developments that could adversely affect the values of a Fund's investments in certain non-U.S. countries. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers also are subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with U.S. investments, meaning that political events (civil unrest, national elections, changes in political conditions and foreign relations, imposition of exchange controls and repatriation restrictions), social and economic events (labor strikes, rising inflation) and natural disasters occurring in a country where a Fund invests could cause the Fund's investments to experience gains or losses.

Settlement Risk. Markets in different countries have different clearance and settlement procedures and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of transactions. Delays in settlement may increase credit risk to a Fund, limit the ability of a Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a sale of securities, hinder the ability of a Fund to lend its portfolio securities, and potentially subject a Fund to penalties for its failure to deliver to on-purchasers of securities whose delivery to a Fund was delayed. Delays in the settlement of securities purchased by a Fund may limit the ability of a Fund to sell those securities at times and prices it considers desirable, and may subject a Fund to losses and costs due to its own inability to settle with subsequent purchasers of the securities from it. A Fund may be required to borrow monies it had otherwise expected to receive in connection with the settlement of securities sold by it, in order to meet its obligations to others. Limits on the ability of a Fund to purchase or sell securities due to settlement delays could increase any variance between a Fund's performance and that of its benchmark index.

Small-Capitalization Securities Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. The prices of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and a Fund may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in these securities than in the case of larger companies, both of which can cause significant price volatility. Some securities of smaller issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale. A Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet a Fund's obligations. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.

Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund's investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

Unconstrained Sector Risk. A Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. When a Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not focused its assets in that industry, market, or economic sector, which may increase the volatility of the Fund.

Valuation Risk. Certain portfolio holdings may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. Technological issues or other service disruption issues involving third-party service providers may cause a Fund to value its investments incorrectly. In addition, there is no assurance that a Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that a Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by a Fund at that time.

Non-Principal Risks

Each risk discussed below is a non-principal risk of a Fund to the extent it is not identified as a principal risk for such Fund in the preceding “ADDITIONAL RISK INFORMATION - PRINCIPAL RISKS” section.

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

Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent a Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

Conflicts of Interest Risk. An investment in a Fund will be subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, the Adviser or its affiliates may provide services to a Fund, such as securities lending agency services, custodial, administrative, bookkeeping, and accounting services, transfer agency and shareholder servicing, securities brokerage services, and other services for which the Fund would compensate the Adviser and/or such affiliates. The Funds may invest in other pooled investment vehicles sponsored, managed, or otherwise affiliated with the Adviser. There is no assurance that the rates at which a Fund pays fees or expenses to the Adviser or its affiliates, or the terms on which it enters into transactions with the Adviser or its affiliates will be the most favorable available in the market generally or as favorable as the rates the Adviser or its affiliates make available to other clients. Because of its financial interest, the Adviser will have an incentive to enter into transactions or arrangements on behalf of a Fund with itself or its affiliates in circumstances where it might not have done so in the absence of that interest, provided that the Adviser will comply with applicable regulatory requirements.

The Adviser and its affiliates serve as investment adviser to other clients and may make investment decisions that may be different from those that will be made by the Adviser on behalf of the Funds. For example, the Adviser may provide asset allocation advice to some clients that may include a recommendation to invest in or redeem from particular issuers while not providing that same recommendation to all clients invested in the same or similar issuers. The Adviser may (subject to applicable law) be simultaneously seeking to purchase (or sell) investments for a Fund and to sell (or purchase) the same investment for accounts, funds, or structured products for which it serves as asset manager, or for other clients or affiliates. The Adviser and its affiliates may invest for clients in various securities that are senior, pari passu or junior to, or have interests different from or adverse to, the securities that are owned by a Fund. The Adviser or its affiliates, in connection with its other business activities, may acquire material nonpublic confidential information that may restrict the Adviser from purchasing securities or selling securities for itself or its clients (including the Funds) or otherwise using such information for the benefit of its clients or itself.

The foregoing does not purport to be a comprehensive list or complete explanation of all potential conflicts of interests which may affect a Fund. A Fund may encounter circumstances, or enter into transactions, in which conflicts of interest that are not listed or discussed above may arise.

Costs of Buying and Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Fund Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Fund Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Fund Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Fund Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Fund Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Fund Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Fund Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Fund Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform business and operational functions, funds (such as the Funds) and their service providers (including the Adviser) may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological malfunctions. Furthermore, geopolitical tensions may have increased the scale and sophistication of deliberate cybersecurity attacks, particularly those from nation-states or from entities with nation-state backing. In

general, cyber-attacks are deliberate, but unintentional events may have similar effects. Cyber-attacks include, among others, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, preventing legitimate users from accessing information or services on a website, releasing confidential information without authorization, and causing operational disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, a Fund, the Adviser or a custodian, transfer agent, or other affiliated or third-party service provider may adversely affect a Fund or its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may interfere with the processing of shareholder or other transactions, affect a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject a Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance costs. Cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may render records of Fund assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of a Fund inaccessible or inaccurate or incomplete. A Fund may also incur substantial costs for cybersecurity risk management in order to prevent cyber incidents in the future. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. While the Adviser has established a business continuity plan and systems designed to minimize the risk of cyber-attacks through the use of technology, processes and controls, there are inherent limitations in such plan and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, given the evolving nature of this threat. The use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning could exacerbate these risks or result in cyber security incidents that implicate personal data. Each Fund relies on third-party service providers for many of its day-to-day operations, and will be subject to the risk that the protections and protocols implemented by those service providers will be ineffective to protect the Fund from cyber-attack. The Adviser does not control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Adviser or the Funds. Similar types of cybersecurity risks or technical malfunctions also are present for issuers of securities in which each Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund's investment in such securities to lose value.

Index Construction Risk. A security included in an Index may not exhibit the characteristic or provide the specific exposure for which it was selected and consequently a Fund's holdings may not exhibit returns consistent with that characteristic or exposure.

Index Licensing Risk. It is possible that the license under which the Adviser or a Fund is permitted to replicate or otherwise use an Index will be terminated or may be disputed, impaired or cease to remain in effect. In such a case, the Adviser may be required to replace the relevant Index with another index which it considers to be appropriate in light of the investment strategy of a Fund. The use of any such substitute index may have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. In the event that the Adviser is unable to identify a suitable replacement for the relevant Index, it may determine to terminate a Fund.

Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. It is possible that such a money market fund will issue and redeem shares at $1.00 per share at times when the fair value of the money market fund's portfolio per share is more or less than $1.00. None of State Street Corporation, State Street, State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”), SSGA FM or their affiliates (“State Street Entities”) guarantee the value of an investment in a money market fund at $1.00 per share. Investors should have no expectation of capital support to a money market fund from State Street Entities. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. A money market fund may be permitted or required to impose redemption fees during times of market stress.

Portfolio Turnover Risk. A Fund may engage in frequent trading of its portfolio securities. Fund turnover generally involves a number of direct and indirect costs and expenses to a Fund, including, for example, brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and bid/asked spreads, and transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities. The costs related to increased portfolio turnover have the effect of reducing a Fund's

investment return, and the sale of securities by the Fund may result in the realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains. A Fund may engage in significant trading of its portfolio securities in connection with Index rebalancing. Frequent or significant trading may cause a Fund to incur additional transaction costs and experience different tax consequences in comparison to an ETF that does not engage in frequent or significant trading.

Regulatory Risk. Governmental and regulatory actions may have unexpected or adverse consequences on particular markets, strategies, or investments, which may adversely impact a Fund and impair how it is managed. Policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries may affect aspects of financial regulation, and may in some instances contribute to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the financial markets. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time.

Securities Lending Risk. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets. For these purposes, net assets shall exclude the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan. Such loans may be terminated at any time. Any such loans must be continuously secured by collateral maintained on a current basis in an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned by a Fund, marked to market each trading day. A Fund will receive the amount of all dividends, interest and other distributions on the loaned securities; however, the borrower has the right to vote the loaned securities. A Fund will call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the investment is to be voted upon. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays in recovering the securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the securities lending agent to be of good financial standing. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities provided as collateral or acquired with cash collateral. Each Fund will attempt to minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to high quality instruments of short maturity either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser. To the extent the collateral provided or investments made with cash collateral differ from securities included in an Index, such collateral or investments may have a greater risk of loss than the securities included in the Index. In addition, a Fund will be subject to the risk that any income generated by lending its securities or reinvesting cash collateral is lower than any fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower. The Adviser will take into account the tax impact to shareholders of substitute payments for dividends when overseeing a Fund's securities lending activity.

Trading Issues. Although Fund Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Fund Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Similar to the shares of operating companies listed on a stock exchange, Fund Shares may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility in the trading price of the Fund's shares. While each Fund expects that the ability of Authorized Participants to create and redeem Fund Shares at net asset value should be effective in reducing any such volatility, there is no guarantee that it will eliminate the volatility associated with such short sales. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that Fund Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange.

Management

Investment Adviser

SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (“Investment Advisory Agreement”) between SPDR Index Shares Funds (the “Trust”) and the Adviser, and, subject to the oversight of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of each Fund. The Adviser provides an investment management program for each Fund and manages the investment of each Fund's assets. In addition, the Adviser provides administrative, compliance and general management services to each Fund. The Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. The Adviser is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser and

certain other affiliates of State Street Corporation make up SSGA. SSGA is one of the world's largest institutional money managers and the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. As of September 30, 2024, the Adviser managed approximately $[ ] trillion in assets and SSGA managed approximately $[ ] trillion in assets. The Adviser's principal business address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

For the services provided to each Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, each Fund paid the Adviser the annual fees based on a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets as set forth below:

SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	[0.12] %
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	[0.49] %
SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF	[0.35] %

[From time to time, the Adviser may also waive all or a portion of its management fee. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses in an amount equal to any acquired fund fees and expenses (excluding holdings in acquired funds for cash management purposes, if any) for each Fund until January 31, 2026. This waiver and/or reimbursement does not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any amounts waived or reimbursed. This waiver and/or reimbursement may not be terminated prior to January 31, 2026 except with the approval of the Board]. The Adviser pays all expenses of each Fund other than the management fee, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustee's counsel fees), litigation expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and other extraordinary expenses.

A discussion regarding the Board's consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreement is provided in the Funds' Form N-CSR filing with the SEC for the period ended September 30, 2024.

SSGA FM, as the investment adviser for the Funds, may hire one or more sub-advisers to oversee the day-to-day investment activities of the Funds. The sub-advisers are subject to oversight by the Adviser. The Adviser and the Trust have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, with the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, of the Trust, to retain and amend existing sub-advisory agreements with unaffiliated investment sub-advisers for a Fund without submitting the sub-advisory agreement to a vote of the Fund's shareholders. The Trust will notify shareholders in the event of any change in the identity of such sub-adviser or sub-advisers. The Adviser has ultimate responsibility for the investment performance of the Funds due to its responsibility to oversee each sub-adviser and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The Adviser is not required to disclose fees paid to any unaffiliated sub-adviser retained pursuant to the order. Except with respect to the SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF, approval by Fund shareholders is required before any authority granted under the exemptive order may be exercised.

Portfolio Managers.
The Adviser manages the Funds using a team of investment professionals. The team approach is used to create an environment that encourages the flow of investment ideas. The portfolio managers within each team work together in a cohesive manner to develop and enhance techniques that drive the investment process for the respective investment strategy. This approach requires portfolio managers to share a variety of responsibilities, including investment strategy and analysis, while retaining responsibility for the implementation of the strategy within any particular portfolio. The approach also enables the team to draw upon the resources of other groups within SSGA. Each portfolio management team is overseen by the SSGA Investment Committee.

The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund are:

Portfolio Management Team	Fund
Karl Schneider and Thomas Coleman	SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF
Karl Schneider, Emiliano Rabinovich and Olga Winner	SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF
Karl Schneider and Olga Winner	SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF

Thomas Coleman, CFA, is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Systematic Equity Beta Group. Within this group, Mr. Coleman is the Emerging Markets Strategy leader and, as such, he is responsible for the management of a variety of commingled, segregated, and exchange traded products benchmarked to international indices, including MSCI Emerging Markets and ACWI indices, as well as S&P Emerging Markets indices. Mr. Coleman is also responsible for domestic strategies benchmarked to Russell, Standard & Poor's, and NASDAQ indices. Prior to assuming his current role in April 2004, he managed SSGA's International Structured

Products Group Operations Team. Mr. Coleman holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College. He also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of CFA Society Boston, Inc.

Emiliano Rabinovich, CFA, is a Managing Director of SSGA and the Adviser and Co-Head of the Systematic Equity Beta Group in the Americas. Within this group, he is the strategy leader for their Tax Aware, Smart Beta and ESG products. Mr. Rabinovich manages a varied mix of portfolios that include both traditional indexing as well as a variety of alternative beta mandates. He also manages local and global strategies and fund structures, which include separately managed accounts, commingled funds, mutual funds and ETFs. Mr. Rabinovich joined SSGA in Montreal in 2006, where he served as the Head of the Indexing team in Canada. He has been working in the investment management field since 2003. Mr. Rabinovich holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of CEMA. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of CFA Society Boston, Inc.

Karl Schneider, CAIA, is a Managing Director of SSGA and the Adviser and Co-Head of the Systematic Equity Beta (SEB) Group in the Americas. He also serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager for a number of the group's index equity portfolios. Previously within the SEB Group, he was the Deputy Head of the Americas, and prior to that served as a portfolio manager and product specialist for U.S. equity strategies and synthetic beta strategies, including commodities, buy/write, and hedge fund replication. He is a member of the S&P Dow Jones U.S. Equities Index Advisory Panel. Prior to joining the SEB Group, Mr. Schneider worked as a portfolio manager in SSGA's Currency Management Group, managing both active currency selection and traditional passive hedging overlay portfolios. He joined SSGA in 1997. Mr. Schneider holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Investments from Babson College and a Master of Science in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He has earned the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and is a member of the CAIA Association.

Olga Winner, CFA, is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Systematic Equity Beta Group. She is responsible for the management of several domestic, international developed and emerging market strategies, including separate accounts, commingled funds, mutual funds and ETFs. Additionally, Ms. Winner manages hedged and futures overlay strategies. Prior to joining SSGA, Ms. Winner worked as an acquisitions associate at Boston Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm, analyzing investment opportunities. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Massachusetts. She also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of CFA Society Boston, Inc.

Additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of the Funds is available in the SAI.

Administrator, Sub-Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Adviser serves as Administrator for each Fund. State Street, part of State Street Corporation, is the Sub-Administrator for each Fund and the Custodian for each Fund's assets, and serves as Transfer Agent to each Fund.

Lending Agent. State Street is the securities lending agent for the Trust. For its services, the lending agent would typically receive a portion of the net investment income, if any, earned on the collateral for the securities loaned.

Distributor. State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC serves as the Funds' distributor (“SSGA FD” or the “Distributor”) pursuant to the Distribution Agreement between SSGA FD and the Trust. The Distributor will not distribute Fund Shares in less than Creation Units, and it does not maintain a secondary market in Fund Shares. The Distributor may enter into selected dealer agreements with other broker-dealers or other qualified financial institutions for the sale of Creation Units of Fund Shares.

Additional Information. The Board oversees generally the operations of the Funds and the Trust. The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others the Funds' investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, and accountants, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them directly against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them directly against the service providers.

This Prospectus provides information concerning the Trust and the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund Shares. Neither this Prospectus nor the related SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Funds and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.

Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers

The Index Providers are not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Funds' Administrator, Sub-Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, SSGA FD or any of their respective affiliates. The Adviser (“Licensee”) has entered into license agreements with the Index Providers pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the respective Indices. The Adviser is sub-licensing rights to the Indices to the respective Funds at no charge.

MSCI INDICES: SPDR MSCI ACWI CLIMATE PARIS ALIGNED ETF (“THE MSCI FUND”) IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. (“MSCI”), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MSCI PARTIES”).THE MSCI INDICES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY THE LICENSEE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE MSCI FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THE MSCI FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDICES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THE MSCI FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE MSCI FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE MSCI FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDICES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THE MSCI FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE EQUATION BY OR THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THE MSCI FUND IS REDEEMABLE. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE MSCI FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THE MSCI FUND.

ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDICES FROM SOURCES THAT MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER OF THE MSCI FUND, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO EACH MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

NO PURCHASER, SELLER OR HOLDER OF THE MSCI FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, SHOULD USE OR REFER TO ANY MSCI TRADE NAME, TRADEMARK OR SERVICE MARK TO SPONSOR, ENDORSE, MARKET OR PROMOTE THESE FUND WITHOUT FIRST CONTACTING MSCI TO DETERMINE WHETHER MSCI'S PERMISSION IS REQUIRED. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY CLAIM ANY AFFILIATION WITH MSCI WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF MSCI.

S&P S&P INDICES: S&P Emerging Markets Dividend Opportunities Index and S&P BMI North American Natural Resources Index (together, the “S&P Indices”) are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”), and have been licensed for use by the Adviser. Standard & Poor's® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sub-licensed for certain purposes by the Adviser. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the S&P Indices to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices licenses to Licensee the S&P Indices and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The S&P Indices are determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to Licensee or the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take the needs of Licensee or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the Funds or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Funds or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds are to be converted into cash, surrendered or redeemed, as the case may be. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment or tax advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

NEITHER S&P DOW JONES INDICES NOR THIRD PARTY LICENSOR GUARANTEES THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THIRD PARTY LICENSOR SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THIRD PARTY LICENSOR MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P INDICES OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES OR THIRD PARTY LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND LICENSEE, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

SPDR Trademark. The “SPDR” trademark is used under license from Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). No Fund offered by the Trust or its affiliates is sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by S&P or its affiliates. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of any Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Index on which the Funds are based to track general stock market performance. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in any determination or calculation made with respect to issuance or redemption of Fund Shares. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.

WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S&P HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Additional Purchase and Sale Information

Fund Shares are listed for secondary trading on the Exchange and individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Exchange may close early on the business day before certain holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Exchange holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. If you buy or sell Fund Shares in the secondary market, you will pay the secondary market price for Fund Shares. In addition, you may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

The trading prices of Fund Shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than the relevant Fund's net asset value, which is calculated at the end of each business day. Fund Shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may be above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount), to varying degrees, the daily net asset value of Fund Shares. The trading prices of Fund Shares may deviate significantly from the relevant Fund's net asset value during periods of market volatility. Given, however, that Fund Shares can be issued and redeemed daily in Creation Units, the Adviser believes that large discounts and premiums to net asset value should not be sustained over long periods.

The Exchange will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an indicative optimized portfolio value (“IOPV”) relating to each Fund. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of each Fund's net asset value per Fund Share. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the net asset value per Fund Share. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the published basket of portfolio securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit and does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of a Fund's actual portfolio at a particular point in time. Moreover, the IOPV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries and valuations based on current market rates. The IOPV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which (i) is computed only once a day, (ii) unlike the calculation of the IOPV, takes into account Fund expenses, and (iii) may be subject, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IOPV. The IOPV price is based on quotes and closing prices from the securities' local market converted into U.S. dollars at the current currency rates and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market's close. Therefore, the IOPV may not reflect the best possible valuation of a Fund's current portfolio. Neither the Funds nor the Adviser or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.

The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions; however, the Funds reserve the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of a Fund's investment strategy, or whether they would cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Fund Shares are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units, available only from a Fund directly, and that most trading in a Fund occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that (a) market timing would be attempted by a Fund's shareholders or (b) any attempts to market time a Fund by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders.

Distributions

Dividends and Capital Gains. As a Fund shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the applicable Fund's income and net realized gains on its investments. Each Fund pays out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as “distributions.”

Each Fund may earn income dividends from stocks, interest from debt securities and, if participating, securities lending income. These amounts, net of expenses and taxes (if applicable), are passed along to Fund shareholders as “income dividend distributions.” Each Fund will generally realize short-term capital gains or losses whenever it sells or exchanges assets held for one year or less. Net short-term capital gains will generally be treated as ordinary income

when distributed to shareholders. Each Fund will generally realize long-term capital gains or losses whenever it sells or exchanges assets held for more than one year. Net capital gains (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are distributed to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.”

Income dividend distributions, if any, for SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF are generally distributed to shareholders semi-annually, but may vary significantly from period to period.

Income dividend distributions, if any, for SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF are generally distributed to shareholders quarterly, but may vary significantly from quarter to quarter (“Quarterly Income Distribution Funds”).

Net capital gains for each Fund are distributed at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently or at any other times to improve Index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.

Each of the Quarterly Income Distribution Funds intends to distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield net of expenses on the underlying investment securities as if the Fund owned the underlying investment securities for the entire dividend period. As a result, some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital. You will be notified regarding the portion of the distribution which represents a return of capital.

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Fund Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Fund Shares makes such option available. Distributions which are reinvested will nevertheless be taxable to the same extent as if such distributions had not been reinvested.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

The Funds' portfolio holdings disclosure policy is described in the SAI. In addition, the identities and quantities of the securities held by each Fund are disclosed on the Funds' website.

Additional Tax Information

The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to an investment in a Fund. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about federal, state, local, foreign or other tax laws applicable to you. Investors, including non-U.S. investors, may wish to consult the SAI tax section for additional disclosure.

Each Fund has elected or will elect to be a RIC and intends to qualify each year to be treated as such. A RIC is generally not subject to tax at the corporate level on income and gains that are distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund's failure to qualify for treatment as a RIC may result in corporate level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

Taxes on Distributions. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in a Fund. The income dividends and short-term capital gains distributions you receive from a Fund will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Subject to certain limitations, dividends that are reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income are taxable to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Any distributions of a Fund's net capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gain regardless of how long you have owned Fund Shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the applicable Fund's shares, and, in general, as capital gain thereafter.

In general, dividends may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund, which, in general, includes dividend income from taxable U.S. corporations and certain foreign corporations (i.e., certain foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, and certain other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States), provided that the Fund satisfies certain holding period requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations and has not hedged its position in the stock in certain ways. A dividend generally will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held by a Fund for fewer than

61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or, in the case of certain preferred stock, for fewer than 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date. These holding period requirements will also apply to your ownership of Fund Shares. Holding periods may be suspended for these purposes for stock that is hedged. Additionally, income derived in connection with a Fund's securities lending activities will not be treated as qualified dividend income.

U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized upon the sale of Fund Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

Certain tax-exempt educational institutions will be subject to a 1.4% 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.

If you lend your Fund Shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements you may lose the ability to treat Fund dividends (paid while the Fund Shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. You should consult your financial intermediary or tax advisor to discuss your particular circumstances.

Distributions paid in January, but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year, payable to shareholders of record in such a month, may be taxable to you in the calendar year in which they were declared. The Funds will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

A distribution will reduce a Fund's net asset value per Fund Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

Derivatives and Other Complex Securities. A Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by a Fund. You should consult your personal tax advisor regarding the application of these rules.

Foreign Currency Transactions. A Fund's transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.

Foreign Income Taxes. Investment income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries which may entitle a Fund to a reduced rate of such taxes or exemption from taxes on such income. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax for a Fund in advance since the amount of the assets to be invested within various countries is not known. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the close of its taxable year consist of certain foreign stocks or securities, the Fund may elect to “pass through” to you certain foreign income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund. If a Fund in which you hold Fund Shares makes such an election, you will be considered to have received as an additional dividend your share of such foreign taxes, but you may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating your taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating your federal income tax. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. If a Fund does not so elect, the Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by the Fund. Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of Fund Shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.

Real Estate Investments. Non-U.S. persons are generally subject to U.S. tax on a disposition of a “United States real property interest” (a “USRPI”). Gain on such a disposition is generally referred to as “FIRPTA gain.” The Internal Revenue Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of so-called FIRPTA gain by a Fund if certain

requirements are met. If the look-through rule applies, certain distributions attributable to income received by a Fund, e.g., from U.S. REITs, may be treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding taxes, and requiring non-U.S. investors to file nonresident U.S. income tax returns. Also, gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a foreign stockholder that is treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Under certain circumstances, Fund Shares may qualify as USRPIs, which could result in 15% withholding on certain distributions and gross redemption proceeds paid to certain non-U.S. shareholders.

For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, a noncorporate taxpayer is generally eligible for a deduction of up to 20% of the taxpayer's “qualified REIT dividends.” If a Fund receives dividends (other than capital gain dividends) in respect of U.S. REIT shares, the Fund may report its own dividends as eligible for the 20% deduction, to the extent the Fund's income is derived from such qualified REIT dividends, as reduced by allocable Fund expenses. In order for a Fund's dividends to be eligible for this deduction when received by a noncorporate shareholder, the Fund must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the U.S. REIT shares on which the Fund received the eligible dividends, and the noncorporate shareholder must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the Fund Shares.

Index Concentration. In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to RICs, a Fund must satisfy certain diversification requirements. In particular, a Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. Given the concentration of certain indexes tracked by the Funds in a relatively small number of securities, it may not be possible for such Funds to fully implement a sampling methodology while satisfying these diversification requirements. A Fund's efforts to satisfy the diversification requirements may affect a Fund's execution of its investment strategy and may cause a Fund's return to deviate from that of the Index, and a Fund's efforts to track the Index may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the diversification requirements. If a Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC, 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.

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Fund Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if Fund Shares have been held for one year or less, except that any capital loss on the sale of Fund Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid with respect to such Fund Shares.

Taxes on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units. A person who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the applicable Fund Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the applicable Fund Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.

If you create or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Fund Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

The Trust on behalf of each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Fund Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the applicable Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of the securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to

require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Trust does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Fund Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund, the purchaser (or group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

If a Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may bear additional costs and recognize more capital gains than it would if it redeems Creation Units in kind.

Certain Tax-Exempt Investors. A Fund, if investing in certain limited real estate investments and other publicly traded partnerships, may be required to pass through certain “excess inclusion income” and other income as “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”). Prior to investing in a Fund, tax-exempt investors sensitive to UBTI should consult their tax advisors regarding this issue and IRS pronouncements addressing the treatment of such income in the hands of such investors.

Investments In Certain Foreign Corporations. A Fund may invest in foreign entities classified as passive foreign investment companies or “PFICs” or controlled foreign corporations or “CFCs” under the Internal Revenue Code. PFIC and CFC investments are subject to complex rules that may under certain circumstances adversely affect a Fund. Accordingly, investors should consult their own tax advisors and carefully consider the tax consequences of PFIC and CFC investments by a Fund before making an investment in such Fund. Fund dividends attributable to dividends received from PFICs generally will not be treated as qualified dividend income. Additional information pertaining to the potential tax consequences to the Funds, and to the shareholders, from the Funds' potential investment in PFICs and CFCs can be found in the SAI.

Non-U.S. Investors. Ordinary income dividends paid by a Fund to shareholders who are non-resident aliens or foreign entities will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (other than distributions reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends), unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. In general, a Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S. source interest, and a 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. Gains on the sale of Fund Shares and dividends that are, in each case, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. will generally be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates. Non-U.S. shareholders that own, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of a Fund's shares are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning special tax rules that may apply to their investment.

Unless 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 distributions 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 U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

Backup Withholding. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States.

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss 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 Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Tax Issues. A Fund may be subject to tax in certain states where the Fund does business (or is treated as doing business as a result of its investments). Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Funds and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Funds may differ from federal tax treatment.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current federal income tax law of an investment in the Funds. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Funds under all applicable tax laws.

General Information

The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on February 14, 2002. If shareholders of any Fund are required to vote on any matters, shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Fund Share they own. Annual meetings of shareholders will not be held except as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable law. See the SAI for more information concerning the Trust's form of organization.

Management and Organization

Each Fund is a separate series of the Trust, which is an open-end registered management investment company.

From time to time, a Fund may advertise yield and total return figures. Yield is a historical measure of dividend income, and total return is a measure of past dividend income (assuming that it has been reinvested) plus capital appreciation. Neither yield nor total return should be used to predict the future performance of a Fund.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP serves as counsel to the Trust, including the Funds. [ ] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm and will audit the Funds' financial statements annually.

Financial Highlights

These financial highlight tables are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the period since each Fund's inception. Certain information reflects the performance results for a single Fund Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).

The Trust's previous independent registered certified public accounting firm (the “Previous Auditor”) resigned on April 20, 2020. On May 21, 2020, the Board selected EY to replace the Previous Auditor as the independent registered certified public accountant.

EY's report dated September 30, 2024, along with each Fund's financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the Form N-CSR, which is available upon request. Any references to Notes in these financial highlight tables refer to the “Notes to Financial Statements” section of each Fund's financial statements, and the financial information included in these tables should be read in conjunction with the financial statements incorporated by reference in the SAI.

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

Where to Learn More About the Funds

This Prospectus does not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to Fund Shares. An SAI, Form N-CSR and the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, each of which has been or will be filed with the SEC, provide more information about the Funds. The Prospectus and SAI may be supplemented from time to time. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund's performance during the Fund's last fiscal year, as applicable. In the Form N-CSR, you will find each Fund's annual and semi-annual financial statements. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (i.e., it is legally part of this Prospectus). These materials may be obtained without charge, upon request, by writing to the Distributor, State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, by visiting the Funds' website at https://www.ssga.com or by calling the following number:

Investor Information: 1-866-787-2257

The Registration Statement, including this Prospectus, the SAI, and the exhibits as well as any shareholder reports may be reviewed on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). You may also obtain copies of this and other information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: [email protected].

Shareholder inquiries may be directed to the Funds in writing to State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, or by calling the Investor Information number listed above.

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Prospectus in connection with the offer of Fund Shares, and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust or the Funds. Neither the delivery of this Prospectus nor any sale of Fund Shares shall under any circumstance imply that the information contained herein is correct as of any date after the date of this Prospectus.

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

SPDRISFDPROThe Trust's Investment Company Act Number is 811-21145

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION. THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. 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 OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

SPDR® INDEX SHARES FUNDS (THE “TRUST”)

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

[January 31, 2025]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. With respect to each of the Trust's series listed below, this SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated [January 31, 2025] (the “Prospectus”), as may be revised from time to time.

ETF	TICKER
SPDR DOW JONES GLOBAL REAL ESTATE ETF	RWO
SPDR DOW JONES INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE ETF	RWX
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	FEZ
SPDR MSCI ACWI CLIMATE PARIS ALIGNED ETF	NZAC
SPDR MSCI ACWI EX-US ETF	CWI
SPDR MSCI EAFE FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES FREE ETF	EFAX
SPDR MSCI EAFE® STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	QEFA
SPDR MSCI EMERGING MARKETS FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES FREE ETF	EEMX
SPDR MSCI EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	QEMM
SPDR MSCI WORLD STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	QWLD
SPDR PORTFOLIO DEVELOPED WORLD EX-US ETF	SPDW
SPDR PORTFOLIO EMERGING MARKETS ETF	SPEM
SPDR PORTFOLIO EUROPE ETF	SPEU
SPDR PORTFOLIO MSCI GLOBAL STOCK MARKET ETF	SPGM
SPDR S&P CHINA ETF	GXC
SPDR S&P® EMERGING ASIA PACIFIC ETF	GMF
SPDR S&P EMERGING MARKETS DIVIDEND ETF	EDIV
SPDR S&P EMERGING MARKETS SMALL CAP ETF	EWX
SPDR S&P GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF	WDIV
SPDR S&P GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE ETF	GII
SPDR S&P GLOBAL NATURAL RESOURCES ETF	GNR
SPDR S&P INTERNATIONAL DIVIDEND ETF	DWX
SPDR S&P INTERNATIONAL SMALL CAP ETF	GWX
SPDR S&P NORTH AMERICAN NATURAL RESOURCES ETF	NANR

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange for each ETF: NYSE Arca, Inc. (except the SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF (NZAC) is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC)

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. Copies of the Prospectus and the Trust's Annual Reports to Shareholders dated September 30, 2024 may be obtained without charge by writing to State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, the Trust's principal underwriter (referred to herein as “Distributor” or “Principal Underwriter”), One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, by visiting the Trust's website at https://www.ssga.com or by calling 1-866-787-2257. The Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, financial highlights and financial statements of the Funds included in the Trust's Form N-CSR for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

SPDRISFDSAI

TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Description of the Trust	3
Investment Policies	4
Special Considerations and Risks	18
Investment Restrictions	31
Exchange Listing and Trading	33
Management of the Trust	34
Investment Advisory and Other Services	43
Brokerage Transactions	49
Book Entry Only System	52
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities	53
Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units	57
Determination of Net Asset Value	63
Dividends and Distributions	64
Taxes	64
Capital Stock and Other Securities	72
Counsel and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	72
Local Market Holiday Schedules	72
Financial Statements	72
Appendices	A-1

General Description of the Trust

The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on February 14, 2002, and consists of multiple investment series (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The table below provides the establishment date for each Fund.

Fund Name	Establishment Date
SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF	March 5, 2008
SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	August 19, 2002
SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	September 23, 2014
SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	November 12, 2015
SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF	February 26, 2014
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	November 12, 2015
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF	February 26, 2014
SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF	February 26, 2014
SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF	August 19, 2002
SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF	November 18, 2011
SPDR S&P China ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	November 18, 2010
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	March 8, 2008
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF	February 20, 2013
SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF	May 25, 2010
SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF	November 28, 2007
SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF	August 23, 2006
SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF	September 25, 2015

The offering of each Fund's shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The investment objective of each Fund is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return, or the price and yield performance, of a specified market index (each an “Index” and together the “Indexes”). SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser for each Fund, as further described herein.

Each Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (sometimes referred to herein as “NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for (i) a basket of securities designated by the Fund (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”) or (ii) a cash payment equal in value to the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) together

with the Cash Component. The primary consideration accepted by a Fund (i.e., Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash) is set forth under “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units” later in this SAI. The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security and reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash (subject to applicable legal requirements). The Shares have been approved for listing and secondary trading on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”). The Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the Shares' net asset values. The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for either (i) portfolio securities and a specified cash payment or (ii) cash (subject to applicable legal requirements).

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). See “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units.” The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. In addition to the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee, an additional transaction fee of up to three times the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee and/or an additional variable charge may apply.

Investment Policies

Each Fund may invest in the following types of investments, consistent with its investment strategies and objective. Please see the Funds' Prospectus for additional information regarding its principal investment strategies.

DIVERSIFICATION STATUS

The following table sets forth the diversification classification of each of Fund:

Diversified Funds	Non-Diversified Funds
SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF	SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF
SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF	SPDR S&P China ETF
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF
SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF
SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF
SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF
SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF
SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF
SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF
SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF
SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF
SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF
SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF

Diversified Funds	Non-Diversified Funds
SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF
SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF
SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF
SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF

Under the 1940 Act, a diversified investment company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agents or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities would be held by the investment company. A “non-diversified” classification means that a Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that a non-diversified Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund. The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of an Index of a Fund and, therefore, the securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund's portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund's performance or subject the Fund's Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies.

Each Fund seeks to track the performance of its respective Index. The composition of each Index may fluctuate between non-diversified and diversified solely due to changes in weightings of one or more Index components. As a result, a Fund's diversification status may also fluctuate between non-diversified and diversified depending on the composition of, and to approximately the same extent as, its respective Index. To the extent the SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF, SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF, SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF, SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF, SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF, SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF, SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF, SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF, SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF, SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF, SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF, SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF, SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF, SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF, SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF, or SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF become non-diversified solely as a result of tracking its respective Index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities), such a Fund will not seek shareholder approval if and when the Fund shifts from diversified to non-diversified.

Each Fund (whether diversified or non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act) intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a “regulated investment company” (“RIC”) for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and to relieve the Fund of any liability for federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code may severely limit the investment flexibility of a Fund and may make it less likely that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

COMMERCIAL PAPER

Commercial paper consists of short-term, promissory notes issued by banks, corporations and other entities to finance short-term credit needs. These securities generally are discounted but sometimes may be interest bearing.

COMMON STOCK

Risks inherent in investing in equity securities include the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares of the Fund). Common stock is susceptible to general stock market fluctuation and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

Holders of common stock incur more risk than holders of preferred stock and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stock issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to

market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stock which typically has a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stock has neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

CONCENTRATION

Each Fund will concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in the same industry as may be necessary to approximate the composition of the Fund's underlying Index. The securities of issuers in particular industries may dominate the benchmark Index of a Fund and consequently a Fund's investment portfolio. This may adversely affect a Fund's performance or subject its Shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies. The Trust's general policy is to exclude securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities when measuring industry concentration.

In pursuing its objective, each Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the market value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. In particular, as a Fund's size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in its benchmark Index.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES

Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stock. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stock, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stock and interest rates. When the underlying common stock declines in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stock rises in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stock. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS

Each Fund may invest in other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (including ETFs managed by the Adviser). ETFs may be structured as investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act, typically as open-end funds or unit investment trusts. These ETFs are generally based on specific domestic and foreign market securities indices. An “index-based ETF” seeks to provide investment results that match the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index. An “actively-managed ETF” invests in securities based on an adviser's investment strategy. An “enhanced ETF” seeks to provide investment results that match a positive or negative multiple of the performance of an underlying index. In seeking to provide such results, an ETF and, in particular, an enhanced ETF, may engage in short sales of securities included in the underlying index and may invest in derivatives instruments, such as equity index swaps, futures contracts, and options on securities, futures contracts, and stock indices. Alternatively, ETFs may be structured as grantor trusts or other forms of pooled investment vehicles that are not registered or regulated under the 1940 Act. These ETFs typically hold commodities, precious metals, currency or other non-securities investments. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their operation, such as advisory and custody fees. When a Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, including the brokerage costs associated with the purchase and sale of shares of the ETF, the Fund will bear a pro rata

portion of the ETF's expenses. In addition, it may be more costly to own an ETF than to directly own the securities or other investments held by the ETF because of ETF expenses. The risks of owning shares of an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities or other investments held by the ETF, although lack of liquidity in the market for the shares of an ETF could result in the ETF's value being more volatile than the underlying securities or other investments.

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

Each Fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such conversions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the counterparty desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Forward contracts are customized transactions that generally require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future, although the Funds may also enter into non-deliverable currency forward contracts (“NDFs”) that contractually require the netting of the parties' liabilities. Forwards, including NDFs, can have substantial price volatility. While foreign currency transactions on a spot and forward basis are exempt from the definition of “swap” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), NDFs are not, and, thus, are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange. In the event that the parties to a forward contract agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, the contract is no longer exempt from the definition of “swap” under the CEA and shall be treated as a swap. At the discretion of the Adviser, the Funds may enter into forward currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes to help reduce the risks and volatility caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, or to gain exposure to certain currencies in an effort to track the composition of the applicable Index. When used for hedging purposes, they tend to limit any potential gain that may be realized if the value of a Fund's foreign holdings increases because of currency fluctuations.

FUTURES CONTRACTS, OPTIONS AND SWAP AGREEMENTS

Each Fund may invest in derivatives, including exchange-traded futures on indices, exchange-traded futures on Treasuries or Eurodollars, U.S. exchange-traded or OTC put and call options contracts and exchange-traded or OTC swap transactions (including NDFs, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, excess return swaps, and credit default swaps).

Futures and Options on Futures: Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. 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. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument and are traded on futures exchanges.

The Funds may purchase and write (sell) call and put options on futures. Options on futures give the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price upon expiration of, or at any time during the period of, the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true.

A Fund is required to make a good faith margin deposit in cash or U.S. government securities (or other eligible collateral) with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying commodity or payment of the cash settlement

amount) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin deposits which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.

After a futures contract position is opened, the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy price changes, additional payments will be required. Conversely, change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. In such case, a Fund would expect to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying commodity, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (involving the same exchange, underlying commodity, security or index and delivery month). If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs also must be included in these calculations.

Options: A Fund may purchase and sell put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves.

Short Sales “Against the Box”: The Funds may engage in short sales “against the box.” In a short sale against the box, a Fund agrees to sell at a future date a security that it either contemporaneously owns or has the right to acquire at no extra cost. If the price of the security has declined at the time the Fund is required to deliver the security, the Fund will benefit from the difference in the price. If the price of the security has increased, the Fund will be required to pay the difference.

Swap Transactions: Each Fund may enter into swap transactions, including interest rate swap, credit default swap, NDF, and total return swap transactions. Swap transactions are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap transactions will usually be done on a net basis, i.e., where the two parties make net payments with a Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Fund. Swaps may be used in conjunction with other instruments to offset interest rate, currency or other underlying risks. For example, interest rate swaps may be offset with “caps,” “floors” or “collars.” A “cap” is essentially a call option which places a limit on the amount of floating rate interest that must be paid on a certain principal amount. A “floor” is essentially a put option which places a limit on the minimum amount that would be paid on a certain principal amount. A “collar” is essentially a combination of a long cap and a short floor where the limits are set at different levels.

The use of swap transactions by a Fund entails certain risks, which may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the securities and other investments that are the referenced asset for the swap agreement. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index, but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all the possible market conditions. Because some swap transactions have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

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 and/or available index data, which information is carefully monitored by the Adviser 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 regulations adopted by the CFTC and federal banking regulators (“Margin Rules”), a Fund is required to post collateral (known as variation margin) to cover the mark-to-market exposure in respect of its uncleared swaps. The Margin Rules also mandate that collateral in the form of initial margin be posted to cover

potential future exposure attributable to uncleared swap transactions. In the event a Fund is required to post collateral in the form of initial margin or variation margin in respect of its uncleared swap transactions, all such collateral will be posted with a third party custodian pursuant to a triparty custody agreement between the Fund, its dealer counterparty and an unaffiliated custodian.

The requirement to execute certain OTC derivatives contracts on exchanges or electronic trading platforms called swap execution facilities (“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 a Fund to enter into highly tailored or customized transactions and may result in additional costs and risks. Market participants such as the Funds 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, a Fund will generally incur SEF or broker intermediary fees when it trades on a SEF. A 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.

Total Return Swaps: A Fund may enter into total return swap transactions for investment purposes. Total return swaps are transactions in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or security indexes during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate of the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swaps may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market, including in cases in which there may be disadvantages associated with direct ownership of a particular security. In a typical total return equity swap, payments made by a Fund or the counterparty are based on the total return of a particular reference asset or assets (such as an equity security, a combination of such securities, or an index). That is, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, basket of stocks, or stock index in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Total return swaps involve not only the risk associated with the investment in the underlying securities, but also the risk of the counterparty not fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.

Credit Default Swaps: A Fund may enter into credit default swap transactions for investment purposes. A credit default swap transaction may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. A Fund may be either the protection buyer or protection seller in the transaction. Credit default swaps may also be structured based on the debt of a basket of issuers, rather than a single issuer, and may be customized with respect to the default event that triggers purchase or other factors. As a protection seller, a Fund would generally receive an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the protection seller must pay the protection buyer the full face amount of the reference obligations that may have little or no value. If a Fund were a protection buyer and no credit event occurred during the term of the swap, the Fund would recover nothing if the swap were held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurred, the protection buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. Where a Fund is the protection buyer, credit default swaps involve the risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default. The purchase of credit default swaps involves costs, which will reduce a Fund's return.

Currency Swaps: A Fund may enter into currency swap transactions for investment purposes. Currency swaps are similar to interest rate swaps, except that they involve multiple currencies. A Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has exposure to one currency and desires exposure to a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. In addition to paying and receiving amounts at the beginning and end of the transaction, both sides will have to pay in full on a periodic basis based upon the currency they have borrowed. Change in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.

Interest Rate Swaps: A Fund may enter into an interest rate swap in an effort to protect against declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. In such an instance, the Fund may agree to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) while a counterparty agrees to pay a floating rate (multiplied by the same notional amount). If interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the Fund's portfolio, the Fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value.

Options on Swaps: An option on a swap agreement, or a “swaption,” is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. In return, the purchaser pays a “premium” to the seller of the contract. The seller of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes on the underlying swap. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. A Fund may also enter into swaptions on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether the Fund is hedging its assets or its liabilities. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. A Fund may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its holdings, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or for any other purposes, such as for speculation to increase returns. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in a Fund's use of options.

Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

Government Regulation: The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) that was signed into law on July 21, 2010 created a new statutory framework that comprehensively regulated the over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives markets for the first time. Prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, the OTC derivatives markets were traditionally traded on a bilateral basis (so-called “bilateral OTC transactions”). Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain OTC derivatives transactions are now required to be centrally cleared and traded on SEFs.

On October 28, 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 (the “Derivatives Rule”) under the 1940 Act which replaced prior SEC and staff guidance with an updated, comprehensive framework for registered funds' use of derivatives. The Derivatives Rule permits a Fund to enter into derivatives transactions and certain other transactions notwithstanding the restrictions on the issuance of “senior securities” under Section 18 of the 1940 Act. The Derivatives Rule requires the Funds to trade derivatives and certain other instruments that create future payment or delivery obligations subject to a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, develop and implement a derivatives risk management program and new testing requirements, and comply with new requirements related to board and SEC reporting. These requirements apply unless a Fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in the Derivatives Rule. Complying with the Derivatives Rule may increase the cost of a Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. Other 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 Funds.

Regulation Under the Commodity Exchange Act: Each Fund intends to use commodity interests, such as futures, swaps and options on futures in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the CEA. A Fund may use exchange-traded futures and options on futures, together with positions in cash and money market instruments, to simulate full investment in its underlying Index. Exchange-traded futures and options on futures contracts may not be currently available for an Index. Under such circumstances, the Adviser may seek to utilize other instruments that it believes to be correlated to the applicable Index components or a subset of the components. An exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” has been claimed with respect to each series of the Trust in accordance with Rule 4.5 such that registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA is not necessary.

Restrictions on Trading in Commodity Interests: Each Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving futures, options thereon and swaps to the extent allowed by the CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with a Fund's policies.

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 are required to be cleared. In addition, the CFTC may promulgate additional regulations that require clearing of other classes of swaps. In a cleared derivatives transaction (which includes futures, options on futures, and cleared swaps transactions), a Fund's counterparty is a clearing house (such as CME, ICE Clear Credit or LCH.Clearnet), rather than a bank or broker. Since each Fund is not a member of a clearing house and only members of a clearing house can participate directly in the clearing house, a Fund holds 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 cleared derivatives transactions. A Fund makes and receives 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 OTC transactions, 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 in accordance with their rules. Any such increase or termination could interfere with the ability of a Fund to pursue its investment strategy. Also, a 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 a 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 a 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 a 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, all futures and options on futures and some swap transactions are 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 derivatives 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, and the clearing broker may also invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. 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 the relevant 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 member. However, with respect to cleared swaps positions, 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, a Fund is subject to the risk that a clearing house will use the Fund's assets held in an omnibus account at the clearing house to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing house. In addition, clearing members may generally choose to provide to the clearing house the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount for each customer.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

A Fund may take advantage of opportunities in the area of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, warrants, swaps and any other investments which are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund's investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before entering into such transactions or making any such investment, a Fund will provide appropriate disclosure.

ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS

Each Fund may invest in illiquid investments. A Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment means any investment that a 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 investment. If illiquid investments exceed 15% of a Fund's net assets, certain remedial actions will be taken as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act and the Funds' policies and procedures.

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS

A Fund may purchase securities of companies in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). By definition, IPOs have not traded publicly until the time of their offerings. Special risks associated with IPOs may include limited numbers of shares available for trading, unseasoned trading, lack of investor knowledge of the companies, and limited operating history, all of which may contribute to price volatility. Many IPOs are issued by undercapitalized companies of small or micro-cap size. The effect of IPOs on a Fund's performance depends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs the Fund invests in relative to the size of the Fund and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates or depreciates in value.

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Each Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including affiliated funds and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law, regulation, and/or a Fund's investment restrictions, a Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies, including affiliated funds and/or money market funds, in excess of the limits discussed above.

If a Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund's shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund's proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund's own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund's own operations.

INVESTMENTS IN SECURITIES OF CHINESE COMPANIES

Investments in Chinese companies may include B shares of companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, H shares of companies incorporated in Mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, shares of Red Chip companies with controlling Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside of Mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and shares of P-Chips companies with controlling Chinese shareholders incorporated outside of China, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. B shares are equity securities issued by companies incorporated in China and are denominated and traded in U.S. dollars and Hong Kong dollars (“HKD”) on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, respectively. B shares are available to foreign investors. H shares are equity securities issued by companies incorporated in Mainland China and are denominated and traded in HKD on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and other foreign exchanges. P-Chips are equity securities issued by companies incorporated outside of Mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Companies that issue P-Chips generally base their businesses in Mainland China and are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by nongovernment owned entities. Red Chips are equity securities issued by companies incorporated outside of Mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Companies that issue Red Chips generally base their businesses in Mainland China and are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the state, provincial or municipal governments of the People's Republic of China.

The Funds may also gain investment exposure to certain Chinese companies through variable interest entity (“VIE”) structures. Such investments are subject to the investment risks associated with the Chinese-based company. The VIE structure enables foreign investors, such as the Funds, to obtain investment exposure to a Chinese company in situations in which the Chinese government has limited or prohibited non-Chinese ownership of such company. The VIE structure does not involve direct equity ownership in a China-based company, but rather involves claims to the China-based

company's profits and control of the assets that belong to the China-based company through contractual arrangements. The contractual arrangements in place with the China-based company provide limited ability to exercise control over the China-based company and the China-based company's actions may negatively impact the value of an investment through a VIE structure. Control may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds an equity interest in the China-based company breaches the terms of the contractual arrangements or is subject to legal proceedings, or if any physical instruments such as chops and seals are used without authorization.

Intervention by the Chinese government with respect to the VIE structure could significantly affect the Chinese operating company's performance and thus, the value of a Fund's investment through a VIE structure, as well as the enforceability of the contractual arrangements of the VIE structure. In the event of such an occurrence, a Fund, as a foreign investor, may have little or no legal recourse. If the Chinese government were to determine that the contractual arrangements establishing the VIE structure did not comply with Chinese law or regulations, the Chinese operating company could be subject to penalties, revocation of its business and operating license, or forfeiture of ownership interests. In addition to the risk of government intervention, investments through a VIE structure are subject to the risk that the China-based company (or its officers, directors, or Chinese equity owners) may breach the contractual arrangements, or Chinese law changes in a way that adversely affects the enforceability of the arrangements, or the contracts are otherwise not enforceable under Chinese law, in which case a Fund may suffer significant losses on its investments through a VIE structure with little or no recourse available.

LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers in U.S. and non-U.S. markets in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets. The borrowers provide collateral that is marked to market daily in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. A Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the securities loaned. A Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. A Fund cannot vote proxies for securities on loan, but may recall loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund's economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower may be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. A Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain high quality short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser. A Fund could lose money due to a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or any investments made with cash collateral. Certain non-cash collateral or investments made with cash collateral may have a greater risk of loss than other non-cash collateral or investments.

A Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) who administer the lending program for the Funds in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent provides the following services to the Funds in connection with the Funds' securities lending activities: (i) locating borrowers among an approved list of prospective borrowers; (ii) causing the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers; (iii) monitoring the value of loaned securities, the value of collateral received, and other lending parameters; (iv) seeking additional collateral, as necessary, from borrowers; (v) receiving and holding collateral from borrowers, and facilitating the investment and reinvestment of all or substantially all cash collateral in an investment vehicle designated by the Funds; (vi) returning collateral to borrowers; (vii) facilitating substitute dividend, interest, and other distribution payments to the Funds from borrowers; (viii) negotiating the terms of each loan of securities, including but not limited to the amount of any loan premium, and monitoring the terms of securities loan agreements with prospective borrowers for consistency with the requirements of the Funds' Securities Lending Authorization Agreement; (ix) selecting securities, including amounts (percentages), to be loaned; (x) recordkeeping and accounting servicing; and (xi) arranging for return of loaned securities to the Fund in accordance with the terms of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement. State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), an affiliate of the Trust, has been approved by the Board to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds and the Trust has entered into an agreement with State Street for such services.

Among other matters, the Trust has agreed to indemnify State Street for certain liabilities. State Street has received an order of exemption from the SEC under Sections 17(a) and 12(d)(1) under the 1940 Act to serve as the lending agent for affiliated investment companies such as the Trust and to invest the cash collateral received from loan transactions to be invested in an affiliated cash collateral fund.

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process especially so in certain international markets such as Taiwan), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), risk of loss of collateral, credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. If a securities lending counterparty were to default, a Fund would be subject to the risk of a possible delay in receiving collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return a Fund's securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated, plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. Although State Street has agreed to provide a Fund with indemnification in the event of a borrower default, a Fund is still exposed to the risk of losses in the event a borrower does not return a Fund's securities as agreed. For example, delays in recovery of lent securities may cause a Fund to lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price.

LEVERAGING

While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, a Fund may borrow money in an amount greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets. However, under normal circumstances, a Fund will not borrow money from a bank in an amount greater than 10% of the value of the Fund's total assets. Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of a Fund's assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when such Fund's portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund's portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds.

OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS

Each Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, (including money market funds advised by the Adviser), cash and cash equivalents, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds (including those advised by the Adviser); (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers' acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody's Investors Service (“Moody's”) or “A-1” by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that present minimal credit risk; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers' acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. The SEC and other government agencies continue to review the regulation of money market funds. The SEC has adopted changes to the rules that govern money market funds over the years, most recently in July 2023. Legislative developments may also affect money market funds. These changes and developments may affect the investment strategies, performance, yield, operating expenses and continued viability of a money market fund.

PREFERRED SECURITIES

Preferred securities pay fixed or adjustable rate interest or dividends to investors, and are generally senior to common stock, but may be subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure and therefore may be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. There is no assurance that interest payments, dividends or distributions on the preferred securities in which a Fund invests will be declared or otherwise made payable. In the case of

preferred stock, in order to be payable, distributions on preferred securities must be declared by the issuer's board of directors. The market value of preferred securities may be affected by favorable and unfavorable changes impacting companies in the utilities and financial services sectors, which are prominent issuers of preferred securities, and by actual and anticipated changes in tax laws.

Because the claim on an issuer's earnings represented by preferred securities may become onerous when interest rates fall below the rate payable on such securities, the issuer may redeem the securities. Thus, in declining interest rate environments in particular, a Fund's holdings of higher rate-paying fixed rate preferred securities may be reduced and the Fund would be unable to acquire securities paying comparable rates with the redemption proceeds.

PRIVATE PLACEMENTS AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES

Each Fund may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. While such private placements may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often “restricted securities,” i.e., securities which cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or which are not readily marketable because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale. Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act.

Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when the Adviser believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. Market quotations for such securities are generally less readily available than for publicly traded securities. The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for such securities for purposes of computing a Fund's net asset value, and the judgment of the Adviser may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of publicly traded securities. Disposing of such securities, which may be illiquid investments, can involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. A Fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering such securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting such registration.

A Fund may be deemed to be an “underwriter” for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public, and in such event the Fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of it, is materially inaccurate or misleading.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (“REITs”)

REITs pool investors' funds for investment primarily in income producing real estate or real estate loans or interests. A REIT is not taxed on income distributed to shareholders if it complies with several requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets, and income and a requirement that it distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its taxable income (other than net capital gains) for each taxable year. REITs can generally be classified as Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and Hybrid REITs. Equity REITs, which invest the majority of their assets directly in real property, derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs, which invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages, derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. The Funds will not invest in real estate directly, but only in securities issued by real estate companies. However, the Funds may be subject to risks similar to those associated with the direct ownership of real estate (in addition to securities markets risks) to the extent they invest in the securities of companies in the real estate industry. These include declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, dependency on management skill, heavy cash flow dependency, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems, liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants and changes in interest rates. Investments in REITs may subject Fund shareholders to duplicate management and administrative fees.

In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the beneficial tax treatment available to REITs under the Internal Revenue Code, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting investments.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day—as defined below). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by a Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

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

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

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

Each Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. The securities purchased with the funds obtained from the agreement and securities collateralizing the agreement will have maturity dates no later than the repayment date. Generally the effect of such transactions is that a Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases a Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if a Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and a Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of a Fund's assets. A Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements if it either meets the relevant asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act for senior securities representing indebtedness, or elects to treat such arrangements as derivatives transactions under the Derivatives Rule. Each Fund does not expect to engage, under normal circumstances, in reverse repurchase agreements with respect to more than 10% of its total assets.

ROYALTY TRUSTS

Royalty trusts are income-oriented equity investments that indirectly, through the ownership of trust units, provide investors (called “unit holders”) with exposure to energy sector assets such as coal, oil and natural gas. Royalty trusts are structured similarly to REITs. A royalty trust generally acquires an interest in natural resource companies or chemical companies and distributes the income it receives to the investors of the royalty trust. A sustained decline in demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products could adversely affect income and royalty trust revenues and cash flows. Factors that

could lead to a decrease in market demand include a recession or other adverse economic conditions, an increase in the market price of the underlying commodity, higher taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs, or a shift in consumer demand for such products. A rising interest rate environment could adversely impact the performance of royalty trusts. Rising interest rates could limit the capital appreciation of royalty trusts because of the increased availability of alternative investments at more competitive yields.

SAVINGS SHARES

Savings shares are non-voting equity securities which may have certain economic advantages compared to preferred or ordinary common shares such as priority rights to dividends and upon liquidation of the issuer.

STAPLED SECURITIES

A stapled security is comprised of two inseparable parts: a unit of a trust and a share of a company. The resulting security is influenced by both parts, and must be treated as one unit at all times, such as when buying or selling a security. The value of stapled securities and the income they derive from them may fall as well as rise. Stapled securities are not obligations of, deposits in, or guaranteed by, a Fund. The listing of stapled securities on a domestic or foreign exchange does not guarantee a liquid market for stapled securities.

TRACKING STOCKS

Tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. Therefore, tracking stock may decline in value even if the common stock of the larger company increases in value. In addition, holders of tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company's common stock.

U.S. REGISTERED SECURITIES OF FOREIGN ISSUERS

Investing in U.S. registered, dollar-denominated, securities issued by non-U.S. issuers involves some risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability which could affect U.S. investments in foreign countries, and potential restrictions of the flow of international capital. Foreign companies may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. issuers. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payment positions.

A Fund's investment in equity securities of foreign corporations may also be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Depositary Receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust company, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other Depositary Receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary Receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designated for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. A Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts.

WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES

Each Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis. Delivery of and payment for these securities may take place as long as a month or more after the date of the purchase commitment. The value of these securities is subject to market fluctuation during this period, and no income accrues to a Fund until settlement takes place. When entering into a when-issued transaction, a Fund will rely on the other party to consummate the transaction; if the other party fails to do so, a Fund may be disadvantaged.

Securities purchased on a when-issued basis and held by a Fund are subject to changes in market value based upon actual or perceived changes in the level of interest rates. Generally, the value of such securities will fluctuate inversely to changes in interest rates — i.e., they will appreciate in value when interest rates decline and decrease in value when interest rates rise. Therefore, if a Fund purchases securities on a “when-issued” basis, there may be a greater possibility of fluctuation in the Fund's NAV.

Special Considerations and Risks

A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in each Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

GENERAL

Investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of a Fund's portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.

An investment in a Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. Securities of issuers traded on exchanges may be suspended on certain exchanges by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by government authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and instruments that reference the securities, such as participatory notes (or “P-notes”) or other derivative instruments, may be halted.

The principal trading market for some of the securities in an Index may be in the over-the-counter market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of a Fund's Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for a Fund's portfolio securities are limited or absent or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

CHINA A SHARES RISK

Certain Funds may be subject to risks associated with investments in A Shares of Chinese issuers (“China A Shares” or “A Shares”). Subject to minor exceptions, under current regulations in the People's Republic of China (the “PRC”), foreign investors, such as the Funds, can invest in A Shares only (i) through certain foreign institutional investors that have obtained a license from the Chinese regulators and (ii) through the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect or Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (the “Stock Connect program” as further described below).

QFI Investment Risk: [To the extent a Fund's underlying Index includes China A Shares, the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective is dependent on the continuous availability of such A Shares.] Investment companies, such as the Funds, are not currently within the types of entities that are eligible for a Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“RQFII”) or Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“QFII”) license, which two regimes have been combined, effective from May 2020, with a unified set of rules applicable to all RQFIIs and QFIIs by the Chinese regulators (collectively referred to as “Qualified Foreign Investor” or “QFI”). Rather, a Fund may utilize the Adviser's RQFII license granted under QFI regulations to invest in A Shares.

It is also possible that the Adviser's QFI status could be suspended or revoked. Pursuant to PRC and QFI regulations, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) are vested with the power to impose regulatory sanctions if the Adviser, in its capacity as QFI, or the PRC Custodian (as that term is defined below) violates any provision of the QFI regulations. Any such violations could result in the revocation of the Adviser's QFI license or other regulatory sanctions and may adversely affect the ability of a Fund to invest directly in A

Shares. The Adviser is also subject to regulation by certain Hong Kong regulatory authorities, including the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Regulatory matters arising from such regulation could also adversely affect the Adviser's QFI license and ability to provide advisory services, generally.

There can be no assurance that the Adviser will continue to maintain its QFI status. In the event the Adviser is unable to maintain its QFI status, it may be necessary for a Fund to limit or suspend creations of Creation Units. In such event it is possible that the trading price of the Fund's Shares on its Exchange will be at a significant premium to the NAV [(which may also increase tracking errors of the Fund)]. In extreme circumstances, a Fund may incur significant loss due to limited investment capabilities, or may not be able fully to implement or pursue its investment objectives or strategies, due to QFI investment restrictions, illiquidity of the PRC securities markets, and delay or disruption in execution of trades or in settlement of trades.

The current QFI regulations also include rules on investment restrictions applicable to each Fund, which may adversely affect a Fund's liquidity and performance. In addition, because transaction sizes for QFIs are relatively large, the corresponding heightened risk of exposure to decreased market liquidity and significant price volatility could lead to possible adverse effects on the timing and pricing of acquisition or disposal of securities.

The regulations which regulate investments by QFIs in the PRC and the repatriation of capital from QFI investments are relatively new. The application and interpretation of such investment regulations are therefore relatively untested and there is no certainty as to how they will be applied as the PRC authorities and regulators have been given wide discretion in such investment regulations and there is no precedent or certainty as to how such discretion may be exercised now or in the future. Existing QFI regulations may change over time and new QFI regulations may be promulgated in the future and no assurance can be given that any such changes will not adversely affect a Fund or its ability to achieve its investment objective.

PRC Broker and PRC Custodian Risk: The Adviser will have appointed PRC Brokers to execute transactions for certain Funds in the PRC markets. In its selection of a PRC Broker(s), the Adviser will consider factors such as the competitiveness of commission rates, size of the relevant orders and execution standards. Should, for any reason, a Fund's ability to use one or more of the relevant PRC Brokers be affected, this could disrupt the operations of the Fund [and affect the ability of the Fund to track its underlying index], causing a premium or a discount to the trading price of the Fund's Shares.

According to the QFI regulations and market practice, the securities and cash accounts for a Fund in the PRC are to be maintained by a custodian in the PRC subject to local Chinese laws and regulations (the “PRC Custodian”) in the name of “the QFI holder—the Fund.” In the event a Fund invests in A Shares through the QFI license granted to the Adviser, the securities and cash accounts for those Funds in the PRC will be maintained by a PRC Custodian. The PRC Custodian maintains each Fund's RMB deposit accounts and oversees the Fund's investments in A Shares in the PRC to ensure its compliance with the rules and regulations of the CSRC and the People's Bank of China (“PBOC”). A Shares that are traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (“SSE”) or Shenzhen Stock Exchange (“SZSE”) are dealt and held in book-entry form through the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (“CSDCC”). A Shares purchased by the Adviser, in its capacity as a QFI, on behalf of a Fund, may be received by the CSDCC and credited to a securities trading account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Fund and Adviser as the QFI.

Under the investment regulations that permit QFIs to invest in A Shares, the PRC Custodian is required to deposit a minimum amount in the form of a clearing reserve fund, the percentage amount to be determined from time to time by the CSDCC Shanghai and Shenzhen branches, with the CSDCC. The minimum clearing reserve ratio is determined by the CSDCC Shanghai and Shenzhen branches from time to time and will be deposited by the PRC Custodian into its minimum clearing reserve fund. In times of rising PRC securities values, the inability to invest the assets of a Fund retained in the clearing reserve fund may have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund and, conversely, in times of falling PRC security values, the retained assets may cause a Fund to perform better than might otherwise have been the case.

The assets held or credited in a Fund's securities trading account(s) maintained with the CSDCC are segregated and independent from the proprietary assets of the PRC Custodian. The account to which cash is held or credited is required to be maintained separately and independently by the PRC Custodian from its own proprietary accounts or accounts of other customers. However, under PRC law, in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation of the PRC Custodian, cash deposited in a Fund's cash account(s) maintained with the PRC Custodian will not be segregated but will be treated as a debt owing

from the PRC Custodian to such Fund as a depositor. Under such circumstances, a Fund will not have any proprietary rights to the cash deposited in such cash account(s), and such Fund will become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors, of the PRC Custodian.

There is a risk that a Fund may suffer losses from the default, bankruptcy or disqualification of the PRC Broker(s) or PRC Custodian. In such event, the Fund may be adversely affected in the execution of any transaction or face difficulty and/or encounter delays in recovering its assets, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of the PRC Brokers and/or the PRC Custodian in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities. Subject to the applicable laws and regulations in the PRC, the Adviser will make arrangements to ensure that the PRC Brokers and PRC Custodian have appropriate procedures to properly safe-keep each Fund's assets.

Repatriation Risk: SAFE regulates and monitors the repatriation of funds out of the PRC by QFIs. QFIs are currently permitted to make repatriations (up to net redemptions) daily and are not subject to repatriation restrictions or prior approval from the SAFE, although authenticity and compliance reviews will be conducted by the PRC Custodian (as that term is defined above). There is no assurance, however, that PRC and QFI rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Further, such changes to the PRC and QFI rules and regulations may take effect retroactively.

Any restrictions on repatriation of a Fund's invested capital and net profits may impact such Fund's operations, including its ability to meet redemption requests. Furthermore, as the PRC Custodian's review on authenticity and compliance is conducted on each repatriation, the repatriation may be delayed or even rejected by the PRC Custodian in case of non-compliance with the QFI regulations. In such cases, it is expected that redemption proceeds will be paid as soon as practicable and after the completion of the repatriation of the funds concerned. It should be noted that the actual time required for the completion of the relevant repatriation will be beyond the control of the Adviser.

If a Fund becomes subject to repatriation restrictions, it may be difficult for such Fund to satisfy redemption requests in a timely manner. To manage its ability to satisfy redemption requests under such circumstances, it may be necessary for a Fund to maintain higher than normal cash balances, which may cause the Fund to dispose of certain investments at an inopportune time and forego investment opportunities that may have been beneficial to the Fund, adversely affecting the Fund's performance and its ability to achieve its investment objective.

Investing through the Stock Connect Program

A Fund may invest in eligible securities listed and traded on the SSE or SZSE through the Stock Connect program, a securities trading and clearing program developed by The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“SEHK”), SSE and SZSE, Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (“HKSCC”) and CSDCC Limited for the establishment of mutual market access between the SEHK, SSE and SZSE. Among other restrictions, investors in securities obtained via the Stock Connect program are generally subject to Chinese securities regulations and SSE or SZSE rules. Securities obtained via the Stock Connect program generally may only be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred through the Stock Connect program in accordance with applicable rules. The Stock Connect program is recently-established and further developments are likely. There can be no assurance as to whether or how such developments may restrict or affect a Fund's investments or returns. In addition, the application and interpretation of the laws and regulations of Hong Kong and the PRC, and the rules, policies or guidelines published or applied by relevant regulators and exchanges in respect of the Stock Connect program, are uncertain, and they may have a detrimental effect on a Fund's investments and returns. A summary of the risks associated with a Fund's investment through the Stock Connect program is set forth below.

Eligible Securities Risk: As of the date of this SAI, a Fund may invest through the Stock Connect program in shares listed on the SSE that are (a) constituent stocks of the SSE 180 Index; (b) constituent stocks of the SSE 380 Index; (c) A Shares listed on the SSE that are not constituent stocks of the SSE 180 Index or the SSE 380 Index, but which have corresponding H Shares accepted for listing and trading on the SEHK, provided that: (i) they are not traded on the SSE in currencies other than RMB; and (ii) they are not included in the risk alert board. A Fund may invest through the Stock Connect program in shares listed on the SZSE that are: (a) constituent stocks of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Component Index, which have a market capitalization of not less than RMB 6 billion, (b) constituent stocks of the SZSE Small/Mid Cap Innovation Index, which have a market capitalization of not less than RMB 6 billion , and (c) all the SZSE-listed A Shares which have corresponding H Shares listed on the SEHK, except the following: (i) SZSE-listed shares which are not traded in RMB; and (ii) SZSE-listed shares which are under risk alert. The securities eligible to be traded by a Fund through the Stock Connect program are subject to change and any such change may adversely affect the Adviser's ability to effectively pursue a Fund's investment strategy.

Ownership of A Shares Risk: A Shares acquired by Hong Kong and foreign investors, including each Fund, through the Stock Connect program are held by HKSCC as the “nominee holder” of such A Shares. A nominee holder is the person who holds securities on behalf of an underlying investor, or “beneficial owner,” who is entitled to the rights and benefits of the SSE or SZSE securities acquired through the Stock Connect program. Applicable PRC rules, regulations and other administration measures and provisions generally provide for the concept of a “nominee holder” and recognize the concept of a “beneficial owner” of securities and the Stock Connect program rules expressly recognize the rights of a beneficial owner (in this case, a Fund). Separately, under applicable Central Clearing and Settlement System (“CCASS”) rules all proprietary interests in respect of A Shares held by HKSCC as nominee holder belong to the relevant CCASS participants or their clients (as the case may be). However, the precise nature and rights of an investor as the beneficial owner of A Shares acquired through the Stock Connect program and held by HKSCC as nominee holder is not well defined under PRC law and it is not yet clear that such rights can be successfully enforced.

Quota Limitations Risk: Although a Fund's investments through the Stock Connect program, if any, are not subject to individual investment quotas, daily investment quotas apply to all participants in the Stock Connect program. Trading through the Stock Connect program is subject to daily quotas (“Daily Quotas”). The Daily Quotas differ for Hong Kong and foreign investors (including the Funds) trading into Mainland China (“Northbound Trading”) and PRC investors trading into Hong Kong (“Southbound Trading”). The Daily Quotas are applicable to trading activity transacted through the Stock Connect program and are monitored by the SEHK. The Daily Quota limits the maximum net buy value of cross-border trades via Northbound Trading through the Stock Connect program each day, and is set at RMB 52 billion as of the date of this SAI. The Daily Quotas may change throughout the trading day and consequently affect a Fund's ability to trade through the Stock Connect program at any given time during a trading day.

In particular, once the remaining balance of the Daily Quota applicable to Northbound Trading drops to zero or such Daily Quota is exceeded, new buy orders will be rejected (though investors will be allowed to sell their A Shares regardless of the quota balance). Therefore, quota limitations may restrict or limit a Fund's ability to invest in A Shares through the Stock Connect program on a timely basis or at all on any given day.

Restriction on Day Trading Risk: Day (turnaround) trading is not permitted through the Stock Connect program. Investors buying A Shares on day T can only sell the shares on and after day T+1 subject to any Stock Connect program rules.

Order Priority Risk: Where a PRC Broker provides Stock Connect program trading services to its clients, proprietary trades of the PRC Broker or its affiliates may be submitted independently and without the traders having information on the status of orders received from clients. There is no guarantee that PRC brokers will observe client order priority (as applicable under relevant laws and regulations). A Fund may be especially vulnerable to this risk during times Northbound Trading through the Stock Connect program appears to be approaching a Daily Quota limit.

Limited Off-Exchange Trading and Transfers Risk: “Non-trade” transfers (i.e., off-exchange trading and transfers) are permitted in only limited circumstances, such as post-trade allocation of A Shares to different funds/sub-funds by fund managers or correction of trade errors.

Additional Clearing, Settlement and Custody Risk: HKSCC and CSDCC will establish the clearing links between the SEHK and the SSE or SZSE and each will become a participant of each other to facilitate clearing and settlement of cross-border trades. For cross-border trades initiated in a market, the clearing house of that market will on one hand clear and settle with its own clearing participants, and on the other hand undertake to fulfill the clearing and settlement obligations of its clearing participants with the counterparty clearing house. Trading via the Stock Connect program is subject to trading, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in China, which could pose risks to a Fund.

There are risks involved in dealing with the custodians or PRC brokers who hold a Fund's investments or settle a Fund's trades. It is possible that, in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a custodian or PRC broker, a Fund would be delayed or prevented from recovering its assets from the custodian or PRC broker, or its estate, and may have only a general unsecured claim against the custodian or PRC broker for those assets. As discussed above, a Fund's rights and interests in A Shares will be exercised through HKSCC exercising its rights as the nominee holder of the A Shares.

Risk of CCASS Default and CSDCC Default Risk: Investors should note that A Shares held with PRC brokers or custodians in accounts with CCASS may be vulnerable in the event of a default, bankruptcy or liquidation of CCASS. In such case, there is a risk that a Fund may be deemed to not have proprietary rights to the assets deposited in the account with CCASS, and/or such Fund may become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors, of CCASS.

In the event of any settlement default by HKSCC, and a failure by HKSCC to designate securities or sufficient securities in an amount equal to the default such that there is a shortfall of securities to settle any A Shares trades, CSDCC will deduct the amount of that shortfall from HKSCC's RMB common stock omnibus account with CSDCC, such that a Fund may share in any such shortfall.

CSDCC has established a risk management framework and measures that are approved and supervised by the CSRC. Should the remote event of CSDCC's default occur and CSDCC be declared as a defaulter, HKSCC has stated that it will in good faith, seek recovery of the outstanding A Shares and monies from CSDCC through available legal channels or through CSDCC's liquidation process, if applicable. HKSCC will in turn distribute the A Shares and/or monies recovered to clearing participants on a pro-rata basis as prescribed by the relevant CSDCC authorities. In that event, the applicable Fund may suffer delay in the recovery process or may not be able to fully recover their losses from CSDCC.

Participation in Corporate Actions and Shareholders' Meetings Risk: Following existing market practice in the PRC, investors engaged in the trading of A Shares through Northbound Trading will not be able to attend meetings by proxy or in person of the SSE or SZSE listed companies in which it may hold shares, nor will a Fund be able to exercise voting rights of the invested companies in the same manner as provided for in the U.S. and other developed markets.

In addition, any corporate action in respect of A Shares will be announced by the relevant issuer through the SSE or SZSE website and certain officially appointed newspapers. SSE or SZSE listed issuers publish corporate documents in Chinese only, and English translations will not be available, which may adversely affect the information available to a Fund.

Additional Operational Risk: The Stock Connect program is premised on the functioning of the operational systems of the relevant market participants. Market participants are able to participate in the Stock Connect program subject to meeting certain information technology capability, risk management and other requirements as may be specified by the relevant exchange and/or clearing house.

Further, the “connectivity” in the Stock Connect program requires routing of orders across the border of Hong Kong and the PRC. This requires the development of new information technology systems on the part of the SEHK and Exchange Participants (i.e., China Stock Connect System). There is no assurance that the systems of the SEHK and market participants will function properly or will continue to be adapted to changes and developments in both markets. In the event that the relevant systems fail to function properly, trading in A Shares through the Stock Connect program could be disrupted. A Fund's ability to access the A Shares market through the Stock Connect program may be adversely affected.

Differences in Trading Day Risk: The Stock Connect program will only operate on days when both the PRC and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banks in both markets are open on the corresponding settlement days. So it is possible that there are occasions when it is a normal trading day for the PRC market but investors, including the Funds, cannot carry out any A Shares trading. A Fund may be subject to a risk of price fluctuations in A Shares during the time when the Stock Connect program is not trading as a result.

General PRC-Related Risks

Economic, Political and Social Risks of the PRC: The economy of China, which has been in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy, differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, its state of development, its growth rate, control of foreign exchange, protection of intellectual property rights and allocation of resources.

Although the majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels, in recent years, the PRC government has implemented economic reform measures emphasizing utilization of market forces in the development of the economy of China and a high level of management autonomy. The economy of China has experienced significant growth in the past several decades, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and no assurance can be given that such growth will continue. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of high inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

There can, however, be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities markets in the PRC as well as the portfolio securities of a Fund. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy, which may

also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of a Fund. Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions, including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes, limits on repatriation, or nationalization of some or all of the property held by the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities.

PRC Laws and Regulations Risk: The regulatory and legal framework for capital markets and joint stock companies in the PRC may not be as well developed as those of developed countries. PRC laws and regulations affecting securities markets are relatively new and evolving, and because of the limited volume of published cases and judicial interpretation and their non-binding nature, interpretation and enforcement of these regulations involve significant uncertainties. In addition, as the PRC legal system develops, no assurance can be given that changes in such laws and regulations or new laws, regulations or practices relating specifically to the QFI regime and transactions in other Chinese securities will be promulgated, or that their interpretation or enforcement will not have a material adverse effect on a Fund's portfolio securities.

In addition, the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system is unpredictable, such as changes to the existing regulatory environment and government scrutiny in certain areas, uncertain interpretation and implementation of existing laws or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws. For instance, China has tightened regulatory requirements with respect to privacy, data protection and information security, and has promulgated new regulations and policy to regulate certain industries in the past year, which may in turn impact the business operation of the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities. The rapid evolving legal system of China may have a material adverse effect on a Fund's portfolio securities.

Political Tension Risk: Recently there have been heightened tensions in international economic relations and rising political tensions. In particular, political tensions between the United States and China have escalated due to a series of trade, international treaty, tax, and sanctions actions taken by United States against China, among other things, imposition of tariffs on a substantial quantity of Chinese imports; the imposition of sanctions on an expanded number of Chinese companies for their support of China's military industrial complex or alleged human rights violations; enhanced reviews by CFIUS of foreign direct investments in the United States by Chinese companies; the detention by US Customs and Border Protection of products made in Xinjiang involving alleged human rights violations; and the enhancement of extensive export controls on the semiconductor industry, as well as countersanctions or countermeasures from the PRC government that have been triggered or expected to be triggered. Rising political tensions could reduce levels of trade and investments and other economic activities between the two major economies, and any escalation thereof may have a negative impact on the general, economic, political, and social conditions in China and, in turn, adversely impact a Fund's portfolio securities.

Restricted Markets Risk: A Fund's investments in A Shares may be subject to limitations or restrictions on foreign ownership or holdings imposed by PRC laws and regulations. The capacity of a Fund to make investments in A Shares will be affected by the relevant threshold limits and the activities of all underlying foreign investors. Such legal and regulatory restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of a Fund's portfolio holdings [as compared to the performance of its underlying Index.] This may [increase the risk of tracking error and also] affect a Fund's capacity to make investments in A Shares. It is also difficult in practice to monitor the investments of underlying foreign investors, since an investor may make investments through different permitted channels under PRC laws.

A Shares Market Suspension Risk: A Shares may only be purchased from, or sold to, a Fund from time to time where the relevant A Shares may be sold or purchased on the SSE or the SZSE, as appropriate. Securities exchanges in the PRC typically have the right to suspend or limit trading in any security traded on the relevant exchange. In particular, trading band limits are imposed by the stock exchanges, whereby trading in any A Shares on the relevant stock exchange may be suspended if the trading price of the security fluctuates beyond the trading band limit. Such a suspension would make any dealing with the existing positions impossible and may impair the liquidity of such positions, [impact the ability of a Fund to track its Index,] and potentially expose the Fund to losses.

Given that the A Shares market is considered volatile and unstable (with the risk of suspension of a particular stock or government intervention), the creation and redemption of Creation Units may also be disrupted. Such suspensions may be widespread and, on some occasions, have affected a majority of listed issuers in China. A participating dealer may not be able to create Creation Units of a Fund if A Shares are not available or not available in sufficient amounts.

A Shares Tax Risk: While overseas investors currently are exempt from paying capital gains or value added taxes on income and gains from investments in A Shares, these PRC tax rules could be changed, which could result in unexpected tax liabilities for a Fund. A Fund's investments in securities, including A Shares, issued by PRC companies may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by the PRC.

If a Fund were considered to be a tax resident of the PRC, it would be subject to PRC corporate income tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide taxable income. If a Fund were considered to be a non-resident enterprise with a “permanent establishment” in the PRC, it would be subject to PRC corporate income tax of 25% on the profits attributable to the permanent establishment. The Adviser intends to operate each applicable Fund in a manner that will prevent it from being treated as a tax resident of the PRC and from having a permanent establishment in the PRC. It is possible, however, that the PRC could disagree with that conclusion or that changes in PRC tax law could affect the PRC corporate income tax status of a Fund.

The PRC generally imposes withholding income tax at a rate of 10% on dividends, premiums, interest and capital gains originating in the PRC and paid to a company that is not a resident of the PRC for tax purposes and that has no permanent establishment in China. The withholding is in general made by the relevant PRC tax company making such payments. The State Administration of Taxation has confirmed the application to a QFI of the withholding income tax on dividends, premiums and interest. In the event the relevant PRC tax resident company fails to withhold the relevant PRC withholding income tax or otherwise fails to pay the relevant withholding income tax to the PRC tax authorities, the appropriate PRC tax authorities may, in their sole discretion, impose tax obligations on a Fund.

The Ministry of Finance of the PRC, the State Administration of Taxation of the PRC and the CSRC (collectively, the “PRC Authorities”) issued the “Notice on Temporary Exemption of Corporate Income Tax on Capital Gains Derived from the Transfer of PRC Equity Investment Assets such as PRC Domestic Stocks by QFII and RQFII” Caishui [2014] No. 79 (“Notice 79”) on October 31, 2014. Notice 79 states that QFIIs and RQFIIs (without an establishment or place of business in the PRC or having an establishment or place in the PRC but the income so derived in the PRC is not effectively connected with such establishment or place) will be temporarily exempt from corporate income tax on gains derived from the trading of PRC equity investments including A Shares effective from November 17, 2014. In addition, the PRC Authorities issued the “Notice on Taxation Relating to the Pilot Program of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect (Caishui [2014] No.81)” (“Notice 81”) on October 31, 2014 and “Notice on Taxation Relating to the Pilot Program of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (Caishui [2016] No. 127)” (“Notice 127”) on November 5, 2016. Notice 81 and Notice 127 state that the capital gain from disposal of A Shares by foreign investors enterprises via the Stock Connect program will be temporarily exempt from withholding income tax. Notice 81 and Notice 127 also state that the dividends derived from A Shares by foreign investors enterprises is subject to 10% withholding income tax.

There is no indication of how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect and a Fund may be subject to such withholding income tax in the future. If, in the future, China begins applying tax rules regarding the taxation of income from A Shares investment to QFIs or investments through the Stock Connect program and/or begins collecting capital gains taxes on such investments, a Fund could be subject to withholding income tax liability if the Fund determines that such liability cannot be reduced or eliminated by applicable tax treaties. The PRC tax authorities may in the future issue further guidance in this regard and with potential retrospective effect. The negative impact of any such tax liability on a Fund's return could be substantial.

In light of the uncertainty as to how gains or income that may be derived from a Fund's investments in the PRC will be taxed, each Fund reserves the right to provide for withholding tax on such gains or income and withhold tax for the account of the Fund.

Any tax provision, if made, will be reflected in the net asset value of a Fund at the time the provision is used to satisfy tax liabilities. If the actual applicable tax levied by the PRC tax authorities is greater than that provided for by the applicable Fund so that there is a shortfall in the tax provision amount, the net asset value of that Fund may suffer, as such Fund will have to bear additional tax liabilities. In this case, then existing and new investors in that Fund will be disadvantaged. If the actual applicable tax levied by the PRC tax authorities is less than that provided for by a Fund so that there is an excess in the tax provision amount, investors who redeemed Shares before the PRC tax authorities' ruling, decision or guidance may have been disadvantaged, as they would have borne any loss from a Fund's overprovision. In this case, the then existing and new investors in a Fund may benefit if the difference between the tax provision and the actual taxation liability can be returned to the account of a Fund as assets thereof. Any excess in the tax provision amount shall be treated as property of a Fund, and investors who previously transferred or redeemed their Shares will not be entitled or have any right to claim any part of the amount representing the excess.

Stamp duty under the PRC laws generally applies to the execution and receipt of taxable documents, which include contracts for the sale of A Shares traded on PRC stock exchanges. In the case of such contracts, the stamp duty is currently imposed on the seller but not on the purchaser, at the rate of 0.05%. The sale or other transfer by the Adviser of A Shares will accordingly be subject to PRC Stamp Duty, but the Adviser will not be subject to PRC Stamp Duty when it acquires A Shares.

QFIs may also potentially be subject to PRC value added tax at the rate of 6% on capital gains derived from trading of A Shares and interest income (if any). Existing guidance provides a temporary value added tax exemption for QFIs in respect of their gains derived from the trading of PRC securities. Since there is no indication of how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect, a Fund may be subject to such value added tax in the future. In addition, urban maintenance and construction tax (currently at rates ranging from 1% to 7%), educational surcharge (currently at the rate of 3%) and local educational surcharge (currently at the rate of 2%) (collectively the “surtaxes”) are imposed based on value added tax liabilities, so if the Adviser or a Fund were liable for value added tax it would also be required to pay the applicable surtaxes.

The PRC rules for taxation of QFIs and the Stock Connect program are evolving and certain of the tax regulations to be issued by the PRC State Administration of Taxation and/or PRC Ministry of Finance to clarify the subject matter may apply retrospectively, even if such rules are adverse to a Fund and its investors. The applicability of reduced treaty rates of withholding in the case of a QFI acting for a foreign investor, such as a Fund, is also uncertain. The imposition of such taxes, particularly on a retrospective basis, could have a material adverse effect on a Fund's returns. Before further guidance is issued and is well established in the administrative practice of the PRC tax authorities, the practices of the PRC tax authorities that collect PRC taxes relevant to a Fund may differ from, or be applied in a manner inconsistent with, the practices with respect to the analogous investments described herein or any further guidance that may be issued. The value of a Fund's investment in the PRC and the amount of its income and gains could be adversely affected by an increase in tax rates or change in the taxation basis.

The above information is only a general summary of the potential PRC tax consequences that may be imposed on a Fund and its investors either directly or indirectly and should not be taken as a definitive, authoritative or comprehensive statement of the relevant matter. Investors should seek their own tax advice on their tax position with regard to their investment in a Fund.

As described below under “Taxes—Taxation of Fund Investments,” an applicable Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat PRC taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by such Fund as paid by its shareholders. Even if a Fund is qualified to make that election and does so, however, your ability to claim a credit for certain PRC taxes may be limited under general U.S. tax principles and may not extend to taxes that are reserved but not paid.

Should the Chinese government impose restrictions on a Fund's ability to repatriate funds associated with direct investments in A Shares, such Fund may be unable to satisfy distribution requirements applicable to RICs under the Internal Revenue Code, and that Fund may therefore be subject to Fund-level U.S. federal taxes. In the event such restrictions are imposed, a Fund may borrow funds to the extent necessary to distribute to shareholders income sufficient to maintain its status as a RIC.

The PRC government has implemented a number of tax reform policies in recent years. The current tax laws and regulations may be revised or amended in the future. Any revision or amendment in tax laws and regulations may affect the after-taxation profit of PRC companies and foreign investors in such companies, such as the Funds.

Government Intervention and Restriction Risk: Governments and regulators may intervene in the financial markets, such as by the imposition of trading restrictions, a ban on “naked” short selling or the suspension of short selling for certain stocks. This may affect the operation and market making activities related to a Fund, and may have an unpredictable impact on a Fund. Furthermore, such market interventions may have a negative impact on the market sentiment which may in turn affect the performance of [a Fund's underlying Index and, as a result, the performance of] the Fund.

RMB Exchange Controls and Restrictions Risk: It should be noted that the RMB is currently not a freely convertible currency, as it is subject to foreign exchange control policies and repatriation restrictions imposed by the PRC government. There is no assurance that there will always be RMB available in sufficient amounts for a Fund to remain fully invested. Since 1994, the conversion of RMB into U.S. dollars has been based on rates set by the PBOC, which are set daily based on the previous day's PRC interbank foreign exchange market rate. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government introduced a managed floating exchange rate system to allow the value of RMB to fluctuate within a regulated band based on market supply and demand and by reference to a basket of currencies. In addition, a market maker system was introduced to the interbank spot foreign exchange market. In July 2008, China announced that its exchange rate regime was further

transformed into a managed floating mechanism based on market supply and demand. Given the domestic and overseas economic developments, the PBOC decided to further improve the RMB exchange rate regime in June 2010 to enhance the flexibility of the RMB exchange rate. In March 2014, the PBOC decided to take a further step to increase the flexibility of the RMB exchange rate by expanding the daily trading band from +/-1% to +/-2% and may seek to do so again in the future.

However it should be noted that the PRC government's policies on exchange control and repatriation restrictions are subject to change, and any such change may adversely impact a Fund. There can be no assurance that the RMB exchange rate will not fluctuate widely against the U.S. dollar or any other foreign currency in the future. Foreign exchange transactions under the capital account, including principal payments in respect of foreign currency-denominated obligations, currently continue to be subject to significant foreign exchange controls and require the approval of the SAFE. On the other hand, the existing PRC foreign exchange regulations have significantly reduced government foreign exchange controls for transactions under the current account, including trade and service related foreign exchange transactions and payment of dividends. Nevertheless, the Adviser cannot predict whether the PRC government will continue its existing foreign exchange policy or when the PRC government will allow free conversion of the RMB to foreign currencies.

RMB Trading and Settlement Risk: The trading and settlement of RMB-denominated securities are recent developments in Hong Kong and there is no assurance that problems will not be encountered with the systems or that other logistical problems will not arise.

QFI Late Settlement Risk: A Fund will be required to remit RMB from Hong Kong to the PRC to settle the purchase of A Shares by that Fund from time to time. [In the event such remittance is disrupted, such Fund will not be able to sample its underlying Index by investing in the relevant A Shares, which may lead to increased tracking error.]

Future Movements in RMB Exchange Rates Risk: The exchange rate of RMB ceased to be pegged to U.S. dollars on July 21, 2005, resulting in a more flexible RMB exchange rate system. China Foreign Exchange Trading System, authorized by the PBOC, promulgates the central parity rate of RMB against U.S. dollars, Euro, Yen, pound sterling and Hong Kong dollar at 9:15 a.m. on each business day, which will be the daily central parity rate for transactions on the Inter-bank Spot Foreign Exchange Market and OTC transactions of banks. The exchange rate of RMB against the above-mentioned currencies fluctuates within a range above or below such central parity rate. As the exchange rates are based primarily on market forces, the exchange rates for RMB against other currencies, including U.S. dollars and Hong Kong dollars, are susceptible to movements based on external factors. There can be no assurance that such exchange rates will not fluctuate widely against U.S. dollars, Hong Kong dollars or any other foreign currency in the future. From 1994 to July 2005, the exchange rate for RMB against U.S. dollar and the Hong Kong dollar was relatively stable. Since July 2005, the appreciation of RMB has begun to accelerate. Although the PRC government has constantly reiterated its intention to maintain the stability of RMB, it may introduce measures (such as a reduction in the rate of export tax refund) to address the concerns of the PRC's trading partners. Therefore, the possibility that the appreciation of RMB will be further accelerated cannot be excluded. On the other hand, there can be no assurance that RMB will not be subject to devaluation.

Offshore RMB (“CNH”) Market Risk: The onshore RMB (“CNY”) is the only official currency of the PRC and is used in all financial transactions between individuals, state and corporations in the PRC. Hong Kong is the first jurisdiction to allow accumulation of RMB deposits outside the PRC. Since June 2010, the CNH is traded officially, regulated jointly by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the PBOC. While both CNY and CNH represent RMB, they are traded in different and separated markets. The two RMB markets operate independently where the flow between them is highly restricted. Though the CNH is a proxy of the CNY, they do not necessarily have the same exchange rate and their movement may not be in the same direction. This is because these currencies act in separate jurisdictions, which leads to separate supply and demand conditions for each, and therefore separate but related currency markets.

The current size of RMB-denominated financial assets outside the PRC is limited. In addition, participating authorized institutions are also required by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to maintain a total amount of RMB (in the form of cash and its settlement account balance with a Renminbi clearing bank) of no less than 25% of their RMB deposits, which further limits the availability of RMB that participating authorized institutions can utilize for conversion services for their customers. RMB business participating banks do not have direct RMB liquidity support from the PBOC. Only the Renminbi clearing bank has access to onshore liquidity support from the PBOC (subject to annual and quarterly quotas imposed by the PBOC) to square open positions of participating banks for limited types of transactions, including open positions resulting from conversion services for corporations relating to cross-border trade settlement. The Renminbi clearing bank is not obliged to square for participating banks any open positions resulting from other foreign exchange transactions or

conversion services and the participating banks will need to source RMB from the offshore market to square such open positions. Although it is expected that the offshore RMB market will continue to grow in depth and size, its growth is subject to many constraints as a result of PRC laws and regulations on foreign exchange. There is no assurance that new PRC regulations will not be promulgated or the relevant settlement agreements between Hong Kong banks and the PBOC will not be terminated or amended in the future which will have the effect of restricting availability of RMB offshore.

Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule: A Fund may be subject to shareholder disclosure of interest regulations promulgated by the CSRC. To the extent they are applicable, these regulations currently would require a Fund to make certain public disclosures when the Fund and parties acting in concert with that Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company (which include A Shares of the listed company). Additional information may be required if a Fund and its concerted parties constitute the largest shareholder or actual controlling shareholder of the listed company. The report must be made to the CSRC, the stock exchange, the invested company, and the CSRC local representative office where the listed company is located. The Fund would also be required to make a public announcement through a media outlet designated by the CSRC. The public announcement must contain the same content as the official report.

If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered by a Fund and parties acting in concert with that Fund, such Fund would be required to file its report within three days of the date the threshold is reached. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may undermine a Fund's performance, if the Fund would otherwise make trades during that period but is prevented from doing so by the regulations.

The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, under a conservative interpretation of these regulations, a Fund may be deemed as a “concerted party” of other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that the Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law.

Once a Fund and parties acting in concert reach the 5% trading threshold as to any listed company, any subsequent incremental increase or decrease of 5% or more will trigger a further reporting requirement and an additional three-day trading freeze, and also an additional freeze on trading within three days of the Fund's report and announcement of the incremental change. These trading freezes may undermine a Fund's performance as described above. Also, SSE requirements currently require a Fund and parties acting in concert, once they have reached the 5% threshold, to disclose whenever their shareholding drops below this threshold (even as a result of trading which is less than the 5% incremental change that would trigger a reporting requirement under the relevant CSRC regulation).

CSRC regulations also contain additional disclosure (and tender offer) requirements that apply when an investor and parties acting in concert reach certain thresholds in excess of 10%. Subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may be applicable to the trading of a Fund with the result that where the holdings of the Fund (possibly with the holdings of other investors deemed as concert parties of such Fund) exceed 5% of the total issued shares of a listed company, the Fund may not reduce its holdings in the company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company. If a Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the listed company. In addition, the rule limits the ability of the Fund to repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Moreover, under PRC civil procedures, a Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question. These risks may greatly impair the performance of the applicable Fund.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST RISK

An investment in a Fund may be subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, the Adviser or its affiliates may provide services to a Fund, such as securities lending agency services, custodial, administrative, bookkeeping, and accounting services, transfer agency and shareholder servicing, securities brokerage services, and other services for which the Fund would compensate the Adviser and/or such affiliates. A Fund may invest in other pooled investment vehicles sponsored, managed, or otherwise affiliated with the Adviser. There is no assurance that the rates at which a Fund pays fees or expenses to the Adviser or its affiliates, or the terms on which it enters into transactions with the Adviser or its affiliates, will be the most favorable available in the market generally or as favorable as the rates the Adviser makes available to other clients. Because of its financial interest, the Adviser may have an incentive to enter into transactions or arrangements on behalf of a Fund with itself or its affiliates in circumstances where it might not have done so in the absence of that interest.

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

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

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

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that under Securities Act Rule 153, a prospectus-delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that a Fund's Prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

SSGA or its affiliates (the “Selling Shareholder”) may purchase Creation Units through a broker-dealer to “seed” (in whole or in part) Funds as they are launched, or may purchase shares from broker-dealers or other investors that have previously provided “seed” for Funds when they were launched or otherwise in secondary market transactions, and because the Selling Shareholder may be deemed an affiliate of such Funds, the Shares are being registered to permit the resale of these shares from time to time after purchase. The Funds will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these Shares.

The Selling Shareholder intends to sell all or a portion of the Shares owned by it and offered hereby from time to time directly or through one or more broker-dealers, and may also hedge such positions. The Shares may be sold on any national securities exchange on which the Shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve cross or block transactions.

The Selling Shareholder may also loan or pledge Shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such Shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Selling Shareholder may also enter into options or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of Shares, which Shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell.

The Selling Shareholder and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of Shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions paid to any such broker-dealer or agent and any profit on the resale of the Shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The Selling Shareholder who may be deemed an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

COUNTERPARTY RISK

Counterparty risk with respect to derivatives has been and may continue to be affected by new rules and regulations affecting the derivatives market. Some derivatives transactions are required to be centrally 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 derivatives transaction. Credit risk of

market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally cleared is concentrated in a few clearing houses, and it is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted, what effect the insolvency proceeding would have on any recovery by a Fund, and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system more generally.

FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS

There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract or option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close a futures or options position. In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Fund may be required to make delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts it has sold.

Each Fund will minimize the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures or options contract by only entering into futures and options for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Funds do not plan to use futures and options contracts, when available, in this manner. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. A Fund, however, may utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit its risk exposure to that which is comparable to what it would have incurred through direct investment in securities.

Utilization of futures transactions by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to its benchmark Index if the index underlying the futures contracts differs from the benchmark Index or if the futures contracts do not track the benchmark Index as expected. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option.

Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The “daily price fluctuation limit” or “daily limit” establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, generally no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.

RISKS OF SWAP AGREEMENTS

Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor.

The use of interest-rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index, but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.

The absence of a regulated execution facility or contract market and lack of liquidity for swap transactions has led, in some instances, to difficulties in trading and valuation, especially in the event of market disruptions. Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps are required to be centrally cleared. In a cleared derivatives transaction, a Fund's counterparty to the transaction is a central derivatives clearing organization, or clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Because the Funds are not members of a clearing house, and only members of a clearing house can participate directly in the clearing house, each Fund holds cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives transactions, a Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house. Centrally cleared derivative arrangements may be less

favorable to a Fund than bilateral (non-cleared) arrangements. For example, a Fund may be required to provide greater amounts of margin for cleared derivatives transactions than for bilateral derivatives transactions. Also, in contrast to bilateral derivatives transactions, in some cases following a period of notice to a Fund, a clearing member generally can require termination of existing cleared derivatives transactions at any time or an increase in margin requirements above the margin that the clearing member required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing transactions or to terminate transactions at any time in accordance with their rules. A Fund is subject to risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or which SSGA FM expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund's behalf. In that case, the transaction might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of the transaction, including loss of an increase in the value of the transaction and loss of hedging protection. In addition, the documentation governing the relationship between a Fund and clearing members is drafted by the clearing members and generally is less favorable to the Fund than typical bilateral derivatives documentation.

These clearing rules and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, restrict a 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, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. These regulations, as applicable to swaps, are relatively new and evolving, so their potential impact on a Fund and the financial system are not yet known.

Because they are two party contracts that may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid and subject to a Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid investments. To the extent that a swap is not liquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Like most other investments, swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to a Fund's interest.

If a Fund uses a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, a portfolio investment, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the portfolio investment. This could cause substantial losses for the Fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other Fund investments. Many swaps are complex and often valued subjectively.

EUROPE – RECENT EVENTS

A number of countries in Europe, including Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal, have substantial government debt levels. The concern over these debt levels has led to volatility in the European financial markets, which has adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe. For some countries, the ability to repay sovereign debt is in question, and default is possible, which could affect their ability to borrow in the future. Several countries have agreed to multi-year bailout loans from the European Central Bank, the IMF, and other institutions. A default or debt restructuring by any European country can adversely impact holders of that country's debt and can affect exposures to other European Union (“EU”) countries and their financial companies as well. These financial difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within or outside Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences.

Uncertainties regarding the viability of the EU have impacted and may continue to impact markets in the United States and around the world. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as “Brexit”) and entered an 11-month transition period. The transition period concluded on December 31, 2020, and the United Kingdom left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. Certain aspects of Brexit have had an adverse impact on the region, leading to increased inflation, labor shortages and business closures, among others. The full scope and nature of the consequences of the exit are not at this time known and are unlikely to be known for a significant period of time. It is also unknown whether the United Kingdom's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Any additional exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, may have a significant impact on the United Kingdom, Europe, and global economies, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, new legal and regulatory uncertainties and potentially lower economic growth for such economies that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of a Fund's investments.

MARKET TURBULENCE RESULTING FROM INFECTIOUS ILLNESS

A widespread outbreak of an infectious illness, such as COVID-19, may lead to governments and businesses world-wide taking aggressive measures, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines of large populations. As occurred in the wake of COVID-19, the spread of such an illness may result in the disruption of and delays in the delivery of healthcare services and processes, the cancellation of organized events and educational institutions, the disruption of production and supply chains, a decline in consumer demand for certain goods and services, and general concern and uncertainty, all of which may contribute to increased volatility in global markets. COVID-19, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations, the global economy, individual companies, sectors and industries, and capital markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to limited health care resources. Political, economic and social stresses caused by infectious illness also may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The duration of such an illness and its effects cannot be determined at this time, but the effects could be present for an extended period of time.

RUSSIA SANCTIONS RISK

Sanctions threatened or imposed by a number of jurisdictions, including the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and other intergovernmental actions that have been or may be undertaken in the future, against Russia, Russian entities or Russian individuals, may result in the devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in the country's credit rating, an immediate freeze of Russian assets, a decline in the value and liquidity of Russian securities, property or interests, and/or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy or a Fund. The scope and scale of sanctions in place at a particular time may be expanded or otherwise modified in a way that have negative effects on a Fund. Sanctions, or the threat of new or modified sanctions, could impair the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, hold, receive, deliver or otherwise transact in certain affected securities or other investment instruments. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or other actions in response, which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. These sanctions, and the resulting disruption of the Russian economy, may cause volatility in other regional and global markets and may negatively impact the performance of various sectors and industries, as well as companies in other countries, which could have a negative effect on the performance of a Fund, even if a Fund does not have direct exposure to securities of Russian issuers. As a collective result of the imposition of sanctions, Russian government countermeasures and the impact that they have had on the trading markets for Russian securities, certain Funds have used, and may in the future use, fair valuation procedures approved by the Fund's Board to value certain Russian securities, which could result in such securities being deemed to have a zero value.

A reduction in liquidity of certain Fund holdings as a result of sanctions and related actions may cause a Fund to experience increased premiums or discounts to its NAV and/or wider bid-ask spreads. Additionally, if it becomes impracticable or unlawful for a Fund to hold securities subject to, or otherwise affected by, sanctions, or if deemed appropriate by the Fund's investment adviser, the Fund may prohibit in-kind deposits of the affected securities in connection with creation transactions and instead require a cash deposit, which may also increase the Fund's transaction costs.

TAX RISKS

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

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

Investment Restrictions

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to each Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of a Fund's outstanding voting securities. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund means the vote, at an annual or a special meeting of the security holders of the Trust, of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund

present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:

Concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in the same industry, except as may be necessary to approximate the composition of the Fund's underlying Index;(1)

Make loans to another person except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund;

Issue senior securities or borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund;

Invest directly in real estate unless the real estate is acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction shall not preclude the Fund from investing in companies that deal in real estate or in instruments that are backed or secured by real estate;

Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with the Fund's purchase and sale of portfolio securities; or

Invest in commodities except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, each Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without a shareholder vote. Each Fund will not:

Invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, provided that the Trust may vote the investment securities owned by the Fund in accordance with its views; or

Under normal circumstances:

a. with respect to the SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF and SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF, invest less than 80% of its total assets in component securities that comprise its relevant benchmark Index;

b. with respect to the Funds (except the SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF and SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF), invest less than 80% of its total assets in component securities that comprise its relevant benchmark Index and in depositary receipts (including ADRs or GDRs) based on the securities in its Index;

c. with respect to the SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of Asian Pacific companies. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

d. with respect to the SPDR S&P China ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of Chinese companies. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

e. with respect to the SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF and the SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of small capitalization companies. Prior to any change in each Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

f. with respect to the SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF and the SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of real estate companies. Prior to any change in each Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

g. with respect to the SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of companies in the infrastructure industry. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

(1)

The SEC Staff considers concentration to involve more than 25% of a fund's assets to be invested in an industry or group of industries.

h. with respect to the SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of natural resources and commodities companies. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

i. with respect to the SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of European, Australasian and/or Far Eastern companies. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

j. with respect to the SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of North American natural resources and commodities companies. Prior to any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice;

k. with respect to the SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF and the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF, invest less than 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of companies that do not own fossil fuel reserves. Prior to any change in each Fund's 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days' written notice.

In addition, with respect to SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF and SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF, each Fund will neither invest in securitized instruments (including asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, or asset-backed commercial paper) nor sweep excess cash into any non-governmental money market fund.

The Funds define the foregoing terms in accordance with the definition of such terms per the applicable Index. If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).

The 1940 Act currently permits each Fund to loan up to 33 1/3% of its total assets. With respect to borrowing, the 1940 Act presently allows each Fund to: (1) borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets, (2) borrow money for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time of the loan, and (3) enter into reverse repurchase agreements. However, under normal circumstances any borrowings by a Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund's total assets. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, with appropriate asset coverage. With respect to investments in commodities, the 1940 Act presently permits the Funds to invest in commodities in accordance with investment policies contained in its prospectus and SAI. Any such investment shall also comply with the CEA and the rules and regulations thereunder. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have the fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Funds will not purchase or sell real estate, except that a Fund may invest in companies that deal in real estate (including REITs) or in instruments that are backed or secured by real estate.

Exchange Listing and Trading

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus under “PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION” and “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

The Shares of each Fund are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of a Fund will continue to be met.

The Exchange may consider the suspension of trading in, and may initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares of a Fund under any of the following circumstances: (i) if the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the applicable listing requirements set forth in the Exchange's rules; (iii) if, following the initial twelve-month period after commencement of trading on the

Exchange of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Fund; or (iv) if such other event shall occur or condition exists which, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of a Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the Share price of a Fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund or an investor's equity interest in the Fund.

As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers' commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

The base and trading currencies of each Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which a Fund's net asset value per Share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which Shares of a Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.

Management of the Trust

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “MANAGEMENT.”

BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES

The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described in this SAI, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.

Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, Distributor, Administrator and Sub-Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust's service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. 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 Funds. The Funds and their service providers 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. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of a Fund's portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds' service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a Fund, at which time the Fund's Adviser presents the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund, as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Fund's Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophies, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructures. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser and other service providers, such as the Fund's independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which a Fund may be exposed.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser's adherence to each Fund's investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund's investments.

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and any sub-adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the Funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Regular reports are made to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund's financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Funds' internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified and/or quantified, 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 a Fund's goals, 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. Most of the Funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Fund's Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

There are eight members of the Board of Trustees, seven of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). Carl Verboncoeur, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a super-majority (87.5%) of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an Independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from fund management.

The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Trustee Committee. The Audit Committee and Trustee Committee are each chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of all of the Independent Trustees.

Set forth below are the names, year of birth, position with the Trust, length of term of office, and the principal occupations during the last five years and other directorships held of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee or Officer of the Trust.

TRUSTEES

Name, Address and Year of Birth	Position(s) With Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee†	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past Five Years
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
CARL G. VERBONCOEUR c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1952	Independent Trustee, Chairman, Trustee Committee Chair	Term: Unlimited Served: since April 2010	Self-employed consultant since 2009.	[142]	None.

Name, Address and Year of Birth	Position(s) With Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee†	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past Five Years
DWIGHT D. CHURCHILL c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1953	Independent Trustee	Term: Unlimited Served: since April 2010	Self-employed consultant since 2010; CEO and President, CFA Institute (June 2014 - January 2015).	[142]	Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (Director) (2010 - present).
CLARE S. RICHER c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1958	Independent Trustee	Term: Unlimited Served: since July 2018	Retired. Chief Financial Officer, Putnam Investments LLC (December 2008 - May 2017).	[142]	Principal Financial Group (Director and Financial Committee Chair) (2020 – present); Bain Capital Specialty Finance (Director) (2019 – present); Bain Capital Private Credit (Director) (2022 – present); University of Notre Dame (Trustee) (2015 – present).
SANDRA G. SPONEM c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1958	Independent Trustee, Audit Committee Chair	Term: Unlimited Served: since July 2018	Retired. Chief Financial Officer, M.A. Mortenson Companies, Inc. (construction and real estate company) (February 2007 - April 2017).	[142]	Rydex Series Funds (52 portfolios), Rydex Dynamic Funds (8 portfolios) and Rydex Variable Trust (49 portfolios) (Trustee) (2016 – present); Guggenheim Strategy Funds Trust (3 portfolios), Guggenheim Funds Trust (18 portfolios), Guggenheim Taxable Municipal Bond & Investment Grade Debt Trust, Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund, Guggenheim Variable Funds Trust (14 portfolios), and Transparent Value Trust (5 portfolios) (Trustee) (2019-present); Guggenheim Active Allocation Fund (Trustee) (2021-present); Fiduciary/Claymore Energy Infrastructure Fund (Trustee) (2019-2022); Guggenheim Enhanced Equity Income Fund and Guggenheim Credit Allocation Fund (Trustee) (2019-2021); and Guggenheim Energy & Income Fund (Trustee) (2015 - 2023).
CAROLYN M. CLANCY c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1960	Independent Trustee	Term Unlimited Served: since October 2022	Retired. Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy, Analytics and Market Readiness, Fidelity Investments (April 2020 – June 2021); Executive Vice President, Head of Broker Dealer Business,	[142]	Assumption University (Trustee) (2011 – 2021) and (2022 – present); Big Sister Association of Greater Boston (Director) (2016 – 2023).

Name, Address and Year of Birth	Position(s) With Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee†	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past Five Years
			Fidelity Investments (July 2017 – March 2020).
KRISTI L. ROWSELL c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1966	Independent Trustee	Term Unlimited Served: since October 2022	Partner and President, Harris Associates (2010 – 2021).	[142]	Harris Associates Investment Trust (8 portfolios) (Trustee) (2010 – present); Board of Governors, Investment Company Institute (Member) (2018 – present); Habitat for Humanity Chicago (Director) (2015 – present).
JAMES E. ROSS* c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1965	Independent Trustee	Term: Unlimited Served: since April 2010	President, Winnisquam Capital LLC (December 2022 – present); Non-Executive Chairman, Fusion Acquisition Corp II (February 2020 – present); Non-Executive Chairman, Fusion Acquisition Corp. (June 2020 – September 2021); Retired Chairman and Director, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (2005 – March 2020); Retired Executive Vice President, State Street Global Advisors (2012 – March 2020); Retired Chief Executive Officer and Manager, State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (May 2017 – March 2020); Director, State Street Global Markets, LLC (2013 – April 2017); President, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (2005 – 2012); Principal, State Street Global Advisors (2000 – 2005).	[153]	Investment Managers Series Trust (50 Portfolios) (2022 – present); The Select Sector SPDR Trust (11 portfolios) (2005 – present); SSGA SPDR ETFs Europe I plc (Director) (2016 – 2020); SSGA SPDR ETFs Europe II plc (Director) (2016 – 2020); State Street Navigator Securities Lending Trust (2016 – 2020); SSGA Funds (2014 – 2020); State Street Institutional Investment Trust (2007 –2020); State Street Master Funds (2007 –2020); Elfun Funds (2016 –2018).

Name, Address and Year of Birth	Position(s) With Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee†	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past Five Years
INTERESTED TRUSTEE
JEANNE LAPORTA** c/o SPDR Index Shares Funds One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1982	Interested Trustee	Term Unlimited Served: since November 2024	Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Funds Management, State Street Global Advisors (August 2024 – Present); Chief Adminis- trative Officer at ClearAlpha Technologies LP (FinTech startup) (January 2021 – August 2024); Senior Managing Director at State Street Global Advisors (July 2016 – 2021); Manager of State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (May 2017 – 2021); Director of SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (March 2020 - 2021); President of State Street Institutional Funds and State Street Variable Insurance Series Funds, Inc. (April 2014 – March 2020).	[142]	Interested Trustee, Elfun Government Money Market Fund, Elfun Tax-Exempt Income Fund, Elfun Income Fund, Elfun Diversified Fund, Elfun International Equity Fund, and Elfun Trusts (2016 – 2021). The Select Sector SPDR Trust (November 2024 – present).

†

For the purpose of determining the number of portfolios overseen by the Trustees, “Fund Complex” comprises registered investment companies for which SSGA Funds Management, Inc. serves as investment adviser, which includes series of the SPDR Series Trust, SSGA Active Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds.

Mr. Ross previously served as an Interested Trustee from November 2005 to December 2009 and from April 2010 to May 2024.

Ms. LaPorta is an Interested Trustee because of her position with the Adviser.

OFFICERS

Name, Address and Year of Birth	Position(s) With Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
ANN M. CARPENTER SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1966	President and Principal Executive Officer; Deputy Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since May 2023 (with respect to President and Principal Executive Officer); Term: Unlimited Served: since February 2016 (with respect to Deputy Treasurer)	Chief Operating Officer, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (April 2005 - present); Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors (April 2005 - present).
BRUCE S. ROSENBERG SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1961	Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer	Term: Unlimited Served: since February 2016	Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (July 2015 - present).

Name, Address and Year of Birth	Position(s) With Funds	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
CHAD C. HALLETT SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1969	Deputy Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since February 2016	Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (November 2014 - present).
ANDREW J. DELORME SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1975	Chief Legal Officer	Term: Unlimited Served: since February 2024	Managing Director and Managing Counsel, State Street Global Advisors (March 2023 - present); Counsel, K&L Gates (February 2021 - March 2023); Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Global Advisors (August 2014 - February 2021).
DAVID URMAN SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1985	Secretary	Term: Unlimited Served: since August 2019	Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Global Advisors (April 2019 - present); Vice President and Counsel, State Street Global Advisors (August 2015 - April 2019).
DAVID BARR SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1974	Assistant Secretary	Term: Unlimited Served: since November 2020	Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Global Advisors (October 2019 - present); Vice President and Counsel, Eaton Vance Corp. (October 2010 - October 2019).
E. GERARD MAIORANA, JR. SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1971	Assistant Secretary	Term: Unlimited Served: since May 2023	Assistant Vice President, State Street Global Advisors (July 2014 - present).
DARLENE ANDERSON-VASQUEZ SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1968	Deputy Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since November 2016	Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (May 2016 - present).
ARTHUR A. JENSEN SSGA Funds Management, Inc. 1600 Summer Street Stamford, CT 06905 1966	Deputy Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since August 2017	Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (July 2016 - present).
DAVID LANCASTER SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1971	Assistant Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since November 2020	Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (July 2017 - present).*
JOHN BETTENCOURT SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1976	Assistant Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since May 2022	Vice President, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management Inc. (March 2020 – present); Assistant Vice President, State Street Global Advisors (June 2007 – March 2020).
VEDRAN VUKOVIC SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1985	Assistant Treasurer	Term: Unlimited Served: since February 2024	Vice President, State Street Global Advisors (2023 – present); Assistant Vice President, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (2011 – 2023).
BRIAN HARRIS SSGA Funds Management, Inc. One Iron Street Boston, MA 02210 1973	Chief Compliance Officer; Anti-Money Laundering Officer; Code of Ethics Compliance Officer	Term: Unlimited Served: since November 2013	Managing Director, State Street Global Advisors and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (June 2013 - present).*

Served in various capacities and/or with various affiliated entities during the noted time period.

INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS

The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his or her ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to him or her by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of his or her duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise his or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each Fund's shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Verboncoeur should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as the Chief Executive Officer of a large financial services and investment management company, his knowledge of the financial services industry and his experience serving on the boards of other investment companies. Mr. Verboncoeur was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in April 2010.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Churchill should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as the Head of the Fixed Income Division of one of the nation's leading mutual fund companies and provider of financial services and his knowledge of the financial services industry. Mr. Churchill was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in April 2010.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Richer should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a large financial services and investment management company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the board of a major educational institution. Ms. Richer was appointed to serve as Trustee of the Trust in July 2018 and elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Sponem should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a large financial services company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the boards of other investment companies. Ms. Sponem was appointed to serve as Trustee of the Trust in July 2018 and elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Clancy should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as an Executive Vice President of a large financial services company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the boards of a major educational institution and a charitable foundation. Ms. Clancy was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Rowsell should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as the President and Chief Financial Officer of a large financial services company, her knowledge of the financial services industry and her experience serving on the boards of a financial services company, a leading association representing regulated investment funds and a charitable foundation. Ms. Clancy was elected to serve as Trustee of the Trust in October 2022.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Ross should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained in his various roles with the Adviser, his knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as Trustee of the Trust since 2005 (Mr. Ross did not serve as Trustee from December 2009 until April 2010).

The Board has concluded that Ms. LaPorta should serve as Trustee because of the experience she has gained in her various roles with an affiliate of the Adviser and her knowledge of the financial services industry. Ms. LaPorta was appointed to serve as Trustee of the Trust in November 2024.

In its periodic 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 Funds.

REMUNERATION OF THE TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The Trust, SSGA Active Trust and SPDR Series Trust (together with the Trust, the “Trusts”) pay, in the aggregate, each Trustee (other than Ms. LaPorta) an annual fee of $300,000 plus $10,000 per in-person meeting attended and $2,500 for each telephonic or video conference meeting attended. The Chairman of the Board receives an additional annual fee of $115,000 and the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional annual fee of $40,000. The Trusts also reimburse each Trustee (other than Ms. LaPorta) for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by him/her in

connection with attending such meetings and in connection with attending industry seminars and meetings. Trustee fees are allocated between the Trusts and each of their respective series in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration the relative net assets of the series. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, no officer of the Trust received compensation in excess of $60,000 from the Trust. Additionally, no Trustee or officer of the Trust is entitled to any pension or retirement benefits from the Trust.

The table below shows the compensation that the Trustees received during the Trust's fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.

Name of Trustee	Aggregate Compensation from the Trust	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Trust Expenses	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement	Total Compensation from the Trust and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees(1)
Independent Trustees:
Carl G. Verboncoeur	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
Clare S. Richer	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
Dwight D. Churchill	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
James E. Ross	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
Kristi L. Rowsell	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
Sandra G. Sponem	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
Carolyn M. Clancy	$[ ]	N/A	N/A	$[ ]
Interested Trustee:
Jeanne LaPorta(2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

(1)

The Fund Complex includes SPDR Series Trust, SSGA Active Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds.

(2)

Not compensated by the Trust due to Ms. LaPorta's position with the Adviser.

STANDING COMMITTEES

Audit Committee: The Board has an Audit Committee consisting of all the Independent Trustees. Ms. Sponem serves as Chair. The Audit Committee meets with the Trust's independent auditors to review and approve the scope and results of their professional services; to review the procedures for evaluating the adequacy of the Trust's accounting controls; to consider the range of audit fees; and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors. The Audit Committee met [four (4) times] during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.

Trustee Committee: The Board has established a Trustee Committee consisting of all the Independent Trustees. Mr. Verboncoeur serves as Chairman. The responsibilities of the Trustee Committee are to: 1) nominate Independent Trustees; 2) review on a periodic basis the governance structures and procedures of the Funds; 3) review proposed resolutions and conflicts of interest that may arise in the business of the Funds and may have an impact on the investors of the Funds; 4) select any independent counsel of the independent trustees as well as make determinations as to that counsel's independence; 5) review matters that are referred to the Committee by the Chief Legal Officer or other counsel to the Trust; and 6) provide general oversight of the Funds on behalf of the investors of the Funds. The Trustee Committee does not have specific procedures in place with respect to the consideration of nominees recommended by security holders, but may consider such nominees in the event that one is recommended. The Trustee Committee met [four (4) times] during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.

OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES

As of December 31, 2024, neither the Independent Trustees nor their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities in the Adviser, Principal Underwriter or any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or Principal Underwriter.

The following table shows, as of December 31, 2024, the amount of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Funds and the Trust:

Name of Trustee	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Trust	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Funds Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies(1)
Independent Trustees:
Carl G. Verboncoeur	None	None	[$50,001 - $100,000]
Dwight D. Churchill	SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF	[Over $100,000]	[Over $100,000]
Clare S. Richer	None	None	[Over $100,000]
Sandra G. Sponem	None	None	[Over $100,000]
Carolyn M. Clancy	SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF	[$10,001 - $50,000]	[Over $100,000]
Kristi L. Rowsell	SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF	[$50,001 - $100,000]	[Over $100,000]
James E. Ross	SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF	[$10,001 - $50,000]	[Over $100,000]
	SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF	[$10,001 - $50,000]
Interested Trustee:
Jeanne LaPorta	None	None	None

(1) The family of investment companies includes series of SSGA Active Trust, SPDR Series Trust and SPDR Index Shares Funds.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust and the Adviser (which includes applicable reporting personnel of the Distributor) each have adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act, which is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the Codes of Ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel, subject to that Code of Ethics, to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.

There can be no assurance that the Codes of Ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each Code of Ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

The Board has delegated the responsibility to vote proxies on securities held by the Funds to the Adviser for all Funds, subject to certain exceptions. The Board has retained authority to vote proxies for certain bank and bank holding company securities (“Bank Securities”) that may be held by one or more Funds from time to time. The Board has adopted the Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.'s (“ISS”) benchmark proxy voting policy with respect to voting such Bank Securities' proxies. The Board has retained this authority in order to permit the Adviser to utilize exemptions from limitations arising under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, that might otherwise prevent the Adviser from acquiring Bank Securities on behalf of a Fund. Each of the Trust's and the Adviser's proxy voting policies, as well as ISS' benchmark proxy voting policy, are attached as appendices to this SAI. Information regarding how a Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available: (1) without charge by calling 1-866-787-2257; (2) on the Funds' website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs; and (3) on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS POLICY

The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust's portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy. The Funds' portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day a Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”). The basket represents one Creation Unit of a Fund. The Trust, the Adviser or State Street will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust, except information may be made available prior to its public availability: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-

day operations of the Funds, including (a) a service provider, (b) the stock exchanges upon which an ETF is listed, (c) the NSCC, (d) the Depository Trust Company, and (e) financial data/research companies such as Morningstar, Bloomberg L.P., and Reuters, or (ii) to any other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception, with the consent of an applicable Trust officer.

Investment Advisory and Other Services

THE INVESTMENT ADVISER

SSGA FM acts as investment adviser to the Trust and, subject to the oversight of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of each Fund. As of [ ], 2024, the Adviser managed approximately $[ ] billion in assets. The Adviser's principal address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. The Adviser, a Massachusetts corporation, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation, a publicly held financial holding company. State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”), consisting of the Adviser and other investment advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation, is the investment management arm of State Street Corporation.

The Adviser serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (“Investment Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust and the Adviser. The Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to each Fund, continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund is terminable without penalty, on 60 days' notice, by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund's outstanding voting securities. The Investment Advisory Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days' notice by the Adviser and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages the investment of each Fund's assets. The Adviser is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of each Fund. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not liable for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the continuation of the Investment Advisory Agreement regarding the Funds is available in the Trust's Form N-CSR for the period ended September 30, 2024.

For the services provided to the Funds under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser monthly fees based on a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets as set forth in each Fund's Prospectus. The Adviser pays all expenses of each Fund other than the management fee, brokerage, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustee's counsel fees), acquired fund fees and expenses, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.

For the past three fiscal years ended September 30, the Funds paid the following amounts to the Adviser:

Fund	2024	2023	2022
SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF	$[ ]	$6,118,984	$7,528,825
SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF	$[ ]	$2,488,608	$4,040,465
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	$[ ]	$6,664,891	$5,710,633
SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF(1)	$[ ]	$279,968	$252,864
SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF(2)	$[ ]	$4,586,589	$5,120,747
SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF(3)	$[ ]	$472,575	$499,118
SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF	$[ ]	$2,817,859	$2,521,446
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	$[ ]	$257,076	$383,808
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF	$[ ]	$128,181	$208,710
SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF	$[ ]	$227,445	$174,220
SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF	$[ ]	$5,662,154	$4,826,949

Fund	2024	2023	2022
SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	$[ ]	$6,861,134	$6,306,837
SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF	$[ ]	$298,226	$247,977
SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF	$[ ]	$508,338	$480,160
SPDR S&P China ETF	$[ ]	$6,743,691	$8,821,327
SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF	$[ ]	$1,732,263	$2,370,271
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	$[ ]	$1,020,461	$1,291,232
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	$[ ]	$4,510,127	$4,075,015
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF	$[ ]	$936,424	$1,115,052
SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF	$[ ]	$2,140,378	$1,981,885
SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF	$[ ]	$14,068,652	$12,037,913
SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF	$[ ]	$2,310,964	$2,719,173
SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF	$[ ]	$2,758,712	$3,015,050
SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF	$[ ]	$2,150,110	$1,993,352

(1)

Amounts are net of management fee waivers and/or reimbursements. The management fees waived and/or reimbursed for fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $[ ], $0 and $0, respectively.

(2)

Amounts are net of management fee waivers and/or reimbursements. The management fees waived and/or reimbursed for fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $[ ], $0 and $0, respectively.

(3)

Amounts are net of management fee waivers and/or reimbursements. The management fees waived and/or reimbursed for fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $[ ], $0 and $0, respectively.

[The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses in an amount equal to any acquired fund fees and expenses (excluding holdings in acquired funds for cash management purposes, if any) for each Fund until January 31, 2026. This contractual fee waiver and/or reimbursement does not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any amounts previously waived or reimbursed. The Adviser may continue this waiver and/or reimbursement from year to year, but there is no guarantee that the Adviser will do so and the waiver and/or reimbursement may be cancelled or modified at any time after January 31, 2026. The waiver and/or reimbursement may not be terminated prior to January 31, 2026 except with the approval of the Board.]

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Adviser manages the Funds using a team of investment professionals. The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of each Fund are:

Portfolio Management Team	Fund
Karl Schneider, Kala O'Donnell and Olga Winner	SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF
Karl Schneider, Juan Acevedo and Thomas Coleman	SPDR S&P China ETF
Karl Schneider and Juan Acevedo	SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF
Karl Schneider and Amy Cheng	SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF
Karl Schneider and David Chin	SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF
Karl Schneider and Michael Finocchi	SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF
Karl Schneider and Olga Winner	SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF
Karl Schneider and Thomas Coleman	SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF
Karl Schneider and Emiliano Rabinovich	SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF
Karl Schneider and Lisa Hobart	SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF
Karl Schneider and Ted Janowsky	SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF
Karl Schneider and Mark Krivitsky	SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF

Portfolio Management Team	Fund
Karl Schneider and John Law	SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF
Karl Schneider and Kala O'Donnell	SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF
Karl Schneider, Emiliano Rabinovich and Olga Winner	SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF
Karl Schneider and Keith Richardson	SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF
Karl Schneider and Amy Scofield	SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF
Karl Schneider and Teddy Wong	SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF

The following table lists the number and types of accounts managed by each of the key professionals involved in the day-to-day portfolio management for each Fund and assets under management in those accounts. The total number of accounts and assets have been allocated to each respective manager. Therefore, some accounts and assets have been counted twice.

Other Accounts Managed as of September 30, 2024

Portfolio Manager	Registered Investment Company Accounts	Assets Managed (billions)*	Other Pooled Investment Vehicle Accounts	Assets Managed (billions)*	Other Accounts	Assets Managed (billions)*	Total Assets Managed (billions)
Karl Schneider	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Juan Acevedo	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Amy Cheng	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
David Chin	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Thomas Coleman	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Michael Finocchi	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Lisa Hobart	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Ted Janowsky	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Mark Krivitsky	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
John Law	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Kala O'Donnell	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Emiliano Rabinovich	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Keith Richardson	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Amy Scofield	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Olga Winner	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]
Teddy Wong	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	[ ]	$[ ]	$[ ]

There are no performance-based fees associated with these accounts.

None of the portfolio managers listed above beneficially owned Shares as of September 30, 2024, except as noted in the table below:

Portfolio Manager	Fund	Dollar Range of Fund Shares Beneficially Owned
[ ]	[ ]	[ ]

Conflicts of Interest. A portfolio manager that has responsibility for managing more than one account may be subject to potential conflicts of interest because he or she is responsible for other accounts in addition to the Funds. Those conflicts could include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of: (a) the portfolio manager's execution of different investment strategies for various accounts; or (b) the allocation of resources or of investment opportunities.

Portfolio managers may manage numerous accounts for multiple clients. These accounts may include registered investment companies, other types of pooled accounts (e.g., collective investment funds), and separate accounts (i.e., accounts managed on behalf of individuals or public or private institutions). Portfolio managers make investment decisions for each account based on the investment objectives and policies and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that portfolio. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of a portfolio manager's responsibility for multiple accounts with similar investment guidelines. Under these circumstances, a potential investment may be suitable for more than one of the portfolio manager's accounts, but the quantity of the investment available for purchase is less than the aggregate amount the accounts would ideally allocate to the opportunity. Similar conflicts may arise when multiple accounts seek to dispose of the same investment. The portfolio managers may also manage accounts whose objectives and policies differ from that of the Funds. These differences may be such that under certain circumstances, trading activity appropriate for one account managed by the portfolio manager may have adverse consequences for another account managed by the portfolio manager. For example, an account may sell a significant position in a security, which could cause the market price of that security to decrease, while a Fund maintained its position in that security.

A potential conflict may arise when the portfolio managers are responsible for accounts that have different advisory fees—the difference in fees could create an incentive for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another, for example, in terms of access to investment opportunities. This conflict may be heightened if an account is subject to a performance-based fee, as applicable. Another potential conflict may arise when the portfolio manager has a personal investment in one or more accounts that participate in transactions with other accounts. His or her personal investment(s) may create an incentive for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to address these potential material conflicts. For instance, portfolio managers are normally responsible for all accounts within a certain investment discipline and do not, absent special circumstances, differentiate among the various accounts when allocating resources. Additionally, the Adviser and its advisory affiliates have processes and procedures for allocating investment opportunities among portfolios that are designed to provide a fair and equitable allocation. With respect to conflicts arising from personal investments, all employees, including portfolio managers, must comply with personal trading controls established by each of the Adviser's and Trust's Code of Ethics.

SSGA's culture is complemented and reinforced by a total rewards strategy that is based on a pay for performance philosophy which seeks to offer a competitive pay mix of base salary, benefits, cash incentives and deferred compensation.

Salary is based on a number of factors, including external benchmarking data and market trends, and performance both at the business and individual level. SSGA's Global Human Resources department regularly participates in compensation surveys in order to provide SSGA with market-based compensation information that helps support individual pay decisions.

Additionally, subject to State Street and SSGA business results, an incentive pool is allocated to SSGA to reward its employees. The size of the incentive pool for most business units is based on the firm's overall profitability and other factors, including performance against risk-related goals. For most SSGA investment teams, SSGA recognizes and rewards performance by linking annual incentive decisions for investment teams to the firm's or business unit's profitability and business unit investment performance over a multi-year period.

Incentive pool funding for most active investment teams is driven in part by the post-tax investment performance of fund(s) managed by the team versus the return levels of the benchmark index(es) of the fund(s) on a one-, three- and, in some cases, five-year basis. For most active investment teams, a material portion of incentive compensation for senior staff is deferred over a four-year period into the SSGA Long-Term Incentive (“SSGA LTI”) program. For these teams, The SSGA LTI program indexes the performance of these deferred awards against the post-tax investment performance of fund(s) managed by the team. This is intended to align our investment team's compensation with client interests, both through annual incentive compensation awards and through the long-term value of deferred awards in the SSGA LTI program.

For the index equity investment team, incentive pool funding is driven in part by the post-tax 1 and 3-year tracking error of the funds managed by the team against the benchmark indexes of the funds.

The discretionary allocation of the incentive pool to the business units within SSGA is influenced by market-based compensation data, as well as the overall performance of each business unit. Individual compensation decisions are made by the employee's manager, in conjunction with the senior management of the employee's business unit. These decisions are based on the overall performance of the employee and, as mentioned above, on the performance of the firm

and business unit. Depending on the job level, a portion of the annual incentive may be awarded in deferred compensation, which may include cash and/or Deferred Stock Awards (State Street stock), which typically vest over a four-year period. This helps to retain staff and further aligns SSGA employees' interests with SSGA clients' and shareholders' long-term interests.

SSGA recognizes and rewards outstanding performance by:

•Promoting employee ownership to connect employees directly to the company's success.

•Using rewards to reinforce mission, vision, values and business strategy.

•Seeking to recognize and preserve the firm's unique culture and team orientation.

•Providing all employees the opportunity to share in the success of SSGA.

THE ADMINISTRATOR, SUB-ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

Administrator: SSGA FM serves as the administrator to each series of the Trust, pursuant to an Administration Agreement dated June 1, 2015 (the “SSGA Administration Agreement”). Pursuant to the SSGA Administration Agreement, SSGA FM is obligated to continuously provide business management services to the Trust and its series and will generally, subject to the general oversight of the Trustees and except as otherwise provided in the SSGA Administration Agreement, manage all of the business and affairs of the Trust.

Sub-Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent: State Street serves as the sub-administrator to each series of the Trust, pursuant to a Sub-Administration Agreement dated June 1, 2015 (the “Sub-Administration Agreement”). Under the Sub-Administration Agreement, State Street is obligated to provide certain sub-administrative services to the Trust and its series. State Street is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation, a publicly held financial holding company, and is affiliated with the Adviser. State Street's mailing address is One Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.

State Street also serves as Custodian for the Trust's series pursuant to a custodian agreement (“Custodian Agreement”). As Custodian, State Street holds Fund assets, calculates the net asset value of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. State Street and the Trust will comply with the self-custodian provisions of Rule 17f-2 under the 1940 Act.

All of a Fund's assets in the PRC, including onshore PRC cash deposits and its onshore A Shares portfolio, will be held by the Custodian through the PRC Custodian. The PRC Custodian serves as such pursuant to an agreement between the Adviser, the PRC Custodian, the Trust and State Street. The PRC Custodian, however, also provides foreign sub-custodial services to each Fund in its capacity as a subcustodian of State Street. In the event other Funds hold assets in the PRC in the future, such assets will also be held by the Custodian through a PRC Custodian. A securities account shall be opened with CSDCC in the joint names of the applicable Licensee (as the RQFII holder) and the applicable Fund. A RMB cash account will also be established and maintained with the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Licensee (as the RQFII holder) and the applicable Fund. The PRC Custodian will, in turn, have a cash clearing account with CSDCC for trade settlement according to applicable regulations.

State Street also serves as Transfer Agent for each series of the Trust pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (“Transfer Agency Agreement”).

Compensation: As compensation for its services provided under the SSGA Administration Agreement, SSGA FM shall receive fees for the services, calculated based on the average aggregate net assets of the Trust and SPDR Series Trust (“SST”), which are accrued daily and paid monthly out of its management fee.

As compensation for its services under the Sub-Administration Agreement, Custodian Agreement and Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street shall receive a fee for the services, calculated based on the average aggregate net assets of the Trust and SST, which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Adviser from its management fee. For each series of the Trust and SST, an annual minimum fee applies. In addition, State Street shall receive global safekeeping and transaction fees, which are calculated on a per-country basis, in-kind creation (purchase) and redemption transaction fees (as described below) and revenue on certain cash balances. State Street may be reimbursed for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to State Street under the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency Agreement.

Additional Sub-Administration Services: Also under the Sub-Administration Agreement, State Street receives: (i) an annual per Fund fee for certain services required in the preparation (including preparing a schedule of quarterly portfolio investments) and filing of Form N-PORT and Form N-CEN with the SEC (“N-PORT Related Services”); (ii) an annual per

Fund fee for services regarding certain liquidity analytics (“Liquidity Risk Measurement Services”) under the Sub-Administration Agreement; and (iii) an annual per Fund fee for certain services related to the preparation of tailored shareholder reports (“Tailored Shareholder Report Services”). N-PORT Related Services, Liquidity Risk Measurement Services, and Tailored Shareholder Report Services fees are paid by the Adviser from its management fee.

SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES

The Trust's Board has approved each Fund's participation in a securities lending program. Under the securities lending program, each Fund has retained State Street to serve as the securities lending agent.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, the income earned by each Fund as well as the fees and/or compensation paid by each Fund (in dollars) pursuant to the Master Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization Agreement among the Trust, SST and SSGA Active Trust, each on behalf of its respective series, and State Street (the “Securities Lending Authorization Agreement”) were as follows:

[To be provided by subsequent amendment]

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, State Street, acting as agent of the Funds, provided the following services to the Funds in connection with the Funds' securities lending activities: (i) locating borrowers among an approved list of prospective borrowers; (ii) causing the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers; (iii) monitoring the value of loaned securities, the value of collateral received, and other lending parameters; (iv) seeking additional collateral, as necessary, from borrowers; (v) receiving and holding collateral from borrowers, and facilitating the investment and reinvestment of all or substantially all cash collateral in an investment vehicle designated by the Funds; (vi) returning collateral to borrowers; (vii) facilitating substitute dividend, interest, and other distribution payments to the Funds from borrowers; (viii) negotiating the terms of each loan of securities, including but not limited to the amount of any loan premium, and monitoring the terms of securities loan agreements with prospective borrowers for consistency with the requirements of the Funds' Securities Lending Authorization Agreement; (ix) selecting securities, including amounts (percentages), to be loaned; (x) recordkeeping and accounting services; and (xi) arranging for return of loaned securities to a Fund in accordance with the terms of the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement.

THE DISTRIBUTOR

State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC serves as the principal underwriter and Distributor of Shares. Its principal address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Investor information can be obtained by calling 1-866-787-2257. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes Shares of each Fund. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below under “PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS.” Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Trust or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust. An affiliate of the Distributor may assist Authorized Participants (as defined below) in assembling shares to purchase Creation Units or upon redemption, for which it may receive commissions or other fees from such Authorized Participants. An affiliate of the Distributor also receives compensation from State Street for providing on-line creation and redemption functionality to Authorized Participants through its Fund Connect application.

The Adviser or Distributor, or an affiliate of the Adviser or Distributor, may directly or indirectly make cash payments to certain broker-dealers for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the SPDR funds, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems.

In addition, as of the date of this SAI, the Adviser and/or Distributor had arrangements whereby they may make payments, other than for the educational programs and marketing activities described above, to Pershing LLC (“Pershing”), RBC Capital Markets, LLC (“RBC”), LPL Financial, LLC (“LPL”), and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, LLC. These amounts, which may be significant, are paid by the Adviser and/or Distributor from their own resources and not from Fund

assets. Pursuant to these arrangements, Pershing, RBC and LPL have agreed to offer certain SPDR funds to their customers and not to charge certain of their customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of certain SPDR funds. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker dealer or intermediary and its clients.

In addition, the Adviser or Distributor, or an affiliate of the Adviser or Distributor, as well as an index provider that is not affiliated with the Adviser or Distributor, may reimburse expenses or make payments from their own assets to other persons in consideration of services, provision of data, or other activities that they believe may benefit the SPDR business or facilitate investment in SPDR funds.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, as to a Fund: (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, on at least 60 days' written notice to the Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is also terminable upon 60 days' notice by the Distributor and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

The continuation of the Distribution Agreement and any other related agreements is subject to annual approval of the Board, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees, as described above.

The allocation among the Trust's series of fees and expenses payable under the Distribution Agreement will be made pro rata in accordance with the daily net assets of the respective series.

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit aggregations of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Participating Parties (as defined in the “Book Entry Only System” section below) and/or DTC Participants (as defined below).

Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Distributor, and may indemnify Soliciting Dealers and Authorized Participants (as described below) entering into agreements with the Distributor, for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement or other agreement, as applicable.

Brokerage Transactions

All portfolio transactions are placed on behalf of the Funds by the Adviser. Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are affected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. Ordinarily commissions are not charged on over-the-counter orders (e.g., fixed income securities) because the Funds pay a spread which is included in the cost of the security and represents the difference between the dealer's quoted price at which it is willing to sell the security and the dealer's quoted price at which it is willing to buy the security. When a Fund executes an over-the-counter order with an electronic communications network or an alternative trading system, a commission is charged by such electronic communications networks and alternative trading systems as they execute such orders on an agency basis. Securities may be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees.

In placing a portfolio transaction, the Adviser seeks to achieve best execution. The Adviser's duty to seek best execution requires the Adviser to take reasonable steps to obtain for the client as favorable an overall result as possible for Fund portfolio transactions under the circumstances, taking into account various factors that are relevant to the particular transaction.

The Adviser refers to and selects from the list of approved trading counterparties maintained by the Adviser's Credit Risk Management team. In selecting a trading counterparty for a particular trade, the Adviser seeks to weigh relevant factors including, but not limited to the following:

•Prompt and reliable execution;

•The competitiveness of commission rates and spreads, if applicable;

•The financial strength, stability and/or reputation of the trading counterparty;

•The willingness and ability of the executing trading counterparty to execute transactions (and commit capital) of size in liquid and illiquid markets without disrupting the market for the security;

•Local laws, regulations or restrictions;

•The ability of the trading counterparty to maintain confidentiality;

•The availability and capability of execution venues, including electronic communications networks for trading and execution management systems made available to Adviser;

•Market share;

•Liquidity;

•Price;

•Execution related costs;

•History of execution of orders;

•Likelihood of execution and settlement;

•Order size and nature;

•Clearance and settlement capabilities, especially in high volatility market environments;

•Availability of lendable securities;

•Sophistication of the trading counterparty's trading capabilities and infrastructure/facilities;

•The operational efficiency with which transactions are processed and cleared, taking into account the order size and complexity;

•Speed and responsiveness to the Adviser;

•Access to secondary markets;

•Counterparty exposure; and

•Depending upon the circumstances, the Adviser may take other relevant factors into account if the Adviser believes that these are important in taking all sufficient steps to obtain the best possible result for execution of the order.

In selecting a trading counterparty, the price of the transaction and costs related to the execution of the transaction typically merit a high relative importance, depending on the circumstances. The Adviser does not necessarily select a trading counterparty based upon price and costs but may take other relevant factors into account if it believes that these are important in taking reasonable steps to obtain the best possible result for a Fund under the circumstances. Consequently, the Adviser may cause a client to pay a trading counterparty more than another trading counterparty might have charged for the same transaction in recognition of the value and quality of the brokerage services provided. The following matters may influence the relative importance that the Adviser places upon the relevant factors:

(i)

The nature and characteristics of the order or transaction. For example, size of order, market impact of order, limits, or other instructions relating to the order;

(ii)

The characteristics of the financial instrument(s) or other assets which are the subject of that order. For example, whether the order pertains to an equity, fixed income, derivative or convertible instrument;

(iii)

The characteristics of the execution venues to which that order can be directed, if relevant. For example, availability and capabilities of electronic trading systems;

(iv)

Whether the transaction is a ‘delivery versus payment' or ‘over-the-counter' transaction. The creditworthiness of the trading counterparty, the amount of existing exposure to a trading counterparty and trading counterparty settlement capabilities may be given a higher relative importance in the case of ‘over-the-counter' transactions; and/or

(v)

Any other circumstances that the Adviser believes are relevant at the time.

The process by which trading counterparties are selected to effect transactions is designed to exclude consideration of the sales efforts conducted by broker-dealers in relation to the Funds.

The Adviser does not currently use the Funds' assets in connection with third-party soft dollar arrangements. While the Adviser does not currently use “soft” or commission dollars paid by the Funds for the purchase of third-party research, the Adviser reserves the right to do so in the future.

The Funds will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

The table below shows the aggregate dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the past three fiscal years ended September 30. None of the brokerage commissions paid were paid to affiliated brokers. Brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may be substantially different from year to year for multiple reasons, including market volatility, the demand for a particular Fund, or increases or decreases in trading volume.

Fund	2024	2023	2022
SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF	$[ ]	$27,777	$53,715
SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF	$[ ]	$13,903	$50,806
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	$[ ]	$105,066	$60,973
SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	$[ ]	$38,671	$38,099
SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF	$[ ]	$58,199	$51,860
SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	$[ ]	$4,327	$5,326
SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF	$[ ]	$56,641	$58,037
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	$[ ]	$13,965	$27,619
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF	$[ ]	$14,141	$28,485
SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF	$[ ]	$1,797	$1,626
SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF	$[ ]	$339,926	$254,561
SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	$[ ]	$1,100,753	$948,935
SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF	$[ ]	$9,024	$5,518
SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF	$[ ]	$18,366	$21,842
SPDR S&P China ETF	$[ ]	$202,534	$173,550
SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF	$[ ]	$28,009	$31,969
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	$[ ]	$216,040	$229,667
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	$[ ]	$273,159	$187,555
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF	$[ ]	$69,463	$78,827
SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF	$[ ]	$28,287	$30,304
SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF	$[ ]	$204,354	$276,850
SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF	$[ ]	$171,556	$198,761
SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF	$[ ]	$66,839	$55,898
SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF	$[ ]	$29,606	$65,547

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers”: The Trust is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust's portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust's shares.

The Trust's holdings in Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers as of September 30, 2024:

[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]
[ ]	$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover: Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. The Funds may experience higher portfolio turnover when migrating to a different benchmark index. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions and transaction costs is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and transaction costs paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.

Book Entry Only System

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in the limited circumstance provided below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of each Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third party service, shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third party service, shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant and/or third party service a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of a Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

Although the Funds do not have information concerning their beneficial ownership held in the names of DTC Participants, as of January [ ], 2025, the names, addresses and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Funds were as follows:

Fund	Name and Address	%Ownership
SPDR DOW JONES GLOBAL REAL ESTATE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR DOW JONES INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI ACWI CLIMATE PARIS ALIGNED ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI ACWI EX-US ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EAFE FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES FREE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EAFE STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]

Fund	Name and Address	%Ownership
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EMERGING MARKETS FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES FREE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI WORLD STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO DEVELOPED WORLD EX-US ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO EMERGING MARKETS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO EUROPE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO MSCI GLOBAL STOCK MARKET ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P CHINA ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]

Fund	Name and Address	%Ownership
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P EMERGING ASIA PACIFIC ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P EMERGING MARKETS DIVIDEND ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P EMERGING MARKETS SMALL CAP ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P GLOBAL NATURAL RESOURCES ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P INTERNATIONAL DIVIDEND ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P INTERNATIONAL SMALL CAP ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]

Fund	Name and Address	%Ownership
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P NORTH AMERICAN NATURAL RESOURCES ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]

An Authorized Participant (as defined below) may hold of record more than 25% of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. From time to time, Authorized Participants may be a beneficial and/or legal owner of a Fund, may be affiliated with an index provider, may be deemed to have control of the applicable Fund and/or may be able to affect the outcome of matters presented for a vote of the shareholders of the Fund. Authorized Participants may execute an irrevocable proxy granting the Distributor or another affiliate of State Street (the “Agent”) power to vote or abstain from voting such Authorized Participant's beneficially or legally owned Shares of a Fund. In such cases, the Agent shall mirror vote (or abstain from voting) such Shares in the same proportion as all other beneficial owners of the Fund.

As of January [ ], 2025, to the knowledge of the Trust, the following persons held of record or beneficially through one or more accounts 25% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Funds.

Fund	Name and Address	% Ownership
SPDR DOW JONES INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI ACWI CLIMATE PARIS ALIGNED ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI ACWI EX-US ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EAFE FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES FREE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EAFE STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EMERGING MARKETS FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES FREE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI EMERGING MARKETS STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR MSCI WORLD STRATEGICFACTORS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO DEVELOPED WORLD EX-US ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO EMERGING MARKETS ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR PORTFOLIO MSCI GLOBAL STOCK MARKET ETF	[ ]	[ ]
	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P CHINA ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P EMERGING MARKETS DIVIDEND ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P EMERGING MARKETS SMALL CAP ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P GLOBAL NATURAL RESOURCES ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P INTERNATIONAL SMALL CAP ETF	[ ]	[ ]
SPDR S&P NORTH AMERICAN NATURAL RESOURCES ETF	[ ]	[ ]

The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as a group, owned less than 1% of the Trust's voting securities as of December 31, 2024.

Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

Each Fund issues and redeems its Shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in a large specified number of Shares called a “Creation Unit.” The value of each Fund is determined once each business day, as described under “Determination of Net Asset Value.” The Creation Unit size for a Fund may change. Authorized Participants (as defined below) will be notified of such change. The principal consideration for creations and redemptions for each Fund is in-kind, although this may be revised at any time without notice.

PURCHASE (CREATION)

The Trust issues and sells Shares of each Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Principal Underwriter, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day (as defined below), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). A “Business Day” with respect to a Fund is, generally, any day on which the NYSE is open for business.

FUND DEPOSIT

The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of either (i) the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities and the “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The “Cash Component,” which may include a Dividend Equivalent Payment, is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. The “Dividend Equivalent Payment” enables a Fund to make a complete distribution of dividends on the day preceding the next dividend payment date, and is an amount equal, on a per Creation Unit basis, to the dividends on all the portfolio securities of the Fund (“Dividend Securities”) with ex-dividend dates within the accumulation period for such distribution (the “Accumulation Period”), net of expenses and liabilities for such period, as if all of the Dividend Securities had been held by the Fund for the entire Accumulation Period. The Accumulation Period begins on the ex-dividend date for each Fund and ends on the day preceding the next ex-dividend date. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

The Custodian, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current standard Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for a Fund. Such standard Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for each Fund may be changed from time to time with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. Information regarding the Fund Deposit necessary for the purchase of a Creation Unit is made available to Authorized Participants and other market participants seeking to transact in Creation Unit aggregations.

As noted above, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems

of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “non-standard orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to: (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of portfolio changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the relevant Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS

To be eligible to place orders with the Principal Underwriter, as facilitated via the Transfer Agent, to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Principal Underwriter and the Transfer Agent, and that has been accepted by the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below) and any other applicable fees, taxes and additional variable charge.

All orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund, including non-standard orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or the applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which a Fund's investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order by the cut-off time. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” with respect to a creation order for a Fund is generally the first Business Day (“T+1”) after the Order Placement Date.

All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash

Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the first Business Day, following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.

Shortened settlement cycles are expected to be available, through which creation transactions can be settled on the trade date in accordance with instructions provided by the Trust and/or Distributor.

ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT

Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Principal Underwriter and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.

In instances where the Trust accepts Deposit Securities for the purchase of a Creation Unit, the Creation Unit may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a general non-interest bearing collateral account. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income and taxes associated with missing Deposit Securities, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Principal Underwriter plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fees” will be charged in all cases and an additional variable charge may also be applied. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS

The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted in respect of a Fund at its discretion, including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form or the Deposit Securities delivered do not consist of the securities that the Custodian specified; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Authorized Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances

outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Principal Underwriter, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Trust or its agents shall communicate to the Authorized Participant its rejection of an order. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Principal Underwriter shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units. Given the importance of the ongoing issuance of Creation Units to maintaining a market price that is at or close to the underlying net asset value of a Fund, the Trust does not intend to suspend acceptance of orders for Creation Units.

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust's determination shall be final and binding.

REDEMPTION

Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

With respect to each Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of securities designated by the Fund that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Redemption Securities”). Redemption Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities. The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities or the Cash Redemption Amount (defined below) may be changed from time to time with a view to the investment objective of a Fund.

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Redemption Securities plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Redemption Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Redemption Securities have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust's discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Redemption Securities.

PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant by the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” with respect to a redemption order for a Fund is generally T+1 or the second Business Day (“T+2”) after the Order Placement Date. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, the calculation of the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under “Determination of Net Asset Value”, computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Principal Underwriter by a DTC Participant by the specified time on the Order Placement Date, and the requisite number of Shares of a Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the

Settlement Date, then the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by the Custodian on such Order Placement Date. If the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, the Fund will not release the underlying securities for delivery unless collateral is posted in such percentage amount of missing Shares as set forth in the Participant Agreement (marked to market daily).

With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, in connection with taking delivery of shares of Redemption Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, an Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Redemption Securities are customarily traded (or such other arrangements as allowed by the Trust or its agents), to which account such Redemption Securities will be delivered. Delivery of redemption proceeds for a Fund is generally T+1 or T+2. The order form specifies the date at which the delivery of redemption proceeds for a specific Fund is generally expected to occur.

Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than one or two Business Days, as applicable, after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If the Authorized Participant has not made appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Redemption Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the Authorized Participant will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.

If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Redemption Securities). A Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Redemption Securities but does not differ in net asset value.

An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that, as of the close of the Business Day on which the redemption request was submitted, it (or its client) will own (within the meaning of Rule 200 of Regulation SHO) or has arranged to borrow for delivery to the Trust on or prior to the Settlement Date of the redemption request, the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund to be redeemed as a Creation Unit. In either case, the Authorized Participant is deemed to acknowledge that: (i) it (or its client) has full legal authority and legal right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares of the applicable Fund and to receive the entire proceeds of the redemption; and (ii) if such Shares submitted for redemption have been loaned or pledged to another party or are the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or any other arrangement affecting legal or beneficial ownership of such Shares being tendered, there are no restrictions precluding the tender and delivery of such Shares (including borrowed shares, if any) for redemption, free and clear of liens, on the redemption Settlement Date. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from a Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

Redemptions of Shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and each Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Redemption Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Redemption Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Redemption Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Redemption Securities.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to a Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

REQUIRED EARLY ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS FOR CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL FUNDS

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as described in the Participant Agreement and/or the applicable order form, certain Funds may require orders to be placed prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, in order to receive the trade date's net asset value. The cut-off time to receive the trade date's net asset value will not precede the calculation of the net asset value of a Fund's shares on the prior Business Day. Orders to purchase Shares of such Funds that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) that the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed may not be accepted. Authorized Participants may be notified that the cut-off time for an order may be earlier on a particular Business Day, as described in the Participant Agreement and the applicable order form.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES

A transaction fee, as set forth in the table below, is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, as applicable. Authorized Participants will be required to pay a fixed creation transaction fee and/or a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, on a given day regardless of the number of Creation Units created or redeemed on that day. A Fund may adjust the transaction fee from time to time. An additional charge or a variable charge (discussed below) will be applied to certain creation and redemption transactions, including non-standard orders and whole or partial cash purchases or redemptions. With respect to creation orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust and with respect to redemption orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the Redemption Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may also be charged a fee for such services.

Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees:

Fund	Transaction Fee,*	Maximum Transaction Fee,*
SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF	$2,000	$8,000
SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF	$3,000	$12,000
SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF	$1,500	$6,000
SPDR MSCI ACWI Climate Paris Aligned ETF	$1,800	$7,200
SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF	$12,000	$48,000
SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	$5,000	$20,000
SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF	$2,000	$8,000
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF	$2,000	$8,000
SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets StrategicFactors ETF	$3,000	$12,000
SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF	$6,000	$24,000
SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF	$8,000	$32,000
SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	$6,000	$24,000
SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF	$3,000	$12,000
SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF	$2,200	$8,800
SPDR S&P China ETF	$1,300	$5,200
SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific ETF	$6,000	$24,000
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	$1,000	$4,000
SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	$5,000	$20,000
SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF	$1,000	$4,000
SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF	$1,000	$4,000
SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF	$1,000	$4,000
SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF	$2,000	$8,000
SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF	$5,500	$22,000

Fund	Transaction Fee,*	Maximum Transaction Fee,*
SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources ETF	$250	$1,000

From time to time, a Fund may waive all or a portion of its applicable transaction fee(s). An additional charge of up to three (3) times the standard transaction fee may be charged to the extent a transaction is outside of the clearing process.

In addition to the transaction fees listed above, the Funds may charge an additional variable fee for creations and redemptions in cash to offset brokerage and impact expenses associated with the cash transaction. The variable transaction fee will be calculated based on historical transaction cost data and the Adviser's view of current market conditions; however, the actual variable fee charged for a given transaction may be lower or higher than the trading expenses incurred by a Fund with respect to that transaction.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the sections in the Prospectus entitled “PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION” and “ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION.”

NAV per Share for each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of each Fund is calculated by State Street and determined once daily as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open. Creation/redemption order cut-off times may be earlier on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (or applicable exchange or market on which a Fund's investments are traded) announces an early closing time. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at market rates on the date of valuation (generally as of 4:00 p.m. London time) as quoted by one or more sources.

In calculating a Fund's net asset value per Share, the Fund's investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer). Each Fund relies on a third-party service provider for assistance with the daily calculation of the Fund's NAV. The third-party service provider, in turn, relies on other parties for certain pricing data and other inputs used in the calculation of the Fund's NAV. Therefore, each Fund is subject to certain operational risks associated with reliance on its service provider and that service provider's sources of pricing and other data. NAV calculation may be adversely affected by operational risks arising from factors such as errors or failures in systems and technology. Such errors or failures may result in inaccurately calculated NAVs, delays in the calculation of NAVs and/or the inability to calculate NAV over extended time periods. A Fund may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund's published net asset value per share. Each Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service.

Pursuant to Board approved valuation procedures, the Board has designated the Adviser as the valuation designee for each Fund. These procedures address, among other things, (i) determining (a) when market quotations are not readily available or reliable and (b) the methodologies to be used for determining the fair value of investments, and (ii) the use and oversight of third-party pricing services for fair valuation. The Adviser is responsible for periodically reviewing the procedures, and the selected methodologies used, for their continuing appropriateness and accuracy, and making any changes or adjustments to the procedures and methodologies as appropriate.

In the event that current market valuations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, the Trust's procedures require the Adviser to determine a security's fair value. In determining a fair value, the Adviser may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates, market indices, and prices from a Fund's Index provider). In these cases, a Fund's net asset value may reflect certain portfolio securities' fair values rather than their market prices. The fair value of a portfolio instrument is generally the price which a Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon its current sale in an orderly market between market participants. Ascertaining fair value requires a determination of the amount that an arm's-length buyer, under the circumstances, would currently pay for the portfolio instrument. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different

than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a Fund's net asset value and the prices used by the Index. This may result in a difference between a Fund's performance and the performance of the Index.

Dividends and Distributions

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “DISTRIBUTIONS.”

GENERAL POLICIES

Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid periodically, as described in the Prospectus, but may vary significantly from period to period. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for a Fund to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve a Fund's eligibility for treatment as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes at the Fund level.

DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT

Broker dealers, at their own discretion, may offer a dividend reinvestment service under which Shares are purchased in the secondary market at current market prices. Investors should consult their broker dealer for further information regarding any dividend reinvestment service offered by such broker dealer.

Taxes

The following is a summary of certain federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that supplements the discussions in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

The following information should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION.”

TAXATION OF THE FUNDS

Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. A Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein and in the Prospectus. Losses in one series of the Trust do not offset gains in any other series of the Trust and the requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying for treatment as a RIC are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level. Each Fund has elected or will elect and intends to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, each Fund should not be subject to federal income tax on its net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that it timely distributes such income and capital gains to its shareholders. In order to qualify for treatment as a RIC, a Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its taxable net investment income (generally including the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of a Fund's

gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income 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 (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of a Fund's taxable year, its assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the market value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers that it controls and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).

If a Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, such Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, a Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to a Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the applicable corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by noncorporate shareholders. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If a Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

As discussed more fully below, each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its capital gains for each taxable year. However, with respect to a Fund investing in China A Shares, should the Chinese government impose restrictions on the Fund's ability to repatriate funds associated with direct investment in A Shares, the Fund could be unable to satisfy the Distribution Requirement. If a Fund fails to satisfy the Distribution Requirement for any taxable year, it will be taxed as a regular corporation, with consequences generally similar to those described in the preceding paragraph.

If a Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. A Fund may designate certain amounts retained 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 amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount 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 tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits. If a Fund failed to satisfy the Distribution Requirement for any taxable year, it would be taxed as a regular corporation, with consequences generally similar to those described above.

Given the concentration of certain of the Indexes in a relatively small number of securities, it may not be possible for certain Funds to fully implement sampling methodologies while satisfying the Diversification Requirement. A Fund's efforts to satisfy the Diversification Requirement may affect the Fund's execution of its investment strategy and may cause the Fund's return to deviate from that of the applicable Index, and the Fund's efforts to track the applicable Index may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the Diversification Requirement.

A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior

year's distribution. Each Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax. With respect a Fund investing in China A Shares, restrictions on a Fund's ability to repatriate funds could impair the Fund's ability to make sufficient distributions to avoid the application of the tax.

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC's net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely 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 its shareholders. Generally, the Funds may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses.

TAXATION OF SHAREHOLDERS—DISTRIBUTIONS

Each Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). Each Fund will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.

Subject to certain limitations, dividends reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will be taxable to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Dividends may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund. Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period requirements and other requirements, dividend income from certain U.S. and foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is tradable on an established securities market in the United States. A dividend generally will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that (i) the shareholder has not held the stock on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or, in the case of certain preferred stock, for more than 90 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date, (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. The holding period requirements described in this paragraph apply to shareholders' investments in the Funds and to the Funds' investments in underlying dividend-paying stocks. Dividends treated as received by a Fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that any dividends received by a Fund from a REIT and distributed by that Fund to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. Additionally, income derived in connection with a Fund's securities lending activities will, in general, not be treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of a 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, that Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.

Certain dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by a Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) when distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations under the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by a Fund from REITs will not be eligible for that deduction. In order to qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions

from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends-received deduction with respect to those Shares. Any corporate shareholder should consult its tax adviser regarding the possibility that its tax basis in its Shares may be reduced, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, by reason of “extraordinary dividends” received with respect to the Shares and, to the extent such basis would be reduced below zero, current recognition of income may be required.

Distributions from a Fund's net short-term capital gains will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions from a Fund's net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Certain capital gain dividends attributable to dividends a Fund receives from REITs may be taxable to noncorporate shareholders at a rate other than the reduced rates generally applicable to long-term capital gains.

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.

If a Fund's distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be treated as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder's cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder's basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder's Shares.

Under Section 163(j) of the Code, a taxpayer's business interest expense is generally deductible to the extent of its business interest income plus certain other amounts. If a 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, a 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 Shares and must not have hedged its position in Shares in certain ways.

Distributions that are reinvested in additional Shares of a Fund through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if offered by your broker-dealer, will nevertheless be taxable dividends to the same extent as if such dividends had been received in cash.

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, dividends, interest and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares) are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.

Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to foreign, state and local taxes depending on a shareholder's circumstances.

TAXATION OF SHAREHOLDERS – SALE OF SHARES

In general, a sale of Shares results in capital gain or loss, and for individual shareholders, is taxable at a federal rate dependent upon the length of time the Shares were held. A sale of Shares held for a period of one year or less at the time of such sale will, for tax purposes, generally result in short-term capital gains or losses, and a sale of those held for more than one year will generally result in long-term capital gains or losses. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates.

Gain or loss on the sale of Shares is measured by the difference between the amount received and the adjusted tax basis of the Shares. Shareholders should keep records of investments made (including Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and distributions) so they can compute the tax basis of their Shares.

A loss realized on a sale of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (whether through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a sixty-one (61) day period beginning thirty (30) days before and ending thirty (30) days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the Shares acquired must be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss upon the sale of Shares held for six (6) months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains).

COST BASIS REPORTING

The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Internal Revenue Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

TAXATION OF FUND INVESTMENTS

Dividends and interest received by a Fund on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including the Chinese taxes described above under “China A Share Risk—A Share Tax Risk”. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If a Fund meets certain requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its respective taxable year consist of certain foreign securities (generally including foreign government securities), then the Fund should be eligible to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) that may enable its shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to certain foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. If at least 50% of a Fund's total assets at the close of each quarter of a taxable year consists of interests in other RICs (including money market funds and ETFs that are taxable as RICs), the Fund may make the same election and pass through to its shareholders their pro rata shares of qualified foreign taxes paid by those other RICs and passed through to the Fund for that taxable year. Pursuant to this election, a Fund would treat the applicable foreign taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder would be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder may be entitled to use against such shareholder's federal income tax. If a Fund makes this election, the Fund will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. If a Fund does not make this election, the Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by the Fund. In certain instances, the Fund might not elect to apply otherwise allowable U.S. federal income tax deductions for those foreign taxes, whether or not credits or deductions for those foreign taxes could be passed through to its shareholders pursuant to the election described above. If the Fund does not elect to apply these deductions, taxable distributions you receive from the Fund may be larger than they would have been if the Fund had taken deductions for such taxes. Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of the Shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.

Certain of the Funds' investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to

make distributions to its shareholders in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make appropriate tax elections, and intend to make appropriate entries in their books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Funds' qualification for treatment as RICs.

Certain investments made by a Fund may be treated as equity in passive foreign investment companies or “PFICs” for federal income tax purposes. In general, a passive foreign investment company is a foreign corporation (i) that receives at least 75% of its annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or (ii) where at least 50% of its assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income. If a Fund acquires any equity interest (under Treasury regulations that may be promulgated in the future, generally including not only stock but also an option to acquire stock such as is inherent in a convertible bond) in a PFIC, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and nondeductible interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or on gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed by the Fund to its shareholders. The Fund would not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such a tax. A “qualified electing fund” election or a “mark to market” election may be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require the applicable Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to RICs, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax at the Fund level, a Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund. Gains from the sale of stock of PFICs may also be treated as ordinary income. In order for a Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC, the PFIC would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do. The Funds may limit and/or manage their holdings in PFICs to limit their tax liability or maximize their returns from these investments.

If a sufficient portion of the interests in a foreign issuer are held or deemed held by a Fund, independently or together with certain other U.S. persons, that issuer may be treated as a “controlled foreign corporation” (a “CFC”) with respect to the Fund, in which case the Fund will be required to take into account each year, as ordinary income, its share of certain portions of that issuer's income, whether or not such amounts are distributed. A Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities (potentially resulting in the recognition of taxable gain or loss, and potentially under disadvantageous circumstances) to generate cash, or may have to borrow the cash, to meet its distribution requirements and avoid Fund-level taxes. In addition, some Fund gains on the disposition of interests in such an issuer may be treated as ordinary income. A Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in issuers that could be treated as CFCs in order to limit its tax liability or maximize its after-tax return from these investments. Each Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Fund. It is anticipated that certain net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Requirement.

TAX-EXEMPT SHAREHOLDERS

Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Under current law, a Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders

could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in a Fund where, for example, (i) the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) or (ii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing a Fund from holding investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, and a Fund may do so. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.

Certain tax-exempt educational institutions will be subject to a 1.4% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions, and certain gains from the disposition of Shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.

FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS

Dividends, other than capital gains dividends, “short-term capital gain dividends” and “interest-related dividends” (described below), paid by a Fund to shareholders who are nonresident aliens or foreign entities will be subject to a 30% United States withholding tax unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided under applicable treaty law to the extent derived from investment income and short-term capital gain or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on through a permanent establishment in the United States. Nonresident shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the United States withholding tax and the proper withholding form(s) to be submitted to a Fund. A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an appropriate IRS Form W-8 may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.

Dividends reported by a Fund as (i) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund's “qualified net interest income,” or (ii) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund's “qualified short-term gain,” are generally exempt from this 30% withholding tax. “Qualified net interest income” is a 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 a Fund's net short-term capital gain for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. In the case of Shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports the payment as an interest-related dividend or as a short-term capital gain dividend. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.

Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold 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 Fund distributions 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 U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

Non-U.S. persons are subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a “United States real property interest” (a “USRPI”). Gain on such a disposition is sometimes referred to as “FIRPTA gain.” The Internal Revenue Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of “FIRPTA gain” if certain requirements are met. If the look-through rule applies, certain distributions attributable to income treated as received by a Fund from REITs may be treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding taxes, and requiring non-U.S. investors to file nonresident U.S. income tax returns. Also, FIRPTA gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S. shareholder that is treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Under certain circumstances, Shares may qualify as USRPIs, which could result in 15% withholding on certain distributions and gross redemption proceeds paid to certain non-U.S. investors.

BACKUP WITHHOLDING

A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.

CREATION UNITS

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

Any gain or loss realized upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Similarly, any gain or loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Shares comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise, will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six (6) months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

A Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in any deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. A Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Fund Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

If a Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may bear additional costs and recognize more capital gains than it would if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.

Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

CERTAIN POTENTIAL TAX REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Under promulgated Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of a 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 excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including significant penalties. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

Capital Stock and Other Securities

Each Fund issues Shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per Share. The Board may designate additional funds.

Each Share issued by the Trust has a pro rata interest in the assets of the corresponding series of the Trust. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to each Fund, and in the net distributable assets of each Fund on liquidation.

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all series of the Trust (“Funds”) vote together as a single class except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other Funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. Under Massachusetts law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All Shares of the Trust (regardless of the fund) have noncumulative voting rights for the election of Trustees. Under Massachusetts law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust, requires that Trust obligations include such disclaimer, and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of the Trust's property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations. Given the above limitations on shareholder personal liability, and the nature of each Fund's assets and operations, the risk to shareholders of personal liability is believed to be remote.

Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o the Distributor, State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC at One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

Counsel and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, located at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, serves as counsel to the Trust. [ ], located at [ ], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Trust. [ ] performs annual audits of the Funds' financial statements and provides other audit, tax and related services.

Local Market Holiday Schedules

The Trust generally intends to effect deliveries of the Funds' portfolio securities on T+1 or T+2. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind redemptions within one or two Business Days, as applicable, of receipt of a redemption request is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the request to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are local market holidays on the relevant Business Days. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the local market that are not holidays observed in the United States, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by the number of such intervening local holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within one or two Business Days, as applicable.

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with local market holiday schedules, may require a delivery process longer than the standard settlement period. In certain circumstances during the calendar year, the settlement period may be greater than seven calendar days.

Financial Statements

The financial statements and financial highlights of the Funds that were operating during the year ended September 30, 2024, along with the Report of [ ], the Trust's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, included in the Trust's Form N-CSR under the 1940 Act, are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional Information.

Appendix A

SPDR® Series Trust
SPDR® Index Shares Funds
SSGA Active Trust
(each, a “Trust” or “Fund,” and, collectively, the “Trusts” or “Funds”)

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

The Board of Trustees of the Trusts has adopted the following policy and procedures with respect to voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Trusts' investment portfolios.

Proxy Voting Policy

The policy of each Trust is to delegate the responsibility for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Trusts to SSGA Funds Management, Inc., the Trusts' investment adviser (the “Adviser”), subject to the Trustees' continuing oversight.

Fiduciary Duty

The right to vote proxies with respect to portfolio securities held by each Trust is an asset of the Trusts. The Adviser acts as a fiduciary of the Trusts and must vote proxies in a manner consistent with the best interest of the Trusts and its shareholders.

Proxy Voting Procedures

At least annually, the Adviser shall present to the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) its policies, procedures and other guidelines for voting proxies (“Policy”) and the Policy of any Sub-adviser (defined below) to which proxy voting authority has been delegated (see Section 9 below). In addition, the Adviser shall notify the Board of material changes to its Policy or the Policy of any Sub-adviser promptly and no later than the next regular meeting of the Board after such amendment is implemented.

At least annually, the Adviser shall present to the Board its policy for managing the conflicts of interests that may arise through the Adviser's proxy voting activities. In addition, the Adviser shall report any Policy overrides involving portfolio securities held by the Trusts to the Trustees at the next regular meeting of the Board after such override(s) occur.

At least annually, the Adviser shall inform the Trustees that a record is available for each proxy voted with respect to portfolio securities of each Trust during the year. Also see Section 5 below.

Revocation of Authority to Vote

The delegation by the Trustees of the authority to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Trusts may be revoked by the Trustees, in whole or in part, at any time.

Annual Filing of Proxy Voting Record

The Adviser shall provide the required data for each proxy voted with respect to portfolio securities of a Trust to that respective Trust or its designated service provider in a timely manner and in a format acceptable to be filed in the Trust's annual proxy voting report on Form N-PX for the twelve-month period ended June 30. Form N-PX is required to be filed not later than August 31 of each year.

Retention and Oversight of Proxy Advisory Firms

In considering whether to retain or continue retaining a particular proxy advisory firm, the Adviser will ascertain whether the proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, act as proxy voting agent as requested, and implement the Policy. In this regard, the Adviser will consider, at least annually, among other things, the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm's staffing and personnel and the robustness of its policies and procedures regarding its ability to identify and address any conflicts of interest. The Adviser shall, at least annually, report to the Board regarding the results of this review.

A-1

The Adviser will request quarterly and annual reporting from any proxy advisory firm retained by the Adviser, and hold ad hoc meetings with such proxy advisory firm, in order to determine whether there has been any business changes that might impact the proxy advisory firm's capacity or competency to provide proxy voting advice or services or changes to the proxy advisory firm's conflicts policies or procedures. The Adviser will also take reasonable steps to investigate any material factual error, notified to the Adviser by the proxy advisory firm or identified by the Adviser, made by the proxy advisory firm in providing proxy voting services.

Periodic Sampling

The Adviser will periodically sample proxy votes to review whether they complied with the Policy.

Disclosures

A Trust shall include in its registration statement:

A description of this policy and of the policies and procedures used by the Adviser to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities; and

A statement disclosing that information regarding how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; or through a specified Internet address; or both; and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's (the “SEC”) website.

A Trust shall include in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders:

A statement disclosing that a description of the policies and procedures used by or on behalf of the Trust to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Funds is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust's toll-free telephone number; through a specified Internet address, if applicable; and on the SEC's website; and

Sub-Advisers

For certain Funds, the Adviser retains investment management firms (“Sub-advisers”) to provide day-to-day investment management services to the Trusts pursuant to sub-advisory agreements. It is the policy of the Trusts that the Adviser may delegate proxy voting authority with respect to a Fund to a Sub-adviser. Pursuant to such delegation, a Sub-adviser is authorized to vote proxies on behalf of the applicable Fund or Funds for which it serves as sub-adviser, in accordance with the Sub-adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures.

10.

Review of Policy

The Trustees shall review this policy to determine its continued sufficiency as necessary from time to time.

Adopted (SPDR Series Trust/SPDR Index Shares Funds):	May 31, 2006
Updated:	August 1, 2007
Amended:	May 29, 2009
Amended:	November 19, 2010
Adopted (SSGA Active Trust)/Amended:	May 25, 2011
Amended:	February 25, 2016
Amended:	August 17, 2023

A-2

APPENDIX B

[SSGA Proxy Voting Procedures and Guidelines to be included in the subsequent amendment]

A-3

APPENDIX C

[ISS Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines to be included in the subsequent amendment]

A-4

PART C
OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28.

Exhibits

(a)(i)	Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of StreetTracks® Index Shares Funds (now, SPDR® Index Shares Funds) (the “Trust” or the “Registrant”), dated February 13, 2002, as amended July 1, 2004 (the “Declaration of Trust”), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 1, 2004.
(a)(ii)	Amendment No. 1, dated August 1, 2007, to the Declaration of Trust is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on November 6, 2007.
(b)	Registrant’s Amended and Restated By-Laws, dated July 14, 2022, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on November 23, 2022.
(c)	Not applicable.
(d)(i)	Investment Advisory Agreement, dated July 1, 2004, between the Trust and SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on July 1, 2004.
(d)(ii)	Exhibit A, as of August 15, 2024, to the Investment Advisory Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(d)(iii)	Revised Exhibit A to the Investment Advisory Agreement, reflecting the addition of the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(iv)	Fee Waiver Letter Agreement, dated January 31, 2024, between the Trust and SSGA FM is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024.
(e)(i)	Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement, dated May 1, 2017, between the Trust and State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (“SSGA FD”) (the “Distribution Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on November 29, 2017.
(e)(ii)	Annex I, as of August 15, 2024, to the Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(e)(iii)	Amended Annex I to the Distribution Agreement, reflecting the addition of the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by amendment.
(f)	Not applicable.
(g)(i)	Custodian Agreement, dated August 19, 2002, between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 10, 2002.
(g)(ii)	Amendment, dated October 14, 2005, to the Custodian Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 27, 2006.
(g)(iii)	Second Amendment, dated September 30, 2020, to the Custodian Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2021.
(g)(iv)	Schedule of Series, dated August 15, 2024, to the Custodian Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(g)(v)	Amended Schedule of Series to the Custodian Agreement, reflecting the addition of the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(i)(1)	Administration Agreement, dated June 1, 2015, between the Trust and SSGA FM (the “Administration Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(i)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on December 14, 2015.
(h)(i)(2)	Schedule A, dated August 15, 2024, to the Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(h)(i)(3)	Amended Schedule A to the Administration Agreement, reflecting the addition of the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by amendment.

(h)(ii)(1)	Master Sub-Administration Agreement, dated June 1, 2015, between SSGA FM and State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Sub-Administration Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(ii)(1) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on December 14, 2015.
(h)(ii)(2)	Amendment, dated June 29, 2018, to the Sub-Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(ii)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2019.
(h)(ii)(3)	Amendment No. 2, dated August 14, 2019, to the Sub-Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(ii)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024.
(h)(ii)(4)	Schedule A, as of August 15, 2024, to the Sub-Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(ii)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(h)(ii)(5)	Amended Schedule A to the Sub-Administration Agreement, reflecting the addition of the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(iii)(1)	Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated August 19, 2002, between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Transfer Agency and Service Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(ii) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 10, 2002.
(h)(iii)(2)	Anti-Money Laundering Services Amendment, dated July 1, 2004, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iii)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2021.
(h)(iii)(3)	Anti-Money Laundering Services Amendment, dated October 31, 2006, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iii)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2021.
(h)(iii)(4)	Third Amendment, dated May 23, 2012, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iii)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2021.
(h)(iii)(5)	Amendment, dated December 17, 2018, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iii)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2019.
(h)(iii)(6)	Annex A, dated August 15, 2024, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iii)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(h)(iii)(7)	Amended Annex A to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, reflecting the addition of the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(iv)(1)	Master Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization Agreement, dated January 6, 2017, between the Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Securities Lending Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 17, 2018.
(h)(iv)(2)	Redemption and Purchase Request and First Amendment, dated April 12, 2019, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on November 27, 2019.
(h)(iv)(3)	Second Amendment, dated September 6, 2019, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on November 27, 2019.
(h)(iv)(4)	Operational Instruction and Third Amendment, dated October 31, 2019, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024.
(h)(iv)(5)	Fourth Amendment, dated November 15, 2021 and effective as of January 1, 2022, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024.
(h)(vi)(6)	Fifth Amendment, dated February 24, 2022, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024.
(h)(vi)(7)	Sixth Amendment, dated September 6, 2023, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024.

(h)(vi)(8)	Seventh Amendment, dated March 28, 2024, to the Securities Lending Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(vi)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 188 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on June 21, 2024.
(h)(vi)(9)	Eighth Amendment, dated July 3, 2024, to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement is filed herewith.
(h)(v)	Form of Participant Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(vii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on November 24, 2009.
(h)(vi)	Form of Fund of Funds Investment Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(vi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 153 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 27, 2022.
(i)(i)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to each existing series of the Trust (with the exception of those Funds listed in (i)(ii) - (i)(vii) below) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 86 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2015.
(i)(ii)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the SPDR STOXX Europe 50 Currency Hedged ETF and SPDR S&P International Dividend Currency Hedged ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 106 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 11, 2015.
(i)(iii)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the SPDR S&P® North American Natural Resources ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on December 14, 2015.
(i)(iv)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the SPDR MSCI EAFE Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF and SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(vi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 131 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 16, 2016.
(i)(v)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the SPDR Solactive Hong Kong ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 17, 2018.
(i)(vi)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the SPDR S&P Emerging Markets ex- China ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(vi) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on September 4, 2024.
(i)(vii)	Opinion and Consent of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Climate Paris Aligned ETF and SPDR MSCI EAFE Climate Paris Aligned ETF, to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(j)	Consent of independent registered public accounting firm to be filed by amendment.
(k)	Not applicable.
(l)	Form of Purchase Agreement between the Trust and UBS Global Asset Management (US) Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N- 1A, as filed with the SEC on October 2, 2002.
(m)	Not applicable.
(n)	Not applicable.
(o)	Reserved.
(p)(i)	Registrant’s Revised Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2021.
(p)(ii)	Code of Ethics of SSGA FM, effective March 31, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(ii) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 188 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on June 21, 2024.
(p)(iii)	Code of Ethics for the Independent Trustees is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 154 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on May 19, 2022.
(q)(i)	Power of Attorney for Mses. Chauhan, Clancy, Richer, Rowsell, Sponem and Carpenter and Messrs. Churchill, Ross, Verboncoeur and Rosenberg, dated May 18, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 173 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on June 2, 2023.
(q)(ii)	Power of Attorney, dated November 8, 2024, for Ms. LaPorta is filed herewith.

Item 29.

Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control With Registrant

The Board of Trustees of the Trust is the same as the Boards of Trustees of SPDR Series Trust and SSGA Active Trust. In addition, the officers of the Trust are substantially identical to the officers of SPDR Series Trust and SSGA Active Trust. Additionally, the Trust’s investment adviser, SSGA FM, also serves as investment adviser to each series of SPDR Series Trust and SSGA Active Trust. Nonetheless, the Trust takes the position that it is not under common control with other trusts because the power residing in the respective boards and officers arises as the result of an official position with the respective trusts.

Additionally, see the “Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities” section of the Statement of Additional Information for a list of shareholders who own more than 5% of a specific fund’s outstanding shares and such information is incorporated by reference to this Item.

Item 30.

Indemnification

Pursuant to Section 5.3 of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust and under Section 4.9 of the Registrant’s By-Laws, the Trust will indemnify any person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him/her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he/she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his/her being or having been a Trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him/her in the settlement thereof, if he/she acted in good faith and in a manner he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful. In addition, indemnification is permitted only if it is determined that the actions in question did not render him/her liable by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of his/her duties or by reason of reckless disregard of his/her obligations and duties to the Registrant. The Registrant may also advance money for litigation expenses provided that Trustees, officers, employees and/or agents give their undertakings to repay the Registrant unless their conduct is later determined to permit indemnification.

Pursuant to Section 5.2 of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, no Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant shall be liable for any action or failure to act, except in the case of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties to the Registrant. Pursuant to paragraph 9 of the Registrant’s Investment Advisory Agreement, SSGA FM shall not be liable for any action or failure to act, except in the case of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties to the Registrant.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of Rule 484 under the 1933 Act, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC 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 director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, 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 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the indemnification provision of its By-Laws in a manner consistent with Release 11330 of the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), so long as the interpretation of Sections 17(h) and 17(i) of the 1940 Act remains in effect.

The Registrant maintains insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, or who is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of another trust or corporation, against any liability asserted against him/her and incurred by him/her or arising out of his/her position. However, in no event will the Registrant maintain insurance to indemnify any such person for any act for which the Registrant itself is not permitted to indemnify him/her.

Item 31.

Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of each investment adviser is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years, engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:

SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser for each series of the Trust. SSGA FM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. SSGA FM and other advisory affiliates of State Street Corporation make up State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”), the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. The principal address of SSGA FM is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. SSGA FM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Below is a list of the directors and principal executive officers of SSGA FM and their principal occupation(s). Unless otherwise noted, the address of each person listed is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

Name	Principal Occupation
Barry Smith	Chairperson, Director and President; Executive Vice President of SSGA
Sean Driscoll	Director of SSGA FM; Managing Director of SSGA
Shweta Narasimhadevara	Director of SSGA FM; Senior Managing Director of SSGA
Apea Amoa	Director of SSGA FM; Chief Financial Officer of SSGA
Greg Hartch	Director of SSGA FM; Senior Managing Director of SSGA
Brian Harris	Chief Compliance Officer of SSGA FM; Managing Director of SSGA
Steven Hamm	Treasurer of SSGA FM; Vice President of SSGA
Sean O’Malley, Esq.	Chief Legal Officer of SSGA FM; General Counsel of SSGA
Ann M. Carpenter	Chief Operating Officer of SSGA FM; Managing Director of SSGA
Tim Corbett	Chief Risk Officer of SSGA FM; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director of SSGA
Christyann Weltens	Derivates Risk Manager; Vice President of SSGA
David Ireland	CTA Chief Marketing Officer; Senior Vice President/Senior Managing Director of SSGA
David Urman, Esq.	Clerk of SSGA FM; Vice President and Senior Counsel of SSGA
Dan Furman, Esq.	Assistant Clerk of SSGA FM; Managing Director and Managing Counsel of SSGA

Item 32.

Principal Underwriters

(a)

SSGA FD, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, serves as the Trust’s principal underwriter and also serves as the principal underwriter for the following investment companies: SPDR Series Trust, SSGA Active Trust, State Street Institutional Investment Trust, SSGA Funds, State Street Institutional Funds, State Street Variable Insurance Series Funds, Inc., Elfun Diversified Fund, Elfun Tax-Exempt Income Fund, Elfun Income Fund, Elfun International Equity Fund, Elfun Government Money Market Fund, and Elfun Trusts.

(b)

To the best of the Trust’s knowledge, the managers and executive officers of SSGA FD are as follows:

Name and Principal Business Address*	Positions and Offices with Underwriter	Positions and Offices with the Trust
Barry F. X. Smith	President, Chairman and Manager	None
Editha V. Tenorio	Chief Financial Officer	None
Sean O’Malley	Chief Legal Officer	Chief Legal Officer
Timothy P. Corbett	Interim Chief Compliance and AML Officer	None
Sean Driscoll	Manager	None
David Maxham	Manager	None
Christine Stokes	Manager	None
Allison Bonds Mazza	Manager	None
John Tucker	Manager	None

The principal business address for each of the above managers and executive officers is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

(c)

Not applicable.

Item 33.

Location of Accounts and Records

All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the Rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of SSGA FM and/or State Street Bank and Trust Company, with offices located at One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 and One Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, respectively.

Item 34.

Management Services

Not applicable.

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, SPDR® Index Shares Funds, the Registrant, has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunder duly authorized, in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 25th day of November, 2024.

	SPDR® INDEX SHARES FUNDS

By:	/s/ Ann M. Carpenter
	Ann M. Carpenter
	President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Dwight D. Churchill*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Dwight D. Churchill
/s/ Clare S. Richer*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Clare S. Richer
/s/ Sandra G. Sponem*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Sandra G. Sponem
/s/ Carolyn Clancy*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Carolyn Clancy
/s/ Carl G. Verboncoeur*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Carl G. Verboncoeur
/s/ Kristi Rowsell*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Kristi Rowsell
/s/ Jeanna LaPorta*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
Jeanne LaPorta
/s/ James E. Ross*	Trustee	November 25, 2024
James E. Ross
/s/ Ann M. Carpenter	President and Principal Executive Officer	November 25, 2024
Ann M. Carpenter
/s/ Bruce S. Rosenberg	Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer	November 25, 2024
Bruce S. Rosenberg	Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer