Form 485APOS Ultimus Managers Trust
Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 26, 2025
Securities Act of 1933 File No. 333-180308
Investment Company Act of 1940 File No. 811-22680
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
FORM N-1A
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | x |
| Pre-Effective Amendment No. | |
| Post-Effective Amendment No. 270 | |
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | x |
| Amendment No. 272 |
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
ULTIMUS MANAGERS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrants Telephone Number, including Area Code: (513) 587-3400
Karen Jacoppo-Wood
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
With copy to:
Nicole M. Crum
Sullivan & Worcester LLP
1666 K Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20006
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
| o | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| o | on pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| o | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a) (1) |
| o | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) (1) |
| x | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a) (2) |
| o | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) (2) of Rule 485(b) |
If appropriate, check the following box:
| o | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
Dated September 25, 2025
THE INFORMATION HEREIN IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
[Logo]
Q3 All-Season Tactical Advantage ETF
Ticker Symbol: [ ]
Managed
by
Q3 Asset Management Corporation
PROSPECTUS
[ ], 2025
| This Prospectus has information about the Fund that you should know before you invest. |
| You should read it carefully and keep it with your investment records. |
| The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved the Funds shares or passed on the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. |
| Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on [ ] |
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| SUMMARY SECTION | 1 |
| Investment Objective | 1 |
| Fees and Expenses of the Fund | 1 |
| Principal Investment Strategies | 2 |
| Principal Risks | 2 |
| Performance Summary | 7 |
| Management of the Fund | 7 |
| Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares | 7 |
| Tax Information | 8 |
| Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries | 8 |
| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS | 9 |
| Investment Objective | 9 |
| Principal Investment Strategies | 9 |
| Principal Risks of Investing | 10 |
| Portfolio Holdings and Disclosure Policy | 15 |
| How to Buy and Sell Shares | 15 |
| Determination of Net Asset Value | 17 |
| Premium/Discount Information | 18 |
| Dividends, Distributions and Taxes | 18 |
| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND | 20 |
| Investment Adviser | 20 |
| Portfolio Managers | 20 |
| FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS | 21 |
| DISCLAIMERS | 22 |
| FOR MORE INFORMATION | Back Cover |
| RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: |
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Q3 All-Season Tactical Advantage ETF (the Fund) seeks capital appreciation.
FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
| Management Fees | [ ]% | |
| Other Expenses | [ ]% | |
| Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses | [ ]% | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) | [ ]% | |
| (1) | [The Adviser has contractually agreed under an expense limitation agreement (the Expense Limitation Agreement), until [ ], to reduce its investment advisory fees and to reimburse Other Expenses to the extent necessary to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of the Fund (exclusive of brokerage costs; taxes; interest; borrowing costs such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short; costs to organize the Fund; Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; extraordinary expenses such as litigation and merger or reorganization costs and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds business) to [ ]% of average daily net assets of the Funds shares. Management Fee reductions and expense reimbursements by the Adviser are subject to repayment by the Fund for a period of three (3) years after such the date on which fees and expenses were incurred, provided that the repayments do not cause Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (exclusive of such reductions and reimbursements) to exceed (i) the expense limitation then in effect, if any, and (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time the expenses to be repaid were incurred.] |
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 all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. This example does not include brokerage commissions that you may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | |||||
| $ [ ] | $ [ ] | |||||
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 above, affect the Funds performance. This portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions. Because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
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PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests primarily in a combination of futures contracts on U.S. equity indexes (Indexes), such as the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100 Index (Index Futures), leveraged U.S. equity and fixed-income index ETFs (Index ETFs), as well as money market funds or other cash equivalents, U.S. Treasury securities, and short-term bonds (Fixed Income Investments). The percentage of the Funds net assets invested in Index Futures may fluctuate over time but under normal circumstances is generally expected to represent approximately 10% of the Funds net assets based on mark-to-market values. However, the Funds notional exposure from a combination of Index Futures and Index ETFs may at times be up to +150%/-150% of the Funds net assets due to the use of leverage. Leveraged positions will be taken when certain Signals (examples of which are defined below) indicate sufficient strength or weakness in the Indexes is present. The stronger the Signals, the more leverage will be used. Under normal circumstances, the balance of the Funds net assets generally will be invested in Fixed Income Investments in an effort to generate income for the Fund and as collateral for the Index Futures. Fixed Income Investments which the Fund holds may comprise a significant percentage (including 100%) of the Funds portfolio during the times when the Adviser determines, based on the process described below, that U.S. equity markets are unattractive for either short or long-term investment.
In managing the Fund, the Adviser utilizes a tactical, systematic strategy that relies on several proprietary algorithmic models (Models). Models may also utilize research from unaffiliated, third-party research providers. The Models may incorporate a combination of technical, economic, and fundamental signals, such as market cycle, sentiment analysis, momentum, moving averages and overbought/oversold readings. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, as the Advisor has the sole discretion to utilize additional proprietary market signals as it deems necessary.
If a preponderance of the Signals are bullish, the Fund may be up to 150% invested in Index Futures and Index ETFs. Conversely, if the preponderance of the Signals are bearish, the Fund may be up to 150% invested in short Index Futures and/or inverse Index ETFs.
The Fund generally takes an inverse position, or exits or reduces, a position when a preponderance of the Signals indicate an environment in which the risk/reward characteristics of the Indexes are deemed to be unfavorable for investment. Generally, a specific inverse Signal utilized by the Fund would have to trigger, or a preponderance of the total Signals would need to register as negative (market not amenable for long investments) for the Fund to take inverse positions.
Trades for the Fund may be short-term in nature (lasting from 1-15 days), depending on prevailing market conditions, which may involve active and frequent trading and high portfolio turnover. However, certain trades could span longer periods of time (in excess of 60 days), depending on market conditions. At times, the Funds investments may be indirectly focused on one or more sectors or areas of the economy.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
All investments involve risks, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. As with any mutual fund or ETF investment, the Funds returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Funds exposure to the risks discussed below may be through the Funds direct investments or indirect through the Funds investments in Index Futures and Fixed Income Instruments. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. The Fund is subject to the following principal risks:
Derivatives Securities Risk. The use of derivative instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that are different than those normally required for purchasing and selling stocks. If the Adviser uses a derivative instrument at the wrong time or incorrectly identifies market conditions, or if the derivative instrument does not perform as expected, these strategies may significantly reduce the Funds return. Derivative instruments may be difficult to value, may be illiquid and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument.
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In addition, the Funds use of futures contracts creates leverage, which can magnify the Funds potential for gain or loss and therefore amplify the effect of market volatility on the Funds share price. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
The Funds use of derivatives or derivatives transactions may expose it to various risks, including leverage risk, market risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, and legal risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund uses derivatives (such as futures contracts), or similar instruments or techniques to gain exposure to investments in an amount that exceeds the Funds initial investment. The use of leverage magnifies changes in the Funds net asset value and thus may result in increased portfolio volatility and increased risk of loss. Leverage may lower the Funds overall returns. There can be no guarantee that the Funds use of leverage will be successful. Market risk generally refers to risk from potential adverse market movements in relation to the Funds derivatives transactions, or the risk that markets could experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts Fund returns and the Funds obligations and exposures. Counterparty risk generally refers to the risk that a counterparty on a derivatives transaction may not be willing or able to perform its contractual obligations under the transaction, and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to such a counterparty. Liquidity risk generally refers to risk involving the liquidity demands that derivatives transactions can create to make payments of margin, collateral or settlement obligations to counterparties. Operational risk generally refers to risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error. Legal risk generally refers to insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract.
Futures Contract Risk: Futures contracts involve a risk of loss or depreciation due to: unanticipated adverse changes in securities prices, interest rates, indices, the other financial instruments prices or currency exchange rates; the inability to close out a position; default by the counterparty; imperfect correlation between a position and the desired hedge (if the derivative instrument is being used for hedging purposes); tax constraints on closing out positions; and portfolio management constraints on securities subject to such transactions. The loss on futures contracts may substantially exceed the amount invested in these instruments. Transaction costs are incurred in opening and closing futures contract positions. The successful use of futures contracts depends upon the Advisers skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations, including:
| ○ | imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; |
| ○ | possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; |
| ○ | losses caused by unanticipated market movement, which are potentially unlimited; |
| ○ | the Advisers inability to correctly predict the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; |
| ○ | the possibility that a counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; |
| ○ | the possibility that the Fund may have insufficient cash and have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet the daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so; |
| ○ | the possibility that a failure to close a position may result in delivery of an illiquid commodity to the Fund or that rapid selling to avoid delivery may result in unfavorable execution prices; and |
| ○ | possible inefficiencies that are created by the need to roll contracts (i.e., sell out of a contract that is nearing delivery or settlement in favor of a contract with a delivery or settlement date that is further into the future). |
Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in futures contracts that are based on the value of the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprise such Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Funds investments in futures contracts that are based on the value of the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index, the Fund may also be subject to the following risks:
Indirect Investment Risk. The S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund or the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies
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that comprise the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.
Index Trading Risk. The trading price of the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index may be highly volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors. The stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies.
Nasdaq 100 Index Risks: The NASDAQ 100 Indexs major risks stem from its high concentration in the technology sector and significant exposure to high-growth, high-valuation companies. A downturn in the tech industry, whether from regulatory changes, shifts in technology, or competitive pressures, can greatly impact the index. It is also vulnerable to geopolitical risks due to many constituent companies having substantial international operations. Since many of these tech companies often trade at high valuations, a shift in investor sentiment could lead to significant price declines.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the securities in the Funds portfolio may decline due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Advisers control, including fluctuation in interest rates, the quality of the Funds investments, economic conditions and general market conditions. Certain market events could cause turbulence in financial markets, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets, such as changes in government economic policies, political turmoil, environmental events, trade disputes, and epidemics or other public health issues, which may negatively affect many issuers domestically and around the world. During periods of market volatility, security prices (including securities held by the Fund) could change drastically and rapidly and, therefore, adversely affect the Fund.
Leveraged ETF Risk. The Fund may invest in Leveraged ETFs. In general, Leveraged ETFs seek to provide investment results that match a multiple of the performance of an underlying index (e.g., two or three times the performance or two or three times the inverse performance) for a single day and rely to some degree, often extensively, on derivatives to achieve their objectives. Thus, the Fund may be directly exposed (via financial instruments) and/or indirectly exposed to derivatives risk through its investments in these Leveraged ETFs. Further, investments in Leveraged ETFs are subject to the risk that the performance of the ETF will not correlate with the underlying index as intended. Leveraged ETFs often reset daily, meaning that they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Due to the effect of compounding, their performance over longer periods of time can differ significantly from the performance of their underlying index or benchmark during the same period of time. This effect can be magnified in volatile markets. Consequently, Leveraged ETFs may be extremely volatile and can potentially expose the Fund to a complete loss of its investment. Leveraged ETFs are also subject to the risks presented by traditional ETFs (see ETF Risks and Fund of Funds Structure Risk below).
Fund of Funds Structure Risk. Investments in ETFs and other investment companies (e.g. open end and closed end mutual funds) subject the Fund to paying its proportionate share of fees and expenses from those investments. In other words, by investing in the Fund, you will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying ETFs and investment companies in which the Fund invests in addition to the Funds direct fees and expenses. In addition, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Fund is subject to restrictions that may limit the amount of any particular ETF or other registered investment company that the Fund may own.
Management Risk. Unlike many ETFs that have a passive investment strategy, the Fund is actively managed. The Advisers judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Advisers investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Model Risk. Quantitative models used in the Funds strategy may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative models assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect the Funds performance. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
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Sector Risk. Because at times the Fund may emphasize investment in one or more sectors, the value of its net assets will be more susceptible to the financial, market or economic events affecting issuers and industries within those sectors than would be the case for funds that do not emphasize investment in particular sectors. In addition, this may increase the risk of loss of an investment in the Fund and increase the volatility of the Funds NAV per share.
Technology Sector Risk. 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.
ETF Risks: Because the Funds shares are traded on an exchange, they are subject to additional risks:
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk: Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in the How to Buy and Sell Shares section of this prospectus) may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to net asset value (NAV) and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.
Cash Redemption Risk: Unlike many ETFs, the Funds investment strategy may require it to redeem shares of the Fund for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Cash redemptions may also entail higher transaction costs than in-kind redemptions, which costs may be passed on to redeemers of creation units of Fund shares in the form of redemption transaction fees. The cost of cash redemptions could also reduce the Funds NAV to the extent that those costs are not fully offset by the redemption transaction fee charged to the redeeming Authorized Participant.
Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares: Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by those brokers. 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 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 the Funds shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Funds shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause wider 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.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk: While the Funds shares are listed on the Exchange and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market price, the NAV of the Funds shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Funds holdings. The market prices of the shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the shares on the Exchange. The Advisor cannot predict whether the Funds Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Funds holdings trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.
Marketing Trading Risk: The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including disruptions to the creation and redemption processes of the Fund, losses from trading in secondary markets, the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for shares. The NAV of shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Funds securities holdings. The market prices of shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV and supply and demand on the Exchange. The Fund cannot predict whether its Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. If a
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shareholder purchases shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Any of these factors, discussed above and further below, may lead to Fund Shares trading at a premium or discount to the Funds NAV. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV, the Advisor believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of the Fund are not likely to be sustained over the long term. While the creation-redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that the Funds shares normally will trade on the Exchange at prices close to the Funds next calculated NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Funds NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants, or other market participants, and during periods of significant market volatility, may result in trading prices for shares of the Fund that differ significantly from its NAV. Authorized Participants may be less willing to create or redeem Fund shares if there is a lack of an active market for such shares or its underlying investments, which may contribute to the Funds shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV.
| ● | Absence of Prior Active Market. While the Funds shares are listed on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. The Funds distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares. |
| ● | Trading Issues. Trading in shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the exchanges circuit breaker rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Shares of the Fund, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility and price decreases associated with being sold short. |
Fixed-income Securities Risk. The Fund may invest, in fixed-income securities, including short-term corporate debt securities, municipal securities and U.S. Government obligations. Corporate debt securities include, but are not limited to, debt obligations offered by public or private corporations either registered or unregistered. The market value of such securities may fluctuate in response to interest rates and the creditworthiness of the issuer. A debt securitys credit quality depends on the issuers ability to pay interest on the security and repay the debt; the lower the credit rating, the greater the risk that the securitys issuer will default. The credit risk of a security may also depend on the credit quality of any bank or financial institution that provides credit enhancement for the security. There are risks associated with the potential investment of the Funds assets in fixed-income securities, which may include credit risk, interest rate risk and maturity risk as described below:
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security or counterparty to a transaction involving one or more bonds will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or otherwise will be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations. If the issuer, guarantor, or counterparty fails to pay interest, income may be reduced. If the issuer, guarantor, or counterparty fails to repay principal, the value of that security may be reduced. The Fund may be subject to credit risk to the extent that it invests in fixed-income securities that involve a promise by a third party to honor an obligation with respect to the fixed-income security. Securities rated BBB by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch) or Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) are considered investment-grade securities, but are somewhat riskier than more highly-rated investment-grade obligations (those rated A or better) because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest, are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics, and may be speculative. Such investment-grade securities will be subject to higher credit risk and may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than higher-rated securities.
Interest Rate Risk. The price of a bond or a fixed-income security is dependent, in part, upon interest rates. Therefore, the share price and total return of the Fund when investing a significant portion of its assets in fixed-income securities, will vary in response to changes in interest rates. There is the possibility that the value of the Funds investment in bonds or fixed income securities may fall because bonds or fixed income securities generally
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fall in value when interest rates rise. The longer the term of a bond or fixed income instrument, the more sensitive it will be to fluctuations in value from interest rate changes. Changes in interest rates may have a more pronounced effect if the Fund holds a significant portion of its assets in fixed-income securities with long-term maturities.
Maturity Risk. Maturity risk is another factor that can affect the value of the Funds fixed-income holdings. In general, fixed-income obligations with longer maturities have higher yields and a greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Conversely, fixed-income obligations with shorter maturities generally have lower yields but less sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
Money Market Instrument Risk. The Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are contracts in which a seller of securities agrees to buy the securities back at a specified time and price. Repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk related to the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. Money market instruments, including money market funds, may lose money through fees or other means.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. Frequent and active trading may result in greater expenses to the Fund, which may lower the Funds performance and may result in the realization of capital gains, including net short-term capital gains, which must generally be distributed to shareholders. Therefore, high portfolio turnover may reduce the Funds returns and increase taxable distributions to shareholders.
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
Performance information will be available after the Fund completes a full calendar year of operations. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, will be available by calling [1-888-348-1255] or by visiting [ ].
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Q3 Asset Management Corporation is the Funds investment adviser.
Portfolio Managers |
Investment Experience with the Fund |
Primary Title with Adviser |
| Brad Giaimo | Co-Manager of the Fund since its inception in [ ] 2025 | Principal/CCO |
| Adam Quiring | Co-Manager of the Fund since its inception in [ ] 2025 | Principal |
| Bruce Greig, CFA, CAIA | Co-Manager of the Fund since its inception in [ ] 2025 | Director of Research |
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
The Fund will issue and redeem shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (each block of shares is called a Creation Unit) and only to Authorized Participants that have entered into agreements with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the Distributor), the Funds distributor. Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through a broker or dealer at a market price. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange under the ticker symbol [ ]. Because the shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares of the Fund may trade at a price that is greater than (a premium), at, or less than (a discount) NAV.
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An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the bid-ask spread).
An investor may access recent information, including information on the Funds net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts and bid-ask spreads, on the Funds website at [ ].
TAX INFORMATION
The Funds distributions are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) plan, individual retirement account (IRA) or 529 college savings plan. Tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those accounts.
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 or trust company), the Fund, the Adviser
or their respective related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create
conflicts 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 intermediarys website for more information.
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| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS |
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks capital appreciation. The Funds Board of Trustees (the Board) may change the Funds investment objective without shareholder approval upon 60 days written notice to shareholders. The Funds other investment policies and strategies may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval unless otherwise provided in this prospectus or in the statement of additional information (SAI).
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests primarily in a combination of futures contracts on U.S. equity indexes (Indexes), such as the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100 Index (Index Futures), leveraged U.S. equity and fixed-income index ETFs (Index ETFs), as well as money market funds or other cash equivalents, U.S. Treasury securities, and short-term bonds (Fixed Income Investments). The percentage of the Funds net assets invested in Index Futures may fluctuate over time but under normal circumstances is generally expected to represent approximately 10% of the Funds net assets based on mark-to-market values. However, the Funds notional exposure from a combination of Index Futures and Index ETFs may at times be up to +150%/-150% of the Funds net assets due to the use of leverage. Leveraged positions will be taken when certain Signals (examples of which are defined below) indicate sufficient strength or weakness in the Indexes is present. The stronger the Signals, the more leverage will be used. Under normal circumstances, the balance of the Funds net assets generally will be invested in Fixed Income Investments in an effort to generate income for the Fund and as collateral for the Index Futures. Fixed Income Investments which the Fund holds may comprise a significant percentage (including 100%) of the Funds portfolio during the times when the Adviser determines, based on the process described below, that U.S. equity markets are unattractive for either short or long-term investment.
In managing the Fund, the Adviser utilizes a tactical, systematic strategy that relies on several proprietary algorithmic models (Models). Models may also utilize research from unaffiliated, third-party research providers. The Models may incorporate a combination of technical, economic, and fundamental signals, such as market cycle, sentiment analysis, momentum, moving averages and overbought/oversold readings. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, as the Advisor has the sole discretion to utilize additional proprietary market signals as it deems necessary. Please see the Principal Investment Strategies sub-section of Additional Information about the Funds Investment Objective, Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks for more details on the Signals).
If a preponderance of the Signals are bullish, the Fund may be up to 150% invested in Index Futures and Index ETFs. Conversely, if the preponderance of the Signals are bearish, the Fund may be up to 150% invested in short Index Futures and/or inverse Index ETFs.
The Fund generally takes an inverse position, or exits or reduces, a position when a preponderance of the Signals indicate an environment in which the risk/reward characteristics of the Indexes are deemed to be unfavorable for investment. Generally, a specific inverse Signal utilized by the Fund would have to trigger, or a preponderance of the total Signals would need to register as negative (market not amenable for long investments) for the Fund to take inverse positions.
Trades for the Fund may be short-term in nature (lasting from 1-15 days), depending on prevailing market conditions, which may involve active and frequent trading and high portfolio turnover. However, certain trades could span longer
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periods of time (in excess of 60 days), depending on market conditions. At times, the Funds investments may be indirectly focused on one or more sectors or areas of the economy.
Signals used by the Fund may fall into one, or more, of the following categories below. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, rather examples of the types of quantitative measures the Fund may utilize when determining its positions. The types of market indicators may change over time at the sole discretion of the Adviser.
Market cycle indicators seek to identify trends in the market. Trend analysis refers to the concept that the market price of a given security will often exhibit autocorrelation. That is, when the index establishes a direction, either up or down, it will tend to maintain that direction for a certain length of time. For example, if the price of a given security was to increase steadily over several weeks, the model may signal this to be a buying opportunity, based on the belief that the price for the security is likely to continue rising. A trend signal would generally turn negative when the prevailing trend for a security is likely to reverse.
Sentiment analysis is used to measure various levels of investor confidence, or lack thereof, in the equity markets. Examples include the put/call ratio, levels of the CBOE Volatility Index, and investor sentiment surveys. Generally, such indicators are used to identify when market participants, as a group, are getting overly bullish or bearish based on past measures. Often these indicators are used in a contrarian manner as investors often get too bullish at market tops, and vice versa.
Momentum seeks to identify the strength of movement with an index market exposure. This can be done in many ways including measuring the time in which a particular index has made a move of a given size, or the relative performance of one index versus another. Collectively, momentum indicators are used to help pinpoint those times when the advances of an index are likely to predict future movements – either up or down.
Overbought/oversold indicators are used to identify those times that the equity markets have moved too far, too quickly, in any one direction. When this is deemed to have occurred, the belief is that the market will reverse, at least in the short-term, and move in the opposite direction resulting in a tradeable event.
Principal Risks
All investments involve risks, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. As with any mutual fund or ETF investment, the Funds returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Funds exposure to the risks discussed below may be through the Funds direct investments or indirect through the Funds investments in Index Futures and Fixed Income Instruments. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. The Fund is subject to the following principal risks:
Derivatives Securities Risks: The use of derivative instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that are different than those normally required for purchasing and selling stocks. If the Adviser uses a derivative instrument at the wrong time or incorrectly identifies market conditions, or if the derivative instrument does not perform as expected, these strategies may significantly reduce the Funds return. Derivative instruments may be difficult to value, may be illiquid and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument.
In addition, the Funds use of futures contracts creates leverage, which can magnify the Funds potential for gain or loss and therefore amplify the effect of market volatility on the Funds share price. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
The Funds use of derivatives or derivatives transactions may expose it to various risks, including leverage risk, market risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, and legal risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund uses derivatives (such as futures contracts), or similar instruments or techniques to gain exposure to investments in an amount that exceeds the Funds initial investment. The use of leverage magnifies changes in the Funds net asset value and thus may result in increased portfolio volatility and increased risk of loss. Leverage may lower the Funds overall returns. There can be no guarantee that the Funds use of leverage will be successful. Market risk generally refers to risk from potential adverse market movements in relation to the Funds derivatives transactions, or the risk that markets could
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experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts Fund returns and the Funds obligations and exposures. Counterparty risk generally refers to the risk that a counterparty on a derivatives transaction may not be willing or able to perform its contractual obligations under the transaction, and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to such a counterparty. Liquidity risk generally refers to risk involving the liquidity demands that derivatives transactions can create to make payments of margin, collateral or settlement obligations to counterparties. Operational risk generally refers to risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error. Legal risk generally refers to insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act regulates a funds use of derivative investments and certain financing transactions. Among other conditions, Rule 18f-4 requires certain funds that invest in derivative instruments beyond a specified limited amount (generally greater than 10% of a funds net assets) to apply a value-at-risk based limit to their use of certain derivative instruments and financing transactions and to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program. To the extent a fund uses derivative instruments (excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions) in a limited amount (up to 10% of a funds net assets), it will not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4.
The regulation of derivatives has undergone substantial change in recent years. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related regulations require most derivatives to be margined and/or cleared and traded on an exchange, expand entity registration requirements, impose business conduct requirements on counterparties, and impose other regulatory requirements that impact derivatives markets. The implementation of these requirements or additional future regulation of the derivatives markets may make the use of derivatives more costly, may limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives, and may impose limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions. Fund management cannot fully predict the effects of any governmental regulation of the derivatives markets, and there can be no assurance that any government regulation will not adversely affect the Funds performance or ability to achieve its investment objective.
Futures Contract Risk: Futures contracts involve a risk of loss or depreciation due to: unanticipated adverse changes in securities prices, interest rates, indices, the other financial instruments prices or currency exchange rates; the inability to close out a position; default by the counterparty; imperfect correlation between a position and the desired hedge (if the derivative instrument is being used for hedging purposes); tax constraints on closing out positions; and portfolio management constraints on securities subject to such transactions. The loss on futures contracts may substantially exceed the amount invested in these instruments. Transaction costs are incurred in opening and closing futures contract positions. The successful use of futures contracts depends upon the Advisers skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations, including:
| ○ | imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; |
| ○ | possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; |
| ○ | losses caused by unanticipated market movement, which are potentially unlimited; |
| ○ | the Advisers inability to correctly predict the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; |
| ○ | the possibility that a counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; |
| ○ | the possibility that the Fund may have insufficient cash and have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet the daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so; |
| ○ | the possibility that a failure to close a position may result in delivery of an illiquid commodity to the Fund or that rapid selling to avoid delivery may result in unfavorable execution prices; and |
| ○ | possible inefficiencies that are created by the need to roll contracts (i.e., sell out of a contract that is nearing delivery or settlement in favor of a contract with a delivery or settlement date that is further into the future). |
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| ● | ETF Risks: Because the Funds shares are traded on an exchange, the Fund is subject to additional risks: |
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk: Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in the How to Buy and Sell Shares section of this prospectus) may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.
Cash Redemption Risk: Unlike many ETFs, the Funds investment strategy may require it to redeem shares of the Fund for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. Cash redemptions may also entail higher transaction costs than in-kind redemptions, which costs may be passed on to redeemers of creation units of Fund shares in the form of redemption transaction fees. The cost of cash redemptions could also reduce the Funds NAV to the extent that those costs are not fully offset by the redemption transaction fee charged to the redeeming Authorized Participant.
Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares: Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by those brokers. 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 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 the Funds shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Funds shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause wider 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.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk: While the Funds shares are listed on an exchange and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market price, the NAV of the Funds shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Funds holdings. The market prices of the shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the shares on the Exchange. The Advisor cannot predict whether the shares of the Fund will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Funds holdings trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.
Marketing Trading Risk: The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including disruptions to the creation and redemption processes of the Fund, losses from trading in secondary markets, the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for shares. The NAV of shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Funds securities holdings. The market prices of shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV and supply and demand on the exchange. The Fund cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. If a shareholder purchases shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Any of these factors, discussed above and further below, may lead to shares trading at a premium or discount to the Funds NAV. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV, the Advisor believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of the Fund are not likely to be sustained over the long term. While the creation-redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that the Funds shares normally will trade on the exchange at prices close to the Funds next calculated
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NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Funds NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants, or other market participants, and during periods of significant market volatility, may result in trading prices for shares of the Fund that differ significantly from its NAV. Authorized Participants may be less willing to create or redeem Fund shares if there is a lack of an active market for such shares or its underlying investments, which may contribute to the Funds shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV.
| ○ | Absence of Prior Active Market. While the Funds shares are listed on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares. |
| ○ | Trading Issues. Trading in shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the exchanges circuit breaker rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Shares of the Fund, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility and price decreases associated with being sold short. |
Fixed-income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed-income securities in which the Fund invests may fluctuate in response to many factors, including changes in interest rates and the creditworthiness of the issuer. A debt securitys credit quality depends on the issuers ability to pay interest on the security and repay the debt; the lower the credit rating, the greater the risk that the securitys issuer will default. The credit risk of a security may also depend on the credit quality of any bank or financial institution that provides credit enhancement for the security. There are risks associated with the potential investment of the Funds assets in fixed-income securities, which may include credit risk, interest rate risk and maturity risk as described below:
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security or counterparty to a transaction involving one or more bonds will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or otherwise will be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations. If the issuer, guarantor, or counterparty fails to pay interest, income may be reduced. If the issuer, guarantor, or counterparty fails to repay principal, the value of that security. The Fund may be subject to credit risk to the extent that it invests in fixed-income securities that involve a promise by a third party to honor an obligation with respect to the fixed-income security. Securities rated BBB by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch) or Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) are considered investment-grade securities, but are somewhat riskier than more highly-rated investment-grade obligations (those rated A or better) because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest, are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics, and may be speculative. Such investment-grade securities will be subject to higher credit risk and may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than higher-rated securities. Credit risk is particularly significant for investments in junk bonds or lower than investment-grade securities.
Interest Rate Risk. The price of a fixed-income security is dependent, in part, upon interest rates. Therefore, the share price and total return of the Fund, when investing a significant portion of its assets will vary in response to changes in interest rates. There is the possibility that the value of the Funds investment in fixed-income securities may fall because fixed-income securities generally fall in value when interest rates rise. The longer the term of a bond or fixed-income instrument, the more sensitive it will be to fluctuations in value from interest rate changes. Changes in interest rates may have a more pronounced effect if the Fund holds a significant portion of its assets in fixed-income securities with long-term maturities. The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy. It is difficult to predict the pace at which central banks or monetary authorities may increase or decrease interest rates or the timing, frequency, or magnitude of such changes. Any such changes could be sudden and could expose debt markets to significant volatility and reduced liquidity for Fund investments.
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Maturity Risk. Maturity risk is another factor that can affect the value of the Funds fixed-income holdings. In general, fixed-income obligations with longer maturities have higher yields and a greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Conversely, fixed-income obligations with shorter maturities generally have lower yields but less sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
Fund of Funds Structure Risk. Investments in ETFs and other investment companies (e.g. open end and closed end mutual funds) subject the Fund to paying its proportionate share of fees and expenses from those investments. In other words, by investing in the Fund, you will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying ETFs and investment companies in which the Fund invests in addition to the Funds direct fees and expenses. In addition, under the 1940 Act, the Fund is subject to restrictions that may limit the amount of any particular ETF or other registered investment company that the Fund may own.
Leveraged ETF Risk. The Fund may invest in Leveraged ETFs. In general, Leveraged ETFs seek to provide investment results that match a multiple of the performance of an underlying index (e.g., two or three times the performance or two or three times the inverse performance) for a single day and rely to some degree, often extensively, on derivatives to achieve their objectives. Thus, the Fund may be directly exposed (via financial instruments) and/or indirectly exposed to derivatives risk through its investments in these Leveraged ETFs. Further, investments in Leveraged ETFs are subject to the risk that the performance of the ETF will not correlate with the underlying index as intended. Leveraged ETFs often reset daily, meaning that they are designed to achieve their stated objectives on a daily basis. Due to the effect of compounding, their performance over longer periods of time can differ significantly from the performance of their underlying index or benchmark during the same period of time. This effect can be magnified in volatile markets. Consequently, Leveraged ETFs may be extremely volatile and can potentially expose the Fund to a complete loss of its investment. Leveraged ETFs are also subject to the risks presented by traditional ETFs (see ETF Risks and Fund of Funds Structure Risk).
Management Risk. Unlike many ETFs that have a passive investment strategy, the Fund is actively managed. The Advisers judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Advisers investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the securities in the Funds portfolio may decline due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Advisers control, including fluctuation in interest rates, the quality of the Funds investments, economic conditions and general market conditions. Certain market events could increase volatility and exacerbate market risk, such as changes in governments economic policies, political turmoil, environmental events, trade disputes, and epidemics, pandemics or other public health issues. For example, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulted in closing borders, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity and company closings and product cutbacks, as well as general concern and uncertainty, thus causing significant disruptions to global business activity and financial markets, the broad effects of which are currently difficult to assess. Turbulence in financial markets, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers domestically and around the world, and can result in trading halts, any of which could have an adverse impact on the Fund. During periods of market volatility, security prices (including securities held by the Fund) could fall drastically and rapidly and therefore adversely affect the Fund.
Model Risk. Quantitative models used in the Funds strategy may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative models assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect the Funds performance. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Money Market Instrument Risk. The Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are contracts in which a seller of securities agrees to buy the securities back at a specified time and price. Repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk related to the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. Money market instruments, including money market funds, may lose money through fees or other means.
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Portfolio Turnover Risk. Frequent and active trading may result in greater expenses to the Fund, which may lower the Funds performance and may result in the realization of capital gains, including net short-term capital gains, which must generally be distributed to shareholders. Therefore, high portfolio turnover may reduce the Funds returns and increase taxable distributions to shareholders.
Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in futures contracts that are based on the value of the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprise the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Funds investments in futures contracts that are based on the value of the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index, the Fund may also be subject to the following risks:
Indirect Investment Risk. The S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund or the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.
Index Trading Risk. The trading price of the S&P 500 Index and/or NASDAQ 100 Index may be highly volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors. The stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies.
Nasdaq 100 Index Risks: The NASDAQ 100 Indexs major risks stem from its high concentration in the technology sector and significant exposure to high-growth, high-valuation companies. A downturn in the tech industry, whether from regulatory changes, shifts in technology, or competitive pressures, can greatly impact the index. It is also vulnerable to geopolitical risks due to many constituent companies having substantial international operations. Since many of these tech companies often trade at high valuations, a shift in investor sentiment could lead to significant price declines.
Sector Risk. At times the Fund may emphasizes investment in one or more sectors, and as a result the value of its net assets will be more susceptible to the financial, market or economic events affecting issuers and industries within those sectors than would be the case for funds that do not emphasize investment in particular sectors. In addition, this may increase the risk of loss of an investment in the Fund and increase the volatility of the Funds NAV per share.
Technology Sector Risk. 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.
In addition to the strategies and risks described above, the Fund may invest in other types of securities whose risks are described in the Funds SAI.
Portfolio Holdings and Disclosure Policy
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio holdings is available in the Funds SAI.
| Account Information |
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Only certain financial institutions such as registered broker-dealers and banks that have entered into agreements with the Funds Distributor (Authorized Participants or APs) may acquire shares directly from the Fund and tender their shares for redemption directly to the Fund. Such purchases and redemptions are made at NAV per share and only in large blocks, or Creation Units, of shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Funds procedures, which are described in the SAI.
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A creation transaction, which is subject to acceptance by the Funds Distributor and the Fund, generally takes place when an AP deposits into the Fund a designated portfolio of securities (Deposit Securities) (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) and a specified amount of cash approximating the holdings of the Fund in exchange for a specified number of Creation Units. The composition of such portfolio generally corresponds pro rata to the holdings of the Fund. However, the Fund may, in certain circumstances, offer Creation Units partially or solely for cash. Similarly, shares can be redeemed only in Creation Units, generally for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) held by the Fund and a specified amount of cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after a creation or redemption order is received in an acceptable form under the AP agreement.
The Fund charges APs standard creation and redemption transaction fees (Transaction Fees) to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The standard creation and redemption transaction fees are set forth in the table below. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the AP on the day such AP creates a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the AP on the applicable business day. Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the AP on the day such AP redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by the AP on the applicable business day. Creations and redemptions for cash (when cash creations and redemptions (in whole or in part) are available or specified) are also subject to an additional charge (up to the maximum amounts shown in the table below). This charge is intended to compensate for brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement and other costs and expenses related to cash transactions (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs).
The Transaction Fees for the Fund are listed in the table below.
| Fee for In-Kind and Cash Purchases | Maximum
Additional Variable Charge for Cash Purchases* |
| $[ ] | [ ] basis points ([ ])% |
| * | As a percentage of the amount invested. |
The Fund reserves the right to make redemptions of shares for cash.
Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol [ ]. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per share. Shares can be bought and sold on the secondary market throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares, and shares typically trade in blocks of less than a Creation Unit. There is no minimum investment. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the Exchange is open for trading. The Exchange is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays, as observed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
When buying or selling shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.
The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (DTC) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes.
Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a
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beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or street name form.
Share Trading Prices
The trading prices of Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Funds daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.
Frequent Purchases And Redemptions Of Fund Shares
The Funds shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by APs, and the vast majority of trading in the Funds shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not directly involve the Fund, it is unlikely those trades would cause the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Funds trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with the Fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), those trades do not cause the harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Funds ability to achieve its investment objective. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that the Funds shares trade at or close to NAV. The Fund also employs fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Fund shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that the Funds trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Trust has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Funds shares.
Investments by Other Investment Companies
Rule 12d1-4 allows funds to invest in other investment companies in excess of some of the limitations discussed above, subject to certain limitations and conditions. An acquiring fund relying on Rule 12d-4 must enter into a fund of funds investment agreement with the acquired fund. Rule 12d1-4 outlines the requirements for fund of funds agreements and specifies certain reporting responsibilities of the acquiring funds adviser. The Fund expects to rely on Rule 12d1-4 to the extent the Adviser deems such reliance necessary or appropriate.
Determination of Net Asset Value
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, the Funds administrator, calculates the Funds NAV at the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that the NYSE is open for business. Currently, the NYSE is closed on weekends and in recognition of the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
To calculate NAV, the Funds assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and the balance is divided by the number of shares outstanding. The Fund generally values its portfolio securities at its current market values determined based on available market quotations. However, if market quotations are not available or are considered to be unreliable due to market or other events, portfolio securities will be valued at their fair values, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, as determined in good faith by the Adviser, as the Funds valuation designee, in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. When fair value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV are based on the consideration by the Fund of a number of subjective factors and therefore may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. To the extent the assets of the Fund are invested in other registered investment companies that are not listed on an exchange the Funds NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs reported by such registered investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair
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value pricing. To the extent the Fund has portfolio securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the NAV of the Funds shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Funds shares.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers at market prices and the Funds shares will trade at market prices. The market price of shares of the Fund may be greater than, equal to, or less than NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of shares of the Fund.
Information regarding how often the shares of the Fund traded at a price above (at a premium to) or below (at a discount to) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters, can be found at [ ].
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Fund. The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually.
Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available.
Taxes
The following information is meant as a general summary for U.S. taxpayers. Additional tax information appears in the SAI. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares will be taxed. The tax information in this prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares.
Unless your investment in shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:
| ● | the Fund makes distributions, |
| ● | you sell your shares listed on the Exchange, and |
| ● | you purchase or redeem Creation Units. |
Taxes on Distributions
As stated above, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid quarterly by the Fund. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements. Distributions from the Funds net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income, except that the Funds dividends attributable to its qualified dividend income (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions), if any, generally are subject to federal income tax for non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the rate for net capital gain. A part of the Funds dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations — the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding REITs) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations — subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund (if that option is available). Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if available, will be taxable to shareholders acquiring the additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash. Distributions of net long-term capital
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gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the shares.
Distributions in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Funds NAV per share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain (as described above) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% tax on their net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of a Fund).
By law, the Fund is required to withhold 24% of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number and in certain other situations, including when you have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that you are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, it is a way in which the IRS ensures it will collect taxes otherwise due. Any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses from sales of shares may be limited.
Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units
An AP who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchangers aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any Cash Component it pays. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchangers basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received plus any cash equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed and the value of the securities. 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 for other reasons. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less.
If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. See Tax Status in the SAI for a description regarding basis determination methods applicable to Share redemptions and the Funds obligation to report basis information to the IRS.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Shareholders that are not U.S. persons within the meaning of the Code should consult their tax advisers and, if holding shares through intermediaries, their intermediaries, concerning the application of U.S. tax rules and tax rules of other applicable jurisdictions to their investment in the Fund. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the shares of the Fund under all applicable tax laws.
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| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
THE INVESTMENT ADVISER
Q3 Asset Management Corporation, with a principal address of 2175 Cole Street, Birmingham, MI 48009, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Fund (the Advisory Agreement), the Adviser provides the Fund with a continuous program of investing the Funds assets and determining the composition of the Funds portfolio. The Adviser has been registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) since 2013 and also provides investment advisory services to other accounts, including other registered investment companies.
For its services, the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly investment advisory fee (a Management Fee) computed at the annual rate of [ ]% of its average daily net assets. The Adviser has contractually agreed under an expense limitation agreement (the Expense Limitation Agreement), until [ ], to reduce its investment advisory fees and to reimburse Other Expenses to the extent necessary to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of the Fund (exclusive of brokerage costs; taxes; interest; borrowing costs such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short; costs to organize the Fund; Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; extraordinary expenses such as litigation and merger or reorganization costs and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds business) to [ ]% of average daily net assets of the Funds shares. Management Fee reductions and expense reimbursements by the Adviser are subject to repayment by the Fund for a period of three (3) years after such the date on which fees and expenses were incurred, provided that the repayments do not cause Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (exclusive of such reductions and reimbursements) to exceed (i) the expense limitation then in effect, if any, and (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time the expenses to be repaid were incurred. It is expected that the Expense Limitation Agreement will continue from year-to-year provided such continuance is approved by the Board. The Expense Limitation Agreement may be terminated by the Adviser or the Board, without approval by the other party, at the end of the current term upon not less than 90 days notice to the other party as set forth in the Expense Limitation Agreement. The Expense Limitation Agreement will terminate automatically if the Funds Advisory Agreement with the Adviser is terminated.
A discussion of the factors considered by the Board in its approval of the Funds Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, including the Boards conclusions with respect thereto, will be available in the Funds [Semi-]Annual Report to shareholders for the period ended [ ].
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The following individuals have primary responsibility for day-to-day management of the Fund.
Brad Giaimo is a co-portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Giaimo formed the Adviser in 2006, and serves as one of the firms principals and as its Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Giaimo earned a Bachelors of Arts from The University of Hartford and worked 11 years on the New York Cotton Exchange as an independent floor trader.
Adam Quiring is a co-portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Quiring joined the Adviser in 2009, and serves as one of the firms principals. Mr. Quiring earned a Bachelors of Science (Business) degree from Northern Michigan University.
Bruce Greig is a co-portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Greig joined the Adviser in 2015, and serves as its Director of Research. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Greig was the Vice President-Asset Management for CIG Capital Advisors. Mr. Greig earned a Bachelors of Science (Mathematics) degree from The University of Michigan and a Masters in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
The Funds SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and their ownership of shares of the Fund.
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| FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
This section would ordinarily include Financial Highlights. The Financial Highlights table is intended to help you understand each Funds performance for the Funds periods of operations. Because the Fund has yet commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, no Financial Highlights are shown.
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| DISCLAIMERS |
Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Fund. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the shares of the Fund to be issued, or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Fund in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of the Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
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| FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
Additional information about the Fund is included in the SAI, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the Funds annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the Funds annual report , you will find a discussion of the market conditions and strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds annual and semi-annual financial statements.
To obtain a free copy of the SAI, the audited and unaudited Financial Statements or other information about the Fund, or to make inquiries about the Fund, please call Toll-Free:
1-888-348-1255
This Prospectus, the SAI and the most recent shareholder reports are also available without charge on the Funds website at www.[ ].com or upon written request to:
Q3
All-Season Tactical Advantage ETF
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
P.O.
Box 46707
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
The Funds website will also provide information about the Funds net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads.
Only one copy of a Prospectus or audited or unaudited Financial Statements will be sent to each household address. This process, known as Householding, is used for most required shareholder mailings. (It does not apply to confirmations of transactions and account statements, however). You may, of course, request an additional copy of a Prospectus or audited or unaudited Financial Statements at any time by calling or writing the Fund or by downloading free of charge at www.[ ].com. You may also request that Householding be eliminated from all your required mailings.
Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of information on the SECs Internet site may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
Investment Company Act File No. 811-22680
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
Dated September 25, 2025
THE INFORMATION HEREIN IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
Q3 All-Season Tactical Advantage ETF
Ticker Symbol: [ ]
Listed and traded on: [ ]
a series of
ULTIMUS MANAGERS TRUST
225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
[ ], 2025
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for the Q3 All-Season Tactical Advantage ETF (a Fund) dated [ ], 2025, which may be supplemented from time to time (the Prospectus). This SAI is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Prospectus. Because this SAI is not itself a prospectus, no investment in shares of the Fund should be made solely upon the information contained herein. Copies of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge, upon request, by writing the Fund at c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246, or by calling toll-free 1-888-348-1255 or by visiting the Funds website at [ ].
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES | 1 |
| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENTS, STRATEGIES AND RISKS | 8 |
| INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS | 17 |
| MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST | 18 |
| INVESTMENT ADVISER | 22 |
| PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS | 24 |
| THE DISTRIBUTOR | 25 |
| OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS | 25 |
| GENERAL INFORMATION | 27 |
| BENCHMARK DESCRIPTION | 30 |
| ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION | 31 |
| FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 35 |
| APPENDIX A | 36 |
| APPENDIX B | 38 |
| APPENDIX C | 42 |
| APPENDIX D | 45 |
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Q3 All-Season Tactical Advantage ETF (the Fund) is a series of Ultimus Managers Trust (the Trust), an open-end management investment company. The Fund is a diversified series of the Trust. The Trust is an unincorporated business trust that was organized under Ohio law on February 28, 2012. The Funds investments are managed by Q3 Asset Management Corporation (the Adviser). For further information on the Fund, please call 1-888-348-1255.
The Fund issues and redeems shares solely to certain financial institutions such as registered broker-dealers and banks that have entered into agreements with the Funds distributor (Authorized Participants or APs) on a continuous basis at net asset value per share (NAV) in aggregations of a specified number of shares called Creation Units. Creation Units generally are issued in exchange for a basket of securities (Deposit Securities), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (Balancing Amount). Shares are not individually redeemable, but are redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of the Fund consists of a block of shares.
Shares are listed and traded on [ ] (the Exchange). Shares trade in the secondary market at market prices that may differ from the shares NAV. Other than Authorized Participants, investors will not be able to purchase or redeem shares directly with or from the Fund. Instead, most investors will buy and sell shares in the secondary market through a broker.
Each share of a series represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to that series with each other share of that series and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the series as are declared by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board). Each share has the same voting and other rights and preferences as any other shares of any series of the Trust with respect to matters that affect the Trust as a whole. The shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights, and the Board has the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected. The Fund currently offers only one class of shares. In case of any liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated will be entitled to receive as a class a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series are borne by that series. Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as the Board determines to be fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.
For information concerning the purchase and sale of shares of the Fund, see How to Buy and Sell Shares in the Funds Prospectus and in this SAI. For a description of the methods used to determine the share price and value of the Funds assets, see Determination of Net Asset Value in the Funds Prospectus and in this SAI.
The performance of the Fund may be compared in publications to the performance of various indices and investments for which reliable performance data is available. The performance of the Fund may be compared in publications to averages, performance rankings, or other information prepared by recognized investment company statistical services. The Funds annual report contains additional performance information and will be made available to investors upon request and without charge.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Creation Units
The Fund will issue and redeem shares at NAV only in aggregations of large blocks of shares or Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. In order to be an Authorized Participant the firm must be either a broker-dealer or other participant (Participating Party) in the Continuous Settlement System (Clearing Process) of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or a participant in Deposit Trust Company (DTC) with access to the DTC system (DTC Participant), and the firm must execute an agreement (Participant Agreement) with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, the Funds distributor (the Distributor) that governs transactions in the Funds Creation Units.
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The Fund sells and redeems Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
The Fund will issue and redeem Creation Units principally in exchange for an in-kind deposit of Deposit Securities, together with the deposit of a Cash Component, plus a transaction fee. The Fund is listed on the Exchange. Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, a share split, reverse split or the like, the Trust may revise the number of shares in a Creation Unit.
The Fund reserves the right to offer creations and redemptions of shares for cash.
Exchange Listing and Trading
Shares of the Fund are available to the public on the Exchange and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of the Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if, among other things: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of Fund shares, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial owners of shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days, or (ii) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will also remove shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares of the Fund through a broker, you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.
Transaction Fees
A fixed fee payable to the Custodian (defined below) is imposed on each creation and redemption transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units involved in the transaction (Fixed Fee). Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units for cash or involving cash-in-lieu (as defined below) are required to pay an additional variable charge to compensate the Fund and its ongoing shareholders for brokerage and market impact expenses relating to Creation Unit transactions (Variable Charge, and together with the Fixed Fee, the Transaction Fees). With the approval of the Board, the Adviser may waive or adjust the Transaction Fees, including the Fixed Fee and/or Variable Charge (shown in the table below), from time to time. In such cases, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Fund for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Fund and the cash-in-lieu amount, applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes. In addition, purchasers of Creation Units are responsible for the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the account of the Fund.
Investors who use the services of a broker, or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. The Transaction Fees for the Fund are listed in the table below.
| Fee for In-Kind and Cash Purchases | Maximum
Additional Variable Charge for Cash Purchases* |
| $[ ] | [ ] basis points ([ ])% |
| * | As a percentage of the amount invested. |
The Clearing Process
Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a Participating Party using the NSCC system are referred to as transactions through the Clearing Process. Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a DTC Participant using the DTC system are referred to as transactions outside the Clearing Process. The Clearing Process is an enhanced clearing process that is available only for certain securities and only to DTC participants that are also participants in the Continuous
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Net Settlement System of the NSCC. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders not subject to the Clearing Process will go through a manual clearing process run by DTC. Portfolio Deposits that include government securities must be delivered through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system (Federal Reserve System). Portfolio Deposits that include cash may be delivered through the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System. In-kind deposits of securities for orders outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through the Federal Reserve System (for government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities).
Purchasing Creation Units
Portfolio Deposit
The consideration for a Creation Unit generally consists of the Deposit Securities and a Cash Component; however the Creation Units of the Fund are generally issued and redeemed in cash. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the Portfolio Deposit. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the Deposit Securities. Thus, the Cash Component is equal to the difference between (x) the net asset value per Creation Unit of the Fund and (y) the market value of the Deposit Securities. If (x) is more than (y), the Authorized Participant will pay the Cash Component to the Fund. If (x) is less than (y), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component from the Fund.
On each day the Exchange is open for business (Business Day), prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the Adviser through the Custodian makes available through NSCC the name and amount of each Deposit Security in the current Portfolio Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund and the (estimated) Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit. The Deposit Securities announced are applicable to purchases of Creation Units until the next announcement of Deposit Securities.
Payment of any stamp duty or the like shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing a Creation Unit. The Authorized Participant must ensure that all Deposit Securities properly denote change in beneficial ownership.
Custom Orders and Cash-in-lieu
The Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (cash-in-lieu) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu when, for example, a Deposit Security may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process. Similarly, the Fund may permit or require cash in lieu of Deposit Securities when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities laws or policies from transacting in one or more Deposit Securities. The Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in accepting Deposit Securities including that the Deposit Securities are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. All orders involving cash-in-lieu are considered to be Custom Orders.
Purchase Orders and Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders
An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable purchase order in proper form to the Distributor or its agent no later than the earlier of (i) 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (ii) the closing time of the bond markets and/or the trading session on the Exchange, on any Business Day in order to receive that Business Days NAV (Cut-off Time). The Cut-off Time for Custom Orders is generally two hours earlier. The Business Day the order is deemed received by the Distributor is referred to as the Transmittal Date. An order to create Creation Units is deemed received on a Business Day if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Cut-off Time on such day and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Persons placing or effectuating custom orders and/or orders involving cash should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve Bank wire system, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash and securities are transferred by the Settlement Date, which is generally the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date (T+1).
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Orders Using the Clearing Process
If available, (portions of) orders may be settled through the Clearing Process. In connection with such orders, the Distributor transmits, on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Portfolio Deposit to the Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System.
Orders Outside the Clearing Process
If the Clearing Process is not available for (portions of) an order, Portfolio Deposits will be made outside the Clearing Process. Orders outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will be effected through DTC. The Portfolio Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of Deposit Securities (whether standard or custom) through DTC to the Fund account by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on T+1. The Cash Component, along with any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee, must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve System in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. If the Custodian does not receive both the Deposit Securities and the cash by the appointed time, the order may be canceled. A canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day but must conform to that Business Days Portfolio Deposit. Authorized Participants that submit a canceled order will be liable to the Fund for any losses incurred by the Fund in connection therewith.
Orders involving foreign Deposit Securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable purchase order, the Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian of such order. The Custodian, who will have caused the appropriate local sub-custodian(s) of the Fund to maintain an account into which an Authorized Participant may deliver Deposit Securities (or cash-in-lieu), with adjustments determined by the Fund, will then provide information of the order to such local sub-custodian(s). The ordering Authorized Participant will then deliver the Deposit Securities (and any cash-in-lieu) to the Funds account at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the contractual settlement date, by means satisfactory to the Fund, immediately available or same day funds in U.S. dollars estimated by the Fund to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component and Transaction Fee. When a relevant local market is closed due to local market holidays, the local market settlement process will not commence until the end of the local holiday period. Settlement must occur by 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the contractual settlement date.
Acceptance of Purchase Order
Acceptance of Purchase Order
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 Fund. The Funds determination shall be final and binding.
The Fund reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke acceptance of a purchase order transmitted to it by the Distributor if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (c) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the Deposit Securities for the applicable date; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust, Fund or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust, Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (g) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process purchase orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems resulting in telephone, telecopy or computer failures; fires, floods or extreme weather conditions; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other informational systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Adviser, the Funds Custodian, a sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process; and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify an Authorized Participant of its rejection of the order. The Fund, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the
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Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Portfolio Deposits, and they shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
Issuance of a Creation Unit
Once the Fund has accepted an order, upon next determination of the Funds NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.
Except as provided below, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the Fund obtains good title to the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component, along with any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee. Except as otherwise provided, the delivery of Creation Units will generally occur no later than T+1.
In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.
The Fund may issue a Creation Unit prior to receiving good title to the Deposit Securities, under the following circumstances. Pursuant to the applicable Participant Agreement, the Fund may issue a Creation Unit notwithstanding that (certain) Deposit Securities have not been delivered, in reliance on an undertaking by the relevant Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking is secured by such Authorized Participants delivery to and maintenance with the Custodian of collateral having a value equal to at least 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities (Collateral), as adjusted by time to time by the Adviser. Such Collateral will have a value greater than the NAV of the Creation Unit on the date the order is placed. Such collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. The only Collateral that is acceptable to the Fund is cash in U.S. Dollars.
While (certain) Deposit Securities remain undelivered, the Collateral shall at all times have a value equal to at least 115% (as adjusted by the Adviser) of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities. At any time, the Fund may use the Collateral to purchase the missing securities, and the Authorized Participant will be liable to the Fund for any costs incurred thereby or losses resulting therefrom, whether or not they exceed the amount of the Collateral, including any Transaction Fee, any amount by which the purchase price of the missing Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such securities on the Transmittal Date, brokerage and other transaction costs. The Trust will return any unused Collateral once all of the missing securities have been received by the Fund. More information regarding the Funds current procedures for collateralization is available from the Distributor.
Cash Purchase Method
When cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. In the case of a cash purchase, the investor must pay the cash equivalent of the Portfolio Deposit. In addition, cash purchases will be subject to Transaction Fees, as described above.
Redeeming a Creation Unit
Redemption Basket
The consideration received in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit generally consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities (Redemption Securities) and a Cash Component; however, the Creation Units of the Fund are generally issued and redeemed in cash. Together, the Redemption Securities and the Cash Component constitute the Redemption Basket.
There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in Shares in the secondary market to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. In addition, investors may incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a Creation Unit.
The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the Redemption Securities. Thus, the Cash Component is equal to the difference between (x) the net asset
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value per Creation Unit of the Fund and (y) the market value of the Redemption Securities. If (x) is more than (y), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component from the Fund. If (x) is less than (y), the Authorized Participant will pay the Cash Component to the Fund.
If the Redemption Securities on a Business Day are different from the Deposit Securities, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the Adviser through the Custodian makes available through NSCC the name and amount of each Redemption.
Security in the current Redemption Basket (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund and the (estimated) Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit. If the Redemption Securities on a Business Day are different from the Deposit Securities, all redemption requests that day will be processed outside the Clearing Process.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (i) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of the Funds NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC, including as described below.
Custom Redemptions and Cash-in-lieu
The Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of cash-in-lieu to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Redemption Security. The Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu when, for example, a Redemption Security may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process. Similarly, the Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu of Redemption Securities when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities law or policies from transacting in one or more Redemption Securities. The Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in satisfying redemptions with Redemption Securities, including that the Redemption Securities are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. All redemption requests involving cash-in-lieu are considered to be Custom Redemptions.
Redemption Requests
To redeem a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption request to the Distributor.
An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Fund that it has ascertained or has reasonable grounds to believe that as of the time of the contractual settlement date, that (i) it or its customer, as the case may be, owns, will own or have the authority and right to tender for redemption the Creation Unit to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) all of the Shares that are in the Creation Unit to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement that would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Fund on the contractual settlement date. The Fund reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to verify these representations, but will typically require verification 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 the requested representations, the redemption request will not be considered to be in proper form and may be rejected by the Fund.
Timing of Submission of Redemption Requests
An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption order no later than the Cut-off Time. The Cut-off Time for Custom Orders is generally two hours earlier. The Business Day the order is deemed received by the Distributor is referred to as the Transmittal Date. A redemption request is deemed received if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Cut-off Time on such day and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Persons placing or effectuating Custom Redemptions and/or orders involving cash should be mindful of time
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deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve System, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash and securities are transferred by the Settlement Date, as defined above.
Requests Using the Clearing Process
If available, (portions of) redemption requests may be settled through the Clearing Process. In connection with such orders, the Distributor transmits on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the redemption. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Creation Unit(s) to the Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System, as described above.
Requests Outside the Clearing Process
If the Clearing Process is not available for (portions of) an order, Redemption Baskets will be delivered outside the Clearing Process. Orders outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the redemption will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant must transfer or cause to be transferred the Creation Unit(s) of shares being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be delivered through DTC to the Custodian by 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on received T+1. In addition, the Cash Component must be received by the Custodian by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. If the Custodian does not receive the Creation Unit(s) and Cash Component by the appointed times on T+1, the redemption will be rejected, except in the circumstances described below. A rejected redemption request may be resubmitted the following Business Day.
Orders involving foreign Redemption Securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable redemption request, the Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian. The Custodian will then provide information of the redemption to the Funds local sub-custodian(s). The redeeming Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf is acting, will have established appropriate arrangements with a broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which the Redemption Securities are customarily traded and to which such Redemption Securities (and any cash-in-lieu) can be delivered from the Funds accounts at the applicable local sub-custodian(s).
Acceptance of Redemption Requests
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. The Trusts determination shall be final and binding.
Delivery of Redemption Basket
Once the Fund has accepted a redemption request, upon next determination of the Funds NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Redemption Basket, against receipt of the Creation Unit(s) at such NAV, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee. A Creation Unit tendered for redemption and the payment of the Cash Component, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf it is acting, will be recorded on the book-entry system of DTC.
The Redemption Basket will generally be delivered to the redeeming Authorized Participant within T+1. Except under the circumstances described below, however, a Redemption Basket generally will not be issued until the Creation Unit(s) are delivered to the Fund, along with the Cash Component, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee.
In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.
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Cash Redemption Method
When cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of a cash redemption, the investor will receive the cash equivalent of the Redemption Basket minus any Transaction Fees, as described above.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENTS, STRATEGIES AND RISKS
Information contained in this SAI expands upon information contained in the Prospectus. All investments in securities and other financial instruments involve a risk of financial loss. No assurance can be given that the Funds investment programs will be successful. Investors should carefully review the descriptions of the Funds investments and associated risks described in the Prospectus and this SAI. No investment in shares of the Fund should be made without first reading the Prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated, percentage limitations apply at the time of purchase of the applicable securities.
General Investment Risks. Prices of securities in which the Fund invests may fluctuate in response to many factors, including, but not limited to, the activities of the individual companies whose securities the Fund owns, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes. Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses. In addition, regardless of any one companys particular prospects, a declining stock or bond market may produce a decline in prices for all such securities, which could also result in losses to the Fund. Market declines may continue for an indefinite period of time, and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of all types of securities, including securities held by the Fund, can decline.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the securities in the Funds portfolio may decline due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Advisers control, including fluctuation in interest rates, the quality of the Funds investments, economic conditions and general market conditions. Certain market events could increase volatility and exacerbate market risk, and could result in trading halts, such as changes in governments economic policies, political turmoil, environmental events, trade disputes, terrorism, military action and epidemics, pandemics or other public health issues. Any of the foregoing market events can adversely affect the economies of one or more countries or the entire global economy, certain industries or individual issuers, and capital and security markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen or quickly addressed.
As shown with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), market events (including public health crises and concerns) can have a profound economic and business effect that results in cancellations and disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, disruption and displacement of one or more sectors or industries, closing of borders and imposition of travel restrictions and quarantines, general public concern and uncertainty and, in extreme cases, exchange trading halts due to rapidly falling prices. The impact of COVID-19 caused significant volatility and declines in global financial markets, including the U.S. financial markets. Further, COVID-19 led to production cutbacks for many companies and coupled with changes in consumer spending fueled by government stimulus, created a supply/demand imbalance and resulted in higher prices and inflation, the result of which can affect a companys financial condition and ability to manufacture and sell its products. Likewise, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 has caused increased volatility in various financial markets. The conflict has resulted in economic sanctions against Russia from both government entities and corporations and banking entities. The extent of the effects this will have throughout the world is impossible to predict, but this military action has already resulted in supply chain disruptions and increased trading costs.
Market events such as these and other types of market events may cause significant declines in the values and liquidity of many securities and other instruments, and significant disruptions to global business activity and financial markets. Turbulence in financial markets, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers both domestically and around the world, and can result in trading halts, any of which could have an adverse impact on the Fund.
Derivatives. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in, or enter into, derivatives for a variety of reasons, including to hedge certain market or interest rate risks, or to provide a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities or for speculative purposes to increase potential returns. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest
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rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments the Fund may use, to the extent described in the Prospectus and this SAI, include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, structured notes, swap agreements and credit derivatives, which are described below.
Risks of Derivatives
While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. For example, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Fund than if they had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify the Funds gains or losses, causing them to make or lose substantially more than they invested.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities the Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
Use of derivatives involves transaction costs, which may be significant, and may also increase the amount of taxable income to shareholders.
Correlation of Prices. The Funds ability to hedge its securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities the Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The Adviser will try to minimize this risk by investing in only those contracts whose behavior it expects to correlate with the behavior of the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge. However, if the Advisers prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility or other economic factors is incorrect, the Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
| ● | Current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract; |
| ● | A difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or discontinued trading of an instrument; and |
| ● | Differences between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets. |
Derivatives based upon a narrower index of securities, such as those of a particular industry group, may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad market index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
Volatility and Leverage. Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk, depending upon the characteristics of the particular derivative and the portfolio as a whole. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in derivatives could have a disproportionately large potential impact on the Funds performance.
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Lack of Liquidity. Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, the Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. Moreover, the Fund may close out a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded. Although the Fund intends to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to close out its position. In an illiquid market, the Fund may:
| ● | Have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so; |
| ● | Have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract; |
| ● | Not be able to hedge its investments; and/or |
| ● | Not be able to realize profits or limit its losses. |
Derivatives may become illiquid (i.e., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions. For example:
| ● | An exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility; |
| ● | Unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange; |
| ● | The facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume; |
| ● | Equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or |
| ● | Investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives. |
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a derivatives transaction counterparty will be unable or unwilling to make payments or otherwise honor its obligations to the Fund.
Pricing Risk. At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments. For example, if the Fund has valued its securities too high, shareholders may end up paying too much for Fund shares when they buy into the Fund. If the Fund underestimates its price, shareholders may not receive the full market value for their Fund shares when they sell.
Margin. Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the Fund and it may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement. The Fund may lose its margin deposits if a broker-dealer with whom it has an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.
Over-the-Counter Derivatives Risks. Derivatives may be purchased on established exchanges or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. Exchange-traded derivatives generally are guaranteed by the clearing agency that is the issuer or counterparty to such derivatives. This guarantee usually is supported by a daily variation margin system operated by the clearing agency in order to reduce overall credit risk. As a result, unless the clearing agency defaults, there is relatively little counterparty credit risk associated with derivatives purchased on an exchange. In contrast, no clearing agency guarantees OTC derivatives. Therefore, each party to an OTC derivative bears the risk that the counterparty will default. Accordingly, the Adviser will consider the creditworthiness of counterparties to
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OTC derivatives in the same manner as it would review the credit quality of a security to be purchased by the Fund. OTC derivatives are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since the other party to the transaction may be the only investor with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it.
Government Regulation. The regulation of derivatives has undergone substantial change in recent years. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related regulations require most derivatives to be margined and/or cleared and traded on an exchange, expand entity registration requirements, impose business conduct requirements on counterparties, and impose other regulatory requirements that impact derivatives markets. The implementation of these requirements or additional future regulation of the derivatives markets may make the use of derivatives more costly, may limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives, and may impose limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions. The Adviser cannot fully predict the effects of any governmental regulation of the derivatives markets, and there can be no assurance that any government regulation will not adversely affect the Funds performance or ability to achieve its investment objective.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and various exchanges have imposed (and continue to evaluate and monitor) limits on the number of speculative positions that any person, or group of persons acting in concert, may hold or control in certain futures and options on futures contracts. Additionally, federal position limits now 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 determining whether the applicable position limits have been exceeded, unless an exemption applies. Thus, even if the Fund does not intend to exceed applicable position limits, it is possible that positions of different clients managed by the Adviser and any of its affiliates may be aggregated for this purpose. It is possible that the trading decisions of the Adviser may have to be modified and that positions held by the Fund may have to be 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 profitability of the Fund. A violation of position limits could also lead to regulatory action materially adverse to the Funds investment strategy. The Fund may also be affected by other non-U.S. regulators and trading venues, such as those of the European Union and United Kingdom, that impose position limits on commodity derivative contracts.
As discussed below, the SEC has adopted the Derivatives Rule to regulate funds use of derivatives and other transactions that create leverage. In addition to the limitations imposed by the Derivatives Rule, limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions also could prevent the Fund from using these instruments or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments or may change the availability of certain investments.
Many derivatives have a leverage or borrowing component. As a result, 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 derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Accordingly, certain derivative transactions may be considered to constitute borrowing transactions for purposes of the 1940 Act. Such a derivative transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance of a senior security by the Fund, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund, if the Fund complies with Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (the Derivatives Rule). Among other things, the Derivatives Rule requires certain funds that invest in derivative instruments beyond a specified limited amount (generally greater than 10% of the Funds net assets) to apply a value-at-risk based limit to their use of certain derivative instruments and financing transactions and to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program. To the extent the Fund uses derivative instruments (excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions) in a limited amount (up to 10% of the Funds net assets), it will not be subject to the full requirements of the Derivatives Rule. In addition, to the extent that the Fund enters into reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, the Fund may elect to either treat all of its reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions as derivatives transactions for purposes of the Derivatives Rule or comply (with respect to reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions) with the asset coverage requirements under Section 18 of the 1940 Act. The requirements of the Derivatives Rule may limit the Funds ability to engage in derivates transactions as part of its investment strategy. In addition, the requirements of the Derivatives Rule may increase the costs of the Funds investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect the value of the Funds investments and/or the Funds performance.
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Futures Contracts. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties whereby one party agrees to sell and the other party agrees to buy a specified amount of a financial instrument at an agreed upon price and time. The financial instrument underlying the contract may be a stock, stock index, bond, bond index, interest rate, foreign exchange rate or other similar instrument. Agreeing to buy the underlying financial instrument is called buying a futures contract or taking a long position in the contract. Likewise, agreeing to sell the underlying financial instrument is called selling a futures contract or taking a short position in the contract.
Futures contracts are traded in the United States on commodity exchanges or boards of trade (known as contract markets) approved for such trading and regulated by the CFTC. These contract markets standardize the terms, including the maturity date and underlying financial instrument, of all futures contracts.
Unlike other securities, the parties to a futures contract do not have to pay for or deliver the underlying financial instrument until some future date (the delivery date). Contract markets require both the purchaser and seller to deposit initial margin with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant or custodian bank, when they enter into the contract. Initial margin deposits are typically equal to a percentage of the contracts value. Initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit on a contract and is returned to the depositing party upon termination of the futures contract if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. After they open a futures contract, the parties to the transaction must compare the purchase price of the contract to its daily market value. If the value of the futures contract changes in such a way that a partys position declines, that party must make additional variation margin payments so that the margin payment is adequate. On the other hand, the value of the contract may change in such a way that there is excess margin on deposit, possibly entitling the party that has a gain to receive all or a portion of this amount. This process is known as marking to the market. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a party but is instead a settlement between the party and the futures broker of the amount one party would owe the other if the futures contract terminated. In computing daily NAV, each party marks to market its open futures positions.
Although the terms of a futures contract call for the actual delivery of and payment for the underlying security, in many cases the parties may close the contract early by taking an opposite position in an identical contract. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is less than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is more than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain. Conversely, if the purchase price upon closing out the contract is more than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the purchase price upon closing out the contract is less than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain.
The Fund may incur commission expenses when it opens or closes a futures position.
Securities Index Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in securities index futures contracts. Purchases or sales of securities index futures contracts may be used in an attempt to protect the Funds current or intended investments from broad fluctuations in securities prices. A securities index futures contract does not require the physical delivery of securities, but merely provides for profits and losses resulting from changes in the market value of the contract to be credited or debited at the close of each trading day to the respective accounts of the parties to the contract. On the contracts expiration date, a final cash settlement occurs, and the futures positions are simply closed out. Changes in the market value of a particular index futures contract reflect changes in the specified index of securities on which the index futures is based.
By establishing an appropriate short position in index futures, the Fund may also seek to protect the value of its portfolio against an overall decline in the market for such securities. Alternatively, in anticipation of a generally rising market, the Fund can seek to avoid losing the benefit of apparently low current prices by establishing a long position in securities index futures and later liquidating that position as particular securities are in fact acquired. To the extent that these hedging strategies are successful, the Fund will be affected to a lesser degree by adverse overall market price movements than would otherwise be the case.
Exclusion of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition. To the extent the Fund invests in commodity interests as defined under the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA) the Adviser intends to claim an exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator (CPO) and the rules of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC) with respect to the Fund. Therefore, the Adviser is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO with
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respect to the Funds. Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forward contracts.
U.S. Government Obligations. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in U.S. Government Obligations. U.S. Government Obligations include securities, which are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (U.S. Treasury), by various agencies of the U.S. government, and by various instrumentalities, which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury obligations include Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes, and Treasury Bonds. Treasury Bills have initial maturities of one year or less; Treasury Notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and Treasury Bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years.
Agencies and instrumentalities established by the U.S. government include the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Bank, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Small Business Administration, the Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank, the Federal Financing Bank, the Federal Farm Credit Banks, the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, the Resolution Funding Corporation, the Financing Corporation of America and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Some of these securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government while others are supported only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality, which may include the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. In the case of U.S. Government Obligations not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the U.S. government itself in the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. U.S. Government Obligations are subject to price fluctuations based upon changes in the level of interest rates, which will generally result in all those securities changing in price in the same way, i.e., all those securities experiencing appreciation when interest rates decline and depreciation when interest rates rise. Any guarantee of the U.S. government will not extend to the yield or value of the Funds shares.
Corporate and Municipal Debt Securities. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in corporate or municipal debt securities. Corporate and municipal debt securities purchased by the Fund may be of any credit quality, maturity or yield.
Investment Grade Debt Securities. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in investment grade securities (those rated at least Baa by Moodys Investor Service, Inc. (Moodys), BBB- by S&Ps Global Ratings (S&P) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch) or, if not rated, of equivalent quality in the Advisers opinion). Descriptions of the quality ratings of Moodys, S&P, and Fitch are included as Appendix D to this SAI. While the Adviser utilizes the ratings of various credit rating services as one factor in establishing creditworthiness, it relies primarily upon its own analysis of factors establishing creditworthiness.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in variable or floating rate securities that adjust the interest rate paid at periodic intervals based on an interest rate index. Typically, floating rate securities use as their benchmark a reference rate such as 3-, 6-, or 12-month Treasury bills, or the Federal Funds rate. Resets of the rates can occur at predetermined intervals or whenever changes in the benchmark index occur. Changes in the benchmark index and the interest rate may be difficult to predict and may increase the volatility of the price, and have adverse effects on the value of the floating rate securities.
Zero Coupon Securities. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities do not pay interest or principal until final maturity, unlike debt securities that provide periodic payments of interest (referred to as a coupon payment). Zero coupon securities are bought at a price below the amount payable at maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the amount paid at maturity represents interest on the zero-coupon security. One must wait until maturity to receive interest and principal, which increases the market and credit risks of a zero-coupon security. A zero-coupon step-up security converts to a coupon security before final maturity.
Demand Notes. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in Variable and Floating Rate Demand Notes. Variable and Floating Rate Demand Notes are notes that bear variable or floating interest rates and carry rights that permit holders to demand payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest from the issuers or certain financial intermediaries. Variable rate demand notes have a stated maturity in excess of one year, but permit a holder to demand
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payment of principal plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days notice. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The issuer has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal of the obligation plus accrued interest upon a specific number of days notice to the holders. The interest rate of a floating rate instrument may be based on a known lending rate, such as a banks prime rate, and is reset whenever such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is reset at specified intervals at a market rate. These formulas are designed to result in a market value for the Variable Rate Demand Note or Floating Rate Demand Note that approximates its par value. Variable and Floating Rate Demand Notes are subject to interest rate risks.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in money market instruments. Money market instruments include, without limitation, U.S. Government Obligations or certain types of corporate debt obligations (including those subject to repurchase agreements), Bankers Acceptances and Certificates of Deposit of domestic branches of U.S. banks, Commercial Paper, and Variable Amount Demand Master Notes (Master Notes). Bankers Acceptances are time drafts drawn on and accepted by a bank. When a bank accepts such a time draft, it assumes liability for its payment. When the Fund acquires a Bankers Acceptance, the bank that accepted the time draft is liable for payment of interest and principal when due. The Bankers Acceptance carries the full faith and credit of such bank. A Certificate of Deposit (CD) is an unsecured, interest bearing debt obligation of a bank. Commercial Paper is an unsecured, short-term debt obligation of a bank, corporation, or other borrower. Commercial Paper maturity generally ranges from 2 to 270 days and is usually sold on a discounted basis rather than as an interest-bearing instrument. The Fund may invest in Commercial Paper of any rating. Commercial Paper may include Master Notes of the same quality. Master Notes are unsecured obligations which are redeemable upon demand of the holder and which permit the investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest. Master Notes will be acquired by the Fund only through the Master Note program of the Funds custodian bank, acting as administrator thereof. The Adviser will monitor, on a continuous basis, the earnings power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of the issuer of a Master Note held by the Fund.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may not purchase or otherwise acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the value of the illiquid investments held by the Fund would exceed 15% of the Funds net assets. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments pose risks of potential delays in resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio investments and the Fund may be unable to dispose of illiquid investments promptly or at reasonable prices. Under the supervision of the Board, the Adviser determines the liquidity of the Funds investments and, through reports from the Adviser, the Trustees monitor investments in illiquid investments. If through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the Fund were in a position where more than 15% of its net assets were invested in illiquid investments, the Fund would seek to take appropriate steps to bring the Funds illiquid investments to or below 15% of its net assets per the requirements of Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act. The sale of some illiquid and other types of investments may be subject to legal restrictions.
If the Fund invests in investments for which there is no ready market, it may not be able to readily sell such investments. Such investments are unlike investments that are traded in the open market, and which can be expected to be sold immediately if the market is adequate. The sale price of illiquid investments once realized may be lower or higher than the Advisers most recent estimate of their fair market value. Generally, less public information is available about the issuers of such illiquid investments than about companies whose investments are publicly traded.
Restricted Securities. Within its limitations on investment in illiquid investments, the Fund may, directly or indirectly, purchase restricted securities that generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the federal securities laws, or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If during such a period adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.
Restricted securities are generally considered to be illiquid unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid because it is so-called 4(a)(2) commercial paper or is otherwise eligible for resale pursuant the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The purchase price
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and subsequent valuation of restricted and illiquid securities normally reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a liquid market exists.
Lending of Portfolio Securities. In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets to broker-dealers, major banks, or other recognized domestic institutional borrowers of securities which the Adviser has determined are creditworthy under guidelines established by the Board. In determining whether the Fund will lend securities, the Adviser will consider all relevant facts and circumstances. The Fund may not lend securities to any company affiliated with the Adviser. Each loan of securities will be collateralized by cash, securities, or letters of credit. The Fund might experience a loss if the borrower defaults on the loan.
The borrower at all times during the loan must maintain with the Fund collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, or provide to the Fund an irrevocable letter of credit equal in value to at least 100% of the value of the securities loaned. While the loan is outstanding, the borrower will pay the Fund any dividends or interest paid on the loaned securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral to earn additional income. Alternatively, the Fund may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income from the borrower who has delivered equivalent collateral or a letter of credit. It is anticipated that the Fund may share with the borrower some of the income received on the collateral for the loan or the Fund will be paid a premium for the loan. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower at any time. The Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan, and may pay a negotiated portion of the income earned on the cash to the borrower or placing broker. As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. If the Fund invests the cash collateral from the borrower, there is the risk that such investment may result in a financial loss. In such an event, the Fund would be required to repay the borrower out of the Funds assets.
Where voting rights with respect to the loaned securities pass with the lending of the securities, the Adviser normally intends to call the loaned securities to vote proxies, or to use other practicable and legally enforceable means to obtain voting rights, when the Adviser believes a material event affecting the loaned securities will occur or the Adviser otherwise believes it necessary to vote.
Forward Commitments and When-Issued Securities. The Fund may purchase, directly or indirectly, when-issued securities and commit to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis involves a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date, which risk is in addition to the risk of decline in value of the Funds other assets. In addition, no income accrues to the purchaser of when-issued securities during the period prior to issuance. Although the Fund would generally purchase securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis with the intention of acquiring securities for its portfolio, the Fund may dispose of a when-issued security or forward commitment prior to settlement if the Adviser deems it appropriate to do so. The Fund may realize short-term gains or losses upon such sales. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act permits the Fund to invest in securities on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, notwithstanding the limitation on the issuance of senior securities in Section 18 of the 1940 Act, provided that the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision). A when-issued, forward-settling, or non-standard settlement cycle security that does not satisfy the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision is treated as a derivatives transaction under Rule 18f-4.
Borrowing Money. The Fund may, to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, borrow money to meet redemption requests or for extraordinary or for emergency purposes. Borrowing involves the creation of a liability that requires the Fund to pay interest. In the event the Fund should ever borrow money under these conditions, such borrowing could increase the Funds costs and thus reduce the value of the Funds assets. In an extreme case, if the Funds current investment income were not sufficient to meet the interest expense of borrowing, it could be necessary for the Fund to liquidate certain of its investments at an inappropriate time.
Economic and Regulatory Risks. Domestic and foreign governments and agencies thereof often adopt an active approach to managing economic conditions within a nation, which may have material effects on the securities markets within the nation. A government may pursue supportive policies that include, but are not limited to, lowering corporate and personal tax rates and launching simulative government spending programs designed to improve the national economy or sectors thereof. Agencies of a government, including central banks, may pursue supporting policies that include, but are not
15
limited to, setting lower interest rate targets and buying and selling securities in the public markets. Governments and agencies thereof may also attempt to slow economic growth if the pace of economic growth is perceived to be too great and pose a long-term risk to the economy or a sector thereof. In each instance, the actions taken may be less successful than anticipated or may have unintended adverse consequences. Such a failure or investor perception that such efforts or support are failing could negatively affect securities markets generally, as well as result in higher interest rates, increased market volatility and reduced value and liquidity of certain securities, including securities held by the Fund.
In addition, governments and agencies thereof may enact additional regulation or engage in deregulation that negatively impacts the general securities markets or a sector thereof. Given the potential broad scope and sweeping nature of some regulatory actions, the potential impact a regulatory action may have on securities held by the Fund may be difficult to determine and may not be fully known for an extended period of time. Accordingly, regulatory actions could adversely affect the Fund.
Changing Fixed-Income Market Conditions. In March 2022 the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve) began a series of significant interest rate increases in response to sustained high levels of inflation. In addition, in May 2022, the Federal Reserve announced it would begin to reduce the size of its balance sheet, known as quantitative tightening. These announcements followed years of low-interest rate policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis, during which the Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate to a range of 0-2.5%, and promised unlimited and open-ended quantitative easing, including purchases of corporate and municipal government bonds. The Federal Reserves policy in response to market conditions, including with respect to certain interest rates, may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities. Market volatility, dramatic changes to interest rates and/or a return to unfavorable economic conditions may lower the Funds performance or impair the Funds ability to achieve its investment objective.
Operational Risk. An investment in the Fund involve operational risk arising from factors such as processing errors, human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel and errors caused by third-party service providers. Any of these failures or errors could result in a loss or compromise of information, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage or other events, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. While the Fund seeks to minimize such events through controls and oversight, there is no guarantee that the Fund will not suffer losses due to operational risk.
Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cybersecurity. A breach in cybersecurity refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose or compromise confidential, proprietary or private personal information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cybersecurity include, among other things, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential, proprietary or private personal information or various other operational disruptions. Successful cybersecurity breaches of the Fund and/or the Funds investment adviser, distributor, custodian, the transfer agent or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders. For instance, a successful cybersecurity breach may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Funds ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of confidential, proprietary or private personal shareholder information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund relies on third-party service providers for many of the day-to-day operations and are therefore subject to the risk that the protections and protocols implemented by those service providers will be ineffective in protecting the Fund from cybersecurity breaches. Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Funds investments in such companies to lose value. There is no guarantee the Fund will be successful in protecting against cybersecurity breaches.
Sector Risk. The Fund may, at times, be more heavily invested in certain industries or sectors. Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of industries or sectors will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Funds share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of industries or in different sectors. Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors, which may impact the share price of companies in these sectors.
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Temporary Defensive Positions. The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies. If the Adviser believes a temporary defensive position is warranted in view of market conditions, the Fund may hold cash or invest up to 100% of its assets in high-quality short-term government or corporate obligations, money market instruments or shares of money market mutual funds. Taking a temporary defensive position may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
Portfolio Turnover. The portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of the Funds purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the year by the monthly average value of the securities. The Funds portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may also be affected by cash requirements for redemption of shares. High portfolio turnover rates will generally result in higher transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, and may result in additional tax consequences to the Funds shareholders. Portfolio turnover will not be a factor in making buy and sell decisions for the Fund.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment limitations that may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. As used in the Prospectus and this SAI, the term majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Unless otherwise indicated, percentage limitations apply at the time of purchase of the applicable securities. See the Prospectus for more information about the Funds investment objective and investment strategies, each of which are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
FUNDAMENTAL RESTRICTIONS. For the Fund, as a matter of fundamental policy:
1. Borrowing Money. The Fund will not borrow money except as permitted under the 1940 Act. For example, subject to the restrictions of the 1940 Act the Fund may borrow money from banks to meet redemption requests or for extraordinary or emergency purposes.
2. Senior Securities. The Fund will not issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.
3. Underwriting. The Fund will not act as underwriter, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities (including restricted securities), the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under certain federal securities laws or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
4. Real Estate. The Fund will not directly purchase or sell real estate. This limitation is not applicable to investments in securities which are secured by or represent interests in real estate. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from holding or selling real estate acquired as a result of the Funds ownership of securities or other instruments, investing in mortgage-related securities or investing in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including real estate investment trusts).
5. Commodities. The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options, forward contracts, or futures contracts, including those relating to indices, or and options on futures contracts or indices, or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies which are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities.
6. Loans. The Fund will not make loans to other persons, provided that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets, and provided further that, for purposes of this restriction, investment in U.S. Government obligations, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, repurchase agreements and any other lending arrangement permitted by the 1940 Act, any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan. For purposes of this limitation, the
17
term loans shall not include the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other debt securities.
7. Concentration. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in a particular industry. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) or state or municipal governments (and their political subdivisions) or repurchase agreements with respect thereto, or investments in registered investment companies. If, however, the Fund invests in an investment company that concentrates its investment in a particular industry, the Fund will consider such investment to be issued by a member of the industry in which such investment company invests. In addition, if the Fund invests in a revenue bond tied to a particular industry, the Fund will consider such investment to be issued by a member of the industry to which the revenue bond is tied.
| 8. Diversification. May not, with respect to 75% of its total assets: (1) purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or; (2) purchase securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 5% of the Funds total assets would be invested in that issuers securities. The foregoing limitations do not apply to obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities. |
With respect to the fundamental investment restrictions above, if a percentage limitation or standard is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage or departure from the standard resulting from any change in value or net assets or other factors will not result in a violation of such restriction (i.e., percentage limitations are determined at the time of purchase); provided, however, that the treatment of the fundamental restrictions related to borrowing money and issuing senior securities are exceptions to this general rule and are monitored on an ongoing basis.
Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act permits a fund to enter into derivatives transactions, notwithstanding prohibitions on issuance of senior securities under Section 18 of the 1940 Act, provided the fund complies with the Rules conditions. In accordance with Rule 18f-4, a fund may enter into reverse repurchase and similar financing transactions if it either (1) complies with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act or (2) treat such transactions as derivative transactions under Rule 18f-4.
The 1940 Act permits the Fund to borrow money from banks in an amount up to one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less its liabilities (not including any borrowings but including the fair market value at the time of computation of any other senior securities then outstanding). In general, the Fund may not issue any class of senior security, except that the Fund may (i) borrow from banks, provided that immediately following any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all Fund borrowings and in the event such asset coverage falls below 300% the Fund will within three days (excluding holidays and Sundays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulation, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%, and (ii) engage in trading practices which could be deemed to involve the issuance of a senior security, including options, futures, forward contracts and reverse repurchase agreements, provided that the Fund does so in accordance with applicable SEC regulations and interpretations.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Overall responsibility for management and supervision of the Fund and the Trust rests with the Board. The members of the Board (the Trustees) are elected by the Trusts shareholders or are existing members of the Board as permitted under the 1940 Act and the Trusts Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the Declaration of Trust). Each Trustee serves for a term of indefinite duration until death, resignation, retirement or removal from office. The Trustees, in turn, elect the officers of the Trust to actively supervise the Trusts day-to-day operations. The officers are elected annually. Certain officers of the Trust also may serve as Trustees.
The Trust will be managed by the Board in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio governing business trusts. There are currently five Trustees, all of whom are not interested persons, as defined by the 1940 Act, of the Trust (the Independent Trustees). The Independent Trustees receive compensation for their services as Trustees and attendance at meetings of the Board. Officers of the Trust receive no compensation from the Trust for performing the duties of their offices.
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Included in Appendix A is a table that sets forth the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust, their year of birth and address, their present position with the Trust, length of time served in their position, their principal occupation(s) during the past five years, and any other directorships held by the Trustee. Those Trustees who are interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act and those Trustees who are Independent Trustees are identified in the table.
Leadership Structure and Qualifications of Trustees. As noted above, the Board consists of five Trustees, all of whom are Independent Trustees. The Board is responsible for the oversight of the series, or funds, of the Trust. In addition to the Fund, the Trust has other series managed by other investment advisers. The Board has engaged various investment advisers to oversee the day-to-day management of the Trusts series. The Board is responsible for overseeing these investment advisers and the Trusts other service providers in the operations of the Trust in accordance with the 1940 Act, other applicable federal and state laws, and the Declaration of Trust.
The Board meets at least four times throughout the year. The Board generally meets in person but may meet by telephone or videoconference as permitted by the 1940 Act. In addition, the Trustees may meet in person or by telephone or videoconference at special meetings or on an informal basis at other times. The Independent Trustees also meet at least quarterly without the presence of any representatives of management.
Board Leadership
The Board is led by its Chairperson, Ms. Janine L. Cohen, who is also an Independent Trustee. The Chairperson generally presides at all Board Meetings, facilitates communication and coordination between the Trustees and management, and reviews meeting agendas for the Board and the information provided by management to the Trustees. The Chairperson works closely with Trust counsel and counsel to the Independent Trustees. The Chairperson is also assisted by the Trusts President, who, with the assistance of the Trusts other officers, oversees the daily operations of the Fund, including monitoring the activities of all of the Funds service providers.
The Board believes that its leadership structure, including having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairperson and all Trustees as Independent Trustees, is appropriate and in the best interests of the Trust. The Board also believes its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Trust management.
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees:
15(c) Contract Committee: The 15(c) Contract Committee is responsible for the oversight of the Funds 15(c) contract review process. All of the members of the 15(c) Contract Committee are Independent Trustees. Mr. Keith Shintani and Mses. Janine L. Cohen and Jacqueline A. Williams are the members of the 15(c) Contracts Committee. Ms. Jacqueline A. Williams is the Chairperson of the 15(c) Contract Committee. The 15(c) Contracts Committee is expected to meet three times during the Funds first fiscal year.
Audit Committee. The principal functions of the Audit Committee are: (i) to appoint, retain and oversee the Trusts independent registered public accounting firm; (ii) to meet separately with the independent registered public accounting firm and receive and consider a report concerning its conduct of the audit, including any comments or recommendations it deems appropriate; (iii) to act as the Trusts qualified legal compliance committee (QLCC), as defined in the regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; and (iv) to act as a proxy voting committee if called upon under the Trusts Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures when a matter with respect to which a series of the Trust is entitled to vote presents a conflict between the interest of the series shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the series investment manager on the other hand. Messrs. Robert E. Morrison, Clifford N. Schireson, and Keith Shintani and Mses. Janine L. Cohen and Jacqueline A. Williams are the members of the Audit Committee. Mr. Schireson is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and presides at its meetings. The Audit Committee is expected to meet three times during the Funds first fiscal year.
Nominations and Governance Committee (the Governance Committee): The Governance Committee nominates and selects persons to serve as members of the Board, including Independent Trustees and interested Trustees and assists in reviewing the Trusts governance practices and standards. In selecting and nominating persons to serve as Independent Trustees, the Governance Committee will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders of the Trust unless required by law. Messrs. Morrison, Schireson, and Shintani and Mses. Cohen and Williams are the members of the Governance
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Committee. Mr. Morrison is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee and presides at its meetings. The Governance Committee is expected to meet three times during the Funds first fiscal year.
Qualifications of the Trustees. The Governance Committee reviews the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of potential candidates for nomination or election by the Board. In evaluating a candidate for nomination or election as a Trustee, the Governance Committee takes into account the contribution that the candidate would be expected to make to the diverse mix of experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that the Governance Committee believes contribute to the oversight of the Trusts affairs. The Board has concluded, based on the recommendation of the Governance Committee, that each Trustees experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills on both an individual basis and in combination with the other Trustees, that each Trustee is qualified to serve on the Board. The Board believes that the Trustees ability to review, critically evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Adviser, other service providers, legal counsel and the independent registered public accounting firm, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees support this conclusion. In determining that a particular Trustee is and will continue to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board considers a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, is controlling.
In addition to the Trustee qualifications listed above, each of the Trustees has additional Trustee qualifications including, among other things, the experience identified in the Trustees and Executive Officers table included in Appendix A and as follows:
Independent Trustees
Janine L. Cohen, retired, was an executive at AER Advisors, Inc. (AER) from 2004 through her retirement in 2013. Ms. Cohen served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from 2004 to 2013 and Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) from 2008 to 2013 at AER. During her tenure at AER, she was actively involved in developing financial forecasts, business plans, and SEC registrations. Prior to those roles, Ms. Cohen was a Senior Vice President at State Street Bank. Ms. Cohen has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. She holds a B.S. in Accounting and Math from the University of Minnesota and is a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Cohen has been the Chairperson since October 2019 and a Trustee since January 2016.
Jacqueline A. Williams has served as the Managing Member of Custom Strategies Consulting, LLC since 2017, where she provides consulting services to investment managers. Prior to that, she served as a Managing Director of Global Investment Research for Cambridge Associates, LLC since 2005. Earlier in her career, Ms. Williams served as a Principal at Equinox Capital Management, LLC where she was chairperson of the stock selection committee and the firms financial services analyst. Ms. Williams also served as an Investment Analyst at IBJ Schroder Bank & Trust Company where she monitored U.S. financial services stocks. Ms. Williams has over 25 years of experience in the investment management industry. Ms. Williams earned an A.B. in Religion from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University. She has been a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder since 1990. Ms. Williams has been a Trustee since June 2019.
Clifford N. Schireson, retired, was the founder of Schireson Consulting, LLC, which he launched in 2017, until his retirement in 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Schireson was Director of Institutional Services from 2004 to 2017 at Brandes Investment Partners, LP, an investment advisory firm, where he also was co-head of fixed income and a member of the fixed-income investment committee. From 1998 to 2004, he was a Managing Director at Weiss, Peck & Greer LLC specializing in fixed-income products for both taxable and municipal strategies for institutional clients. Mr. Schireson has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry, as well as 20 years of experience in the investment banking industry. Mr. Schireson holds an A.B. in Economics from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Mr. Schireson has been a Trustee since June 2019.
Robert E. Morrison serves as a Managing Director at Midwest Trust and FCI Advisors, where he has worked from 2022 to present. Previously, Mr. Morrison was a Senior Vice President at Huntington Private Bank, where he worked from 2014 to 2022. From 2006 to 2014, he served as the CEO, President and Chief Investment Officer of 5 Star Investment Management. Mr. Morrison has a B.S. in Forestry Management from Auburn University and is a graduate of the Personal Financial Planning program of Old Dominion University. Mr. Morrison previously served on the Ultimus Managers Trust Board of Trustees as the Founding Chairman of the Trust in 2012. Mr. Morrison resigned from the Board in 2014 as a result
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of a business conflict that no longer exists. Mr. Morrison has over 32 years of financial services experience, focusing on asset management and wealth management. Mr. Morrison has been a Trustee since June 2019.
Keith Shintani, retired, served as a Senior Vice President of Relationship Management at U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, where he worked from 1998 until June 2022. Previously, Mr. Shintani was Director of Finance at Charles Schwab Investment Management, where he worked from January 1997 through December 1997. From 1993 to 1995, he served as a Manager of Mutual Fund Operations of PIMCO Advisors L.P. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Shintani served as a Variable Products Manager of Pacific Life Insurance Company. From 1986 to 1989, he served as a Senior Accountant of Deloitte and Touche. Mr. Shintani has a B.S. in Accounting from University of Southern California. Mr. Shintani has been a Trustee since January 2024.
References above to the qualifications, attributes, and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
Risk Oversight. The operation of a registered investment company, including its investment activities, generally involves a variety of risks. As part of its oversight of the Fund, the Board oversees risk through various regular board and committee activities. The Board, directly or through its committees, reviews reports from, among others, the Adviser, the Trusts CCO, the Trusts independent registered public accounting firm, and outside legal counsel, regarding risks faced by the Fund and the risk management programs of the Adviser, with respect to the Funds investments and trading activities, and certain service providers. The actual day-to-day risk management with respect to the Fund resides with the Adviser, with respect to the Funds investment and trading activities, and other service providers to the Fund. Although the risk management policies of the Adviser and the service providers are designed to be effective, there is no guarantee that they will anticipate or mitigate all risks. Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, eliminated or mitigated and some risks simply may not be anticipated or may be beyond the control of the Board or the Adviser or other service providers. The Independent Trustees meet separately with the Trusts CCO at least annually, outside the presence of management, to discuss issues related to compliance. Furthermore, the Board receives an annual written report from the Trusts CCO regarding the operation of the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust and its primary service providers. As part of its oversight function, the Board also may hold special meetings or communicate directly with Trust management or the Trusts CCO to address matters arising between regular meetings.
The Board also receives quarterly reports from the Adviser on the investments and securities trading of the Fund, including the Funds investment performance, as well as reports regarding the valuation of the Funds securities. The Board also receives quarterly reports from the Funds administrator (the Administrator), transfer agent (the Transfer Agent) and the distributor (the Distributor) on regular quarterly items and, where appropriate and as needed, on specific issues. In addition, in its annual review of the Funds investment advisory agreement (the Advisory Agreement), the Board will review information provided by the Adviser relating to its operational capabilities, financial condition and resources. The Board also conducts an annual self-evaluation that includes a review of its effectiveness in overseeing, among other things, the number of funds in the Trust and the effectiveness of the Boards committee structure.
Trustees Ownership of the Fund Shares. The following table shows each Trustees beneficial ownership of shares of the Fund and, on an aggregate basis, of shares of all funds within the Trust overseen by the Trustee. Information is provided as of [ ], 2025.
| Name of Trustee | Dollar
Range of Shares of the Fund Owned by Trustee* |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Shares Owned of All Funds in Trust Overseen by Trustee |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Janine L. Cohen | None | $50,001 - $100,000 |
| Jacqueline A. Williams | None | None |
| Clifford N. Schireson | None | None |
| Robert E. Morrison | None | None |
| Keith Shintani | None | None |
Ownership In Fund Affiliates. As of December 31, 2024, none of the Independent Trustees, nor members of their immediate families, owned, beneficially or of record, securities of the Adviser, the Distributor or any affiliate of the Adviser or the Distributor.
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Trustee Compensation. No director, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Distributor receives any compensation from the Trust for serving as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. As of January 1, 2024, each Independent Trustees receives a $600 per meeting fee and a $1,300 annual retainer for each series of the Trust, except the Chairperson who receives a $2,000 annual retainer, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and the Chairperson of the 15(c) Contract Committee, each of whom receives a $1,700 annual retainer for serving as such. The following table provides the estimated amount of compensation payable to each Trustee during the Funds first full fiscal year of operations, which will conclude on [ ], 2025:
| Name of Trustee | Aggregate Compensation From the Fund |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation From all Funds Within the Trust |
| Independent Trustees | ||||
| Janine L. Cohen | $[ ] | None | None | $[ ] |
| Jacqueline A. Williams | $[ ] | None | None | $[ ] |
| Clifford N. Schireson | $[ ] | None | None | $[ ] |
| Robert E. Morrison | $[ ] | None | None | $[ ] |
| Keith Shintani | $[ ] | None | None | $[ ] |
Principal Holders of Voting Securities. The Fund is new and has no principal holders of voting securities to report
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Q3 Asset Management Corporation, located at 2175 Cole Street, Birmingham, MI 48009, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, dated December 30, 2019. The Adviser is co-owned by Bradford Giaimo and Adam Quiring. The Adviser has been registered with the SEC since 2013 and provides investment advisory services to other accounts, including other investment companies.
Subject to the Funds investment objective and policies approved by the Trustees of the Trust, the Adviser is responsible for providing the Fund with a continuous program of investing the Funds assets and determining the composition of the Funds portfolio.
The Advisory Agreement is effective for an initial period of two years, and will be renewed for periods of one year, only so long as such renewal and continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities, provided that the continuance is also approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty on 60 days notice by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act.
The Fund pays the Adviser a monthly investment advisory fee (Management Fee) computed at the annual rate of [ ]% of its average daily net assets. Under an expense limitation agreement (the Expense Limitation Agreement), the Adviser has agreed to reduce the Management Fees and to reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary to limit Annual Fund Operating Expenses (exclusive of brokerage costs; taxes; interest; borrowing costs such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short; costs to organize the Fund; Acquired Fund fees and expenses; extraordinary expenses such as litigation and merger or reorganization costs; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds business) to an amount not exceeding [ ]% of the Funds shares. Prior to [ ], the Funds Expense Limitation Agreement may be modified or terminated only with the approval of the Board. Management Fee reductions and expense reimbursements by the Adviser are subject to repayment by the Fund for a period of three years after the date on which such fees and expenses were incurred, provided that the repayments do not cause Total Annual Operating Expenses (exclusive of such reductions and reimbursements) to exceed (i) the expense limitation then in effect, if any, and (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time the expenses to be repaid were incurred.
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The Adviser manages the Funds investments in accordance with the stated investment objective and policies of the Fund, subject to the oversight of the Board. The Adviser is responsible for investment decisions, and provides the Fund with a portfolio manager to execute purchases and sales of securities, and investments. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Fund in connection with the performance of its duties, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder.
The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, and therefore there are no management fees to report.
Portfolio Managers
The Fund is managed by Brad Giaimo, Adam Quiring and Bruce Greig, CFA and CAIA (the Portfolio Managers), who have joint responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of investment strategies for the Fund. All investment related decisions are made by committee.
The Portfolio Managers responsibilities are:
| Brad Giaimo | All aspects of portfolio management |
| Adam Quiring | All aspects of portfolio management |
| Bruce Greig | All aspects of portfolio management |
Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers and Potential Conflicts of Interest
In addition to the Fund, the Portfolio Managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts. The following table shows the number of, and total assets in, such other accounts as of [ ], 2025.
| Portfolio Managers | Type of Accounts | Total of Other Accounts Managed |
Total Assets of Other Accounts Managed |
Number of Accounts Managed with Advisory Fee Based on Performance |
Total Assets of Accounts Managed with Advisory Fee Based on Performance |
| Brad Giaimo | Registered Investment Companies | [ ] | $[ ] | 0 | 0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other Accounts | [ ] | $[ ] | 0 | 0 | |
Adam Quiring
|
Registered Investment Companies | [ ] | $[ ] | 0 | 0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other Accounts | [ ] | $[ ] | 0 | 0 | |
| Bruce C. Greig, CFA, CAIA | Registered Investment Companies | [ ] | $[ ] | 0 | 0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other Accounts | [ ] | $[ ] | 0 | 0 |
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Potential Conflicts of Interest
The Portfolio Managers management of other investment pooled vehicles and other accounts (the Other Accounts) may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Funds investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the Other Accounts, on the other. A potential conflict of interest may arise where another account has the same investment objective as the Fund, whereby a Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a Portfolio Managers knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund, or vice versa. Further differences in the compensation structures of the Adviser with the Other Accounts may give rise to a conflict of interest by creating an incentive for the Portfolio Managers to allocate investment opportunities they believe might be the most profitable to the client accounts where the Adviser might benefit the most from the investment gains. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.
Compensation
Messrs. Giaimo, Quiring, and Greig are not compensated directly by the Fund. Messrs. Giaimo and Quiring are owners of the Adviser, may draw profits from the Adviser, and therefore may benefit indirectly from the Funds performance. Mr. Greig is compensated by the Adviser by salary, bonus and the Advisers retirement plan, and is not compensated based on the Funds performance.
Ownership of Fund Shares
As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Managers did not own any shares of the Fund since the Fund had not commenced operations prior to such date.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser determines, subject to the general supervision of the Board and in accordance with the Funds investment objective, policies and restrictions, which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Fund and which brokers are eligible to execute the Funds portfolio transactions.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities that are debt securities usually are principal transactions in which portfolio securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Purchases from underwriters of portfolio securities generally include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers may include the spread between the bid and asked prices. Transactions on stock exchanges involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions. Transactions in the OTC market are generally principal transactions with dealers. With respect to the OTC market, the Fund, where possible, will deal directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved except under those circumstances where better price and execution are available elsewhere.
Allocation of transactions, including their frequency, to various brokers and dealers is determined by the Adviser in its best judgement consistent with its obligation to seek best execution and in a manner deemed fair and reasonable to shareholders. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders in an effective manner at the most favorable price. Other factors that may be considered include, but are not limited to, reputation, financial strength and stability, creditworthiness, efficiency of execution and error resolution, the actual executed price and the commission, research (including economic forecasts, fundamental and technical advice on securities, valuation advice on market analysis); custodial and other services provided for the enhancement of the Advisers portfolio management capabilities; the size and type of the transaction; the difficulty of execution and the ability to handle difficult trades; and the operational facilities of the brokers and/or dealers involved (including back office efficiency). Subject to these considerations, brokers who provide investment research to the Adviser may receive orders for transactions on behalf of the Fund. Information so received is in addition to and not in lieu of services required to be performed by the Adviser and does not reduce the fees payable to the Adviser by the Fund. Such information may be useful to the Adviser in serving both the Fund and other clients and, conversely, supplemental information obtained by the placement of brokerage orders of other clients may be useful to the Adviser in carrying out its obligations to the Fund In selecting a broker-dealer to execute transactions (or a series of transactions) and determining the reasonableness of the broker-dealers compensation, the Adviser need not solicit
24
competitive bids and does not have an obligation to seek the lowest available commission cost for the reasons discussed above.
Consistent with the foregoing, under Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Adviser is authorized to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might have charged for effecting the same transaction, in recognition of the value of brokerage and/or research services provided by the broker. The research received by the Adviser may include, without limitation: information on the U.S. and other world economies; information on specific industries, groups of securities, individual companies, political and other relevant news developments affecting markets and specific securities; technical and quantitative information about markets; analysis of proxy proposals affecting specific companies; accounting and performance systems that allow the Adviser to determine and track investment results; and trading systems that allow the Adviser to interface electronically with brokerage firms, custodians and other providers. Research is received in the form of written reports, telephone contacts, personal meetings, research seminars, software programs and access to computer databases. In some instances, research products or services received by the Adviser may also be used by the Adviser for functions that are not research related (i.e., not related to the making of investment decisions). Where a research product or service has a mixed use, the Adviser will make a reasonable allocation according to its use and will pay for the non-research function in cash using its own funds.
Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act and procedures adopted by the Board, the Fund may execute portfolio transactions through any broker or dealer and pay brokerage commissions to a broker (i) which is an affiliated person of the Trust, (ii) which is an affiliated person of such person, or (iii) an affiliated person of which is an affiliated person of the Trust, the Adviser or the Trusts principal underwriter.
The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, therefore, there are no brokerage commissions to report.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the Distributor), located at 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022, is the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA).
The Distributor is obligated to sell the shares of the Fund on a reasonable efforts basis only against purchase orders for the shares. Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis. As the Fund recently commenced operations, it does not have any payments for these services to report.
By its terms, the Distribution Agreement is for periods of one year so long as such renewal and continuance is approved at least annually by (1) the Board or (2) a vote of the majority of the Funds outstanding voting shares; provided that in either event continuance is also approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement may be terminated at any time, on sixty days written notice, without payment of any penalty, by the Trust or by the Distributor. The Distribution Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment, as defined by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor is compensated by the Adviser.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Administrator and Fund Accountant
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246, serves as the Administrator, and fund accountant (the Fund Accountant) to the Fund pursuant to a Master Services Agreement.
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As Administrator, Ultimus assists in supervising all operations of the Fund (other than those performed by the Adviser under each Advisory Agreement). Ultimus has agreed to perform or arrange for the performance of the following services (under the Master Services Agreement, Ultimus may delegate all or any part of its responsibilities thereunder):
| ● | prepares and assembles reports required to be sent to the Funds shareholders and arranges for the printing and dissemination of such reports; | |
| ● | assembles reports required to be filed with the SEC and files such completed reports with the SEC; | |
| ● | files the Funds federal income and excise tax returns and the Funds state and local tax returns; | |
| ● | assists and advises the Fund regarding compliance with the 1940 Act and with its investment policies and limitations; and | |
| ● | makes such reports and recommendations to the Board as the Board reasonably requests or deems appropriate. |
As Fund Accountant, Ultimus maintains the accounting books and records for the Fund, including journals containing an itemized daily record of all purchases and sales of portfolio securities, all receipts and disbursements of cash and all other debits and credits, general and auxiliary ledgers reflecting all asset, liability, reserve, capital, income and expense accounts, including interest accrued and interest received, and other required separate ledger accounts. Ultimus also maintains a monthly trial balance of all ledger accounts; performs certain accounting services for the Fund, including calculation of the NAV per share, calculation of the dividend and capital gain distributions, reconciles cash movements with the custodian, verifies and reconciles with the custodian all daily trade activities; provides certain reports; obtains dealer quotations or prices from pricing services used in determining NAV; and prepares an interim balance sheet, statement of income and expense, and statement of changes in net assets for the Fund.
Ultimus receives fees from the Fund for its services as Administrator and Fund Accountant, and is reimbursed for certain expenses assumed pursuant to the Master Services Agreement.
The Master Services Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Ultimus, unless otherwise terminated as provided in the Master Services Agreement, is renewed automatically for successive one-year periods after the initial term.
The Master Services Agreement provides that Ultimus shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Master Services Agreement relates, except a loss from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or from the reckless disregard by Ultimus of its obligations and duties thereunder.
The Fund is new, therefore, there are no fund administration, fund accounting or transfer agent fees to report.
Custodian and Transfer Agent
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (BBH or Custodian), located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, is Custodian of the Funds investments. The Custodian acts as the Funds depository, safekeeps portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds at the Funds request and maintains records in connection with its duties. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. also serves as the Funds Transfer Agent. As the Fund has not yet commenced operations, it does not have any payments for these services to report.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
[ ], located at [ ], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. [ ] audits the annual financial statements of the Fund and assists in preparing the Funds federal, state, and excise tax returns.
Legal Counsel
Sullivan & Worcester, LLP, located at 1666 K Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Trusts Independent Trustees.
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Compliance Consulting Agreement
Under the terms of a Compliance Consulting Agreement with the Trust, Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (NLCS), located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 provides an individual with the requisite background and familiarity with the federal securities laws to serve as the Trusts CCO and to administer the Trusts compliance policies and procedures. For these services, the Fund pays Ultimus a base fee of $16,000 per annum, plus an asset-based fee computed at an annual rate of 0.01% of the average net assets of the Funds over $100 million. In addition, the Fund reimburses NLCS for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to these compliance services. As the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not paid NLCS for compliance services.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Other Payments by the Fund. The Fund may enter into agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for non-distribution-related sub-transfer agency, administrative, sub-accounting, and other shareholder services. Payments made pursuant to such agreements are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary, or (2) the number of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary. Any payments made pursuant to such agreements may be in addition to, rather than in lieu of, distribution fees the Fund may pay to financial intermediaries pursuant to the Funds distribution plan, if any.
Other Payments by the Adviser. The Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, their service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.
These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediarys retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediarys retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediarys retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.
Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.
Investors should understand that some financial intermediaries may also charge their clients fees in connection with purchases of shares or the provision of shareholder services.
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Description of Shares
The Trust is an unincorporated business trust organized under Ohio law on February 28, 2012. The Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board to divide shares into series, each series relating to a separate portfolio of investments, and to further divide shares of a series into separate classes. The Fund does not currently issue additional classes of shares. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual series or class, shareholders of a particular series or class would be entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to such series or class. Shareholders of a series or class are entitled to participate equally in the net distributable assets of the particular series or class involved on liquidation, based on the number of shares of the series or class that are held by each shareholder. If any assets, income, earnings, proceeds, funds or payments are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular series or class, the Board shall allocate them among any one or more series or classes as the Board, in its sole discretion, deems fair and equitable. Subject to the Declaration of Trust, determinations by the Board as to the allocation of liabilities, and the allocable portion of any general assets, with respect to the Fund are conclusive.
Shares of the Fund, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable. Shares have no subscription, preemptive or conversion rights. Shares do not have cumulative voting rights. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held and a fractional vote for each fractional share held. Shareholders of all series and classes of the Trust, including the Fund, will vote together and not separately, except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular series or class. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides, in substance, that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series or class affected by the matter. A series or class is affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each series or class in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the series or class. Under Rule 18f-2, the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or any change in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a series or class only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such series or class. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent accountants and the election of Trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting together, without regard to a particular series or class.
Trustee Liability
The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees will not be liable in any event in connection with the affairs of the Trust, except as such liability may arise from his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of their duties to the Trust and its holders of beneficial interest. It also provides that all third parties shall look solely to the Trusts property for satisfaction of claims arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust. With the exceptions stated, the Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee or officer is entitled to be indemnified against all liability in connection with the affairs of the Trust.
Trust Liability
Under Ohio law, liabilities of the Trust to third persons, including the liabilities of any series, extend to the whole of the trust estate to the extent necessary to discharge such liabilities. However, the Declaration of Trust contains provisions intended to limit the liabilities of each series to the applicable series and the Trustees and officers of the Trust intend that notice of such limitation be given in each contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking made or issued on behalf of the Trust by the Trustees or officers. There is no guarantee that the foregoing steps will prove effective or that the Trust will be successful in preventing the assets of one series from being available to creditors of another series.
Code of Ethics
The Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics (each a COE, and, collectively, the COEs) that is designed to prevent their respective personnel subject to the COEs from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which securities may also be held by persons subject to the COEs). These COEs permit personnel subject to the COEs to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, but prohibit such personnel from engaging in personal
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investment activities that compete with or attempt to take advantage of the Funds planned portfolio transactions. Each of these parties monitors compliance with its respective COE.
Anti-Money Laundering Program
The Trust has adopted an anti-money laundering (AML) program, as required by applicable law, that is designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. The Trusts AML Compliance Officer is responsible for implementing and monitoring the operations and internal controls of the program. Compliance officers at certain of the Funds service providers are also responsible for monitoring aspects of the AML program. The AML program is subject to the continuing oversight of the Board.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Trust and the Adviser have adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures that describe how the Fund intends to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the Trust and the Adviser are attached to this SAI as Appendix B and Appendix C, respectively. No later than August 31st of each year, information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the prior twelve-month period ended June 30th is available without charge upon request by calling 1-888-348-1255, on or through the Funds website at www.[ ].com or on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policy
The Trust has adopted policies with respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio holdings. These policies generally prohibit the disclosure of information about the Funds portfolio to third-parties prior to the day after the information is posted to the Funds website unless the information is publicly available on the SECs EDGAR system. Because the Fund is an exchange-traded fund, it is required to publicly disclose its portfolio holdings daily, as described below. As further described below, the policies allow for disclosure of non-public portfolio information to third-parties only if there is a legitimate business purpose for the disclosure. In addition, the policies require that the party receiving the portfolio holdings information execute a non-disclosure agreement that includes a prohibition on trading based on the information, unless the party is already subject to a duty of confidentiality (as determined by the Trusts CCO). Any arrangement to disclose non-public information about the Funds portfolio must be approved by the Trusts CCO. The Trust and the Adviser are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration in connection with disclosing information about the Funds portfolio to third parties.
The Fund discloses on the Advisers website at www.[ ].com at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis of the Funds calculation of its NAV on that day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on that Business Day. The Fund may also concurrently disclose this portfolio holdings information directly to ratings agencies on a daily basis.
Under the Trusts policies, the Adviser is permitted to include Fund portfolio information that has already been made public through the Funds website or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders or other parties, provided that, in the case of portfolio information made public solely through the Funds website, the information is disclosed no earlier than the day after the date of posting to the website.
The Fund releases non-public portfolio holdings information to certain third-party service providers on a daily basis in order for those parties to perform their duties on behalf of the Fund. These service providers include the Funds Adviser, Distributor, Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant, Administrator and Custodian. The Fund also periodically discloses portfolio holdings information on a confidential basis to other parties that provide services to the Fund, such as the Funds auditors, legal counsel, proxy voting services (if applicable), printers, brokers and pricing services. The lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed will vary based on the nature of the services provided by the party to whom the information is disclosed. For example, the information may be provided to the Funds auditors within days after the end of the Funds fiscal year in connection with the Funds annual audit, while the information may be given to legal counsel at any time. Fund service providers are required to keep this information confidential and are
29
prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Fund.
Each business day, the Funds portfolio holdings information will generally be provided for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Unites or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market. This information typically reflects the Funds anticipated holdings as of the next Business Day.
Other Expenses
In addition to the Management Fee, the Fund pays all expenses associate with the Fund not expressly assumed by the Adviser, including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of its independent registered public accounting firm and of its legal counsel; the fees of the Administrator, Distributor, and Transfer Agent; the costs of printing and mailing to shareholders Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, proxy statements, prospectuses, SAIs and supplements thereto; bank transaction charges and custody fees; any costs associated with shareholder meetings, including proxy solicitors fees and expenses; registration and filing fees; federal, state or local income or other taxes; interest; membership fees of the Investment Company Institute and similar organizations; fidelity bond and liability insurance premiums; and any extraordinary expenses, such as indemnification payments or damages awarded in litigation or settlements made.
Trust Contracts
The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Funds investment advisor, custodian, transfer agent, accountants, administrator and distributor, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or third-party) beneficiaries of, any of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right to enforce the terms of the contractual arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy under the contractual arrangements against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.
This SAI and the Prospectus provide information concerning the Trust and the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. The Fund may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this SAI, the Prospectus or any document filed as an exhibit to the Trusts registration statement, is intended to, nor does it, give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any shareholder, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV of shares of the Fund is determined as of the close of the regular session of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) on each day the NYSE is open for trading. Currently, the NYSE is open for trading on every day except Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. For a description of the methods used to determine the share price, see Determination of Net Asset Value and Premium/Discount Information in the Prospectus.
For purposes of computing the Funds NAV, securities are valued at market value as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each business day the NYSE is open. Securities listed on the NYSE or other exchanges are valued based on their last sale prices on the exchanges on which they are primarily traded. If there are no sales on that day, the securities are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask prices on the NYSE or other primary exchange for that day. National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) listed securities are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If there are no sales on that day, the securities are valued at the mean of the most recently quoted bid and ask prices as reported by NASDAQ. Securities traded in the OTC market are valued at the last sale price, if available, otherwise at the mean of the most recently quoted bid and ask prices. In the event that market quotations are not readily available or are considered unreliable due to market or other events, securities and other assets
30
are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, as the Funds valuation designee, in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. Fixed-income securities are normally valued based on prices obtained from independent third-party pricing services, which are generally determined with consideration given to institutional bid and last sale prices and take into account security prices, yield, maturity, call features, ratings, institutional sized trading in similar groups of securities and developments related to specific securities. Foreign securities are normally valued on the basis of fair valuation prices obtained from independent third-party pricing services, which are generally determined with consideration given to any change in price of the foreign security and any other developments related to the foreign security since the last sale price on the exchange on which such foreign security primarily traded and the close of regular trading on the NYSE. One or more pricing services may be utilized to determine the fair value of securities held by the Fund. To the extent the assets of the Fund are invested in other open-end investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act and not traded on an exchange, the Funds NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs reported by such registered open-end investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing. To the extent the Fund has portfolio securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the NAV of the Funds shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Funds shares.
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning and are based on tax laws and regulations that are in effect on the date hereof; such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative, judicial, or administrative action. Investors are advised to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations.
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). In order to so qualify, the Fund must elect to be a regulated investment company or have made such an election for a previous year and must satisfy certain requirements relating to the amount of distributions and source of its income for a taxable year. At least 90% of the gross income of the Fund must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks, securities, or foreign currencies, and other income derived with respect to the Funds business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, and net income derived from an investment in a qualified publicly traded partnership as defined in section 851(h) of the Code (the source-of-income test). Any income derived by the Fund from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is treated as derived with respect to the Funds business of investing in stock, securities, or currencies only to the extent that such income is attributable to items of income that would have been qualifying income if realized by the Fund in the same manner as by the partnership or trust.
The Fund may not qualify as a regulated investment company for any taxable year unless it satisfies certain requirements with respect to the diversification of its investments at the close of each quarter of the taxable year (the asset diversification tests). In general, at least 50% of the value of the Funds total assets must be represented by cash, cash items, government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities which, with respect to any one issuer, do not represent more than 5% of the total assets of the Fund nor more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. In addition, not more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets may be invested in the securities (other than government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer; the securities of two or more issuers (other than securities of another regulated investment company) if the issuers are controlled by the Fund and they are, pursuant to Treasury Regulations, engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses; or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
The Fund intends to satisfy all of the requirements of the source-of-income test and the asset diversification tests on an ongoing basis for continued qualification as a regulated investment company.
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If the Fund fails to meet either the asset diversification test with respect to a taxable quarter or the source-of-income test with respect to a taxable year, the Code provides several remedies, provided certain procedural requirements are met, which will allow the Fund to retain its status as a regulated investment company. There is a remedy for failure to satisfy the asset diversification tests, if the failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, subject to certain divestiture and procedural requirements and the payment of a tax. In addition, there is a remedy for a de minimis failure of the asset diversification tests which would require corrective action but no tax. In addition, the Code allows for the remedy of a failure of the source-of-income test, if the failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, subject to certain procedural requirements and the payment of a tax.
If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders). Such distributions will be taxable to the shareholders as dividends to the extent of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits. Such distributions may be eligible for (i) the dividends-received deduction (DRD) in the case of corporate shareholders or (ii) treatment as qualified dividend income in the case of noncorporate shareholders, provided in each case that certain holding period and other requirements are met. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would have a negative impact on the Funds income and performance. It is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year.
Fund Distributions
The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net tax-exempt interest (if any) for each tax year. Distributions paid to you generally may be characterized as ordinary income. A portion of these distributions may qualify for the DRD when paid to certain corporate shareholders.
Under current tax law, qualifying corporate dividends are taxable at long-term capital gains tax rates. The long-term capital gains rate for individual taxpayers is currently at a maximum rate of 20%, with lower rates potentially applicable to taxpayers depending on their income levels.
Taxable dividends paid by the Fund to corporate shareholders will be taxed at corporate income tax rates. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a DRD for a portion of the dividends paid and designated by the Fund as qualifying for the DRD.
If the Fund designates a dividend as a capital gains distribution, it generally will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholders have held their Fund shares or whether the dividend was received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. All taxable dividends paid by the Fund other than those designated as qualified dividend income or capital gains distributions will be taxable as ordinary income to shareholders, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. To the extent the Fund engages in increased portfolio turnover, short-term capital gains may be realized, and any distribution resulting from such gains will be considered ordinary income for federal tax purposes.
Certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their net investment income, which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.
Individuals (and certain other non-corporate entities) are generally eligible for a 20% deduction with respect to taxable ordinary dividends from REITs and certain taxable income from publicly traded partnerships. Regulated investment companies that receive qualified REIT dividend income may designate such amounts as Section 199A dividends. Qualified REIT dividend income is the excess of qualified REIT dividends received by the regulated investment company over the amount of the regulated investment companys deductions that are properly allocable to such income. If the Fund designates a dividend as a Section 199A distribution, it may be treated by shareholders as a qualified REIT dividend that is taxed as ordinary income and for non-corporate taxpayers eligible for the 20% deduction for qualified business income under Code section 199A. Generally, only non-corporate shareholders who have held their shares for more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days prior to the ex-dividend date for such dividend are eligible for such treatment.
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Shareholders who hold Fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as a retirement plan, generally will not have to pay tax on Fund distributions until they receive distributions from their account.
The Fund will designate (1) any distribution that constitutes a qualified dividend as qualified dividend income; (2) any tax-exempt distribution as an exempt-interest dividend; (3) any distribution of long-term capital gains as a capital gain dividend; (4) any dividend eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction; and (5) any distribution that is comprised of qualified REIT dividend income as a Section 199A dividend as such in a written notice provided to shareholders after the close of the Funds taxable year. Shareholders should note that, upon the sale or exchange of the Funds shares, if the shareholder has not held such shares for at least six months, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividends received with respect to the shares.
The Fund will send shareholders information each year on the tax status of dividends and distributions. A dividend or capital gains distribution paid shortly after shares have been purchased, although in effect a return of investment, is subject to federal income taxation. Dividends from net investment income, along with capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders, whether received in cash or reinvested in Fund shares and no matter how long the shareholder has held the Funds shares, even if they reduce the NAV of shares below the shareholders cost, and thus, in effect, result in a return of a part of the shareholders investment.
To the extent that a distribution from the Fund is taxable, it is generally included in a shareholders gross income for the taxable year in which the shareholder receives the distribution. However, if the Fund declares a dividend in October, November, or December, but pays it in January, it will be taxable to shareholders as if the dividend was received in the year it was declared. Each year, shareholders will receive a statement detailing the tax status of any Fund distributions for that year.
The Funds net realized capital gains from securities transactions will be distributed only after reducing such gains by the amount of any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital losses may be carried forward to offset any capital gains.
Excise Tax
A 4% nondeductible excise tax is imposed on regulated investment companies that fail to currently distribute an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its ordinary taxable income and any capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax. Investors should note, however, that the Fund might in certain circumstances be required to liquidate portfolio investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid the imposition of any excise tax liability.
Sale, Exchange, or Repurchase of Shares
In general, a shareholder who sells or redeems shares will realize a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term or short-term depending upon the shareholders holding period for the Funds shares. An exchange of shares is treated as a sale and any gain may be subject to tax. An exchange of shares is generally treated as a sale and any gain may be subject to tax. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if you purchase (for example, by reinvesting dividends) shares of the same Fund within 30 days before or after the sale, exchange or repurchase (a wash sale). If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares purchased.
Shareholders should note that, upon the sale of the Funds shares, if the shareholder has not held such shares for at least six months, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gains dividends received with respect to the shares. Any capital loss arising from the sale, exchange or repurchase of shares held for six months or less, however, will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of distributions of net capital gain received on such shares. In determining the holding period of such shares for this purpose, any period during which your risk of loss is offset by means of options, short sales or similar transactions is not counted. Capital losses in any tax year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a non-corporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.
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The repurchase or transfer of shares may result in a taxable gain or loss to a tendering shareholder. Different tax consequences may apply for tendering and non-tendering shareholder in connection with a repurchase offer. For example, if a shareholder does not tender all of his or her shares, such repurchase may not be treated as a sale or exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and may result in deemed distributions to non-tendering shareholder. On the other hand, shareholder holding shares as capital assets who tender all of their shares (including shares deemed owned by shareholders under constructive ownership rules) will be treated as having sold their shares and generally will recognize capital gain or loss. The amount of the gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the amount received for the shares and the shareholder adjusted tax basis in the relevant shares. Such gain or loss generally will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder has held such shares as capital assets for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss.
Backup Withholding
The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage (currently 24%) of taxable dividends or of gross proceeds realized upon sale paid to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number in the manner required, who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to include properly on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so, or that they are exempt recipients.
Foreign Taxes
Dividends and interest received by the Fund may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield on the Funds stock or securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate these taxes. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors. If more than 50% of the value of the Funds total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a deduction from such taxes, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to the election, the Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will 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 they may be entitled to use against the shareholders federal income tax. If the Fund makes the election, the Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Funds income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. If the Fund does not hold sufficient foreign securities to meet the above threshold, then shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or further deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund.
A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in a shareholder not receiving a full credit or deduction (if any) for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if the Fund were eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in the Fund through tax-advantaged accounts (including those who invest through individual retirement accounts or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by the Fund.
State and Local Taxes
Depending upon the extent of the Funds activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located, or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities. In addition, in those states and localities that have income
34
tax laws, the treatment of the Fund and its shareholders under such laws may differ from their treatment under federal income tax laws.
Foreign Shareholders
The foregoing discussion relates only to U.S. federal income tax law as applicable to U.S. shareholders (i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and U.S. domestic corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates). Non-U.S. shareholders who are not U.S. persons should consult their tax advisers regarding U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership of shares of the Fund including the likelihood that taxable distributions to them (including any deemed distributions with respect to a repurchase offer) would be subject to withholding of U.S. tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate for eligible investors).
Dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% unless reduced by treaty (and the shareholder files a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying foreign status and treaty eligibility) or the non-U.S. shareholder files an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying that the investment to which the distribution relates is effectively connected to a United States trade or business of such non-U.S. shareholder (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment maintained by such non-U.S. shareholder). The Fund may elect not to withhold the applicable withholding tax on any distribution representing a capital gains dividend to a non-U.S. shareholder.
Under sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, known as FATCA, the Fund is required to withhold U.S. tax at a rate of 30% on payments of taxable dividends and to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with the extensive reporting and withholding requirements under FATCA designed to inform the U.S. Treasury of certain U.S. owned foreign assets and accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Fund to enable it to determine whether FATCA withholding is required. The Fund will disclose the information that it receives from (or concerning) its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA, related intergovernmental agreements or other applicable law or regulation. Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax adviser regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the prospective investors own situation, including investments through an intermediary.
Cost Basis Reporting
Mutual funds are required to report to the IRS and furnish to fund shareholders the cost basis information for fund shares purchased and/or sold on or after January 1, 2012. In addition to the requirement to report the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund is also required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. In the absence of an election by a shareholder to elect from available IRS accepted cost basis methods, the Fund will use a default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected or applied may not be changed after the settlement date of a sale of the Funds shares. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers concerning the most desirable IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis reporting law applies to them.
Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application of these provisions to their situation.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Fund is newly organized and therefore no financial information is included in this SAI. You may request a copy of a Funds Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, once available, at no charge by calling the Fund at [ ] or by visiting the Funds website at www.[ ].com.
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APPENDIX A
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
| Name and Year of Birth | Length
of Time Served |
Position(s)
held with Trust |
Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number
of Funds in the Trust Overseen By Trustee |
Directorship(s)
of Public Companies Held By Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees: | |||||
Janine L. Cohen^ Year of Birth: 1952 |
Since 2016 | Chairperson (2019 to present)
Trustee (2016 to present) |
Retired since 2013; previously Chief Financial Officer from 2004 to 2013 and Chief Compliance Officer from 2008 to 2013 at AER Advisors, Inc. | [34] | n/a |
Robert E. Morrison^ Year of Birth: 1957 |
Since 2019 | Trustee (2019 to present; and previously 2012 to 2014) | Managing Director at Midwest Trust and FCI Advisors (2022 to present); Senior Vice President and National Practice Lead for Investment, Huntington National Bank/Huntington Private Bank (2014 to 2022); CEO, CIO, President of 5 Star Investment Management Company (2006 to 2014) | [34] | n/a |
Clifford N. Schireson^ Year of Birth: 1953 |
Since 2019 | Trustee (2019 to present) | Retired; Founder of Schireson Consulting, LLC (2017 to 2022); Director of Institutional Services for Brandes Investment Partners, LP (2004 to 2017) | [34] | Trustee of Beacon Pointe Multi-Alternative Fund (2024 to present); Trustee of Booster Income Opportunities Fund (2024 to present); Trustee of 83 Investment Group Income Fund (2024 to present); and Trustee of the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (2019 to 2025) |
Jacqueline A. Williams^ Year of Birth: 1954 |
Since 2019 | Trustee (2019 to present) | Managing Member of Custom Strategy Consulting, LLC (2017 to present); Managing Director of Global Investment Research (2005 to 2017), Cambridge Associates, LLC | [34] | n/a |
Keith Shintani^ Year of Birth: 1963 |
Since January 1, 2024 | Trustee (January 1, 2024 to present) | Senior Vice President of Relationship Management at U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (1998 to 2022); Director of Finance at Charles Schwab Investment Management (January 1997 to December 1997); Manager of Mutual Fund Operations of PIMCo Advisors L.P. (1993 to 1995); Variable Products Manager of Pacific Life Insurance Company (1989 to 1993); Senior Accountant of Deloitte and Touche. (1986 to 1989) | [34] | Trustee of the Matrix Advisors Fund Trust (2023 to present) |
| ^ | Address is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 |
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| Name and Year of Birth | Length
of Time Served |
Position(s)
held with Trust |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Todd E. Heim^ Year of Birth: 1967 |
2014 to present | President (2021 to present)
Vice President (2014 to 2021) |
Senior Vice President, Relationship Management (2023 to present) and Vice President, Relationship Management (2018 to 2023) |
Shannon Thibeaux-Burgess Year of Birth: 1970
|
2023 to present | Vice President | Senior Vice President, Relationship Management with Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2022 to present); Head of Regulatory Service with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (2020 to 2022); Chief Administrative Officer of Fund Administration, Legal of State Street Bank (2013 to 2020) |
Daniel D. Bauer^ Year of Birth: 1977 |
2016 to present | Treasurer (January 2024 to present)
Assistant Treasurer (2016 to December 2023) |
Vice President of Fund Accounting (2022 to present), Assistant Vice President of Fund Accounting (2020 to 2022), and AVP, Assistant Mutual Fund Controller (2015 to 2020) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC |
Angela A. Simmons^ Year of Birth: 1975 |
2022 to present | Assistant Treasurer | Vice President of Financial Administration (2022 to present) and Assistant Vice President, Financial Administration (2015 to 2022) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC |
Leo R. Payne Year of Birth: 1966 |
January 2025 to present | Assistant Treasurer | Assistant Vice President, Financial Administration (2023 to present) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC; Assistant Vice President, Financial Administration (2018 to 2023) of Citi Fund Services, Inc. |
Karen Jacoppo-Wood^ Year of Birth: 1966 |
2023 to present | Secretary | Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2022 to present); Managing Director and Managing Counsel (2019 to 2022) of State Street Bank and Trust Company |
Natalie S. Anderson^ Year of Birth:1975 |
2016 to present | Assistant Secretary | Director of Legal Administration (March 2024 to present); Legal Administration Manager (2016 to March 2024) of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC |
Jesse Hallee^ Year of Birth: 1976 |
2023 to present | Assistant Secretary
|
Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (June 2019 to present) |
Gweneth K. Gosselink^ Year of Birth: 1955 |
2020 to present | Chief Compliance Officer | Vice President, Compliance Officer (2023 to present) of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC; Assistant Vice President, Compliance Officer at Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2019 to 2023); CCO Consultant at GKG Consulting, LLC (2019 to 2021) |
Martin R. Dean^ Year of Birth: 1963 |
2016 to present
|
Assistant Chief Compliance Officer (2020 to present)
Interim Chief Compliance Officer (2019 to 2020)
Assistant Chief Compliance Officer (2016 to 2017) |
President of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (February 2023 to present); Senior Vice President, Head of Fund Compliance (2020 to January 2023) and Vice President & Director of Fund Compliance of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (2016 to 2020) |
| ^ | Address is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 |
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APPENDIX B
ULTIMUS MANAGERS TRUST
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
| I. | PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES |
Consistent with its fiduciary duties and pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act (the Proxy Rule), the Board of Trustees of the Ultimus Managers Trust (the Board) has adopted this proxy voting policy on behalf of the Trust (the Policy) to reflect its commitment to ensure that proxies are voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds shareholders.
Pursuant to rules established by the SEC under the 1940 Act, the Board has delegated authority to vote proxies to the investment adviser of each Fund (each, an Adviser and collectively, the Advisers) and has approved formal, written guidelines for proxy voting as adopted by the Advisers to the Trusts Funds. The Board maintains oversight of the voting policies and procedures for each Fund.
Each Fund exercises its proxy voting rights with regard to the companies in the Funds investment Fund, with the goals of maximizing the value of the Funds investments, promoting accountability of a companys management and board of directors to its shareholders, aligning the interests of management with those of shareholders, and increasing transparency of a companys business and operations.
In general, the Board believes that the Advisers and Sub-Advisers (if applicable), which selects the individual companies that are part of the Funds portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best suited to make decisions about proxy votes. Therefore, the Trust defers to and relies on the Adviser, as appropriate, to make decisions on casting proxy votes.
An Adviser to a Fund may, but is not required to, further delegate the responsibility for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund to one or more of the sub-advisers retained to provide investment advisory services to such Fund, if any (each a Sub-Adviser). If such responsibility is delegated to a Sub-Adviser, then the Sub-Adviser shall assume the fiduciary duty and reporting responsibilities of the Adviser under these policy guidelines. As used in these Policies and Procedures, the term Adviser includes any and all Sub-Advisers.
Certain Funds in the Trust may invest in other investment companies in excess of the limitations in section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. It is recommended to such Funds that they avail themselves of the safe harbor of section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act to invest in underlying investment companies with less restrictions. In order to benefit from the safe harbor of section 12(d)(1)(F), Funds must mirror vote proposals on proxies issued by underlying investment companies. Mirror voting means that the Fund votes its shares in the same proportion that all shares of the ETFs are voted, or in accordance with instructions received from fund shareholders, pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act. It is the responsibility of the Adviser, post vote, to obtain a certification from the tabulation service and/or the relevant investment company that the Advisers proxies were mirror voted in the same proportion as all other shares voted.
Each Fund shall disclose in its Statement of Additional Information the policies and procedures that it uses to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. In addition, each Fund shall make available to shareholders, either on its website or upon request, the record of how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities.
Each Fund shall disclose in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in its registration statement the methods by which shareholders may obtain information about the Funds proxy voting policies and procedures and the Funds proxy voting record.
If a Fund has a website, the Fund may post a copy of its Advisers proxy voting policy and this Policy on such website. A copy of such policies and of each Funds proxy voting record shall also be made available, without charge, upon request of any shareholder of the Fund, by calling the applicable Funds toll-free telephone number as printed in the Funds prospectus. The Trusts administrator shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
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The Adviser provides quarterly certifications with respect to its adherence to its proxy voting and exemptive order policies and procedures.
Responsible Party: Adviser
See each Advisers Manual for Proxy Voting Policy
| II. | FORM N-PX/ANNUAL REPORT OF PROXY VOTING RECORD |
Form N-PX is used by funds to file reports with the SEC containing the funds proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30. The Form must be filed not later than August 31 of each year. The following information must be collected for the Trust separately for each Fund in order to complete and file Form N-PX:
(a) The name of the issuer of the security;
(b) The Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures (CUSIP) number for the security;
(c) The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) for the security;
(d) The global share class Financial Instrument Global Identifier (FIGI) for the security (optional);
(e) The shareholder meeting date;
(f) An identification of the matter voted on;
(g) All categories applicable to the matter voted on from the following list of categories:
(A) Director elections;
(B) Section 14A say-on-pay votes (examples: section 14A executive compensation, section 14A executive compensation vote frequency, section 14A extraordinary transaction executive compensation);
(C) Audit-related (examples: auditor ratification, auditor rotation);
(D) Investment company matters (examples: new or changed investment management agreement, assignment of investment management agreement, business development company approval of restricted
39
securities or asset coverage ratio change, closed-end investment company issuance of shares below net asset value);
(E) Shareholder rights and defenses (examples: adoption or modification of a shareholder rights plan, control share acquisition provisions, fair price provisions, board classification, cumulative voting);
(F) Extraordinary transactions (examples: merger, asset sale, liquidation, buyout, joint venture, going private, spinoff, delisting);
(G) Capital structure (examples: security issuance, stock split, reverse stock split, dividend, buyback, tracking stock, adjustment to par value, authorization of additional stock);
(H) Compensation (examples: board compensation, executive compensation (other than Section 14A say-on-pay), board or executive anti-hedging, board or executive anti-pledging, compensation clawback, 10b5-1 plans);
(I) Corporate governance (examples: term limits, board committee issues, size of board, articles of incorporation or bylaws, codes of ethics, approval to adjourn, acceptance of minutes, proxy access);
(J) Environment or climate (examples: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, transition planning or reporting, biodiversity or ecosystem risk, chemical footprint, renewable energy or energy efficiency, water issues, waste or pollution, deforestation or land use, say-on-climate, environmental justice);
(K) Human rights or human capital/workforce (examples: workforce-related mandatory arbitration, supply chain exposure to human rights risks, outsourcing or offshoring, workplace sexual harassment);
(L) Diversity, equity, and inclusion (examples: board diversity, pay gap);
(M) Other social issues (examples: lobbying, political or charitable activities, data privacy, responsible tax policies, consumer protection); or
(N) Other (along with a brief description).
(h) For reports filed by Funds, disclose whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;
(i) The number of shares that were voted, with the number zero (0) entered if no shares were voted;
(j) The number of shares that the reporting person loaned and did not recall;
(k) How the shares in paragraph (i) were voted (e.g., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors) and, if the votes were cast in multiple manners (e.g., for and against), the number of shares voted in each manner;
(l) Whether the votes disclosed in paragraph (k) represented votes for or against managements recommendation;
(m) If applicable, identify each Institutional Manager on whose behalf this Form N-PX report is being filed (other than the reporting person filing the report) that exercised voting power over the security by entering the number assigned to the Institutional Manager on the Summary Page;
(n) If applicable, identify the Series that was eligible to vote the security by providing the Series identification number listed on the Summary Page; and
(o) Any other information the reporting person would like to provide about the matter or how it voted.
The Trust has delegated responsibility for categorizing reported proxy voting matters to the Adviser.
Compliance Process:
| 1. | The portfolio manager shall complete a Form N-PX report at the time the portfolio manager votes proxies on behalf of a Fund |
| 2. | The portfolio manager shall keep one copy of each completed Form N-PX Report and deliver a copy to each Advisers Chief Compliance Officer. |
| 3. | At least 30 days prior to August 31, the Advisers Chief Compliance Officer shall review the Advisers corporate action records to determine whether any proxy votes were cast on behalf of the Fund for which reports were not filed. If an unreported vote is discovered, the Advisers Chief Compliance Officer shall contact the portfolio manager for an explanation and documentation. |
| 4. | Each Advisers Chief Compliance Officer shall compile all Form N-PX reports submitted for the 12-month period ended June 30 and complete Form N-PX. |
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| 5. | Completed Form N-PX shall be sent to the Funds Administrator, who shall file Form N-PX with the SEC. |
Responsible Party: Adviser / Administrator
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APPENDIX C
Q3 Asset Management Corporation
Proxy Voting Policy
Q3 does not vote proxies for clients except for when it comes to the mutual funds it manages. The Advisers proxy voting policy is evident in the Form ADV Part 2. Clients are therefore responsible for ensuring that all proxy materials are sent directly to them. In the event Q3 accidentally receives proxy materials, we will notify the sender of the error and forward the materials on to the client with a copy of the error notice given to the sender. Questions pertaining to this matter are to be directed to Brad Giaimo.
In relation to proxy voting for Q3s mutual funds, the following applies.
Background: Pursuant to Rule 206(4)-6 and Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act, it is a fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative act, practice or course of business, within the meaning of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act, for an investment adviser to exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, unless (i) the adviser has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interests of its clients, (ii) the adviser describes its proxy voting procedures to its clients and provides copies on request, and (iii) the adviser discloses to clients how they may obtain information on how the adviser voted their proxies.
Policy: The Adviser will vote proxies for the mutual funds it manages. In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Advisers Act, the Adviser has adopted the following policies and procedures for proxy voting with regard to companies in the investment portfolio of the Fund(s). The Advisers primary purpose and fiduciary responsibility is to maximize shareholder value, which is defined as share price and dividend appreciation. Adviser will vote proxies in the best interests of the Funds shareholders and will generally vote for, against, consider on a case-by-case basis, or abstain from voting as indicated below. Because of the extenuating circumstances associated with specific proxy issues, Advisers votes may differ from time to time from the indications noted. In addition, the list may not include all proxies on which Adviser votes. Adviser will also act, in our best judgment, on behalf of our Funds on certain corporate actions that impact shareholder value, such as tender offers and bankruptcy proceedings.
Voting Proxies
1. All proxies received by the Adviser (to vote on behalf of the Fund) will be provided to the Portfolio Manager(s).
2. The Portfolio Manager(s) will generally adhere to the following procedures (subject to limited exception):
(a) A written record of each proxy received by the Adviser will be kept in the Advisers files;
(b) The Portfolio Manager(s) will determine which of the Funds holds the security to which the proxy relates;
(c)Proposals Specific to Mutual Funds
Adviser serves as investment adviser to certain investment companies under the Ultimus Managers Trust. These funds invest in other investment companies that are not affiliated (Underlying Funds) and are required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) to handle proxies received from Underlying Funds in a certain manner. Notwithstanding the guidelines provided in these procedures, it is the policy of Adviser to vote all proxies received from the Underlying Funds in the same proportion that all shares of the Underlying Funds are voted pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act. Accordingly, the following voting instructions will be included in the proxy form: Vote these shares in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such shares. The beneficial owner of these shares is a registered investment company. After properly voted, the proxy materials are placed in a file maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer for future reference.
(d) Prior to voting any proxies, the Portfolio Manager(s) will determine if there are any conflicts of interest related to the proxy in question in accordance with the general guidelines set forth below. If a conflict is identified, the Portfolio
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Manager(s) will then make a determination (which may be in consultation with outside legal counsel) as to whether the conflict is material.
(e) If no material conflict is identified pursuant to these procedures, the Portfolio Manager(s) will vote the proxy in accordance with the guidelines set forth below. The Portfolio Manager(s) will deliver the proxy in accordance with instructions related to such proxy in a timely and appropriate manner.
Conflicts of Interest
1. As stated above, in evaluating how to vote a proxy, the Portfolio Manager(s) will first determine whether there is a conflict of interest related to the proxy in question. This examination will include (but will not be limited to) an evaluation of whether the Adviser (or any affiliate of the Adviser) has any relationship with the company (or an affiliate of the company) to which the proxy relates outside of an investment in such company by a client of the Adviser.
2. If a conflict is identified and deemed material by the Portfolio Manager(s), the Adviser will determine whether voting in accordance with the proxy voting guidelines outlined below is in the best interests of the Fund (which may include utilizing an independent third party to vote such proxies).
3. With respect to material conflicts, the conflict shall be disclosed to the Funds Committee of Independent Trustees (the Committee) and the Investment Adviser shall follow the instructions of the Committee or (ii) the Investment Adviser shall vote the issue in question based upon the recommendation of an independent third party under a contractual arrangement approved by the Committee
Disclosure of Procedures
A summary of the above proxy voting procedures will be included in Part 2 of the Advisers Form ADV and will be updated whenever these policies and procedures are updated.
Form N-PX
The Adviser will provide all proxy votes to the Funds administrator for the annual Form N-PX filing.
Record-keeping Requirements
The Portfolio Manager(s) will be responsible for maintaining files relating to the Advisers proxy voting procedures. Records will be maintained and preserved for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two years kept in the offices of the Adviser. Records of the following will be included in the files:
1. Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto;
2. A copy of each proxy statement that the Adviser actually received; provided, however, that the Adviser may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SECs EDGAR system for those proxy statements that are so available;
3. A record of each vote that the Adviser casts;
4. A copy of any document that the Adviser created that was material to making a decision on how to vote the proxies, or memorializes that decision (if any); and
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Proxy Solicitation:
This policy also applies to ERISA qualified accounts. In the event our advice is solicited, the Adviser shall only furnish proxy-voting advice where there is an existing business relationship and we shall not solicit proxies from non-clients. When providing proxy voting advice to clients, we shall abide by the following conditions:
Q3 will disclose any significant relationship with the issuer, its affiliates or a security holder proponent of the matter on which proxy voting advice is given, as well as any material interest of our Adviser in the matter.
We shall receive no special commission or remuneration for furnishing the voting advice from any person other than the security holder recipient thereof, and;
The voting advice will not be furnished on behalf of any person soliciting proxies, or on behalf of a participant in an election contest subject to SEC Rule 14a-11.
Q3 shall not communicate with the press concerning a proxy.
Q3 does not solicit proxies. Deviations from these policies may require Q3 to comply with SEC Proxy Registration Rules
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APPENDIX D
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
The Fund may acquire from time to time fixed income or debt securities as described in the Prospectus and this SAI. The Fund is not restricted with respect to yield, maturity, or credit quality of any fixed income or debt securities, so that the Fund may purchase fixed income or debt securities that are of high quality investment grade (Investment-Grade Debt Securities) or of lower quality with significant risk characteristics (e.g., junk bonds). The various ratings used by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (each an NRSRO) are described below.
A rating by an NRSRO represents the organizations opinion as to the credit quality of the security being rated. However, the ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality or guarantees as to the creditworthiness of an issuer. Consequently, the Adviser believes that the quality of Investment-Grade Debt Securities in which the Fund may invest should be continuously reviewed and that individual analysts give different weightings to the various factors involved in credit analysis. A rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a security, because it does not take into account market value or suitability for a particular investor. When a security has received a rating from more than one NRSRO, each rating is evaluated independently. Ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by the NRSROs from other sources that they consider reliable. Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information, or for other reasons.
S&P® GLOBAL RATINGS. The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by S&P Global Ratings (S&P), a division of S&P Global, Inc., for bonds which are deemed to be Investment-Grade Debt Securities by the Adviser:
AAA – An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA – An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A – An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB – An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are not considered by the Adviser to be Investment-Grade Debt Securities and are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions. An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise.
The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.
A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P and indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong. A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
The rating SP-1 is the highest rating assigned by S&P to short term municipal notes and indicates a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+)
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designation. The rating SP-2 indicates a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. The rating SP-3 indicates a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
MOODYS INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. Ratings assigned on Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risk of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The highest four ratings are deemed to be Investment-Grade Debt Securities by the Adviser:
Aaa – Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa – Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A – Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa – Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Obligations which are rated Ba, B, Caa, Ca or C by Moodys are not considered Investment-Grade Debt Securities by the Adviser. Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a (hyb) indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.
Short-Term Ratings
Short-term ratings are assigned for obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.
Moodys employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
P-1 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.
P-2 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.
P-3 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
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US Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings – Moodys uses the global short-term Prime rating scale for commercial paper issued by U.S. municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuers self-liquidity. For other short-term municipal obligations, Moodys uses one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VIMG) scales discussed below.
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, Moodys uses the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.
MIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings – In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned. The components are a long-term rating and a short-term demand obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuers ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term demand obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to make payments associated with the purchase-price-upon-demand feature (demand feature) of the VRDO. The short-term demand obligation rating uses the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuers long-term rating drops below investment grade.
Moodys typically assigns the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is NR.
VMIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections.
FITCH RATINGS. The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch):
National Long-Term Credit Ratings
AAA – AAA National Ratings denote the highest rating assigned by Fitch in its National Rating scale for that country. This rating is assigned to issuers or obligations with the lowest expectation of default risk relative to all other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
AA – AA National Ratings denote expectations of a very low level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union. The default risk inherent differs only slightly from that of the countrys highest rated issuers or obligations.
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A – A National Ratings denote expectations of a low level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
BBB – BBB National Ratings denote a moderate level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
Long-term securities rated below BBB by Fitch are not considered by the Adviser to be Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Securities rated BB denote an elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union, and securities rated B denote a significantly elevated level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union. A rating CCC denotes a very high level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union, while a rating CC denotes the level of default risk is among the highest relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union, and a rating C denotes that a default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a C category rating for an issuer include: the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation, the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; the formal announcement by the issuer of their agent of a distressed debt exchange; and a closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent. RD ratings indicate an issuer that, in Fitchs opinion, has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but that has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure and has not otherwise ceased business. This would include the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. D ratings denote an issuer that has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure or that has otherwise ceased business.
National Short-Term Credit Ratings
F1 – Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Under Fitchs National Rating scale, this rating is assigned to the lowest default risk relative to others in the same country or monetary union. Where the liquidity profile is particularly strong, a + is added to the assigned rating.
F2 – Indicates a good capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
F3 – Indicates an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
B – Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
Short-term rates B, C, RD and D by Fitch are considered by the Adviser to be below Investment-Grade Debt Securities. Short-term securities rated C indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union. Short-term securities rated RD indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. RD ratings are applicable to entity ratings only. Short-term securities rated D indicate a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
While the foregoing descriptions of the ratings systems used by the Adviser distinguish between Investment-Grade Debt Securities and more speculative debt securities, as stated above the Fund is not limited with respect to the yield, maturity or credit quality of the debt securities in which it invests. Accordingly, the Funds portfolios may be invested in Investment-Grade Debt Securities or debt securities that are not Investment-Grade Debt Securities in any proportion.
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| PART C. | OTHER INFORMATION |
| Item 28. | Exhibits |
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| Item 29. | Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant |
No person is directly or indirectly controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.
| Item 30. | Indemnification |
Article VI of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification of officers and Trustees as follows:
“Section 6.4 Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc.
Subject to and except as otherwise provided in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the 1940 Act, the Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees and officers, including persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants’ and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, and except that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office.
Section 6.5 Advances of Expenses. The Trust shall advance attorneys’ fees or other expenses incurred by a Covered Person in defending a proceeding to the full extent permitted by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the 1940 Act, as amended, and Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1707, as amended. In the event any of these Federal laws conflict with Ohio Revised Code Section
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1701.13I, as amended, these Federal laws, and not Ohio Revised Code Section 1701.13I, shall govern.
Section 6.6 Indemnification Not Exclusive, etc. The right of indemnification provided by this Article VI shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in this Article VI, “Covered Person” shall include such person’s heirs, executors and administrators. Nothing contained in this article shall affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel of the Trust, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such person.”
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 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 Investment Advisory Agreements with Lyrical Asset Management LP, Wavelength Capital Management, LLC, SCS Capital Management, LLC, Marshfield Associates, Inc., Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, Inc., Kempner Capital Management, Inc., Edgemoor Investment Advisors, Inc., Adler Asset Management, LLC, Q3 Asset Management Corporation, Blueprint Fund Management LLC, Evolutionary Tree Capital Management LLC, Nia Impact Capital, Salient Advisors, L.P., and Westwood Corporation Corp. (the “Advisers”) and the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with Blueprint Investment Partners LLC, Broadmark Asset Management LLC, and Vident Asset Management (the “Sub-Advisers”) provide that the Advisers and Sub-Advisers shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Funds in connection with the performance of their duties, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisers in the performance of their duties, or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder.
The Distribution Agreements with Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC (the “UFD”) and the Distribution Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD” and, collectively with UFD, the “Distributors”) provide that the Distributors, their directors, officers, employees, shareholders and control persons shall not be liable for any loss, damage or expense (including the reasonable costs of investigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with the matters to which the Agreements relate, except a loss resulting from the failure of either Distributors or any such other person to comply with applicable law or the terms of the Agreements, or from willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence, including clerical errors and mechanical failures, on the part of any of such persons in the performance of Distributor’s duties or from the reckless disregard by any of such persons of Distributors’ obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreements.
The Distribution Agreements with the Distributors further also provides that the Distributors agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each person who has been, is, or may hereafter be a Trustee,
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officer, employee, shareholder or control person of the Trust against any loss, damage or expense (including the reasonable costs of investigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with any claim or in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to which any of them may be a party, which arises out of or is alleged to arise out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact necessary to make the statements not misleading, on the part of the Distributors or any agent or employee of the Distributors or any other person for whose acts as Distributor is responsible, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon written information furnished by the Trust; (ii) Distributor’s failure to exercise reasonable care and diligence with respect to its services, if any, rendered in connection with investment, reinvestment, automatic withdrawal and other plans for Shares; and (iii) Distributors’ failure to comply with applicable laws and the Rules of FINRA.
The Registrant intends to maintain a standard mutual fund and investment advisory professional and directors and officers liability policy. The policy shall provide coverage to the Registrant, its Trustees and officers and the Adviser. Coverage under the policy will include losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.
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| Item 31. | Business and Other Connections of the Investment Advisers |
With respect to information as to the business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature of each of the officers and directors of each adviser and sub-adviser, reference is hereby made to the current Form ADVs of each adviser and sub-adviser filed under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, incorporated herein by reference and the CRD and file numbers of which are as follows:
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Adler Asset Management, LLC CRD No. 293512 SEC File No. 801-113287 |
Kempner Capital Management, Inc. CRD No. 104784 SEC File No. 801-17585 |
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Blueprint Fund Management LLC CRD No. 306419 SEC File No. 801-117790 |
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Blueprint Investment Partners LLC CRD No. 170196 SEC File No. 801-108069 |
Westwood Management Corp CRD No. 110269 SEC File No. 801-18727 |
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SCS Capital Management LLC CRD No. 122258 SEC File No. 801-61448 |
Lyrical Asset Management LP CRD No. 148267 SEC File No. 801-71099 |
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Edgemoor Investment Advisors, Inc. CRD No. 109104 SEC File No. 801-56945 |
Marshfield Associates, Inc. CRD No. 150614 SEC File No. 801-70275 |
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Evolutionary Tree Capital Management LLC CRD No. 291127 SEC File No. 801-119228 |
Nia Impact Capital CRD No. 286587 SEC File No. 801-117120 |
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Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, Inc. CRD No. 107387 SEC File No. 801-48913 |
Q3 Asset Management Corporation CRD No. 1378398 SEC File No. 801-77461 |
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Broadmark Asset Management CRD No. 109422 SEC File No. 801-94129 |
Wavelength Capital Management, LLC CRD No. 167725 SEC File No. 801-78192 |
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Vident Asset Management CRD No. 286622 SEC File No. 801-114538 |
Salient Advisors, L.P. CRD No. 122833 SEC File No. 801-61449
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| Item 32. | Principal Underwriters |
| (a)(i) | UFD acts as the principal underwriter for the following other open-end investment companies: |
| Bruce Fund, Inc. | James Advantage Funds |
| Caldwell & Orkin Funds Inc. | The Investment House Funds |
| Capitol Series Trust | MSS Series Trust |
| Cantor Select Portfolios Trust | Papp Investment Trust |
| Centaur Mutual Funds Trust | Peachtree Alternative Strategies Fund |
| Conestoga Funds | Segall Bryant & Hamill Trust |
| CM Advisors Family of Funds | Oak Associates Funds |
| Chesapeake Investment Trust | Schwartz Investment Trust |
| Commonwealth International Series Trust | Unified Series Trust |
| Connors Fund | Valued Advisers Trust |
| Copley Fund Inc. | Waycross Independent Trust |
| Dynamic Alternatives Fund | Williamsburg Investment Trust |
| The Cutler Trust | VELA Funds |
| Eubel Brady & Suttman Mutual Fund Trust | Volumetric Fund |
| HC Capital Trust | American Pensions Investors Trust (d/b/a Yorktown Funds) |
| Hussman Investment Trust | XD Fund Trust |
| New Age Alpha Funds Trust | Exchange Place Advisors Trust |
| New Age Alpha Variable Funds Trust | WesMark Funds |
| ONEFUND Trust | Lind Capital Partners Municipal Credit Income Fund |
| Johnson Mutual Funds | Beacon Pointe Multi-Alternative Fund |
| Fairway Private Equity & Venture Capital Opportunities Fund | Axxes Private Market Fund |
| Fairway Private Markets Fund | MidBridge Private Markets Fund |
| Cantor Fitzgerald Infrastructure Fund | Booster Income Opportunities Fund |
| Flat Rock Enhanced Income Fund | OneAscent Capital Opportunities Fund |
| Flat Rock Core Income Fund | CAZ Strategic Opportunities Fund |
| Flat Rock Opportunity Fund | Private Debt & Income Fund |
| 83 Investment Group Income Fund | Axxes Opportunities Credit Fund |
(a)(ii) NLD acts as the principal underwriter for the following other open-end investment companies:
| Boyar Value Fund, Inc. | Destra Multi-Alternative Fund |
| Capitol Series Trust | Nile Capital Investment Trust |
| Copeland Trust | Northern Lights Fund Trust |
| DGI Investment Trust | Northern Lights Fund Trust II |
| Grandeur Peak Global Trust | Northern Lights Fund Trust III |
| Humankind Benefit Corporation | Northern Lights Fund Trust IV |
| Miller Investment Trust | Northern Lights Variable Trust |
| Mutual Fund Series Trust | OCM Mutual Fund |
| Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust | Princeton Everest Fund |
| Texas Capital Funds Trust | The Saratoga Advantage Trust |
| Tributary Funds, Inc. | The North Country Funds |
| THOR Financial Technologies Trust | Two Roads Shared Trust |
| 16 |
| CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund | Valued Advisers Trust |
| Unified Series Trust | Atlas U.S. Tactical Income Fund, Inc. |
| Zacks Trust | Segall Bryant & Hamill Trust |
| U.S. Treasury Fund |
(b)(i) Directors, officers, or partners of UFD:
| Name | Position with Distributor | Position with Registrant |
| Kevin M. Guerette | President | None |
| Stephen L. Preston | Chief Compliance Officer | None |
| Douglas K. Jones | Vice President | None |
| Melvin Van Cleave | Chief Information Securities Officer | None |
The address of UFD and each of the above-named persons is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.
(b)(ii) Directors, officers, or partners of NLD:
| Name | Position with Distributor | Position with Registrant |
| Kevin M. Guerette | President | None |
| Stephen L. Preston | Chief Compliance Officer | None |
| Bill Strait | Secretary/General Counsel | None |
| Melvin Van Cleave | Chief Information Securities Officer | None |
The address of NLD and each of the above-named persons is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.
| (c) | Not applicable. |
| 17 |
| Item 33. | Location of Accounts and Records |
Accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules promulgated thereunder will be maintained by the Registrant at the principal executive offices of its administrator or investment advisers:
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
Adler Asset Management, LLC
600 Third Avenue, Suite 226
New York, New York 10016
Blueprint Fund Management LLC
1250 Revolution Mill Drive, Suite 150
Greensboro, NC 27405
Blueprint Investment Partners
1250 Revolution Mill Dr., Suite 150
Greensboro, North Carolina 27405
SCS Capital Management LLC
3333 Riverwood Parkway, Suite 350
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
Edgemoor Investment Advisors, Inc.
7250 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 315
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Evolutionary Tree Capital Management LLC
1199 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 801
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Broadmark Asset Management
1808 Wedemeyer Street, Suite 210
San Francisco, California 94129
Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, Inc.
117 Grand Street, Suite 201
Goshen, New York 10924
Kempner Capital Management, Inc.
2201 Market Street
Galveston, Texas 77550
Lyrical Asset Management LP
250 West 55th Street, 37th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Marshfield Associates, Inc.
21 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 500
Washington, District of Columbia 20036
Nia Impact Capital
4900 Shattuck Avenue, #3648
Oakland, California 94609
Q3 Asset Management Corporation
2175 Cole Street
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
Salient Advisors, L.P.
4265 San Felipe, 8th Floor
Houston, Texas 77027
Wavelength Capital Management, LLC
545 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Westwood Management Corp
200 Crescent Court, Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas 75201
Vident Asset Management
1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
| 18 |
Certain records, including records relating to the possession of Registrant’s securities, may be maintained at the offices of Registrant’s custodians:
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
50 Post Office Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Fifth Third Bank, National Association
Fountain Square Plaza
Cincinnati, Ohio 45263
U.S. Bank, N.A.
425 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
| Item 34. | Management Services Not Discussed in Parts A or B |
Not applicable
| Item 35. | Undertakings |
| 19 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registrant’s Registration Statement to be signed below on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 26, 2025.
| ULTIMUS MANAGERS TRUST | |||
| By: | /s/ Todd E. Heim | ||
| Todd E. Heim | |||
| President | |||
Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Date | ||||
| * | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| Keith Shintani, Trustee | |||||
| * | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| Janine L. Cohen, Trustee | By: | /s/ Karen Jacoppo-Wood | |||
| Karen Jacoppo-Wood | |||||
| * | September 26, 2025 | Attorney-in-fact* | |||
| Jacqueline A. Williams, Trustee | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| * | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| Clifford N. Schireson, Trustee | |||||
| * | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| Robert E. Morrison, Trustee | |||||
| /s/ Todd E. Heim | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| Todd E. Heim, President | |||||
| /s/ Daniel Bauer | September 26, 2025 | ||||
| Daniel Bauer, Treasurer/Controller/Principal Financial Officer |
EXHIBITS
| (h)(1)(A)(iii)(b) | Amended Schedule A to the Amended Derivatives Risk Management Program Support Services Addendum |
ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS
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