Form 485APOS PGIM Rock ETF Trust
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2024
Securities Act Registration No. 333-274664
Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-23901
Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-23901
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 (X)
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 (X)
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 4 (X)
Check appropriate box or boxes
AMENDMENT NO. 4 (X)
Check appropriate box or boxes
PGIM ROCK ETF TRUST
Exact name of registrant as specified in charter
Exact name of registrant as specified in charter
655 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Address of Principal Executive Offices including Zip Code
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Address of Principal Executive Offices including Zip Code
1-800-225-1852
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code
Andrew R. French
655 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Name and Address of Agent for Service
655 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Name and Address of Agent for Service
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
__ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
__ on (____) pursuant to paragraph (b)
__ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
__ on (____) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
X 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
__ on (____) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
__ on (____) pursuant to paragraph (b)
__ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
__ on (____) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
X 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
__ on (____) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
If appropriate, check the following box:
__ this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
__ this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
Explanatory Note
This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933 and Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Amendment) only relates only to the following series of the Registrant: PGIM Laddered
Fund of Buffer 12 ETF and PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF.
The Amendment is not intended to amend the current prospectuses and statements of
additional information for the other series of the Registrant.
The information in this Preliminary Prospectus is not complete and may be changed.
We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective.
This Preliminary Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in
any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS — March 29, 2024
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PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 12 ETF
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Ticker Symbol:
BUFP
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Listing Exchange:
Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
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PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 20 ETF
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Ticker Symbol:
PBFR
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Listing Exchange:
Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved the
Funds' shares, nor has the SEC determined
that this prospectus is complete or accurate.
It is a criminal offense to state otherwise.
Exchange-traded funds are distributed by
Prudential Investment Management Services
LLC, a Prudential Financial company,
member SIPC. PGIM Quantitative Solutions
LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of PGIM,
Inc. (“PGIM”), a Prudential Financial
company. © 2024 Prudential Financial, Inc.
and its related entities. The Prudential logo
and the Rock symbol are service marks of
Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related
entities, registered in many jurisdictions
worldwide.
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To enroll in e-delivery, go to pgim.com/investments/resource/edelivery
Table of Contents
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SUMMARY: PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 12 ETF
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek to provide investors with capital appreciation.
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
The table below 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 table and example below. The management agreement between PGIM Rock ETF Trust (the “Trust”) and PGIM Investments LLC (“PGIM Investments”) (the “Management Agreement”) provides that PGIM Investments will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except for certain expenses, including but not limited to,
interest expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, future Rule 12b-1 fees (if any), and acquired fund fees and expenses. For
more information on the fee structure pertaining to the Management Agreement please refer to the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment)
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Management fee
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None
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Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
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None
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Acquired Fund fees and expenses
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0.50%
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Other expenses
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None
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Total annual Fund operating expenses
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0.50%
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Example. The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other exchange-traded funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000
in the Fund for the time periods indicated. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the
Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
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Number of Years You Own Shares
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1 Year
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3 Years
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$51
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$160
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Portfolio Turnover.
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities
(or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result
in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund
operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. The Fund is newly offered; therefore, it does
not have a turnover rate for the most recent fiscal year.
INVESTMENTS, RISKS AND PERFORMANCE
Principal Investment Strategies.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by providing investors with U.S.
large-cap equity market exposure while attempting to limit downside risk through a “laddered portfolio” of twelve PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 12 ETFs (the “Underlying ETFs”). The Underlying ETFs seek to provide investors with limited protection against a
decline in the U.S. large-cap equity market, with an upside cap on capital appreciation in that market,
over a specific period. The term “laddered portfolio” refers to the Fund’s investment in a series of Underlying ETFs that have target outcome period expiration dates which occur on a rolling, or periodic, basis. See below for a discussion of “target outcome periods” and their meaning within the strategies of the Underlying ETFs. The rolling or “laddered” nature of the investments in the Underlying ETFs is intended to create diversification in respect
of the investment time period over which an Underlying ETF must be held to achieve its target outcome compared to the
risk of acquiring or disposing of any one Underlying ETF at any one time. This diversification is intended to mitigate
the risk of failing to benefit from the buffer of a single Underlying ETF due to the timing of investment in that Underlying
ETF and the relative price of the reference asset or having limited or no upside potential remaining because of the
cap of a single Underlying ETF. The Fund’s laddered approach is intended to allow the Fund to continue to benefit from increases in the value of the
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SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (“SPY”) and to provide a level of downside protection for at least a portion of the Fund's
portfolio at any given time. Depending on when the Fund acquires shares of an Underlying
ETF, even with a laddered approach, the cap and/or buffer of an Underlying ETF may be exhausted unless the Fund
acquires shares at the beginning of a Target Outcome Period (as defined below). The Fund does not typically
buy shares at the beginning of the Target Outcome Period. Unlike the Underlying ETFs, the Fund itself does not pursue a target outcome strategy.
The buffer is only provided by the Underlying ETFs and the Fund itself does not provide
any stated buffer against losses. The Fund likely will not receive the full benefit of the Underlying ETF buffers and could
have limited upside potential. The Fund's returns are limited by the caps of the Underlying ETFs.
In order to understand the Fund’s strategy and risks, it is important to understand the strategies and risks of the Underlying ETFs. See “More About the Funds’ Principal and Non-Principal Strategies, Investments and Risks” for a discussion of the principal investment strategies of the Underlying ETFs.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus
any borrowings for investment purposes) in ETFs. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests substantially
all of its assets in the Underlying ETFs, generally in equal weights. The Underlying ETFs seek to provide investors with
returns that match the price return of SPY, up to a predetermined upside cap, while providing a downside buffer
(before fees and expenses) against the first 12% of SPY losses, generally over a one-year Target Outcome Period. The
Fund and each Underlying ETF are advised by PGIM Investments LLC and subadvised by PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC.
SPY is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that invests in as many of the stocks in the S&P 500® Index as is practicable. PDR Services, LLC (“PDR”) serves as SPY’s sponsor. As of its most recent prospectus, the investment objective of SPY is to seek to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price
and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. See “SPY” below for more information.
The Underlying ETFs invest substantially all of their assets in customized equity
or index option contracts known as FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) on the SPY. FLEX Options trade on an exchange, but provide investors with the ability to customize key contract terms like expiration date, option type
(put or call), exercise style, strike price, premium, trading hours and exercise settlement, among others. Each Underlying ETF
uses FLEX Options to employ a “target outcome strategy.” Target outcome strategies seek to produce a targeted range of potential returns based
upon the performance of an underlying security or index (in this case, SPY). The target
outcomes sought by the Underlying ETFs, which include a buffer against the first 12% of SPY losses and a cap on upside
potential, are based on the price return of SPY over an approximate one-year period beginning on the first day of the
month for which each Underlying ETF is named and ending on the day before the one-year anniversary (the “Target Outcome Period”). Each Underlying ETF establishes a new cap annually at the beginning of each Target Outcome Period.
See “Limited Buffer and Cap” below under “More About the Funds’ Principal and Non-Principal Strategies, Investments and Risks.” At their initial launch, certain Underlying ETFs may have a Target Outcome Period of less than one
year.
At the end of each Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF’s FLEX Options are generally allowed to expire or are sold at or near their expiration, and the proceeds are used to purchase (or roll into)
a new set of FLEX Options expiring in approximately one year. This means that approximately every 30 days, one of the
Underlying ETFs will undergo a “reset” of its cap and a refresh of its buffer. At any given time, the Fund will generally
hold one Underlying ETF with FLEX Options expiring within one month, a second Underlying ETF with FLEX Options
expiring within two months, a third Underlying ETF with FLEX Options expiring within three months, continuing this
series up to and including twelve months. The rolling or “laddered” nature of the investments in the Underlying ETFs creates diversification of the investment time period and market level (meaning the price of SPY at any given time)
compared to the risk of holding only a single Underlying ETF for its Target Outcome Period and bearing the risks associated
with a specific time period. Because the Fund typically will not acquire shares of the Underlying ETFs on the first
day of a Target Outcome Period and may dispose of shares of the Underlying ETFs before the end of the Target Outcome
Period, the Fund may experience investment returns that are very different from those that the Underlying
ETFs seek to provide. If an Underlying ETF has experienced certain levels of either gains or losses since the
beginning of its current Target Outcome Period, there may be little to no ability for the Fund to achieve gains or
benefit from the buffer for the remainder of the Target Outcome Period.
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
When an investor purchases shares of a single Underlying ETF, such investor’s potential outcomes are limited by the Underlying ETF’s stated cap and buffer over a defined time period (depending on when the shares were purchased). Alternatively, the Fund’s laddered approach provides a diversified exposure to a series of the Underlying ETFs in a single investment. By owning a laddered portfolio of Underlying ETFs, the Fund expects
to continue to benefit from any increases in the value of SPY (as caps are reset) and to provide a level of downside
protection as buffers are refreshed on one of the Underlying ETFs every month based on the price of SPY at the time of
the reset. This approach reduces the risk inherent in the Underlying ETFs of having the upside potential for an entire
Target Outcome Period capped out in cases of rapid appreciation of SPY. It also mitigates the risk of failing to benefit
from an individual Underlying ETF buffer in cases where SPY has depreciated below that specific buffer level. Approximately
every 30 days, one of the Underlying ETFs will undergo a reset of its cap and a refresh of its buffer, meaning
that investors will have the ability to benefit from any appreciation in SPY for future periods up to the respective caps
of the Underlying ETFs and will have the benefit of the buffer for future periods. A laddered buffer portfolio can diversify
timing risk, similar to how laddered bond portfolios seek to manage duration risks for investors.
The Fund intends only to acquire shares of Underlying ETFs in the secondary market
and will not engage in any principal transactions with the Underlying ETFs. The Fund intends to generally rebalance
its portfolio to equal weight (i.e., 8 1∕3% per Underlying ETF) quarterly. The Fund also will acquire and dispose of shares
of Underlying ETFs in connection with cash flows related to creation and redemption activity of the Fund
between quarterly rebalances. In between such rebalances, market movements in the prices of the Underlying ETFs may
result in the Fund having temporary larger exposures to certain Underlying ETFs compared to others. Under such circumstances, the Fund’s returns would be more greatly influenced by the returns of the Underlying ETFs with
the larger exposures. If an over-weighted Underlying ETF underperforms the other Underlying ETFs, the Fund will
experience returns that are inferior to those that would have been achieved if the Underlying ETFs were equally
weighted. See Underlying ETFs and SPY Risk below.
The current list of Underlying ETFs in the Fund’s portfolio can be found at https://www.pgim.com/investments/etf-buffer-fund. This reference to the website does not incorporate its contents into this prospectus. The Fund’s website provides, on a daily basis, the proportion of the Fund's assets invested in each Underlying ETF at any given time. Each Underlying ETF’s website provides important information (including Target Outcome Period start and end dates and the cap (both gross and net of fees) and buffer
both at the start of the Underlying ETF's Target Outcome Period and on any particular day relative to the end of the Target
Outcome Period). Although this website information may be useful in understanding the investment strategies of the
Underlying ETFs, it does not provide an investor in the Fund with all of the risks and potential outcomes associated with
an investment in the Underlying ETFs. For example, it does not provide a direct example of your potential investment return in the Fund because of the Fund’s laddered exposure to the Underlying ETFs in which each one of the Underlying ETFs
will reset its cap and refresh its buffer annually based on prevailing market conditions.
Principal Risks. All investments have risks to some degree. The value of your investment in the Fund,
as well as the amount of return, if any, you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly
from day-to-day and over time.
You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not
perform as well as other similar investments.
An investment in the Fund is not guaranteed to achieve its investment objective; is
not a deposit with a bank; and is not insured, endorsed or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any
other government agency. The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund.
The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular
risk factor.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in “How to Buy and Sell Shares of the Fund” in the Fund’s Prospectus) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of intermediaries that act as Authorized Participants and
none of these Authorized Participants is or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions.
To the extent that these Authorized
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Participants exit the business or are unable to or choose not to proceed with creation
and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant creates or redeems, shares
of the Fund may trade at a substantial discount or premium to net asset value (“NAV”), may trade at larger spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.
Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide
limited downside protection against SPY losses. The Fund does not provide principal protection
and a shareholder may experience significant losses including losing their entire investment. Each Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the price return of SPY (up to the cap), while limiting downside
losses, if shares are bought on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and held until the end of that Target Outcome
Period. To the extent the Fund acquires shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with creations of new shares
of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalancing, the Fund typically will not acquire Underlying ETF shares on
the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, to the extent the Fund disposes of shares of the Underlying ETFs
in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalancing, any such dispositions typically
will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event that the Fund acquires shares after the first
day of a Target Outcome Period or disposes of shares prior to the end of a Target Outcome Period, the buffer that the
Underlying ETF seeks to provide may not be available. If the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares during a Target
Outcome Period at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by 12% or more from the value of the Underlying
ETF on the first day of the Target Outcome Period (the “Initial Underlying ETF Value”), the Fund’s buffer will essentially be zero (meaning the Fund can lose its entire investment). If the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares
at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by less than 12% from the Initial Underlying ETF Value, the Fund’s buffer will be reduced by the difference between the Initial Underlying ETF Value and the NAV of the Underlying
ETF on the date the Fund purchases the shares.
Cap Change Risk. A new cap for an Underlying ETF is established at the beginning of each Target Outcome
Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the cap may rise or fall
from one Target Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Target Outcome Periods.
Capped Upside Risk. Each Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match the price return of SPY for shares acquired on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and held for the entire
Target Outcome Period, subject to a pre-determined upside cap. Because the Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying
ETFs in connection with creations of new shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, the Fund typically
will not acquire Underlying ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, the Fund will dispose
of shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance,
and such disposals typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event that the Fund
acquires Underlying ETF shares after the first day of a Target Outcome Period and the Underlying ETF has risen in
value to a level near or at the cap (because the Fund’s potential gain will be limited to the difference between the Underlying ETF's NAV on the date the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares and the cap), there may be little or no ability
for the Fund to experience an investment gain on those Underlying ETF shares; however, the Fund will remain vulnerable
to downside risks. This could be true for all of the Underlying ETFs held by the Fund at a certain point in
time severely limiting the Fund's ability to participate in gains during that time. If SPY experiences gains during
a Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF will not participate in those gains beyond the cap. If the Fund buys Underlying
ETF shares when the price exceeds the cap, the Fund will not experience any gain in respect of those Underlying ETF
shares regardless of the performance of SPY.
Cash Transactions Risk. Unlike ETFs that engage almost exclusively in creations and redemptions in exchange
for a basket of portfolio securities (an “in-kind” transaction), the Fund may effect creations and redemptions in cash or partially in cash. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and
subsequently recognize gains on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities
in-kind. Investments in shares of the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that distributes
portfolio securities entirely in-kind.
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
Counterparty Risk. Underlying ETF transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that
the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Underlying ETF. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities
and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund. An Underlying ETF may be unable to recover
its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The
Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the FLEX Options. As
a result, the ability of an Underlying ETF to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations.
In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations,
an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
Economic and Market Events Risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth
or the functioning of the securities markets, or otherwise reduce inflation, may at times result in unusually
high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Governmental efforts to curb inflation often have negative
effects on the level of economic activity. Relatively reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets
could adversely affect issuers worldwide.
Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk. The Fund is exposed to the performance of the equity markets through investments in the Underlying ETFs which have exposure to FLEX Options on the SPY.
Equity and equity-related securities may be subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile
than those of other asset classes. In addition to an individual security losing value, the value of the equity markets
or a sector in which the Underlying ETFs invest could go down. Different parts of a market can react differently to adverse
issuer, market, regulatory, political and economic developments.
ETF Shares Trading Risk. Fund shares are listed for trading on an exchange (the “Exchange”) and the shares are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of the
shares of the Fund are expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV, the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for shares of the Fund.
Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of significant market volatility
or potential lack of an active trading market for the shares of the Fund (including through a trading halt), as well
as other factors, may result in the Fund shares trading on the Exchange significantly above (at a premium) or below (at
a discount) to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund holdings.
Cost of Buying or Selling Shares. When you buy or sell shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur
a brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers. In addition, the market
price of shares of the Fund, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. The spread of the Fund shares varies over time based on the Fund’s trading volume, the spread of the Fund’s underlying securities, and market liquidity and may increase if the Fund’s trading volume or market liquidity decreases, or if the spread on the Fund’s underlying securities increases.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market Risk. While shares of the Fund are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that active trading markets for the shares will develop or be maintained
by market makers or by Authorized Participants. The distributor of the Fund’s shares does not maintain a secondary market in the shares.
FLEX Options Risk. The Underlying ETFs invest in FLEX Options. When an Underlying ETF purchases an option,
it may lose the premium paid for it if the price of the underlying security, commodity or
other asset decreases or remains the same (in the case of a call option) or increases or remains the same (in the case
of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Underlying ETF were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised,
its premium would represent a loss to the Underlying ETF. To the extent that the Underlying ETF writes
or sells an option, if the decline or increase in the underlying asset is significantly below or above the exercise price
of the written option, the Underlying
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7
ETF and, in turn, the Fund could experience a substantial or unlimited loss. Options
pricing is volatile, and the price may fluctuate based on movements in the value of the underlying asset or for reasons
other than changes in the value of the underlying asset. Investments in options are considered speculative.
FLEX Options are subject to the risk that they may be less liquid than other securities,
including standardized options. FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, there is no guarantee that a liquid
secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the
FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price
(for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact
the value of the FLEX Options, Underlying ETF shares and, in turn, Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable
to achieve its investment objective.
FLEX Options Trading Risk. Transactions in FLEX Options are required to be centrally cleared. In a transaction
involving FLEX Options, an Underlying ETF’s counterparty is the OCC, rather than a bank or broker. Since no Underlying ETF is a member of the OCC and only members (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the OCC, each Underlying ETF will hold its FLEX Options through accounts at clearing members. For FLEX Options
positions, the Underlying ETF will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from the OCC through
its accounts at clearing members. Although clearing members guarantee their clients’ obligations to the OCC, there is a risk that a clearing member may default. The OCC collects margin, maintains a clearing fund specifically
to mitigate a clearing member default and segregates all customer accounts from a clearing member’s proprietary accounts, however customer accounts are held in an omnibus account and are not identified with the name of an
individual customer. As a result, assets deposited by an Underlying ETF with a clearing member as margin for FLEX Options
may be used to satisfy losses of other clients of such Underlying ETF’s clearing member. There is a risk that the assets of an Underlying ETF might not be fully protected in the event of a clearing member’s default and an Underlying ETF would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing member’s customers for the relevant account. Therefore, an Underlying ETF could experience and significant loss
in the event of a clearing member’s default. Additionally, the OCC may be unable to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts due to unexpected events, which could negatively impact the value of an Underlying
ETF.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Underlying ETFs will be exercisable at the strike price
only on their expiration date. As an in-the-money FLEX Option approaches its expiration
date, its value typically will increasingly move with the value of the SPY. However, the value of the FLEX Options
prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the SPY. The value of the
FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. Factors that may
influence the value of the FLEX Options generally include interest rate changes, dividends, the actual and implied volatility levels of the SPY’s share price, and the remaining time until the FLEX Options expire, among others. The value
of the FLEX Options held by an Underlying ETF typically do not increase or decrease at the same rate as the SPY’s share price on a day-to-day basis due to these factors (although they generally move in the same direction), and, as a result, the Underlying ETF’s NAV (and, in turn, the Fund’s NAV) may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the SPY’s share price.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk. SPY invests in the securities of large capitalization companies. Companies with large market capitalizations go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions.
Larger companies tend to be less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for
this potentially lower risk, an Underlying ETF’s and, in turn, the Fund's value may not rise or fall as much as the value of funds that emphasize companies with smaller market capitalizations.
Large Shareholder and Large Scale Redemption Risk. Certain individuals, accounts, funds (including funds affiliated with the Manager) or institutions, including the Manager and its affiliates, may from time
to time own or control a substantial amount of the Fund’s shares. There is no requirement that these entities maintain their investment in the Fund. There is a risk that such large shareholders or that the Fund’s shareholders generally may redeem all or a substantial portion of their investments in the Fund in a short period of time, which could have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s NAV, liquidity, and brokerage costs. Large redemptions could also result in tax consequences
to shareholders and
8
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
impact the Fund’s ability to implement its investment strategy. The Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective after one or more large scale redemptions may be impaired and, as a result, the Fund may
invest a larger portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risks. Market disruption can be caused by economic, financial or political events and factors, including but not limited to, international wars or conflicts (including Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war), geopolitical developments (including trading and tariff
arrangements, sanctions and cybersecurity attacks), instability in regions such as Asia, Eastern Europe and the
Middle East, terrorism, natural disasters and public health epidemics (including the outbreak of COVID-19 globally).
The extent and duration of such events and resulting market disruptions cannot be
predicted, but could be substantial and could magnify the impact of other risks to the Fund. These and other similar events
could adversely affect the U.S. and foreign financial markets and lead to increased market volatility, reduced
liquidity in the securities markets, significant negative impacts on issuers and the markets for certain securities and
commodities and/or government intervention. They may also cause short- or long-term economic uncertainties in the
United States and worldwide. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with
significant exposure to the countries directly affected, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted. Further, due to closures of certain markets and restrictions on trading certain securities, the value of certain
securities held by the Fund could be significantly impacted, which could lead to such securities being valued at zero.
New/Small Fund Risk. The Fund recently commenced operations and has a limited operating history. As a
new and relatively small fund, the Fund's performance may not represent how the Fund is expected
to or may perform in the long term if and when it becomes larger. Investment positions may have a disproportionate
impact (negative or positive) on performance in new and smaller funds. Since the Fund is new, an active secondary
market for the shares of the Fund may not develop or may not continue once developed. Shareholders holding large
blocks of shares of the Fund, including the Manager and its affiliates, may hold their shares for long periods of
time, which may lead to reduced trading volumes, wider trading spreads and impede the development or maintenance of
an active secondary trading market for Fund shares. These large shareholders may also loan or sell all or a portion
of their Fund shares, which may result in increasing concentration of Fund shares in a small number of holders, and
the potential for large redemptions, decreases in Fund assets and increased expenses for remaining shareholders.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The length of time the Fund has held a particular security is not generally a consideration
in investment decisions. Under certain market conditions, the Fund’s turnover rate may be higher than that of other ETFs. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Fund, including brokerage
commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities.
These transactions may result in realization of taxable capital gains. The trading costs and tax effects associated
with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance.
Target Outcome Period Risk. Each Underlying ETF’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the price return of SPY if shares are bought on the day on which the Underlying ETF enters
into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of a Target Outcome Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at
the end of the Target Outcome Period subject to the cap. Because the Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying ETFs in
connection with creations of new shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, the Fund typically will not
acquire Underlying ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, the Fund will dispose of shares
of the Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance,
and such disposals typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event the Fund acquires
shares of an underlying ETF after the first day of a Target Outcome Period or disposes of shares prior to the
expiration of the Target Outcome Period, the value of the Fund’s investment in Underlying ETF shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of SPY and may not participate in a gain in the value of SPY for the Fund’s investment period.
Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To qualify and maintain its status as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain income, diversification and distribution tests. The Fund’s qualification as a RIC depends on the
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
9
qualification of the Underlying ETFs as RICs. If one or more of the Underlying ETFs
were to lose its status as a RIC, the Fund might fail its requirement to have a diversified portfolio, and, thus, lose its
own RIC status. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level
when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required
to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors
to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns.
In such event, the Fund may reorganize, close or materially change its investment objective and strategies.
Additionally, buying securities shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend
or capital gain distribution is commonly known as “buying a dividend.” If a shareholder purchases Fund shares and shortly thereafter a Fund issues a dividend, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though
a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
Underlying ETFs and SPY Risk. The value of an investment in the Fund will be related to the investment performance
of the Underlying ETFs and, in turn, SPY. Therefore, the principal risks of investing
in the Fund are closely related to the principal risks associated with the Underlying ETFs and its investments. Exposure
to the Underlying ETFs will also expose the Fund to a pro rata portion of the Underlying ETFs’ fees and expenses. The fluctuating value of the FLEX Options will affect the Underlying ETFs’ value and, in turn, the Fund's value.
The Fund intends to generally rebalance its portfolio to equal weight (i.e., 8 1∕3% per Underlying ETF) quarterly, in connection with the reset of the cap of each Underlying ETF. In between such rebalances,
market movements in the prices of the Underlying ETFs may result in the Fund having temporary larger exposures
to certain Underlying ETFs compared to others. Under such circumstances, the Fund’s returns would be more greatly influenced by the returns of the Underlying ETFs with the larger exposures.
Performance. The Fund has not been in operation for a full calendar year, and hence has no past
performance data to present. Once the Fund has a performance record of at least one calendar year, the Fund’s performance will be included in its Prospectus. Updated Fund performance information, including current
net asset value, is available online at www.pgim.com/investments.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Fund.
|
Investment Manager
|
Subadviser
|
Portfolio Managers
|
Title
|
Service Date
|
|
PGIM Investments LLC
|
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
|
Marco Aiolfi, PhD
|
Managing Director,
Head of Multi-Asset
team and Portfolio
Manager
|
[June 2024]
|
|
|
|
John Hall, CFA
|
Principal and Portfolio
Manager
|
[June 2024]
|
|
|
|
Lorne Johnson, PhD
|
Managing Director
and Portfolio Manager
|
[June 2024]
|
BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions
through brokers or other financial intermediaries at market prices and are not individually redeemable
by the ETF. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange, and because the shares of the Fund trade at market
prices rather than NAV, shares of the Fund may trade at a price greater than NAV (a “premium”) or less than NAV (a “discount”). You 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”).
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
TAX INFORMATION
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes. The Fund's dividends and distributions are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon
withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank), PGIM or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations,
educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems
or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by
influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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11
SUMMARY: PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 20 ETF
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek to provide investors with capital appreciation.
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
The table below 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 table and example below. The management agreement between PGIM Rock ETF Trust (the “Trust”) and PGIM Investments LLC (“PGIM Investments”) (the “Management Agreement”) provides that PGIM Investments will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except for certain expenses, including but not limited to,
interest expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, future Rule 12b-1 fees (if any), and acquired fund fees and expenses. For
more information on the fee structure pertaining to the Management Agreement please refer to the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
|
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Management fee
|
None
|
|
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
|
None
|
|
Acquired Fund fees and expenses
|
0.50%
|
|
Other expenses
|
None
|
|
Total annual Fund operating expenses
|
0.50%
|
Example. The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other exchange-traded funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000
in the Fund for the time periods indicated. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the
Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.
|
Number of Years You Own Shares
|
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
|
|
$51
|
$160
|
Portfolio Turnover.
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities
(or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result
in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund
operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. The Fund is newly offered; therefore, it does
not have a turnover rate for the most recent fiscal year.
INVESTMENTS, RISKS AND PERFORMANCE
Principal Investment Strategies.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by providing investors with U.S.
large-cap equity market exposure while attempting to limit downside risk through a “laddered portfolio” of twelve PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 20 ETFs (the “Underlying ETFs”). The Underlying ETFs seek to provide investors with limited protection against a
decline in the U.S. large-cap equity market, with an upside cap on capital appreciation in that market,
over a specific period. The term “laddered portfolio” refers to the Fund’s investment in a series of Underlying ETFs that have target outcome period expiration dates which occur on a rolling, or periodic, basis. See below for a discussion of “target outcome periods” and their meaning within the strategies of the Underlying ETFs. The rolling or “laddered” nature of the investments in the Underlying ETFs is intended to create diversification in respect
of the investment time period over which an Underlying ETF must be held to achieve its target outcome compared to the
risk of acquiring or disposing of any one Underlying ETF at any one time. This diversification is intended to mitigate
the risk of failing to benefit from the buffer of a single Underlying ETF due to the timing of investment in that Underlying
ETF and the relative price of the reference asset or having limited or no upside potential remaining because of the
cap of a single Underlying ETF. The Fund’s laddered approach is intended to allow the Fund to continue to benefit from increases in the value of the
12
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (“SPY”) and to provide a level of downside protection for at least a portion of the Fund's
portfolio at any given time. Depending on when the Fund acquires shares of an Underlying
ETF, even with a laddered approach, the cap and/or buffer of an Underlying ETF may be exhausted unless the Fund
acquires shares at the beginning of a Target Outcome Period (as defined below). The Fund does not typically
buy shares at the beginning of the Target Outcome Period. Unlike the Underlying ETFs, the Fund itself does not pursue a target outcome strategy.
The buffer is only provided by the Underlying ETFs and the Fund itself does not provide
any stated buffer against losses. The Fund likely will not receive the full benefit of the Underlying ETF buffers and could
have limited upside potential. The Fund's returns are limited by the caps of the Underlying ETFs.
In order to understand the Fund’s strategy and risks, it is important to understand the strategies and risks of the Underlying ETFs. See “More About the Funds’ Principal and Non-Principal Strategies, Investments and Risks” for a discussion of the principal investment strategies of the Underlying ETFs.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus
any borrowings for investment purposes) in ETFs. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests substantially
all of its assets in the Underlying ETFs, generally in equal weights. The Underlying ETFs seek to provide investors with
returns that match the price return of SPY, up to a predetermined upside cap, while providing a downside buffer
(before fees and expenses) against the first 20% of SPY losses, generally over a one-year Target Outcome Period. The
Fund and each Underlying ETF are advised by PGIM Investments LLC and subadvised by PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC.
SPY is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that invests in as many of the stocks in the S&P 500® Index as is practicable. PDR Services, LLC (“PDR”) serves as SPY’s sponsor. As of its most recent prospectus, the investment objective of SPY is to seek to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price
and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. See “SPY” below for more information.
The Underlying ETFs invest substantially all of their assets in customized equity
or index option contracts known as FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) on the SPY. FLEX Options trade on an exchange, but provide investors with the ability to customize key contract terms like expiration date, option type
(put or call), exercise style, strike price, premium, trading hours and exercise settlement, among others. Each Underlying ETF
uses FLEX Options to employ a “target outcome strategy.” Target outcome strategies seek to produce a targeted range of potential returns based
upon the performance of an underlying security or index (in this case, SPY). The target
outcomes sought by the Underlying ETFs, which include a buffer against the first 20% of SPY losses and a cap on upside
potential, are based on the price return of SPY over an approximate one-year period beginning on the first day of the
month for which each Underlying ETF is named and ending on the day before the one-year anniversary (the “Target Outcome Period”). Each Underlying ETF establishes a new cap annually at the beginning of each Target Outcome Period.
See “Limited Buffer and Cap” below under “More About the Funds’ Principal and Non-Principal Strategies, Investments and Risks.” At their initial launch, certain Underlying ETFs may have a Target Outcome Period of less than one
year.
At the end of each Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF’s FLEX Options are generally allowed to expire or are sold at or near their expiration, and the proceeds are used to purchase (or roll into)
a new set of FLEX Options expiring in approximately one year. This means that approximately every 30 days, one of the
Underlying ETFs will undergo a “reset” of its cap and a refresh of its buffer. At any given time, the Fund will generally
hold one Underlying ETF with FLEX Options expiring within one month, a second Underlying ETF with FLEX Options
expiring within two months, a third Underlying ETF with FLEX Options expiring within three months, continuing this
series up to and including twelve months. The rolling or “laddered” nature of the investments in the Underlying ETFs creates diversification of the investment time period and market level (meaning the price of SPY at any given time)
compared to the risk of holding only a single Underlying ETF for its Target Outcome Period and bearing the risks associated
with a specific time period. Because the Fund typically will not acquire shares of the Underlying ETFs on the first
day of a Target Outcome Period and may dispose of shares of the Underlying ETFs before the end of the Target Outcome
Period, the Fund may experience investment returns that are very different from those that the Underlying
ETFs seek to provide. If an Underlying ETF has experienced certain levels of either gains or losses since the
beginning of its current Target Outcome Period, there may be little to no ability for the Fund to achieve gains or
benefit from the buffer for the remainder of the Target Outcome Period.
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13
When an investor purchases shares of a single Underlying ETF, such investor’s potential outcomes are limited by the Underlying ETF’s stated cap and buffer over a defined time period (depending on when the shares were purchased). Alternatively, the Fund’s laddered approach provides a diversified exposure to a series of the Underlying ETFs in a single investment. By owning a laddered portfolio of Underlying ETFs, the Fund expects
to continue to benefit from any increases in the value of SPY (as caps are reset) and to provide a level of downside
protection as buffers are refreshed on one of the Underlying ETFs every month based on the price of SPY at the time of
the reset. This approach reduces the risk inherent in the Underlying ETFs of having the upside potential for an entire
Target Outcome Period capped out in cases of rapid appreciation of SPY. It also mitigates the risk of failing to benefit
from an individual Underlying ETF buffer in cases where SPY has depreciated below that specific buffer level. Approximately
every 30 days, one of the Underlying ETFs will undergo a reset of its cap and a refresh of its buffer, meaning
that investors will have the ability to benefit from any appreciation in SPY for future periods up to the respective caps
of the Underlying ETFs and will have the benefit of the buffer for future periods. A laddered buffer portfolio can diversify
timing risk, similar to how laddered bond portfolios seek to manage duration risks for investors.
The Fund intends only to acquire shares of Underlying ETFs in the secondary market
and will not engage in any principal transactions with the Underlying ETFs. The Fund intends to generally rebalance
its portfolio to equal weight (i.e., 8 1∕3% per Underlying ETF) quarterly. The Fund also will acquire and dispose of shares
of Underlying ETFs in connection with cash flows related to creation and redemption activity of the Fund
between quarterly rebalances. In between such rebalances, market movements in the prices of the Underlying ETFs may
result in the Fund having temporary larger exposures to certain Underlying ETFs compared to others. Under such circumstances, the Fund’s returns would be more greatly influenced by the returns of the Underlying ETFs with
the larger exposures. If an over-weighted Underlying ETF underperforms the other Underlying ETFs, the Fund will
experience returns that are inferior to those that would have been achieved if the Underlying ETFs were equally
weighted. See Underlying ETFs and SPY Risk below.
The current list of Underlying ETFs in the Fund’s portfolio can be found at https://www.pgim.com/investments/etf-buffer-fund. This reference to the website does not incorporate its contents into this prospectus. The Fund’s website provides, on a daily basis, the proportion of the Fund's assets invested in each Underlying ETF at any given time. Each Underlying ETF’s website provides important information (including Target Outcome Period start and end dates and the cap (both gross and net of fees) and buffer
both at the start of the Underlying ETF's Target Outcome Period and on any particular day relative to the end of the Target
Outcome Period). Although this website information may be useful in understanding the investment strategies of the
Underlying ETFs, it does not provide an investor in the Fund with all of the risks and potential outcomes associated with
an investment in the Underlying ETFs. For example, it does not provide a direct example of your potential investment return in the Fund because of the Fund’s laddered exposure to the Underlying ETFs in which each one of the Underlying ETFs
will reset its cap and refresh its buffer annually based on prevailing market conditions.
Principal Risks. All investments have risks to some degree. The value of your investment in the Fund,
as well as the amount of return, if any, you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly
from day-to-day and over time.
You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not
perform as well as other similar investments.
An investment in the Fund is not guaranteed to achieve its investment objective; is
not a deposit with a bank; and is not insured, endorsed or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any
other government agency. The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund.
The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular
risk factor.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in “How to Buy and Sell Shares of the Fund” in the Fund’s Prospectus) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of intermediaries that act as Authorized Participants and
none of these Authorized Participants is or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions.
To the extent that these Authorized
14
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
Participants exit the business or are unable to or choose not to proceed with creation
and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant creates or redeems, shares
of the Fund may trade at a substantial discount or premium to net asset value (“NAV”), may trade at larger spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.
Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide
limited downside protection against SPY losses. The Fund does not provide principal protection
and a shareholder may experience significant losses including losing their entire investment. Each Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the price return of SPY (up to the cap), while limiting downside
losses, if shares are bought on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and held until the end of that Target Outcome
Period. To the extent the Fund acquires shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with creations of new shares
of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalancing, the Fund typically will not acquire Underlying ETF shares on
the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, to the extent the Fund disposes of shares of the Underlying ETFs
in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalancing, any such dispositions typically
will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event that the Fund acquires shares after the first
day of a Target Outcome Period or disposes of shares prior to the end of a Target Outcome Period, the buffer that the
Underlying ETF seeks to provide may not be available. If the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares during a Target
Outcome Period at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by 20% or more from the value of the Underlying
ETF on the first day of the Target Outcome Period (the “Initial Underlying ETF Value”), the Fund’s buffer will essentially be zero (meaning the Fund can lose its entire investment). If the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares
at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by less than 20% from the Initial Underlying ETF Value, the Fund’s buffer will be reduced by the difference between the Initial Underlying ETF Value and the NAV of the Underlying
ETF on the date the Fund purchases the shares.
Cap Change Risk. A new cap for an Underlying ETF is established at the beginning of each Target Outcome
Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the cap may rise or fall
from one Target Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Target Outcome Periods.
Capped Upside Risk. Each Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match the price return of SPY for shares acquired on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and held for the entire
Target Outcome Period, subject to a pre-determined upside cap. Because the Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying
ETFs in connection with creations of new shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, the Fund typically
will not acquire Underlying ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, the Fund will dispose
of shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance,
and such disposals typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event that the Fund
acquires Underlying ETF shares after the first day of a Target Outcome Period and the Underlying ETF has risen in
value to a level near or at the cap (because the Fund’s potential gain will be limited to the difference between the Underlying ETF's NAV on the date the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares and the cap), there may be little or no ability
for the Fund to experience an investment gain on those Underlying ETF shares; however, the Fund will remain vulnerable
to downside risks. This could be true for all of the Underlying ETFs held by the Fund at a certain point in
time severely limiting the Fund's ability to participate in gains during that time. If SPY experiences gains during
a Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF will not participate in those gains beyond the cap. If the Fund buys Underlying
ETF shares when the price exceeds the cap, the Fund will not experience any gain in respect of those Underlying ETF
shares regardless of the performance of SPY.
Cash Transactions Risk. Unlike ETFs that engage almost exclusively in creations and redemptions in exchange
for a basket of portfolio securities (an “in-kind” transaction), the Fund may effect creations and redemptions in cash or partially in cash. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and
subsequently recognize gains on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities
in-kind. Investments in shares of the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that distributes
portfolio securities entirely in-kind.
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15
Counterparty Risk. Underlying ETF transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that
the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Underlying ETF. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities
and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund. An Underlying ETF may be unable to recover
its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The
Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the FLEX Options. As
a result, the ability of an Underlying ETF to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations.
In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations,
an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
Economic and Market Events Risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth
or the functioning of the securities markets, or otherwise reduce inflation, may at times result in unusually
high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Governmental efforts to curb inflation often have negative
effects on the level of economic activity. Relatively reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets
could adversely affect issuers worldwide.
Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk. The Fund is exposed to the performance of the equity markets through investments in the Underlying ETFs which have exposure to FLEX Options on the SPY.
Equity and equity-related securities may be subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile
than those of other asset classes. In addition to an individual security losing value, the value of the equity markets
or a sector in which the Underlying ETFs invest could go down. Different parts of a market can react differently to adverse
issuer, market, regulatory, political and economic developments.
ETF Shares Trading Risk. Fund shares are listed for trading on an exchange (the “Exchange”) and the shares are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of the
shares of the Fund are expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV, the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for shares of the Fund.
Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of significant market volatility
or potential lack of an active trading market for the shares of the Fund (including through a trading halt), as well
as other factors, may result in the Fund shares trading on the Exchange significantly above (at a premium) or below (at
a discount) to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund holdings.
Cost of Buying or Selling Shares. When you buy or sell shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur
a brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers. In addition, the market
price of shares of the Fund, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. The spread of the Fund shares varies over time based on the Fund’s trading volume, the spread of the Fund’s underlying securities, and market liquidity and may increase if the Fund’s trading volume or market liquidity decreases, or if the spread on the Fund’s underlying securities increases.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market Risk. While shares of the Fund are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that active trading markets for the shares will develop or be maintained
by market makers or by Authorized Participants. The distributor of the Fund’s shares does not maintain a secondary market in the shares.
FLEX Options Risk. The Underlying ETFs invest in FLEX Options. When an Underlying ETF purchases an option,
it may lose the premium paid for it if the price of the underlying security, commodity or
other asset decreases or remains the same (in the case of a call option) or increases or remains the same (in the case
of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Underlying ETF were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised,
its premium would represent a loss to the Underlying ETF. To the extent that the Underlying ETF writes
or sells an option, if the decline or increase in the underlying asset is significantly below or above the exercise price
of the written option, the Underlying
16
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
ETF and, in turn, the Fund could experience a substantial or unlimited loss. Options
pricing is volatile, and the price may fluctuate based on movements in the value of the underlying asset or for reasons
other than changes in the value of the underlying asset. Investments in options are considered speculative.
FLEX Options are subject to the risk that they may be less liquid than other securities,
including standardized options. FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, there is no guarantee that a liquid
secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the
FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price
(for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact
the value of the FLEX Options, Underlying ETF shares and, in turn, Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable
to achieve its investment objective.
FLEX Options Trading Risk. Transactions in FLEX Options are required to be centrally cleared. In a transaction
involving FLEX Options, an Underlying ETF’s counterparty is the OCC, rather than a bank or broker. Since no Underlying ETF is a member of the OCC and only members (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the OCC, each Underlying ETF will hold its FLEX Options through accounts at clearing members. For FLEX Options
positions, the Underlying ETF will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from the OCC through
its accounts at clearing members. Although clearing members guarantee their clients’ obligations to the OCC, there is a risk that a clearing member may default. The OCC collects margin, maintains a clearing fund specifically
to mitigate a clearing member default and segregates all customer accounts from a clearing member’s proprietary accounts, however customer accounts are held in an omnibus account and are not identified with the name of an
individual customer. As a result, assets deposited by an Underlying ETF with a clearing member as margin for FLEX Options
may be used to satisfy losses of other clients of such Underlying ETF’s clearing member. There is a risk that the assets of an Underlying ETF might not be fully protected in the event of a clearing member’s default and an Underlying ETF would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing member’s customers for the relevant account. Therefore, an Underlying ETF could experience and significant loss
in the event of a clearing member’s default. Additionally, the OCC may be unable to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts due to unexpected events, which could negatively impact the value of an Underlying
ETF.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Underlying ETFs will be exercisable at the strike price
only on their expiration date. As an in-the-money FLEX Option approaches its expiration
date, its value typically will increasingly move with the value of the SPY. However, the value of the FLEX Options
prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the SPY. The value of the
FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. Factors that may
influence the value of the FLEX Options generally include interest rate changes, dividends, the actual and implied volatility levels of the SPY’s share price, and the remaining time until the FLEX Options expire, among others. The value
of the FLEX Options held by an Underlying ETF typically do not increase or decrease at the same rate as the SPY’s share price on a day-to-day basis due to these factors (although they generally move in the same direction), and, as a result, the Underlying ETF’s NAV (and, in turn, the Fund’s NAV) may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the SPY’s share price.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk. SPY invests in the securities of large capitalization companies. Companies with large market capitalizations go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions.
Larger companies tend to be less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for
this potentially lower risk, an Underlying ETF’s and, in turn, the Fund's value may not rise or fall as much as the value of funds that emphasize companies with smaller market capitalizations.
Large Shareholder and Large Scale Redemption Risk. Certain individuals, accounts, funds (including funds affiliated with the Manager) or institutions, including the Manager and its affiliates, may from time
to time own or control a substantial amount of the Fund’s shares. There is no requirement that these entities maintain their investment in the Fund. There is a risk that such large shareholders or that the Fund’s shareholders generally may redeem all or a substantial portion of their investments in the Fund in a short period of time, which could have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s NAV, liquidity, and brokerage costs. Large redemptions could also result in tax consequences
to shareholders and
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
17
impact the Fund’s ability to implement its investment strategy. The Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective after one or more large scale redemptions may be impaired and, as a result, the Fund may
invest a larger portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risks. Market disruption can be caused by economic, financial or political events and factors, including but not limited to, international wars or conflicts (including Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war), geopolitical developments (including trading and tariff
arrangements, sanctions and cybersecurity attacks), instability in regions such as Asia, Eastern Europe and the
Middle East, terrorism, natural disasters and public health epidemics (including the outbreak of COVID-19 globally).
The extent and duration of such events and resulting market disruptions cannot be
predicted, but could be substantial and could magnify the impact of other risks to the Fund. These and other similar events
could adversely affect the U.S. and foreign financial markets and lead to increased market volatility, reduced
liquidity in the securities markets, significant negative impacts on issuers and the markets for certain securities and
commodities and/or government intervention. They may also cause short- or long-term economic uncertainties in the
United States and worldwide. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with
significant exposure to the countries directly affected, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted. Further, due to closures of certain markets and restrictions on trading certain securities, the value of certain
securities held by the Fund could be significantly impacted, which could lead to such securities being valued at zero.
New/Small Fund Risk. The Fund recently commenced operations and has a limited operating history. As a
new and relatively small fund, the Fund's performance may not represent how the Fund is expected
to or may perform in the long term if and when it becomes larger. Investment positions may have a disproportionate
impact (negative or positive) on performance in new and smaller funds. Since the Fund is new, an active secondary
market for the shares of the Fund may not develop or may not continue once developed. Shareholders holding large
blocks of shares of the Fund, including the Manager and its affiliates, may hold their shares for long periods of
time, which may lead to reduced trading volumes, wider trading spreads and impede the development or maintenance of
an active secondary trading market for Fund shares. These large shareholders may also loan or sell all or a portion
of their Fund shares, which may result in increasing concentration of Fund shares in a small number of holders, and
the potential for large redemptions, decreases in Fund assets and increased expenses for remaining shareholders.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The length of time the Fund has held a particular security is not generally a consideration
in investment decisions. Under certain market conditions, the Fund’s turnover rate may be higher than that of other ETFs. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Fund, including brokerage
commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities.
These transactions may result in realization of taxable capital gains. The trading costs and tax effects associated
with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance.
Target Outcome Period Risk. Each Underlying ETF’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the price return of SPY if shares are bought on the day on which the Underlying ETF enters
into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of a Target Outcome Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at
the end of the Target Outcome Period subject to the cap. Because the Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying ETFs in
connection with creations of new shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, the Fund typically will not
acquire Underlying ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, the Fund will dispose of shares
of the Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance,
and such disposals typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event the Fund acquires
shares of an underlying ETF after the first day of a Target Outcome Period or disposes of shares prior to the
expiration of the Target Outcome Period, the value of the Fund’s investment in Underlying ETF shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of SPY and may not participate in a gain in the value of SPY for the Fund’s investment period.
Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To qualify and maintain its status as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain income, diversification and distribution tests. The Fund’s qualification as a RIC depends on the
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
qualification of the Underlying ETFs as RICs. If one or more of the Underlying ETFs
were to lose its status as a RIC, the Fund might fail its requirement to have a diversified portfolio, and, thus, lose its
own RIC status. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level
when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required
to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors
to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns.
In such event, the Fund may reorganize, close or materially change its investment objective and strategies.
Additionally, buying securities shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend
or capital gain distribution is commonly known as “buying a dividend.” If a shareholder purchases Fund shares and shortly thereafter a Fund issues a dividend, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though
a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
Underlying ETFs and SPY Risk. The value of an investment in the Fund will be related to the investment performance
of the Underlying ETFs and, in turn, SPY. Therefore, the principal risks of investing
in the Fund are closely related to the principal risks associated with the Underlying ETFs and its investments. Exposure
to the Underlying ETFs will also expose the Fund to a pro rata portion of the Underlying ETFs’ fees and expenses. The fluctuating value of the FLEX Options will affect the Underlying ETFs’ value and, in turn, the Fund's value.
The Fund intends to generally rebalance its portfolio to equal weight (i.e., 8 1∕3% per Underlying ETF) quarterly, in connection with the reset of the cap of each Underlying ETF. In between such rebalances,
market movements in the prices of the Underlying ETFs may result in the Fund having temporary larger exposures
to certain Underlying ETFs compared to others. Under such circumstances, the Fund’s returns would be more greatly influenced by the returns of the Underlying ETFs with the larger exposures.
Performance. The Fund has not been in operation for a full calendar year, and hence has no past
performance data to present. Once the Fund has a performance record of at least one calendar year, the Fund’s performance will be included in its Prospectus. Updated Fund performance information, including current
net asset value, is available online at www.pgim.com/investments.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Fund.
|
Investment Manager
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Subadviser
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Portfolio Managers
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Title
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Service Date
|
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PGIM Investments LLC
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PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
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Marco Aiolfi, PhD
|
Managing Director,
Head of Multi-Asset
team and Portfolio
Manager
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[June 2024]
|
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John Hall, CFA
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Principal and Portfolio
Manager
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[June 2024]
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|
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Lorne Johnson, PhD
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Managing Director
and Portfolio Manager
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[June 2024]
|
BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions
through brokers or other financial intermediaries at market prices and are not individually redeemable
by the ETF. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange, and because the shares of the Fund trade at market
prices rather than NAV, shares of the Fund may trade at a price greater than NAV (a “premium”) or less than NAV (a “discount”). You 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”).
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
19
TAX INFORMATION
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes. The Fund's dividends and distributions are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary
income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon
withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank), PGIM or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations,
educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems
or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by
influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
MORE ABOUT THE FUNDS' PRINCIPAL AND NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, INVESTMENTS AND RISKS
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND INVESTMENTS
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by providing investors with U.S.
large-cap equity market exposure while attempting to limit downside risk through a “laddered portfolio” of twelve PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 12 ETFs (the “Underlying ETFs”). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets
(plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in ETFs. Under normal market conditions, the Fund
invests substantially all of its assets in the Underlying ETFs, generally in equal weights.
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by providing investors with U.S.
large-cap equity market exposure while attempting to limit downside risk through a “laddered portfolio” of twelve PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 20 ETFs (the “Underlying ETFs”). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets
(plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in ETFs. Under normal market conditions, the Fund
invests substantially all of its assets in the Underlying ETFs, generally in equal weights.
The Funds' investment policies that are not fundamental may be changed from time to
time without shareholder approval. Each Fund’s 80% investment policy is not fundamental and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. Each Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy, and therefore may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
Underlying ETFs
Each Underlying ETF’s strategy is designed to produce the outcomes based upon SPY’s price returns over the duration of a Target Outcome Period. At the end of each Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF’s FLEX Options are generally allowed to expire or are sold at or near their expiration, and the proceeds
are used to purchase (or roll into) a new set of FLEX Options expiring in approximately one year. This means that approximately
every 30 days, one of the Underlying ETFs will undergo a “reset” of its cap and a refresh of its buffer. At any given time, each Fund will generally
hold one Underlying ETF with FLEX Options expiring within one month, a second Underlying
ETF with FLEX Options expiring within two months, a third Underlying ETF with FLEX Options expiring within
three months, continuing this series up to and including twelve months. The rolling or “laddered” nature of the investments in the Underlying ETFs creates diversification of the investment time period and market level (meaning the
price of the SPY at any given time) compared to the risk of holding only a single Underlying ETF for its Target Outcome
Period and bearing the risks associated with a specific time period. Because each Fund typically will not acquire
shares of the Underlying ETFs on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and may dispose of shares of the Underlying
ETFs before the end of the Target Outcome Period, a Fund may experience investment returns that are very different from
those that the Underlying ETFs seek to provide. If an Underlying ETF has experienced certain levels of either gains
or losses since the beginning of its current Target Outcome Period, there may be little to no ability for a Fund to achieve
gains or benefit from the buffer for the remainder of the Target Outcome Period of an Underlying ETF.
If an investor purchases shares of a single Underlying ETF, their potential outcomes are limited by the Underlying ETF’s stated cap and buffer over a defined time period (depending on when the shares were
purchased). Alternatively, each Fund’s laddered approach provides a diversified exposure to a series of the Underlying ETFs in a single investment. By owning a laddered portfolio of Underlying ETFs, the Fund expects to continue to benefit
from any increases in the value of SPY (as caps are reset) and to provide a level of downside protection as buffers
are refreshed on one of the Underlying ETFs every month based on the price of SPY at the time of the reset. This
approach mitigates the risk inherent in the Underlying ETFs of having the upside potential for an entire Target
Outcome Period capped out in cases of rapid appreciation of SPY. It also reduces the risk of failing to benefit from
an individual Underlying ETF buffer in cases where SPY has depreciated below that specific buffer level. Approximately every
30 days, one of the Underlying
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
21
ETFs will undergo a reset of its cap and a refresh of its buffer, meaning that investors
will have the ability to benefit from any appreciation in SPY for future periods up to the respective caps of the Underlying
ETFs and will have the benefit of the buffer for future periods. A laddered buffer portfolio can diversify timing risk,
similar to how laddered bond portfolios seek to manage duration risks for investors.
Unlike the Underlying ETFs, each Fund itself does not pursue a target outcome strategy.
The buffer is only provided by the Underlying ETFs and each Fund itself does not provide any stated buffer against losses.
Each Fund will likely not receive the full benefit of the Underlying ETF buffers and could have limited upside potential. Each Fund’s returns are limited by the caps of the Underlying ETFs.
The target outcomes each Underlying ETF seeks for investors that hold its shares for
an entire Target Outcome Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
■
If SPY appreciates over the Target Outcome Period, the combination of FLEX Options
held by the Underlying ETF seeks to provide upside participation (before the Underlying ETF’s fees and expenses) matching that of the price return of SPY, up to a cap that is determined at the start of the Target Outcome Period.
■
If SPY decreases over the Target Outcome Period, the combination of FLEX Options held
by the Underlying ETF seeks to provide protection of the first 12% or 20% (as applicable) of SPY losses,
prior to taking into account the Underlying ETF’s fees and expenses.
■
If SPY decreases in price by more than 12% or 20% (as applicable) over the Target
Outcome Period, the Underlying ETF will experience all subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis.
Because each Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with creations
of new shares of a Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, a Fund typically will not acquire Underlying
ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and therefore is likely to experience investment returns very
different from those that the Underlying ETF seeks to provide. Likewise, each Fund will dispose of shares of the
Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of a Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, and such disposals
typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period, and therefore is likely to experience investment
returns very different from those that the Underlying ETFs seek to provide. Each Fund will likely not receive
the full benefit of the Underlying ETF buffers and could have limited upside potential. When each Fund acquires and disposes
of shares of the Underlying ETFs it will generally do so in equal weights.
On the first day of each new Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF resets by investing
in a new set of FLEX Options that are designed to provide a new cap for the new Target Outcome Period.
This means that each Underlying ETF’s cap will change for each Target Outcome Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Target Outcome Period. Each Underlying ETF is intended to be perpetually offered
and not terminate after the initial or any subsequent Target Outcome Period. Approximately one week prior to the
end of the current Target Outcome Period, the Underlying ETF’s website will be updated to alert existing shareholders that the Target Outcome Period is approaching its conclusion and will disclose the anticipated cap range for
the next Target Outcome Period.
While the cap and buffer of an Underlying ETF provide the intended outcomes only for
investors that hold their shares throughout the complete term of the Target Outcome Period, an investor, like the Fund,
can expect their shares to generally move in the same direction as SPY during a Target Outcome Period. However,
during a Target Outcome Period, an investor’s shares may not experience price movement to the same extent as the price movement of SPY. During a Target Outcome Period there may be periods of significant disparity between an Underlying ETF’s NAV and the price performance of SPY. As SPY’s price and the Underlying ETF’s NAV change over a Target Outcome Period, an investor, like a Fund, acquiring shares after the start of a Target Outcome Period
will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased shares at the start of the Target Outcome
Period. This is because while the cap and buffer for a Target Outcome Period are fixed levels that are calculated in
relation to the SPY price and the Underlying ETF’s NAV at the start of a Target Outcome Period and that remain constant throughout the Target Outcome Period, an investor, like a Fund, purchasing shares at market value during a Target
Outcome Period likely purchased shares at a price that is different from the Underlying ETF’s NAV at the start of the Target Outcome Period (i.e., the NAV that the cap and buffer reference). For example, if a Fund acquires shares of an Underlying
ETF during a Target Outcome Period at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value from its value
on the first day of the Target
22
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
Outcome Period, the Fund’s buffer will essentially be decreased by the amount of the decrease in the Underlying ETF’s value. Conversely, if a Fund acquires shares of an Underlying ETF during a Target
Outcome Period at a time when the Underlying ETF has increased in value from its value on the first day of the Target
Outcome Period, the cap for that portion of the Fund’s portfolio will essentially be decreased by the amount of the increase in the Underlying ETF’s value. In addition, the current price of SPY is likely to be different from the price
of SPY at the start of a Target Outcome Period, meaning the Fund may not experience the intended return of an Underlying ETF.
Limited Buffer and Cap
Each Underlying ETF seeks to provide a buffer on the first 12% or 20% (as applicable)
of losses of SPY at the end of each Target Outcome Period. After SPY has decreased in price by more than 12% or 20%
(as applicable), the Underlying ETF will experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis (i.e., SPY
loses 22%, the Underlying ETF loses 10% or 2% (as applicable)).
Depending on the Underlying ETF’s NAV at the time of purchase, a Fund may lose its entire investment in an Underlying ETF. An investment in a Fund is only appropriate for shareholders willing
to bear those losses. Despite the intended buffer of the Underlying ETFs, a Fund could lose its entire investment.
The returns of each Underlying ETF are subject to a cap for each Target Outcome Period.
Unlike other investment products, the potential returns a Fund can receive from an Underlying ETF are subject
to a pre-determined upside return cap that represents the maximum percentage return the Fund can achieve from
an investment in that Underlying ETF for an entire Target Outcome Period. In the event SPY experiences gains
over a Target Outcome Period, each Underlying ETF seeks to provide investment returns before fees and expenses that
match the percentage increase of SPY, but any percentage gains over the amount of the cap will not be experienced
by the Underlying ETF or, in turn, a Fund. This means that if SPY experiences gains for a Target Outcome
Period in excess of the cap for that Target Outcome Period, neither the applicable Underlying ETF nor a Fund will benefit
from those excess gains. Additionally, if a Target Outcome Period has begun and an Underlying ETF has increased
in value to a level near to the cap, an investor, like a Fund, purchasing at that price has little or no ability to
achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Therefore, regardless of the performance of SPY, the cap for each
Underlying ETF is the maximum return a Fund can achieve from an investment in that Underlying ETF for that Target
Outcome Period.
Each Underlying ETF’s cap is set on the first day of each Target Outcome Period. The defined cap applicable to a Target Outcome Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time,
including then-current interest rate levels, SPY volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX
Options.
The cap level is a result of the design of each Underlying ETF’s principal investment strategy. In order to provide the buffer, each Underlying ETF purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the
first day of its Target Outcome Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, each Underlying ETF is obligated to
pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. An Underlying ETF’s portfolio managers calculate the amount of premiums that the Underlying ETF will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the buffer and will then
go into the market and cause the Underlying ETF sell call options with terms that entitle the Underlying ETF to receive
premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of SPY is approximately equal to the price per unit
of shares of SPY. The cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The following bar chart illustrates the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options
seek to provide for an Underlying ETF with respect to the price performance of SPY in certain illustrative scenarios over
the course of a Target Outcome Period, it does not represent the performance of the Underlying ETF and investors
should not rely on the hypothetical examples shown below as an indication of the actual or future performance of the Underlying
ETF. The caps in the bar chart below are for illustration only and the actual caps may be different. The bar
chart do not take into account payment by an Underlying ETFs of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that an
Underlying ETF will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Target Outcome Period.
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
23
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◼ SPY
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◼ PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 12 ETF
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![]() |
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◼ SPY
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◼ PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 20 ETF
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![]() |
Investors, like a Fund, purchasing shares of an Underlying ETF during a Target Outcome
Period will experience different results.
SPY
SPY is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that invests in as many of the stocks in the S&P 500® Index as is practicable. PDR serves as SPY’s sponsor. The Fund is not affiliated with sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust, PDR, Standard & Poor’s® or their affiliates. As of its most recent prospectus, the investment objective of the SPY is to seek to provide investment results that, before
expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index (the “Index”). As of its most recent prospectus, the SPY seeks to achieve its investment objective by holding a portfolio of the common stocks that
are included in the Index, with the weight of each stock in the Underlying ETF’s portfolio substantially corresponding to the weight of such stock in the Index. You can find SPY’s prospectus and other information about the ETF, including the most recent reports to shareholders, online at https://us.spdrs.com/en/etf/spdr-sp-500-etf-SPY. The reference to SPY’s website does not incorporate its contents into this prospectus. The Fund and the Underlying ETFs have
characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors.
24
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
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You should only consider this investment if:
|
You should not consider this investment if:
|
|
■you fully understand the risks inherent in an
investment in each Fund;
■you desire to invest in a product with a return
that depends upon the performance of SPY over
certain Target Outcome Periods;
■you fully understand that investments made when
an Underlying ETF is at or near to its cap may
result in your investment having limited to no
upside;
■you are willing to forgo any gains in excess of an
Underlying ETF’s cap;
■you are not seeking an investment that provides
dividends to shareholders;
■you fully understand that investments made by
a Fund in an Underlying ETF after a Target Outcome
Period has begun may not fully benefit from the
Underlying ETF’s buffer; and
■you are willing to accept the risk of losing your
entire investment
|
■you do not fully understand the risks inherent in
an investment in each Fund;
■you do not desire to invest in a product with a
return that depends upon the performance of SPY
over certain Target Outcome Periods;
■you do not fully understand that investments made
when an Underlying ETF is at or near to its cap
may have limited to no upside;
■you are unwilling to forgo any gains in excess of
an Underlying ETF’s cap;
■you are seeking an investment that provides
dividends to shareholders;
■you do not fully understand that investments made
by a Fund in an Underlying ETF after a Target
Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit
from the Underlying ETF’s buffer; and
■you are unwilling to accept the risk of losing your
entire investment
|
FLEX Options
The Underlying ETFs invest in FLEX Options, which are a type of derivative. Derivatives
are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of something else, such as one or
more underlying investments, indices or currencies. Derivatives may be traded on organized exchanges, or in individually
negotiated transactions with other parties (these are known as “over-the-counter” derivatives).
An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities or currencies, or
in the case of an option on a futures contract, the right to buy or sell a futures contract in exchange for a premium, on
or before a specific date (the “expiration date”) at an agreed upon price (the “strike price”). A call option gives the purchaser the right to buy the underlying asset at the strike price on the expiration date, while a put option gives
the purchaser the right to sell the underlying asset at the strike price on the expiration date. When an Underlying ETF
purchases an option, it pays a premium and then has the right to buy (in the case of a call option) or sell (in the
case of a put option) the underlying asset if the Underlying ETF exercises the option. When an Underlying ETF is selling
(or “writing”) an option, it receives a premium and then has an obligation to sell (in the case of a call option) or buy
(in the case of a put option) the underlying asset if the buyer of the option exercises the option. The Underlying ETFs
utilize European style option contracts, which are exercisable only on the expiration date of the option contract.
For each Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF will invest in a combination of
purchased and written FLEX Options that reference SPY. Because a portion of the value of an Underlying ETF is
based on FLEX Options that reference SPY and not SPY directly, variations in the value of the FLEX Options affect
the correlation between each Underlying ETF’s NAV and the price of SPY. FLEX Options are customizable equity or index option contracts traded on an exchange, but provide investors with the ability to customize key contract terms
like expiration date, option type (put or call), exercise style, strike price, premium, trading hours and exercise settlement,
among others. FLEX Options are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”), a market clearinghouse that guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options by becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer,” and seeking to protect clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk.
The OCC may make adjustments to FLEX Options for certain significant events.
An Underlying ETF will generally, under normal market conditions, hold four kinds
of FLEX Options for each Target Outcome Period. An Underlying ETF will seek to purchase a call option that is expected
to have a very low strike price, which provides the Underlying ETF with exposure to the share price return of SPY.
To seek to achieve its limited buffer,
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an Underlying ETF will simultaneously write a put option with a strike price that
is equal to its downside limited buffer while purchasing a put option with a strike price that reflects the then-current share
price of the SPY (the “put-spread”). That Underlying ETF will then write a call option with a strike price that is determined
by the cost of the put-spread, which call option will determine the level of the Underlying ETF’s cap. Each Underlying ETF intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Underlying ETF on the written
FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the
FLEX Options written by an Underlying ETF will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary
at expiration. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Target Outcome Period will have the same
terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold by an Underlying ETF on the
first day of the Target Outcome Period. On the termination date of a Target Outcome Period, each Underlying ETF will
invest in a new set of FLEX Options and another Target Outcome Period will commence.
Money Market Instruments
Each Fund may hold cash and/or invest in money market instruments, including commercial
paper of a U.S. or non-U.S. company, non-U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit, bankers'
acceptances, time deposits of domestic and non-U.S. banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government
or its agencies or instrumentalities. These obligations may be U.S. dollar-denominated or denominated
in a non-U.S. currency. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from
the date of purchase.
Temporary Defensive Investments
In response to adverse market, economic or political conditions, a Fund may take a
temporary defensive position and invest up to 100% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes)
in money market instruments, including short-term obligations of, or securities guaranteed by, the U.S. Government,
its agencies or instrumentalities, or in high-quality obligations of U.S. or non-U.S. banks and corporations, and may
hold up to 100% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in cash or cash equivalents. Although
the subadviser has the ability to take defensive positions, because of the nature of the Funds, the subadviser is unlikely
to do so for a variety of reasons, even during volatile market conditions. Investing heavily in these securities is inconsistent
with and limits a Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective, but may help to preserve a Fund's assets.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN A FUND
The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular
risk factor. The below risk factors apply to each Fund and/or the Underlying ETFs. Unless otherwise specified, references
to a “Fund” apply to each Fund and the Underlying ETFs.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in “How to Buy and Sell Shares of the Fund” in the Fund’s Prospectus) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of intermediaries that act as Authorized Participants and
none of these Authorized Participants is or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions.
To the extent that these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to or choose not to proceed with creation
and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant creates or redeems, shares
of the Fund may trade at a substantial discount or premium to net asset value (“NAV”), may trade at larger spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.
Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide
limited downside protection against SPY losses. The Fund does not provide principal protection
and a shareholder may experience significant losses including losing their entire investment. Each Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the price return of SPY (up to the cap), while limiting downside
losses, if shares are bought on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and held until the end of that Target Outcome
Period. To the extent the Fund acquires shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with creations of new shares
of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalancing, the Fund typically will not acquire Underlying ETF shares on
the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, to the extent the Fund disposes of shares of the Underlying ETFs
in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalancing, any such dispositions typically
will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event that the Fund acquires shares after the first
day of a Target Outcome Period or
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
disposes of shares prior to the end of a Target Outcome Period, the buffer that the
Underlying ETF seeks to provide may not be available. If the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares during a Target
Outcome Period at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by 12% or 20% (as applicable) or more from the
value of the Underlying ETF on the first day of the Target Outcome Period (the “Initial Underlying ETF Value”), the Fund’s buffer will essentially be zero (meaning the Fund can lose its entire investment). If the Fund purchases Underlying
ETF shares at a time when the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by less than 12% or 20% (as applicable)
from the Initial Underlying ETF Value, the Fund’s buffer will be reduced by the difference between the Initial Underlying ETF Value and the NAV of the Underlying ETF on the date the Fund purchases the shares.
Cap Change Risk. A new cap for an Underlying ETF is established at the beginning of each Target Outcome
Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the cap may rise or fall
from one Target Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Target Outcome Periods.
Capped Upside Risk. Each Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match the price return of SPY for shares acquired on the first day of a Target Outcome Period and held for the entire
Target Outcome Period, subject to a pre-determined upside cap. Because the Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying
ETFs in connection with creations of new shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, the Fund typically
will not acquire Underlying ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, the Fund will dispose
of shares of the Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance,
and such disposals typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event that the Fund
acquires Underlying ETF shares after the first day of a Target Outcome Period and the Underlying ETF has risen in
value to a level near or at the cap (because the Fund’s potential gain will be limited to the difference between the Underlying ETF's NAV on the date the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares and the cap), there may be little or no ability
for the Fund to experience an investment gain on those Underlying ETF shares; however, the Fund will remain vulnerable
to downside risks. This could be true for all of the Underlying ETFs held by the Fund at a certain point in
time severely limiting the Fund's ability to participate in gains during that time. If SPY experiences gains during
a Target Outcome Period, an Underlying ETF will not participate in those gains beyond the cap. If the Fund buys Underlying
ETF shares when the price exceeds the cap, the Fund will not experience any gain in respect of those Underlying ETF
shares regardless of the performance of SPY.
Cash Transactions Risk. Unlike ETFs that engage almost exclusively in creations and redemptions in exchange
for a basket of portfolio securities (an “in-kind” transaction), the Fund may effect its creations and redemptions in cash or partially in cash. To the extent the Fund engages primarily in cash creation or redemption
transactions, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in ETFs that transact primarily
or solely in-kind. Many ETFs generally make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with transactions
designed to raise cash to meet redemption requests. If the Fund effects a portion of redemptions for cash, it
may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds, which
involves transaction costs. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize
gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind, or to recognize
such gain sooner than would otherwise be required. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to
avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This
strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date
than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF.
Counterparty Risk. Underlying ETF transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that
the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Underlying ETF. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities
and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund. An Underlying ETF may be unable to recover
its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The
Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the FLEX Options. As
a result, the ability of an
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Underlying ETF to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations.
In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations,
an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
Cyber Security Risk. Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Fund's manager, subadviser,
distributor, and other service providers, or the issuers of securities in which the
Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund's business operations, potentially resulting
in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. While the Fund has established business continuity plans and
risk management systems seeking to address system breaches or failures, there are inherent limitations in such plans
and systems. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems of the Fund's service providers
or issuers of securities in which the Fund invests.
Economic and Market Events Risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth
or the functioning of the securities markets, or otherwise reduce inflation, may at times result in unusually
high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Governmental efforts to curb inflation often have negative
effects on the level of economic activity. Relatively reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets
could adversely affect issuers worldwide.
Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk. The Fund is exposed to the performance of the equity markets through investments in the Underlying ETFs which have exposure to FLEX Options on the SPY.
Equity and equity-related securities may be subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile
than those of other asset classes. In addition to an individual security losing value, the value of the equity markets
or a sector in which the Underlying ETFs invest could go down. Different parts of a market can react differently to adverse
issuer, market, regulatory, political and economic developments.
ETF Shares Trading Risk. Fund shares are listed for trading on an exchange (the “Exchange”) and the shares are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of the
shares of the Fund are expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV, the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for shares of the Fund. We cannot predict whether shares of the Fund will trade above,
below or at their NAV. Trading on the Exchange, including trading of Fund shares, may be halted in certain circumstances
and shareholders may not be able to sell Fund shares at the time or price desired. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund’s shares could lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the NAV of those shares. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange to maintain the listing of shares
of the Fund will continue to be met. At times, trading in the securities of ETFs has become volatile and unpredictable
and the price of ETF shares has diverged from market driven fundamentals.
Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of significant market volatility
or potential lack of an active trading market for the shares of the Fund (including through a trading halt), as well
as other factors, may result in the Fund’s shares trading on the Exchange significantly above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings. Premiums and discounts relate to differences between the market price and NAV of the Fund’s shares. During such periods, you may incur significant losses if you sell your shares of the Fund.
The securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different
time than the Exchange and may trade outside of a collateralized settlement system. Liquidity in those securities
may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the Exchange is open but after the
applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid-ask spreads for the Fund’s shares on the Exchange and the corresponding premium or discount between the market price for Fund shares and their NAV may widen. Additionally, during
times when the Exchange is open but after the applicable market is closed, there may be changes between the last
quote from the closed foreign market and the value of such security during the Fund’s trading day on the Exchange and this may lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
Cost of Buying or Selling Shares. When you buy or sell shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a
brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers. In addition, the market
price of shares of the Fund, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. The spread of the Fund’s shares varies over time based on the Fund’s trading volume, the spread of the Fund’s underlying securities, and market liquidity and may increase if the Fund’s trading volume, the spread of the Fund’s underlying securities, or market liquidity decreases. In times of severe market disruption, including when trading of the Fund’s holdings may be halted, the bid-ask spread may increase significantly. This means that the shares may trade at a discount to the Fund’s NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest during significant market volatility.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market Risk. While shares of the Fund are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that active trading markets for the shares will develop or be maintained
by market makers or by Authorized Participants. The distributor of the Fund’s shares does not maintain a secondary market in the shares.
FLEX Options Risk. The Underlying ETFs invest in FLEX Options. When an Underlying ETF purchases an option,
it may lose the premium paid for it if the price of the underlying security, commodity or
other asset decreases or remains the same (in the case of a call option) or increases or remains the same (in the case
of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Underlying ETF were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised,
its premium would represent a loss to the Underlying ETF. To the extent that the Underlying ETF writes
or sells an option, if the decline or increase in the underlying asset is significantly below or above the exercise price
of the written option, the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund could experience a substantial or unlimited loss. Options
pricing is volatile, and the price may fluctuate based on movements in the value of the underlying asset or for reasons
other than changes in the value of the underlying asset. Investments in options are considered speculative.
FLEX Options are subject to the risk that they may be less liquid than other securities,
including standardized options. FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, there is no guarantee that a liquid
secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the
FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price
(for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact
the value of the FLEX Options, Underlying ETF shares and, in turn, Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable
to achieve its investment objective.
FLEX Options Trading Risk. Transactions in FLEX Options are required to be centrally cleared. In a transaction
involving FLEX Options, an Underlying ETF’s counterparty is the OCC, rather than a bank or broker. Since no Underlying ETF is a member of the OCC and only members (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the OCC, each Underlying ETF will hold its FLEX Options through accounts at clearing members. For FLEX Options
positions, the Underlying ETF will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from the OCC through
its accounts at clearing members. Although clearing members guarantee their clients’ obligations to the OCC, there is a risk that a clearing member may default. The OCC collects margin, maintains a clearing fund specifically
to mitigate a clearing member default and segregates all customer accounts from a clearing member’s proprietary accounts, however customer accounts are held in an omnibus account and are not identified with the name of an
individual customer. As a result, assets deposited by an Underlying ETF with a clearing member as margin for FLEX Options
may be used to satisfy losses of other clients of such Underlying ETF’s clearing member. There is a risk that the assets of an Underlying ETF might not be fully protected in the event of a clearing member’s default and an Underlying ETF would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing member’s customers for the relevant account. Therefore, an Underlying ETF could experience and significant loss
in the event of a clearing member’s default. Additionally, the OCC may be unable to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts due to unexpected events, which could negatively impact the value of an Underlying
ETF.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Underlying ETFs will be exercisable at the strike price
only on their expiration date. As an in-the-money FLEX Option approaches its expiration
date, its value typically will increasingly move with the value of the SPY. However, the value of the FLEX Options
prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the SPY. The value of the
FLEX Options will be determined based
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29
upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. Factors that may
influence the value of the FLEX Options generally include interest rate changes, dividends, the actual and implied volatility levels of the SPY’s share price, and the remaining time until the FLEX Options expire, among others. The value
of the FLEX Options held by an Underlying ETF typically do not increase or decrease at the same rate as the SPY’s share price on a day-to-day basis due to these factors (although they generally move in the same direction), and, as a result, the Underlying ETF’s NAV (and, in turn, the Fund’s NAV) may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the SPY’s share price.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk. SPY invests in the securities of large capitalization companies. Companies with large market capitalizations go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions.
Larger companies tend to be less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for
this potentially lower risk, an Underlying ETF’s and, in turn, the Fund's value may not rise or fall as much as the value of funds that emphasize companies with smaller market capitalizations.
Large Shareholder and Large Scale Redemption Risk. Certain individuals, accounts, funds (including funds affiliated with the Manager) or institutions, including the Manager and its affiliates, may from time
to time own or control a substantial amount of the Fund’s shares. There is no requirement that these entities maintain their investment in the Fund. Certain of these entities may use predetermined, nondiscretionary mathematical formulas in
their investment process that may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the Fund. These shareholders may
also pledge or loan Fund shares (to secure financing or otherwise), which may result in the shares becoming concentrated
in another party. There is a risk that such large shareholders or that the Fund’s shareholders generally may redeem all or a substantial portion of their investments in the Fund in a short period of time, which could have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s NAV, liquidity, and brokerage costs. Such redemptions may cause the Fund to have to sell
securities at inopportune times or prices. These transactions may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and increase transaction costs. In addition, large redemption requests may exceed the cash balance of the Fund and result in credit
line borrowing fees and/or overdraft charges to the Fund until the sales of portfolio securities necessary to
cover the redemption request settle. To the extent a large shareholder in the Fund is an entity subject to domestic and/or
international regulations governing banking, insurance, or other financial institutions, changes in those regulations
(e.g., capital requirements) or in the shareholder’s financial status may cause or require the shareholder to redeem its investment in the Fund when it otherwise would not choose to redeem that investment. It is also possible that a significant
redemption could result in an increase in Fund expenses on account of being spread over a smaller asset base,
and therefore make it more difficult for the Fund to implement its investment strategy. Large redemptions could
also result in tax consequences to shareholders. The Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective after one or more large scale redemptions may be impaired and, as a result, the Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in cash
or cash equivalents.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risks. Market disruption can be caused by economic, financial or political events and factors, including but not limited to, international wars or conflicts (including Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war), geopolitical developments (including trading and tariff
arrangements, sanctions and cybersecurity attacks), instability in regions such as Asia, Eastern Europe and the
Middle East, terrorism, natural disasters and public health epidemics (including the outbreak of COVID-19 globally).
The extent and duration of such events and resulting market disruptions cannot be
predicted, but could be substantial and could magnify the impact of other risks to the Fund. These and other similar events
could adversely affect the U.S. and foreign financial markets and lead to increased market volatility, reduced
liquidity in the securities markets, significant negative impacts on issuers and the markets for certain securities and
commodities and/or government intervention. They may also cause short- or long-term economic uncertainties in the
United States and worldwide. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with
significant exposure to the countries directly affected, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted. Further, due to closures of certain markets and restrictions on trading certain securities, the value of certain
securities held by the Fund could be significantly impacted, which could lead to such securities being valued at zero.
New/Small Fund Risk. The Fund recently commenced operations and has a limited operating history. As a
new and relatively small fund, the Fund's performance may not represent how the Fund is expected
to or may perform in the long term if and when it becomes larger. Investment positions may have a disproportionate
impact (negative or positive)
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
on performance in new and smaller funds. Fund performance may be lower or higher during
this “ramp-up” period, and may also be more volatile, than would be the case after the Fund is fully invested.
Similarly, a new or smaller fund's investment strategy may require a longer period of time to show returns that are representative
of the strategy. New funds have limited performance histories for investors to evaluate and new and smaller
funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment and trading efficiencies. If the Fund were to fail to
successfully implement its investment strategies or achieve its investment objective, performance may be negatively impacted,
and any resulting liquidation could create negative transaction costs for the Fund and tax consequences for investors.
Since the Fund is new, an active secondary market for the shares of the Fund may not develop or may not continue
once developed. Shareholders holding large blocks of shares of the Fund, including the Manager and
its affiliates, may hold their shares for long periods of time, which may lead to reduced trading volumes, wider trading
spreads and impede the development or maintenance of an active secondary trading market for Fund shares.
These large shareholders may also loan or sell all or a portion of their Fund shares, which may result in increasing
concentration of Fund shares in a small number of holders, and the potential for large redemptions, decreases in Fund
assets and increased expenses for remaining shareholders.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The length of time the Fund has held a particular security is not generally a consideration
in investment decisions. Under certain market conditions, the Fund’s turnover rate may be higher than that of other ETFs. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Fund, including brokerage
commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities.
These transactions may result in realization of taxable capital gains. The trading costs and tax effects associated
with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance.
Target Outcome Period Risk. Each Underlying ETF’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the price return of SPY if shares are bought on the day on which the Underlying ETF enters
into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of a Target Outcome Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at
the end of the Target Outcome Period subject to the cap. Because the Fund will acquire shares of the Underlying ETFs in
connection with creations of new shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance, the Fund typically will not
acquire Underlying ETF shares on the first day of a Target Outcome Period. Likewise, the Fund will dispose of shares
of the Underlying ETFs in connection with redemptions of shares of the Fund and during each quarterly rebalance,
and such disposals typically will not occur on the last day of a Target Outcome Period. In the event the Fund acquires
shares of an underlying ETF after the first day of a Target Outcome Period or disposes of shares prior to the
expiration of the Target Outcome Period, the value of the Fund’s investment in Underlying ETF shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of SPY and may not participate in a gain in the value of SPY for the Fund’s investment period.
Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To qualify and maintain its status as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain income, diversification and distribution tests. The Fund’s qualification as a RIC depends on the qualification of the Underlying ETFs as RICs. If one or more of the Underlying ETFs
were to lose its status as a RIC, the Fund might fail its requirement to have a diversified portfolio, and, thus, lose its
own RIC status. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level
when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required
to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors
to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns.
In such event, the Fund may reorganize, close or materially change its investment objective and strategies.
Additionally, buying securities shortly before the record date for a taxable dividend
or capital gain distribution is commonly known as “buying a dividend.” If a shareholder purchases Fund shares and shortly thereafter a Fund issues a dividend, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though
a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
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31
Underlying ETFs and SPY Risk. The value of an investment in the Fund will be related to the investment performance
of the Underlying ETFs and, in turn, SPY. Therefore, the principal risks of investing
in the Fund are closely related to the principal risks associated with the Underlying ETFs and its investments. Exposure
to the Underlying ETFs will also expose the Fund to a pro rata portion of the Underlying ETFs’ fees and expenses. The fluctuating value of the FLEX Options will affect the Underlying ETFs’ value and, in turn, the Fund's value.
The Fund intends to generally rebalance its portfolio to equal weight (i.e., 8 1∕3% per Underlying ETF) quarterly, in connection with the reset of the cap of each Underlying ETF. In between such rebalances,
market movements in the prices of the Underlying ETFs may result in the Fund having temporary larger exposures
to certain Underlying ETFs compared to others. Under such circumstances, the Fund’s returns would be more greatly influenced by the returns of the Underlying ETFs with the larger exposures.
Please note that, in addition to the risks discussed above, there are many other factors that may impact a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and which could result in a loss of all or a part
of your investment.
More information about each Fund’s investment strategies and risks appears in the SAI.
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PGIM Rock ETF Trust
HOW THE FUNDS ARE MANAGED
BOARD OF Trustees
The Funds are overseen by a Board of Trustees (hereafter referred to as “Trustees”, or the “Board”). The Board oversees the actions of the Manager, subadviser and distributor and decides on general
policies. The Board also oversees the Funds' officers, who conduct and supervise the daily business operations
of the Funds.
MANAGER
PGIM Investments LLC (“PGIM Investments”)
655 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102-4410
655 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102-4410
As manager, PGIM Investments manages each Fund’s investment operations and administers its business affairs and is responsible for supervising each Fund’s subadviser. Pursuant to the management agreement relating to the Funds, PGIM Investments is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except
taxes, brokerage expenses, interest expenses, distribution fees or expenses, expenses incident to shareholder meetings
and extraordinary expenses. The Funds may also pay for any costs or expenses of investing in other funds. Each Fund
pays PGIM Investments management fees at the rate of 0.00% of the respective Fund’s average daily net assets.
PGIM Investments and its predecessors have served as a manager or administrator to
investment companies since 1987. As of February 29, 2024, PGIM Investments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential
Financial, Inc. (“Prudential”), served as the investment manager to all of the Prudential U.S. and offshore open-end
investment companies, and as the manager or administrator to closed-end investment companies,
with aggregate assets of approximately $302.2 billion.
Subject to the supervision of the Board, PGIM Investments is responsible for conducting
the initial review of prospective subadvisers for the Funds. In evaluating a prospective subadviser, PGIM Investments
considers many factors, including the firm's experience, investment philosophy and historical performance. Subject to the Board’s oversight, PGIM Investments is also responsible for monitoring the performance of a Fund’s subadviser and recommending its termination and replacement when deemed appropriate. PGIM Investments may provide
a subadviser with additional investment guidelines consistent with a Fund’s investment objective and restrictions.
PGIM Investments and the Funds operate under an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC that generally permits PGIM Investments to enter into or amend agreements with unaffiliated subadvisers and
certain subadvisers that are affiliates of PGIM Investments without obtaining shareholder approval. This authority
is subject to certain conditions, including the requirement that the Board must approve any new or amended agreements
with a subadviser. Shareholders of a Fund still have the right to terminate these agreements at any time
by a vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of such Fund. A Fund will notify shareholders of any new subadvisers
engaged or material amendments to subadvisory agreements made pursuant to the Order. Any new subadvisory
agreement or amendment to the Funds' management agreement or current subadvisory agreement that directly
or indirectly results in an increase in the aggregate management fee rate payable by a Fund will be submitted to such Fund’s shareholders for their approval. PGIM Investments does not currently intend to retain unaffiliated subadvisers.
A discussion of the basis for the Board's approvals of the management and subadvisory
agreements will be available in the Funds' Annual Report to shareholders dated October 31.
SUBADVISER
PGIM Quantitative Solutions, a registered investment adviser, is a wholly-owned and independently-operated subsidiary
of PGIM, the global investment management businesses of Prudential. The firm was founded
in 1975 as the quantitative equity and multi-asset business of PGIM, Inc. As of December 31, 2023,
PGIM Quantitative Solutions managed approximately $94.80 billion in quantitative equity and multi-asset for a
global client base of pension funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds and subadvisory accounts. With offices
in Newark, San Francisco* and London, PGIM Quantitative Solutions' primary address is 655 Broad Street, Newark,
New Jersey 07102.
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
33
*PGIM Quantitative Solutions does not conduct investment advisory activities from
this location.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
PGIM Quantitative Solutions typically follows a team approach in the management of
its portfolios. The members of the PGIM Quantitative Solutions team that are jointly and primarily responsible for the
day-to-day management of the Funds are listed below.
Marco Aiolfi, PhD, is a Managing Director and Head of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Multi-Asset team. He spearheads the group’s strategic initiatives and is responsible for portfolio management, research, product development of the multi-asset platform. Prior to his current role, Marco was the Head of Systematic
Multi-Asset Strategies, overseeing research, development and portfolio management of systematic total and absolute return
investment solutions. Before joining PGIM Quantitative Solutions, Marco was a Lead Portfolio Manager and Researcher
for GTAA and volatility strategies for the Quantitative Investment Strategies team at Goldman Sachs Asset
Management, and a Principal at Platinum Grove Asset Management. Previously, Marco was a research scholar at the University
of California, San Diego, and a visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund. Marco’s articles have appeared in several journals including the Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Financial Econometrics, Journal of Development
Economics, Journal of Forecasting, Journal of Investment Management and the Journal of Portfolio Management.
He earned a BA in economics and a PhD in economics from Bocconi University in Italy.
John Hall, CFA, is a Principal and Portfolio Manager for PGIM Quantitative Solutions working within
the Multi-Asset team. He is responsible for investment strategy, portfolio design and multi-asset
research. Prior to his current role, John was a Director with PGIM Global Partners, where he held portfolio management responsibilities.
He earned a BS in economics (honors) with minors in mathematics, management, and political science from
Purdue University. John also holds an MA in economics from New York University.
Lorne Johnson, PhD, is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager working within the Multi-Asset team.
As Head of Multi-Asset Portfolio Design, he manages multiple aspects of the firm’s product and affiliate relationship efforts, serves as a subject matter expert, and performs research and analysis for multi-asset portfolios.
Prior to joining PGIM Quantitative Solutions, Lorne was a Senior Portfolio Manager at State Street Global Advisors’ Investment Solutions Group with a focus on managing tactical asset allocation portfolios. Previously, Lorne
was a Portfolio Manager at CalPERS and Numeric Investors, a Senior Portfolio Manager at ABP Investments, and
an Economist at Caxton Associates. He earned a BA in both public administration and history at California
State University, an MA in applied economics at San Jose State University and an MA and PhD in economics at the University
of Washington.
Additional information about portfolio manager compensation, other accounts managed,
and portfolio manager ownership of Fund securities may be found in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTOR
Each Fund's Distributor is Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (“PIMS” or the “Distributor”). The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes
Creation Units (as defined below in the section “How to Buy and Sell Shares”) for each Fund and does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Fund.
Distribution and Service Plan
Each Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “12b-1 Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The 12b-1 Plan permits compensation in connection with the distribution and marketing of Fund shares and/or the provision of certain
shareholder services. The 12b-1 Plan permits each Fund to pay compensation at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of each Fund's
average daily net assets. However, the Board has determined not to authorize payment of a 12b-1 Plan fee at
this time.
The 12b-1 fee may only be imposed or increased when the Board determines that it is
in the best interests of shareholders to do so. Because these fees, when and if authorized, will be paid out
of each Fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in each Fund.
34
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
PGIM or its affiliates make payments to broker-dealers, registered investment advisers,
banks or other intermediaries (together, “intermediaries”) related to marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs,
conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or their
making Fund shares available to their customers generally and in certain investment programs. Such payments, which
may be significant to the intermediary, are not made by each Fund. Rather, such payments are made by PGIM or
its affiliates from their own resources, which come directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by each Fund.
A financial intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it recommends or makes available, or the
level of services provided, to its customers based on the payments it is eligible to receive. Therefore, such payments
to an intermediary create conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its customers and may cause the intermediary
to recommend the funds over another investment. More information regarding these payments is contained in each Fund’s SAI.
Please contact your salesperson or other investment professional for more information
regarding any such payments his or her firm may receive from PGIM or its affiliates.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
Fund policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund's portfolio
securities are described in each Fund's SAI. On each business day, before commencement of trading on the Exchange,
each Fund will disclose on pgim.com/investments the Fund's portfolio holdings that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation
of NAV at the end of the business day.
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
35
FUND DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX ISSUES
DISTRIBUTIONS
Each Fund distributes dividends out of any net investment income to shareholders.
For example, if the Fund owns an ACME Corp. bond and the bond pays interest, the Fund will pay out a portion of this
interest as a dividend to its shareholders, assuming the Fund’s income is more than its costs and expenses.
Each Fund also distributes any realized net capital gains to shareholders. Capital
gains are generated when the Fund sells its assets for a profit. For example, if the Fund bought 100 bonds of ACME Corp.
for a total of $1,000 and more than one year later sold the bonds for a total of $1,500, the Fund has net long-term
capital gains of $500, which it will pass on to shareholders (assuming the Fund’s remaining total gains are greater than any losses it may have).
Dividends and other distributions on shares of each Fund are distributed on a pro
rata basis to beneficial owners of such shares.
Dividend payments are made through DTC participants and indirect participants to beneficial
owners then of record with proceeds received from each Fund.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Funds. Broker-dealers may make
available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners
of the Funds for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their broker to
determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require beneficial
owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions
of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Funds purchased
in the secondary market. Dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be subject to taxation
whether or not they are reinvested in the Funds.
The chart below sets forth the expected frequency of dividend and capital gains distributions
to shareholders. Various factors may impact the frequency of dividend distributions to shareholders, including
but not limited to adverse market conditions or portfolio holding-specific events.
|
Expected Distribution Schedule*
|
|||
|
Fund
|
Net Investment Income
|
Short-Term Capital Gains
|
Long-Term Capital Gains
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF
|
Periodic
|
Annually
|
Annually
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF
|
Periodic
|
Annually
|
Annually
|
*Under certain circumstances, the Funds may make more than one distribution of short-term
and/or long-term capital gains during a fiscal year.
TAX ISSUES
Investors who buy shares of the Funds should be aware of some important tax issues.
For example, each Fund distributes dividends of net investment income and realized net capital gains, if
any, to shareholders. These distributions are subject to federal income taxes, unless you hold your shares in
a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”) or some other qualified or tax-deferred plan or account. Dividends and distributions
from the Funds also may be subject to state and local income tax in the state where you
live. Also, if you sell shares of the Funds for a profit, you may have to pay capital gains taxes on the amount of your
profit, unless you hold your shares in a qualified or tax-deferred plan or account.
The following briefly discusses some of the important income tax issues you should
be aware of, but is not meant to be tax advice. For tax advice, please speak with your tax adviser.
Fund Distributions
36
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
Dividends of net investment income will generally be taxable to shareholders at ordinary
income rates. Dividends from net investment income paid to a non-corporate U.S. shareholder that are reported as
qualified dividend income will generally be taxable to such shareholder at the long-term capital gain tax rate. Also,
a portion of the dividends paid to corporate shareholders of the Funds will be eligible for the dividends received deduction to the extent each Fund’s income is derived from certain dividends received from U.S. corporations.
Fund distributions of net capital gains are taxed differently depending on how long
each Fund holds the security. If each Fund holds a security for more than one year before selling it, any gain is treated
as long-term capital gain which is generally taxed at rates of up to 15% or 20% for noncorporate U.S. shareholders,
depending on whether their income exceeds certain threshold amounts which are adjusted annually for inflation.
If each Fund holds the security for one year or less, any gain is treated as short-term capital gain, which is taxed at
rates applicable to ordinary income. Different rates apply to corporate shareholders.
A U.S. shareholder that is an individual, estate, or certain type of trust is subject
to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on the lesser of (1) the U.S. shareholder’s “net investment income,” including Fund distributions and net gains from the disposition of Fund shares, and (2) the excess of the U.S. shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year over $200,000 (or $250,000 for married couples filing jointly). For this
purpose, net investment income includes interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, capital gain and income from a
passive activity business or a business of trading in financial instruments or commodities.
Form 1099
For every year the Funds declares a dividend, you will receive a Form 1099, which
reports the amount of ordinary income distributions and long-term capital gains we distributed to you during the
prior year unless you own shares of the Funds as part of a qualified or tax-deferred plan or account. If you do own shares
of the Funds as part of a qualified or tax-deferred plan or account, your taxes are deferred, so you will not receive
a Form 1099 annually, but instead you will receive a Form 1099 when you take any distribution from your qualified or tax-deferred
plan or account.
Fund distributions are generally taxable to you in the calendar year in which they
are received, except when we declare certain dividends and distributions in the fourth quarter, with a record date in such
quarter, and actually pay them in January of the following year. In such cases, the dividends and distributions are
treated as if they were paid on December 31st of the prior year.
Withholding Taxes
If federal tax law requires you to provide the Fund with your taxpayer identification
number and certifications as to your tax status and you fail to do this, or if you are otherwise subject to backup withholding,
we will withhold and pay to the U.S. Treasury a portion of your distributions and sale proceeds based on the applicable
backup withholding rate.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders
For a discussion regarding the taxation of non-U.S. shareholders, please see the SAI
and contact your tax adviser.
If You Purchase on or Before a Record Date
If you buy shares of the Funds on or before the record date for a distribution (the
date that determines who receives the distribution), we will pay that distribution to you. As explained above, the distribution
may be subject to taxes. You may think you’ve done well since you bought shares one day and soon thereafter received a distribution. That is not so, because when dividends are paid out, the value of each share of the Funds decreases
by the amount of the dividend to reflect the payout, although this may not be apparent because the value of each share
of the Funds also will be affected by market changes, if any. However, the timing of your purchase does mean
that part of your investment may have come back to you as taxable income.
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
37
TAXES WHEN SHARES ARE SOLD
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. Capital loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares held for six months
or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received by the shareholder.
The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited. Net gains from the sale of shares are included in “net investment income” for purposes of the 3.8% Medicare contribution tax mentioned above.
For shares purchased and sold from a taxable account, your intermediary will report
cost basis information to you and to the IRS. Your intermediary will permit shareholders to elect their preferred cost
basis method. In the absence of an election, your cost basis method will be your intermediary’s default method, which is often the average cost method. Please consult your tax adviser to determine the appropriate cost basis method for
your particular tax situation and to learn more about how the cost basis reporting laws apply to you and your investments.
The above is a general summary of tax implications of investing in the Funds. Because each investor’s tax consequences are unique, please consult your tax advisor to see how investing in the
Funds and, for individuals and S corporations, selection of a particular cost method of accounting will affect your
own tax situation.
38
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Secondary Market
Most investors will buy and sell Fund shares in secondary market transactions through
brokers. Shares of the Funds are listed and traded on the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares can be bought
and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. There is no minimum investment. 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 spread varies over time for Fund shares based on the Fund’s trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund has a lot of trading volume and market liquidity.
Shares of the Funds trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees
from the daily NAV of the shares.
Directly with the Funds
Fund shares are issued or redeemed by a Fund at NAV per share only in aggregations
of a specified number of shares (“Creation Units”). An Authorized Participant is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered
with the SEC, which has a written agreement with a Fund or one of its service providers that allows
the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units.
A creation transaction, which is subject to acceptance by the Distributor and a Fund,
generally takes place when an Authorized Participant deposits into a Fund a designated portfolio of securities,
assets or other positions (a “creation basket”, and an amount of cash (including any cash representing the value of substituted
securities, assets or other positions), if any, which together approximate the holdings of the Fund in exchange
for a specified number of Creation Units. Similarly, shares can be redeemed only in Creation Units, generally for a designated
portfolio of securities, assets or other propositions (the “redemption basket”) held by a Fund and an amount of cash (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted). The Fund may, in certain circumstances,
offer Creation Units partially or solely for cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable
by the Fund. Creation and redemption baskets may differ and the Fund may accept “custom baskets.”
For more detailed information, see “Creations and Redemptions of Fund Shares” in the Fund’s SAI.
Beneficial Ownership
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) serves as securities depository for Fund shares. Shares of the Funds may be held only in book-entry form; stock certificates will not be issued. DTC, or its nominee,
is the record or registered owner of all outstanding shares of the Funds. Beneficial ownership of shares will be shown
on the records of DTC or its participants. Beneficial owners of shares are not entitled to have shares registered
in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not
considered the registered holder thereof. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder of shares of a Fund, each
beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of: (i) DTC; (ii) “DTC Participants,” i.e., securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives)
own DTC; and (iii) “Indirect Participants,” i.e., brokers, dealers, banks and trust companies that clear through or maintain
a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly, through which such beneficial
owner holds its interests.
Each Fund understands that under existing industry practice, in the event the Fund
requests any action of holders of shares, or a beneficial owner desires to take any action that DTC, as the record owner
of all outstanding shares, is entitled to take, DTC would authorize the DTC Participants to take such action and
that the DTC Participants would authorize the Indirect Participants and beneficial owners acting through such DTC
Participants to take such action and
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
39
would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners owning through them.
As described above, each Fund recognizes DTC or its nominee as the owner of all shares of the Fund for all purposes.
For more detailed information, see “Book Entry Only System” in each Fund’s SAI.
Shares of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States.
Understanding the Price You'll Pay for the Shares
Market Trading Price. The trading price of each Fund’s shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and
other factors.
Premiums and Discounts. Information regarding how often the shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at
a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV since the inception
of the Fund, as applicable, can be found at pgim.com/investments.
Net Asset Value. The share value of a fund—known as the net asset value or NAV—is determined by a simple calculation: it's the total value of the Fund (assets minus liabilities) divided by
the total number of shares outstanding. For example, if the value of the investments held by Fund XYZ (minus its liabilities)
is $1,000 and there are 100 shares of Fund XYZ owned by shareholders, the value of one share of Fund XYZ—or the NAV—is $10 ($1,000 divided by 100).
Each Fund's NAV will be determined every day on which the Fund is open as of the close
of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The price at which a purchase of a Creation
Unit is effected is based on the next calculation of NAV after the order is received in proper
form in accordance with this prospectus and the requirements of the Authorized Participant agreement.
Each Fund's portfolio securities are valued based upon market quotations or, if market
quotations are not readily available, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Manager, as the Board's
valuation designee. In this capacity, the Manager has adopted pricing methodologies for determining the fair value of certain
types of securities and other assets held by a Fund that do not have quoted market prices, including the use of
other pricing sources, such as bid prices supplied by a principal market maker and evaluated prices supplied by pricing
vendors that employ analytic methodologies that take into account the prices of similar securities and other market
factors.
If a Fund determines that a market quotation for a security is not reliable based
on, among other things, events or market conditions that occur with respect to one or more securities held by the Fund
or the market as a whole, after the quotation is derived or after the closing of the primary market on which the security
is traded, but before the time that the Fund's NAV is determined, the Fund may use “fair value pricing,” which is implemented by a valuation committee (“Valuation Committee”) consisting of representatives of the Manager. The subadviser often provides relevant information for the Valuation Committee meeting. Non-U.S. securities markets
are open for trading on weekends and other days when the Fund does not price shares. Therefore, the value of a Fund’s shares may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s shares.
Investments in open-end non-exchange-traded mutual funds will be valued at their NAV
as determined as of the close of the NYSE on the date of valuation, which will reflect the mutual fund’s fair valuation procedures.
Different valuation methods may result in differing values for the same security.
The fair value of a portfolio security that each Fund uses to determine its NAV may differ from the security's quoted or published
price. If the Fund needs to implement fair value pricing after the NAV publishing deadline but before shares of
the Fund are processed, the NAV you receive or pay may differ from the published NAV price. The prospectuses of any
other mutual funds or ETFs in which the Fund invests will explain each fund’s procedures and policies with respect to the use of fair value pricing.
40
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
Fair value pricing procedures are designed to result in prices for the Fund's securities
and its NAV that are reasonable in light of the circumstances which make or have made market quotations unavailable
or unreliable, and may have the effect of reducing arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. There
is no assurance, however, that fair value pricing will more accurately reflect the market value of a security than the market
price of such security on that day or that it will prevent dilution of the Fund's NAV by short-term traders.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions
The Funds do not impose restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions.
The Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders when they considered whether a restriction
or policy was necessary. The Board considered that, unlike mutual funds, each Fund issues and redeems its shares
at NAV only in Creation Units, and the Fund’s shares may be purchased and sold on the Exchange at prevailing market prices.
“Revenue Sharing” Payments
The Manager or certain of its affiliates (but not the Distributor) may make payments
(which are often referred to as “revenue sharing” payments) to financial intermediaries from the Manager's or certain affiliates' own
resources, including from the profits derived from management fees or other fees received from
the Fund, without additional direct or indirect cost to the Fund or its shareholders. Revenue sharing payments
are usually calculated based on Fund assets attributable to a particular financial services firm, and the amount of the
payments varies among financial intermediaries. The Manager or certain of its affiliates may revise the terms of any
existing revenue sharing arrangement, and may enter into additional revenue sharing arrangements with other
financial intermediaries in the future. Revenue sharing arrangements are intended to foster the sale of Fund shares
and/or to compensate financial intermediaries for assisting in marketing or promotional activities in connection
with the sale of Fund shares. In exchange for revenue sharing payments, it is expected that the Fund will receive the
opportunity to be sold through the financial intermediaries' sales force or gain access to third-party platforms or other
marketing programs, including but not limited to “supermarket” platforms or other sales programs. Both the Manager and Fund shareholders may receive
services from the financial intermediary in exchange for the revenue sharing payments.
Because the Manager's management fee is based on Fund assets, to the extent that financial intermediaries
receiving revenue sharing payments results in an increase in the sale of Fund shares, the Manager and/or its
affiliates will benefit from the increase in Fund assets. From time to time the Manager and/or an affiliate of the
Fund (and not the Fund itself) may pay certain administrative fees in order to make the Fund available to shareholders.
Such fees are not included in, and are paid separate and apart from, any revenue sharing payments. Revenue sharing payments,
or other similar payments, may provide an incentive for financial intermediaries and their registered
representatives to recommend or sell shares of the Fund to you and in doing so may create conflicts of interest between
such intermediaries' financial interests and their duties to customers. Please contact the registered representative
(or the financial intermediary) who sold shares of the Fund to you for details about any payments the financial intermediary
may receive from the Manager and/or certain of its affiliates.
DISCLAIMER
The S&P 500 Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”), and has been licensed for use by PGIM, Inc, and/or its affiliates. S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500 and The 500 are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes
by PGIM, Inc. and/or its affiliates. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones,
S&P, their respective affiliates and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing
in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P 500 Index.
Visit our website at www.pgim.com/investments
41
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
No financial highlights information is available for the Funds as of the date of this
Prospectus, as each Fund is new and has no prior financial highlights information. As of the date of this Prospectus,
the Funds have not yet commenced investment operations.
42
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
|
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please read this Prospectus before you invest in a Fund and keep it for future reference.
Information on the Funds' net asset
value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads can be found at pgim.com/investments.
For information or shareholder questions contact:
|
|
|
■MAIL
PGIM Investments LLC
655 Broad Street, 6th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
■WEBSITE
pgim.com/investments
|
■TELEPHONE
(888) 247-8090
(973) 802-2093
(from outside the U.S.)
|
|
■E-DELIVERY
You may request e-delivery of Fund documents by contacting your financial intermediary
directly or by going to
www.icsdelivery.com. Instead of receiving printed documents by mail, you will receive
notification via email when new materials
are available. You can cancel your enrollment or change your email address at any
time by visiting the website address above.
|
|
The Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and the SAI contain additional information about
the Funds. Shareholders may obtain free
copies of the SAI, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report as well as other information
about the Funds and may make other
shareholder inquiries through the telephone number, address and website listed above.
|
|
|
■STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI)
(incorporated by reference into this Prospectus)
■SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT
|
■ANNUAL REPORT
(contains a discussion of the market conditions and
investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds'
performance during the last fiscal year)
|
|
You can also obtain copies of Fund documents, including the SAI, from the Securities
and Exchange Commission as follows (the
SEC charges a fee to copy documents):
|
|
|
■ELECTRONIC REQUEST
|
■VIA THE INTERNET
on the EDGAR Database at www.sec.gov
|
|
PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 12 ETF
|
|
Ticker Symbol:
BUFP
|
|
PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 20 ETF
|
|
Ticker Symbol:
PBFR
|
Listing Exchange: Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
ETF1022STAT The Funds' Investment Company Act File No. 811-23901
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION — March 29, 2024
The information in this Preliminary Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This SAI is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) of PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF and PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus of the Funds dated ______, 2024 (the “Prospectus”). The Prospectus can be obtained, without charge, by calling 888-247-8090 or by writing to PGIM Investments LLC, 655 Broad Street, 6th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102. This SAI has been incorporated by reference into the Funds' current Prospectus.
This SAI only relates to the Funds, each a series of PGIM Rock ETF Trust (the “Trust”).
The Funds are new and therefore no audited financial statements or other financial information are available.
|
PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 12 ETF
|
PGIM LADDERED FUND OF BUFFER 20 ETF
|
|
Ticker Symbol: BUFP
|
Ticker Symbol: PBFR
|
Listing Exchange: Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
To enroll in e-delivery, go to pgim.com/investments/resource/edelivery
ETF1022B
PART I
INTRODUCTION
This SAI sets forth information about the Funds and the Trust. This SAI provides information
about certain of the securities, instruments, policies and strategies that are used by the Funds in seeking to achieve their objectives.
This SAI also provides additional information about the Funds’ Board of Trustees (hereafter referred to as “Board Members”), the advisory services provided to and the management fees paid by the Funds, and information about other fees paid by and services provided
to the Funds. This SAI also provides information about the investment policies and other investment information relevant to the Funds.
Each Fund offers and issues shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund may issue and redeem Creation Units in exchange for a designated portfolio
of securities, assets or other positions (the “Deposit Instruments”) together with a deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”) but reserves the right to issue and redeem Creation Units in exchange for an all-cash payment (“Cash Deposit”). Each Fund may elect to regularly transact solely in cash. Shares are redeemable by each Fund only in Creation Units. In the event of the
liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may lower the number of Shares in a Creation Unit, including making the shares individually redeemable
for the Fund.
Each Fund may charge transaction fees for each creation and redemption transaction.
See the “Creations and Redemptions” section below. In each instance of cash creations or redemptions, transaction fees may be
imposed that will be higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. In all cases, transaction fees will
be limited in accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.
Each Fund’s shares are listed and traded on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“Cboe BZX” or the “Exchange”). Fund shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above NAV.
Before reading the SAI, you should consult the Glossary below, which defines certain
of the terms used in the SAI:
GLOSSARY
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
1933 Act
|
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules thereunder
|
|
1934 Act
|
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules thereunder
|
|
1940 Act
|
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder
|
|
1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions
|
1940 Act, Exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations,
collectively
|
|
ADR
|
American Depositary Receipt
|
|
ADS
|
American Depositary Share
|
|
Board
|
Fund’s Board of Directors or Trustees
|
|
Board Member
|
A trustee or director of the Fund’s Board
|
|
CEA
|
Commodity Exchange Act, as amended
|
|
CFTC
|
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
|
|
Code
|
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
|
|
CMO
|
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation
|
|
ETF
|
Exchange-Traded Fund
|
|
EDR
|
European Depositary Receipt
|
|
Exchange
|
Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
|
|
Fannie Mae
|
Federal National Mortgage Association
|
|
FDIC
|
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
|
|
Fitch
|
Fitch Ratings, Inc.
|
|
Freddie Mac
|
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
|
|
GDR
|
Global Depositary Receipt
|
|
Ginnie Mae
|
Government National Mortgage Association
|
|
IPO
|
Initial Public Offering
|
|
IRS
|
Internal Revenue Service
|
3
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
LIBOR
|
London Interbank Offered Rate
|
|
Manager or PGIM Investments
|
PGIM Investments LLC
|
|
Moody’s
|
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
|
|
NASDAQ
|
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
|
|
NAV
|
Net Asset Value
|
|
NRSRO
|
Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization
|
|
NYSE
|
New York Stock Exchange
|
|
OTC
|
Over the Counter
|
|
Prudential
|
Prudential Financial, Inc.
|
|
QPTP
|
Qualified Publicly Traded Partnership
|
|
REIT
|
Real Estate Investment Trust
|
|
RIC
|
Regulated Investment Company, as the term is used in the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended
|
|
S&P
|
S&P Global Ratings
|
|
SEC
|
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
|
|
SOFR
|
Secured Overnight Financing Rate
|
|
World Bank
|
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
|
FUND CLASSIFICATION, INVESTMENT objectives & POLICIES
The Funds are actively managed exchange-traded funds of the Trust. The Trust is an
open-end management investment company.
The investment objective of each ETF is to seek to provide investors with capital
appreciation.
Each of the Funds are classified as diversified funds.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares of each Fund are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange
and may trade on other secondary markets. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain
the listing of shares of a Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of each Fund from
listing if, among other things; (i) each Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act; (ii) if
any of the other listing requirements are not continuously maintained; or (iii) any event shall occur or condition shall exist that,
in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In the event a Fund ceases to be listed on an
exchange, such Fund may cease operating as an “exchange-traded” fund and operate as a mutual fund, provided that shareholders are given advance notice.
As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares through
a financial intermediary you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that financial intermediary, as well as other charges.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share prices of each Fund in the future
to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which
would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund or an investor’s equity interests in the Fund.
INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The principal investment strategies of the Fund are described in the Funds' Prospectus.
In addition, the Funds may from time to time also use the securities, instruments, policies and strategies that are further described
below in seeking to achieve its objective. Set forth below are descriptions of some of the types of investments and investment strategies
that the Funds and the Underlying ETFs may use and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment
strategies. The Funds also may invest from time to time in certain types of investments and strategies that are not listed below. Please
also see the Prospectus of the Funds and the “Fund Classification, Investment Objectives & Policies” section of this SAI. The order of the below investments, investment strategies and
risks does not indicate the significance of any particular investment, investment strategy
or risk.
Because the Funds principally invest in the Underlying ETFs, the strategies and risks
below are described principally by reference to the Underlying ETFs. The strategies and risks described below may not apply to all of
the Underlying ETFs. Unless otherwise specified, references to a “Fund” apply to each ETF and each Underlying ETF.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 4
BORROWING AND LEVERAGE. Unless noted otherwise, a Fund may borrow up to 33 1∕3% of the value of its total assets (calculated at the time of the borrowing). A Fund may pledge up to 33 1∕3% of its total assets to secure these borrowings. If a Fund’s asset coverage for borrowings falls below 300%, a Fund will take prompt action to reduce borrowings.
If a Fund borrows to invest in securities, any investment gains made on the securities in excess of interest paid on the borrowing
will cause the NAV of the shares to rise faster than would otherwise be the case. On the other hand, if the investment performance of the
additional securities purchased fails to cover their cost (including any interest paid on the money borrowed) to a Fund, the NAV of a Fund’s shares will decrease faster than would otherwise be the case. This is the speculative factor known as “leverage.” In addition, a Fund may use certain investment management techniques (collectively, “effective leverage”), such as certain derivatives, that may provide leverage and are not subject to the
borrowing limitation noted above.
A Fund may borrow from time to time, at the discretion of the subadviser, to take
advantage of investment opportunities, when yields on available investments exceed interest rates and other expenses of related borrowing,
or when, in the subadviser's opinion, unusual market conditions otherwise make it advantageous for a Fund to increase its investment
capacity. A Fund will only borrow when there is an expectation that it will benefit a Fund after taking into account considerations
such as interest income and possible losses upon liquidation. Borrowing by a Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income but,
at the same time, creates risks, including the fact that leverage may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the yield on
a Fund. Unless otherwise stated, a Fund may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase agreements.
CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. The FDIC, an independent agency of the U.S. Government, provides deposit insurance
on all types of deposits, including certificates of deposit, received at an FDIC-insured bank or savings
association (“insured depository institutions”) up to applicable limits. The standard deposit insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor
(including principal and accrued interest) for each insurable capacity of such depositor, per insured depository institution, which
is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. All of a depositor’s deposits in the same insurable capacity at the same insured depository institution are aggregated for purposes of the $250,000 insurance limit, including deposits held directly in the depositor’s name and for the depositor’s benefit by intermediaries. Any amounts each Fund invests in certificates of deposit in excess
of the $250,000 deposit insurance limit will be uninsured. An investor’s investment in each Fund is subject to risk of loss, and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other governmental agency.
CYBER SECURITY RISK. A Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and other risks related
to the use of technology, computer systems and the Internet to conduct business. These risks, which are often
collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and occurrences.
Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related protocol surrounding and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data transmitted and stored therewith. These measures ensure the reliability of a user’s systems, as well as the security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized
access to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying
data; and causing operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized
access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to computer networks). In addition
to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless
insiders, whose actions may result in the destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
Cyber security failures or breaches, whether deliberate or unintentional, arising from a Fund’s third-party service providers (e.g., custodians, financial intermediaries, transfer agents), subadviser, shareholder usage
of unsecure systems to access personal accounts, as well as breaches suffered by the issuers of securities in which a Fund invests,
may cause significant disruptions in the business operations of a Fund. Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses for a Fund and the issuers’ securities, the inability of shareholders to conduct transactions with a Fund, an
inability of a Fund to calculate NAV, and disclosures of personal or confidential shareholder information.
In addition to direct impacts on Fund shareholders, cyber security failures by a Fund
and/or its service providers and others may result in regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation
costs to a Fund, and reputational damage. A Fund may incur reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and
litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. A Fund may also incur considerable expenses in enhancing and upgrading computer
systems and systems security following a cyber security failure.
The rapid proliferation of technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and
activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. Although a Fund
and its service providers and subadviser may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate cyber
security risks, there can be no guarantee or
5
assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist,
or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, a Fund cannot
control or assure the efficacy of the cyber security plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the subadviser, and
the issuers in which a Fund invests.
DERIVATIVES. A Fund may use instruments referred to as derivatives. Derivatives are financial
instruments the value of which is derived from another security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a currency or an index (a
measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow a Fund to increase or decrease
the level of risk to which a Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. A Fund may
use derivatives for hedging purposes. A Fund may also use derivatives to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative
if a Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions. When a Fund invests in a derivative
for speculative purposes, a Fund will be fully exposed to the risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative's
cost. A Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that a Fund would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly. A Fund’s use of derivatives may be limited by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, as discussed
in more detail below under Regulatory Risk.
Risk Factors Involving Derivatives. Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:
Correlation Risk — the risk that changes in the value of a derivative will not match the changes in the
value of the portfolio holdings that are being hedged or of the particular market or security to which a Fund seeks exposure.
Counterparty Risk—the risk that the counterparty on a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation to a Fund. In particular, derivatives traded in OTC markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or
clearing firm and often do not require payment of margin. A Fund is at risk to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains or has
deposited collateral with a counterparty and the counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to honor its obligations.
Currency Risk—the risk that changes in the exchange rate between two currencies will adversely affect the value (in U.S. dollar terms) of an investment.
Illiquidity Risk— the risk that certain securities or instruments may be difficult or impossible to
sell at the time that the seller would like or at the price that the seller believes the security is currently worth. Illiquidity
risk is substantial for certain OTC derivatives, including swaps and OTC options. There can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to unwind
or offset a derivative at its desired price, in a secondary market or otherwise.
Index Risk—a derivative linked to the performance of an index will be subject to the risks associated
with changes in that index.
Legal Risk—the risk of insufficient documentation, the lack of capacity or authority of a counterparty
to execute or settle a transaction, and the legality and enforceability of a derivatives contract.
Leverage Risk—the risk that a Fund’s derivatives transactions can magnify a Fund’s gains and losses. Relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of a derivatives position. Certain
investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.
Market Risk — the risk that changes in the value of one or more markets or changes with respect to the value of the underlying asset will adversely affect the value of a derivative. In the event of an adverse movement, a
Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain its position.
Operational Risk — the risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues,
settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error.
Regulatory Risk—the risk that new regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, may limit their availability, or may otherwise affect their value or performance. Derivative contracts, including, without limitation,
swaps, currency forwards, and non-deliverable forwards (“NDFs”), are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S.
jurisdictions. Swaps, NDFs and certain other derivatives traded in the OTC market are subject to variation margin requirements.
Implementation of the margining and other provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading, reporting
and documentation of swaps and other derivatives have impacted and may continue to impact the costs to a Fund of trading these instruments
and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in a Fund.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 6
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act permits a Fund to enter into derivatives transactions
and certain other transactions notwithstanding restrictions on the issuance of “senior securities” in the 1940 Act. Derivatives transactions as defined by Rule 18f-4 include, among
other things, swaps, futures, forwards, options, short sale borrowings, reverse repurchase
agreements and other financing transactions (if a Fund elects to treat such financing transactions as securities), when-issued
and forward-settling securities in some circumstances, or any instrument for which a Fund is required to make any payment or delivery of
an asset during the life of the instrument or at maturity, whether as margin, settlement payment or otherwise. Rule 18f-4 requires
that, among other things, a Fund establish and maintain a derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager,
who is appointed by the Board, including a majority of Independent Board Members and periodically reviews the program and reports
to the Board. In addition, a Fund must comply with a relative or absolute limit on leverage risk calculated based on value-at-risk.
Rule 18f-4 excepts from some of the requirements, including establishing a derivatives
risk management program and calculating value-at-risk, a fund whose derivatives exposure is limited to 10% of its net assets
and which has adopted policies and procedures designed to manage derivatives risks.
The use of derivatives for hedging purposes involves additional correlation risk.
If the value of the derivative moves more or less than the value of the hedged instruments, a Fund will experience a gain or loss that will not
be completely offset by movements in the value of the hedged instruments.
A Fund generally intends to enter into transactions involving derivatives only if
there appears to be a liquid market for such instruments. However, there can be no assurance that, at any specific time, either a liquid market
will exist for a derivative or a Fund will otherwise be able to sell such instrument at an acceptable price. It may therefore not be possible
to close a position in a derivative without incurring substantial losses, if at all.
Additional Risk Factors Of OTC Transactions; Limitations On The Use Of OTC Derivatives. Certain derivatives traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, certain swaps and OTC options, involve substantial liquidity
risk. The absence of liquidity may make it difficult or impossible for a Fund to sell such instruments promptly at an acceptable
price. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for a Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments.
Because derivatives traded in OTC markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing
corporation and generally do not require payment of margin, to the extent that a Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments
or has deposited collateral with its counterparties, a Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to
honor their obligations. A Fund will attempt to minimize the risk that a counterparty will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations
by engaging in transactions in derivatives traded in OTC markets only with financial institutions that appear to have substantial
capital or that have provided a Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit enhancement.
EQUITY AND EQUITY-RELATED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in or hold common stock and other equity and equity-related securities.
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in a company. Historical trends
would indicate that common stock is subject to higher levels of volatility and market and issuer-specific risk than debt securities.
The value of equity securities may be affected more rapidly, and to a greater extent, by company-specific developments and general market
conditions. These risks may increase fluctuations in the Fund's NAV. The equity interests held by the Fund, if any, may
not pay dividends or otherwise generate income or appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, the Fund may
not be able to realize gains from its equity investments, and any gains that the Fund does realize may not be sufficient to contribute materially
to the Fund's investment objective. Equity securities held by the Fund may be illiquid.
EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS. Each Fund may invest in ETFs, which may be unit investment trusts or open-end management
investment companies. ETFs may hold portfolios of securities designed to track the performance
of various broad securities indices or sectors of such indices or ETFs may be actively managed. ETFs provide another means, in addition
to futures and options on indices, of including exposure to global equities, global bonds, commodities and currencies markets in each Fund’s investment portfolio. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses
paid by such ETF.
ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS OR RESTRICTED SECURITIES. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, a Fund has adopted a Board approved Liquidity Risk Management Program (“LRMP”) that requires, among other things that a Fund limit its illiquid investments to
no more than 15% of its net assets. Illiquid investments are those that, because of the absence
of a readily available market or due to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may not reasonably be expected to 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. Liquidity risk is the risk that a Fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by a Fund without significant
dilution of remaining investors' interests in a Fund. Investment of a Fund’s assets in illiquid investments may restrict the ability of a Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely
7
fashion and for a fair price as well as its ability to take advantage of market opportunities.
The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly acute where a Fund’s operations require cash, such as when a Fund redeems shares or pays dividends, and could result in a Fund borrowing to meet short-term cash requirements or incurring capital losses
on the sale of illiquid investments.
A Fund may invest in securities that are not registered (restricted securities) under
the 1933 Act. Restricted securities may be sold in private placement transactions between issuers and their purchasers and may be neither
listed on an exchange nor traded in other established markets. In many cases, privately placed securities may not be freely
transferable under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or due to contractual restrictions on resale. As a result of the absence
of a public trading market, privately placed securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than publicly traded securities. To
the extent that privately placed securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from the sales, due to illiquidity,
could be less than those originally paid by a Fund or less than their fair market value. In addition, issuers whose securities are
not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that may be applicable if their
securities were publicly traded. If any privately placed securities held by a Fund are required to be registered under the securities
laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, a Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of a Fund’s investments in private placements may consist of direct investments and may include investments in smaller, less seasoned issuers, which may
involve greater risks. These issuers may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or they may be dependent on
a limited management group. In making investments in such securities, a Fund may obtain access to material nonpublic information, which may restrict a Fund’s ability to conduct portfolio transactions in such securities.
A Fund may purchase restricted securities that can be offered and sold to “qualified institutional buyers” under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. Restricted securities that would otherwise be considered illiquid investments pursuant to a Fund’s LRMP because of legal restrictions on resale to the general public may be traded among qualified institutional
buyers under Rule 144A. Therefore, these securities, as well as commercial paper that is sold in private placements under Section
4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, may be classified higher than “illiquid” under the LRMP (i.e., “moderately liquid” or “less liquid” investments). However, the liquidity of a Fund’s investments in restricted securities could be impaired if trading does not develop
or declines.
INVESTMENT IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES. A Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies (including ETFs), subject to applicable regulatory limits.
Investing in another investment company involves risks similar to those of investing directly in the investment company’s portfolio securities, including the risk that the values of the portfolio securities may fluctuate
due to changes in the financial condition of the securities’ issuers and other market factors. An investment company may not achieve its investment objective or execute its investment strategy effectively, which may adversely affect a Fund’s performance.
A Fund will indirectly bear its pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred by
an investment company, including investment companies managed by the Manager, subadviser(s) or an affiliate, in which it invests,
including advisory fees (to the extent not offset by the Manager, subadviser(s) or an affiliate through waivers). In addition, a Fund could
incur a sales charge in connection with purchasing an investment company security or a redemption fee upon the redemption of such security.
MARKET DISRUPTION AND GEOPOLITICAL RISKS. Market disruption can be caused by economic, financial or political events and factors,
including but not limited to, international wars or conflicts (including Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war), geopolitical developments (including trading and tariff arrangements, sanctions and
cybersecurity attacks), instability in regions such as Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, terrorism, natural disasters and public
health epidemics (including the outbreak of COVID-19 globally).
The extent and duration of such events and resulting market disruptions cannot be
predicted, but could be substantial and could magnify the impact of other risks to the Fund. These and other similar events could
adversely affect the U.S. and foreign financial markets and lead to increased market volatility, reduced liquidity in the securities
markets, significant negative impacts on issuers and the markets for certain securities and commodities and/or government intervention.
They may also cause short- or long-term economic uncertainties in the United States and worldwide. As a result, whether or not the
Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries directly affected, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted. Further, due to closures of certain markets and restrictions on trading certain securities,
the value of certain securities held by the Fund could be significantly impacted, which could lead to such securities being valued
at zero.
Global economies and financial markets have become increasingly interconnected, which
increases the possibility that economic, financial or political events and factors in one country or region might adversely
impact issuers in a different country or region or worldwide.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 8
MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS. A Fund may invest in money market instruments. Money market instruments include cash
equivalents and short-term obligations of U.S. banks, non-U.S. government securities, certificates
of deposit and short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Money market instruments also include
bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and Eurodollar obligations issued or guaranteed by bank holding
companies in the U.S., their subsidiaries and non-U.S. branches, by non-U.S. banking institutions, and by the World Bank and other
multinational instrumentalities, as well as commercial paper and other short-term obligations of, and variable amount master demand
notes, variable rate notes and funding agreements issued by, U.S. and non-U.S. corporations.
OPERATIONAL AND TRADING RISK. Systemic failures in the programs and systems employed by the subadviser, brokers
and/or counterparties, exchanges and similar clearance and settlement facilities and other
parties could result in mistakes made in the confirmation or settlement of transactions, or in transactions not being properly
booked, evaluated or accounted for. The subadviser may not be in a position to verify the risks or reliability of third-party systems. These
and other similar disruptions in the subadviser's operations may cause material losses to the Fund.
The subadviser makes extensive use of computer hardware, systems and software and
its activities are exposed to risks caused by failures of IT infrastructure and data. Outright failure of the underlying hardware,
operating system, software or network, may leave the subadviser unable to trade either generally or in certain of its strategies, and this
may expose it to risk should the outage coincide with turbulent market conditions. To ameliorate this risk, backup and disaster recovery
plans have been put in place by the subadviser.
OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDICES.
TYPES OF OPTIONS. A Fund may engage in transactions in options on individual securities, baskets of
securities or securities indices, or particular measurements of value or rate (an “index”), such as an index of the price of treasury securities or an index representative
of short term interest rates. Such investments may be made on exchanges and in OTC markets.
In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and require the parties to post
margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange
or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally
do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to greater credit risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. See
“Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.”
CALL OPTIONS. A Fund may purchase call options on any of the types of securities or instruments
in which it may invest. A call option gives a Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying security
at the exercise price at any time during the option period. A Fund also may purchase and sell call options on indices. Index options are
similar to options on securities except that, rather than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified
price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the index upon which
the option is based is greater than the exercise price of the option.
A covered call option is an option in which a Fund owns the underlying security or
has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security, without additional consideration (or for additional consideration held in
a segregated account by its custodian), upon conversion or exchange of other securities currently held in its portfolio or with respect to
which a Fund holds cash or other relatively liquid assets segregated within a Fund’s account at the custodian or in a separate segregation account at the custodian. The principal reason for writing call options is the attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a
greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. By writing covered call options, a Fund gives up the opportunity, while the
option is in effect, to profit from any price increase in the underlying security above the option exercise price. In addition, a Fund’s ability to sell the underlying security will be limited while the option is in effect unless a Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out a Fund’s position as the writer of an option by means of an offsetting purchase of an identical
option prior to the expiration of the option it has written. Covered call options also serve as a partial hedge to the extent of the premium
received against a decline in the price of the underlying security. Also, with respect to call options written by a Fund that are
covered only by segregated portfolio securities, a Fund is exposed to the risk of loss equal to the amount by which the price of the underlying
securities rises above the exercise price.
PUT OPTIONS. A Fund may purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of
its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, a Fund acquires a right to sell such underlying securities
or instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting a Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities or instruments until the put option expires. The amount of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments
will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration,
a put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received is more or
less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out a Fund’s position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has
purchased. A Fund also may purchase uncovered put options.
9
A Fund may write (i.e., sell) put options on the types of securities or instruments
that may be held by a Fund, provided that such put options are covered (as described above, covered options are secured by cash or other
relatively liquid assets held in a segregated account or the referenced security). A Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases a Fund’s return.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE STRATEGY AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS. A Fund may temporarily invest without limit in money market instruments, including commercial paper of U.S. corporations, certificates of deposit,
bankers' acceptances and other obligations of domestic banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies
or its instrumentalities, as part of a temporary defensive strategy.
A Fund may invest in money market instruments to maintain appropriate liquidity to
meet anticipated redemptions. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date
of purchase. A Fund also may temporarily hold cash or invest in money market instruments pending investment of proceeds from new sales
of Fund shares or during periods of portfolio restructuring.
U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY SECURITIES. A Fund may invest in adjustable rate and fixed rate U.S. Government securities. U.S. Government securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury
or by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government. U.S. Government guarantees do not extend to the yield or value of the securities or a Fund’s shares. Not all U.S. Government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Some are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency.
U.S. Treasury securities include bills, notes, bonds and other debt securities issued
by the U.S. Treasury. These instruments are direct obligations of the U.S. Government and, as such, are backed by the full faith and
credit of the United States. They differ primarily in their interest rates, the lengths of their maturities and the dates of their issuances.
Securities issued by agencies of the U.S. Government or instrumentalities of the U.S.
Government, including those which are guaranteed by Federal agencies or instrumentalities, may or may not be backed by the full faith
and credit of the United States. Obligations of Ginnie Mae, the Farmers Home Administration and the Small Business Administration are backed
by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United
States, a Fund must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able
to assert a claim against the United States if the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitments.
A Fund may also invest in component parts of U.S. Government securities, namely either
the corpus (principal) of such obligations or one or more of the interest payments scheduled to be paid on such obligations. These
obligations may take the form of (1) obligations from which the interest coupons have been stripped; (2) the interest coupons that
are stripped; (3) book-entries at a Federal Reserve member bank representing ownership of obligation components; or (4) receipts evidencing
the component parts (corpus or coupons) of U.S. Government obligations that have not actually been stripped. Such receipts evidence
ownership of component parts of U.S. Government obligations (corpus or coupons) purchased by a third party (typically
an investment banking firm) and held on behalf of the third party in physical or book-entry form by a major commercial bank or trust
company pursuant to a custody agreement with the third party. A Fund may also invest in custodial receipts held by a third party that
are not U.S. Government securities.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Funds have each adopted the restrictions listed below as fundamental policies.
Under the 1940 Act, a fundamental policy is one that cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A “majority of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities,” when used in this SAI, means the lesser of (i) 67% of the voting shares represented
at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares are present in person
or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares.
If any percentage restriction described below is complied with at the time of an investment,
a later increase or decrease in the percentage resulting from a change in asset values or characteristics will not constitute
a violation of such restriction, unless otherwise noted below.
Fundamental Investment Policies
Each Fund’s fundamental investment policies are as follows:
(1) Each Fund may borrow money to the extent not prohibited by the 1940 Act.
(2) Each Fund may engage in the business of underwriting the securities of other issuers
to the extent not prohibited by the 1940 Act.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 10
(3) Each Fund may lend money or other assets to the extent not prohibited by the 1940
Act.
(4) Each Fund may issue senior securities to the extent not prohibited by the 1940
Act.
(5) Each Fund may purchase or sell real estate to the extent not prohibited by the
1940 Act.
(6) Each Fund may purchase or sell commodities or contracts related to commodities
to the extent not prohibited by the 1940 Act.
(7) Each Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities
of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, any
exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations (collectively, the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations
and Exemptions).
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing money set forth in (1)
above, the 1940 Act permits each Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to an additional 5% of the Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. (A Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires each Fund to maintain
an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, provided that in the event that the Fund’s asset coverage falls below 300%, each Fund is required to reduce the amount of its borrowings so that it meets the 300% asset coverage threshold within
three days (not including Sundays and holidays). Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of a Fund’s total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. The policy in (1) above
will be interpreted to permit a Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing to the extent
permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions
and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered to be borrowings under the policy. Practices and investments
that may involve leverage but are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (2) above,
the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from engaging in the business of underwriting or from underwriting the securities of other
issuers; in fact, the 1940 Act permits a Fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances.
Those circumstances currently are that the amount of a Fund’s underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the Fund’s investments in issuers where the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed
the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered
to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Under the 1933 Act, an underwriter may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an issuer’s registration statement or prospectus. Although it is not believed that the application of the 1933 Act provisions described
above would cause a Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (2) above will be interpreted not to prevent
a Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund
may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to lending set forth in (3) above,
the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more
than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase
agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an
agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.) Each Fund will be
permitted by this policy to make loans of money. The policy in (3) above will be interpreted not to prevent a Fund from purchasing
or investing in credit instruments, debt obligations and loans or any similar security or financial instrument. In addition, collateral arrangements
with respect to options, forward currency and futures transactions and other derivative instruments, as well as delays in the settlement
of securities transactions, will not be considered loans.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to issuing senior securities set forth
in (4) above, “senior securities” are defined a Fund’s obligation that have a priority over the Fund’s shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of Fund assets. The 1940 Act prohibits a Fund from issuing senior securities except that each Fund may
borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose. Each Fund may also borrow up to an additional 5% of such Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes, and these borrowings are not considered
senior securities. Certain trading practices and investments, such as derivatives transactions, may be treated as senior securities
under the 1940 Act. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act provides an exemption from certain limitations on the issuance of senior securities
for transactions in derivatives instruments where a Fund complies with the requirements of the rule. The policy in (4) above will be interpreted
not to prevent investments in derivatives or any collateral arrangements associated therewith.
11
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to real estate set forth in (5) above,
the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from owning real estate; however, each Fund is limited in the amount of illiquid investments it
may purchase. The policy in (5) above will be interpreted not to prevent a Fund from investing in real estate-related companies,
companies whose businesses consist in whole or in part of investing in real estate, instruments (like mortgages) that are secured by
real estate or interests therein, or real estate investment trust securities.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to commodities set forth in (6) above,
the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from owning commodities, whether physical commodities and contracts related to physical commodities
(such as oil or grains and related futures contracts), or financial commodities and contracts related to financial commodities
(such as currencies and, possibly, currency futures). However a Fund is limited in the amount of illiquid assets it may purchase. The policy
in (6) above will be interpreted to permit investments in ETFs that invest in physical and/or financial commodities.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to concentration set forth in (7)
above, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal activities in the same industry constitutes
concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could change in the future. The policy in (7) above will be interpreted
to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to time. The policy also will be interpreted to permit investment
without limit in the following: securities of the US Government and its agencies or instrumentalities; securities of state, territory,
possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and repurchase agreements collateralized
by any such obligations. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry.
There also will be no limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country; however, the Trust understands
that the SEC staff considers securities issued by a foreign government to be in a single industry for purposes of calculating applicable
limits on concentration. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to each Fund as to how to classify issuers within
or among industries.
For purposes of Investment Restriction (7), each Fund will not consider investment
companies to be an industry for purposes of this policy, and a Fund's investment in an investment company that concentrates its investments
in a particular industry will not be considered an investment by the Fund in that particular industry. Under this interpretation,
each Fund will be permitted to invest 25% or more of its total assets in one or more Underlying ETFs that themselves may invest
25% or more of their total assets in a particular industry. As a result, each Fund will be permitted to expose 25% or more of its assets
to the risks of the industry in which an Underlying ETF invests. Generally, a more concentrated investment strategy can be riskier and
more volatile than a broad diversified strategy.
Each Fund’s fundamental policies will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations
and modifications of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment
practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly
permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.
Non-Fundamental Investment Policies
Each Fund’s non-fundamental investment policies are as follows:
Each Fund may not purchase or otherwise acquire any security if immediately after
the acquisition the value of illiquid investments held by the Fund would exceed 15% of the Fund’s net assets. The Fund monitors the portion of the Fund’s net assets that is invested in illiquid investments on an ongoing basis, not only at the time of investment in such
investments.
Each Funds’ investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed without prior approval of shareholders.
Each Fund will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of a change in
the Fund's non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in ETFs.
Diversification
Each Fund is currently classified as a “diversified” fund under the 1940 Act. In general, this means that each Fund may not purchase securities of an issuer (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government,
its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other registered funds) if, with respect to 75% of its total assets, (a) more than 5% of each Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer or (b) each Fund would hold more than 10% of
the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of its total assets, each Fund can invest more than 5%
of its assets in one issuer. Under the 1940 Act, each Fund cannot change its classification from diversified to non-diversified without
shareholder approval.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 12
INFORMATION ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS
Information about Board Members and Officers of the Funds is set forth below. Board
Members who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Funds, as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as “Independent Board Members.” Board Members who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Funds are referred to as “Interested Board Members.” The Board Members are responsible for the overall supervision of the operations of the Funds and perform the various duties
imposed on the directors of investment companies by the 1940 Act. The Board in turn elects the Officers, who are responsible for administering
the day-to-day operations of the Funds.
|
Independent Board Members
|
|
|
|
|
Name
Year of Birth
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
|
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships
Held During
Past Five Years
|
Length of
Board Service
|
|
Morris L. McNair, III
1968
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 27
|
Chairman of SG Credit Partners, Inc. (lower
middle market lender) (August 2019 – Present);
Chief Executive Officer of MidMark Financial
Group, Inc. (specialty finance business)
(February 2019 – Present); formerly, Founding
Partner of Virgo Investment Group
(middle-market opportunistic private equity
fund) (2010 – 2019); formerly, Investment
Professional, Silver Point Capital (2007 – 2009);
formerly, Senior Managing Director at CIT
(2001 – 2007); formerly, Vice President
Wachovia’s Corporate Banking Group (1993 –
2001).
|
Formerly Director, Lease Corporation of America
(2013-2022); formerly, Director, Stonegate
Capital (Co-Chairman) (2017 – 2019); formerly,
Director; AgResource Management/Agrifund
(Chairman) (2016 – 2019); formerly, Director,
NOW Account Network Corporation (2014 –
2019); formerly, Director, HPF Service
(Chairman) (2013 – 2019); formerly, Director,
Zippy Shell Incorporated (Chairman) (2015 –
2018); formerly, Director, Ygrene Energy Fund
(2014 – 2018).
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Since September 2023
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Mary Lee Schneider
1962
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 27
|
Formerly, President & Chief Executive Officer of
SG360° (direct marketing communications)
(2015 – 2018); formerly, President & Chief
Executive Officer of Follett Corp. (PreK-12
Educational Technology & Services) (2012 –
2015); formerly, President, Digital Solutions &
Chief Technology Officer for RR Donnelly
(communications company for marketing,
commercial printing and related services)
(1992 – 2012); formerly, McGraw Hill’s Business
Week Magazine (1987 – 1992); formerly, Time
Warner (1985 – 1987);.
|
Independent Director, Active International
(global corporate trade company that leverages
assets for multi-platform media) (2019 –
Present); Independent Director, The Larry H.
Miller Company (holding company comprised of
real estate, healthcare, sports/entertainment
and technology investments) (2015-Present);
Independent Director, Penn State University’s
Board of Trustees (2015 – Present);
Independent Director, Mercy Home for Boys &
Girls’ Leader Council (since 2014 – Present).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Thomas M. Turpin
1960
Board Member and
Independent Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 27
|
Formerly, Chief Operating Officer at Heitman
LLC (global real estate investment firm)
(2013 – 2018); formerly, Chief Operating Officer
and Chief Executive Officer of Old Mutual US
Asset Management (institutional and retail
asset management business) (2002 – 2010);
formerly, Managing Director and Head of
Defined Contribution Plans, Putnam
(2000-2001); Putnam Investments (1994 –
1999); formerly, Head of Defined Contribution,
Putnam (2000 – 2001); formerly, Trust
Accountant, Financial Analyst, Controller of
Institutional group; formerly, Manager, Global
Cash and Securities Processing Group The
Boston Company (now part of BNY Mellon)
(1982 – 1993).
|
Formerly, Director — Old Mutual Asset
Management Trust Co. (2009 – 2010); formerly,
Trustee — Old Mutual Advisors Fund II (2008 –
2010); formerly, Board Member of numerous
investment boutiques majority owned by Old
Mutual Asset Management (2004 – 2010).
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Since September 2023
|
13
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Interested Board Members
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|||
|
Name
Year of Birth
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
|
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships
Held During
Past Five Years
|
Length of
Board Service
|
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Scott E. Benjamin
1973
Board Member & Vice
President
Portfolios Overseen: 27
|
Executive Vice President (since May 2009) of
PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President (since
June 2012) of Prudential Investment
Management Services LLC; Executive Vice
President (since September 2009) of AST
Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President
of Product Development and Marketing, PGIM
Investments (since February 2006); Vice
President (since September 2023) of the PGIM
Credit Income Fund; Vice President (since March
2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate Fund,
Inc.; Vice President (since September 2022) of
the PGIM Private Credit Fund; formerly Vice
President of Product Development and Product
Management, PGIM Investments LLC (2003 –
2006).
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None.
|
Since September 2023
|
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Fund Officers (a)
|
|
|
|
Name
Year of Birth
Fund Position
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
|
Stuart S. Parker
1962
President
|
President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Officer in Charge
of PGIM Investments LLC
(formerly known as Prudential Investments LLC) (since January 2012); President and
Principal Executive
Officer (PEO) (since September 2023) of the PGIM Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock
ETF Trust; President
and Principal Executive Officer (PEO) (since March 2022) of the PGIM Private Real
Estate Fund, Inc.; President
and Principal Executive Officer (since September 2022) of the PGIM Private Credit
Fund; formerly Executive
Vice President of Jennison Associates LLC and Head of Retail Distribution of PGIM
Investments LLC (June
2005 – December 2011); Investment Company Institute — Board of Governors (since May 2012).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Claudia DiGiacomo
1974
Chief Legal Officer
|
Chief Legal Officer, Executive Vice President and Secretary of PGIM Investments LLC
(since August 2020); Chief
Legal Officer of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since August 2020); Chief Legal
Officer of PIFM Holdco,
LLC (since August 2020); Chief Legal Officer (since September 2023) of the PGIM Credit
Income Fund and the
PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Chief Legal Officer (since September 2022) of the PGIM Private
Credit Fund, Chief Legal
Officer (since July 2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.; Vice President
and Corporate Counsel
(since January 2005) of Prudential; and Corporate Counsel of AST Investment Services,
Inc. (since August
2020); formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary of PGIM Investments LLC (2005-2020);
formerly
Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1999-2004).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Andrew Donahue
1972
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Chief Compliance Officer (since May 2023) of the PGIM Funds, Target Funds, PGIM ETF
Trust, PGIM Global High
Yield Fund, Inc., PGIM High Yield Bond Fund, Inc., PGIM Short Duration High Yield
Opportunities Fund,
Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential’s Gibraltar Fund, Inc., PGIM Private Credit Fund,
PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.; Chief Compliance Officer of AST Investment Services,
Inc. (since October
2022); Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer of PGIM Investments LLC (since September
2022); Chief
Compliance Officer (since September 2023) of the PGIM Credit Income Fund and the PGIM
Rock ETF Trust;
formerly various senior compliance roles within Principal Global Investors, LLC.,
global asset management for
Principal Financial (2011-2022), most recently as Global Chief Compliance Officer
(2016-2022).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Andrew R. French
1962
Secretary
|
Vice President (since December 2018) of PGIM Investments LLC; Secretary (since September
2023) of the PGIM
Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Secretary (since September 2022) of
the PGIM Private Credit
Fund; Secretary (since March 2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.; formerly
Vice President and
Corporate Counsel (2010-2018) of Prudential; formerly Director and Corporate Counsel
(2006-2010) of
Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of PGIM Investments
LLC; Vice
President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services
LLC.
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Melissa Gonzalez
1980
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since September 2018) of Prudential; Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary (since August 2020) of PGIM Investments LLC; Assistant Secretary (since
September 2023) of the
PGIM Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Assistant Secretary (since September
2022) of the
PGIM Private Credit Fund, Assistant Secretary (since March 2022) of the PGIM Private
Real Estate Fund, Inc.;
formerly Director and Corporate Counsel (March 2014-September 2018) of Prudential.
|
Since September 2023
|
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 14
|
Fund Officers(a)
|
|
|
|
Name
Year of Birth
Fund Position
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
|
Patrick E. McGuinness
1986
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since August 2020) of PGIM Investments LLC;
Director and Corporate
Counsel (since February 2017) of Prudential; Assistant Secretary (since September
2023) of the PGIM Credit
Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Assistant Secretary (since September 2022)
of the PGIM Private
Credit Fund, Assistant Secretary (since March 2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate
Fund, Inc.
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Debra Rubano
1975
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since November 2020) of Prudential; Assistant
Secretary (since March
2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc; Assistant Secretary (since September
2023) of the PGIM
Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Assistant Secretary (since September
2022) of the PGIM
Private Credit Fund; formerly Director and Senior Counsel of Allianz Global Investors
U.S. Holdings LLC
(2010-2020) and Assistant Secretary of numerous funds in the Allianz fund complex
(2015-2020).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
George Hoyt
1965
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel of Prudential (since September 2023); Assistant
Secretary for PGIM
Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust (September 2023); Assistant Secretary
for PGIM Private Credit
Fund (September 2023); Assistant Secretary for PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.
(September 2023);
formerly Associate General Counsel of Franklin Templeton and Secretary and Chief Legal
Officer of certain
funds in the Franklin Templeton complex (2020- 2023) and Managing Director (2016-2020)
and Associate
General Counsel for Legg Mason, Inc. and its predecessors (2004-2020).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Devan Goolsby
1991
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel of PGIM Investments (since May 2023); Assistant
Secretary for PGIM
Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust (September 2023); Assistant Secretary
for PGIM Private Credit
Fund (September 2023); Assistant Secretary for PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.
(September 2023);
formerly Associate at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP (2021-2023); Compliance Officer
at Bloomberg LP
(2019-2021); and an Examiner at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (2015-2019).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Christian J. Kelly
1975
Chief Financial Officer
|
Vice President, Global Head of Fund Administration of PGIM Investments LLC (since
November 2018); Chief
Financial Officer (since March 2023) of PGIM Investments mutual funds, closed end
funds, the PGIM ETF Trust,
and Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series Fund and Prudential's Gibraltar Fund,
Inc.; Chief Financial
Officer of PGIM Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust (since September 2023);
Chief Financial
Officer of PGIM Private Credit Fund (since September 2022); Chief Financial Officer
of PGIM Private Real Estate
Fund, Inc. (since July 2022); formerly Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer (January
2019- March 2023) of
PGIM Investments mutual funds, closed end funds, the PGIM ETF Trust, and Advanced
Series Trust, The
Prudential Series Fund and Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc.; formerly Treasurer and
Principal Financial Officer
(March 2022 – July 2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.; formerly Director of Fund Administration
of Lord Abbett & Co. LLC (2009-2018), Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer of
the Lord Abbett Family of
Funds (2017-2018); Director of Accounting, Avenue Capital Group (2008-2009); Senior
Manager, Investment
Management Practice of Deloitte & Touche LLP (1998-2007).
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Elyse M. McLaughlin
1974
Treasurer and Principal Accounting
Officer
|
Vice President (since 2017) within PGIM Investments Fund Administration; Treasurer
and Principal Accounting
Officer of the Advanced Series Trust, the Prudential Series Fund and Prudential's
Gibraltar Fund, Inc. (since
March 2023); Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer (since September 2023) of
the PGIM Rock ETF Trust;
Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer (since September 2022) of the PGIM Private
Credit Fund; Assistant
Treasurer (since September 2023) of the PGIM Credit Income Fund.; Assistant Treasurer
(since March 2022) of
the PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of PGIM Investments mutual
funds, closed end
funds, and the PGIM ETF Trust (since October 2019); formerly Director (2011-2017)
within PGIM Investments
Fund Administration.
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Russ Shupak
1973
Assistant Treasurer
|
Vice President (since 2017) within PGIM Investments Fund Administration; Treasurer
and Principal Accounting
Officer of PGIM Investments mutual funds, closed end funds, and the PGIM ETF Trust
(since March 2023);
Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer (since September 2023) of the PGIM Credit
Income Fund; Treasurer
and Principal Accounting Officer (since July 2022) of the PGIM Private Real Estate
Fund, Inc.; Assistant
Treasurer (since September 2023) of the PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Assistant Treasurer (since
September 2022) of
the PGIM Private Credit Fund; formerly Assistant Treasurer (March 2022 – July 2022) of the PGIM Private Real
Estate Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series
Fund and Prudential's
Gibraltar Fund, Inc. (since October 2019); formerly Director (2013-2017) within PGIM
Investments Fund
Administration.
|
Since September 2023
|
|
Robert W. McCormack
1973
Assistant Treasurer
|
Vice President (since 2019) within PGIM Investments Fund Administration; Assistant
Treasurer (since March
2023) of PGIM Investments mutual funds, closed end funds, the PGIM ETF Trust, and
Advanced Series Trust,
The Prudential Series Fund and Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer
(since September 2023)
of the PGIM Credit Income Fund and the PGIM Rock ETF Trust; Assistant Treasurer (since
September 2022) of
the PGIM Private Credit Fund; Assistant Treasurer (since March 2022) of the PGIM Private
Real Estate Fund,
Inc.; formerly Director (2016-2019) within PGIM Investments Fund Administration; formerly
Vice President
within Goldman, Sachs & Co. Investment Management Controllers (2008- 2016), Assistant
Treasurer of
Goldman Sachs Family of Funds (2015-2016).
|
Since September 2023
|
15
|
Fund Officers(a)
|
|
|
|
Name
Year of Birth
Fund Position
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
|
Kelly Florio
1978
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Officer
|
Vice President, Corporate Compliance, Global Compliance Programs and Compliance Risk
Management (since
December 2021) of Prudential; formerly, Head of Fraud Risk Management (October 2019
to December 2021) at
New York Life Insurance Company; formerly, Head of Key Risk Area Operations (November
2018 to October
2019), Director of the US Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Unit (2009-2018) and Bank
Loss Prevention
Associate (2006 -2009) at MetLife.
|
Since September 2023
|
(a) Excludes Mr. Benjamin, an interested Board Member who also serves as Vice President.
Explanatory Notes to Tables:
■
Board Members are deemed to be “Interested,” as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their affiliation with PGIM Investments
LLC and/or an affiliate of PGIM Investments LLC.
■
Unless otherwise noted, the address of all Board Members and Officers is c/o PGIM
Investments LLC, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410.
■
There is no set term of office for Board Members or Officers. The Board Members have
adopted a retirement policy, which calls for the retirement of Board Members on December
31 of the year in which they reach the age of 75.
■
“Other Directorships Held” includes all directorships of companies required to register or file reports with
the SEC under the 1934 Act (that is, “public companies”) or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.
■
“Portfolios Overseen” includes such applicable investment companies managed by PGIM Investments LLC and
overseen by the Board Member. The investment companies for which PGIM Investments LLC serves as manager include the PGIM Mutual Funds, Target Funds, PGIM
ETF Trust, PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc., PGIM Private Credit Fund, PGIM Credit
Income Fund, PGIM Rock ETF Trust, PGIM High Yield Bond Fund, Inc., PGIM Global High Yield Fund, Inc., PGIM Short Duration High Yield Opportunities Fund, The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential’s Gibraltar Fund, Inc. and the Advanced Series Trust.
■
As used in the Fund Officers table “Prudential” means The Prudential Insurance Company of America.
COMPENSATION OF BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS. Pursuant to management agreements with the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, the Manager pays all compensation of Fund Officers and employees as well as the fees and
expenses of all Interested Board Members. Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Manager also pays each Independent Board
Member annual compensation in addition to certain out-of-pocket expenses. Independent Board Members who serve on Board Committees
may receive additional compensation. The amount of annual compensation paid to each Independent Board Member may change
as a result of the introduction of additional funds on whose Boards the Board Member may be asked to serve.
No Fund has a retirement or pension plan for Board Members.
The following table sets forth the aggregate compensation paid by the Funds for the
most recently completed fiscal year, to the Independent Board Members for service on the Board. The following table also sets
forth the aggregate compensation paid to the Independent Board Members for service on the Board and the Board of any other investment
company in the Fund Complex for the most recently completed calendar year. Board Members and officers who are “interested persons” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) do not receive compensation from PGIM Investments-managed funds and therefore
are not shown in the following table.
|
Name
|
Aggregate Fiscal Year
Compensation from the Funds**
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
|
Total Compensation from Funds
and Fund Complex for Most
Recent Calendar Year
|
|
Compensation Received by Independent Board Members
|
||||
|
Morris L. McNair, III
|
$1,500
|
None
|
None
|
$155,000 (4/27)*
|
|
Mary Lee Schneider
|
$1,500
|
None
|
None
|
$155,000 (4/27)*
|
|
Thomas M. Turpin
|
$1,550
|
None
|
None
|
$160,000 (4/27)*
|
Explanatory Notes to Board Member Compensation Tables
* Compensation relates to portfolios that were in existence for any period during
2023. Number of funds and portfolios represent those in existence as of December 31,
2023, and excludes funds that have merged or liquidated during the year. Additionally, the number of
funds and portfolios includes those which are approved as of December 31, 2023, but
may commence operations after that date. No compensation is paid out from such funds/portfolios.
**Because the Funds are new, information is estimated for the fiscal year ending October
31, 2024.
BOARD COMMITTEES. The Board has established two standing committees in connection with Fund governance—Audit, and Nominating and Governance— and may establish additional committees from time to time, as necessary. Information on the membership of each standing committee and its functions is set forth below.
Audit Committee: The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board in overseeing
the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm, accounting policies and procedures and other areas relating to the
Funds' auditing processes. The Audit Committee is
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 16
responsible for pre-approving all audit services and any permitted non-audit services
to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm directly to the Funds. The Audit Committee is also responsible
for pre-approving permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to (1) the Manager
and (2) any entity in a control relationship with the Manager that provides ongoing services to the Funds, provided that the engagement
of the independent registered public accounting firm relates directly to the operation and financial reporting of the Funds. The scope
of the Audit Committee's responsibilities is oversight. It is management's responsibility to maintain appropriate systems for accounting
and internal control and the independent registered public accounting firm's responsibility to plan and carry out an audit
in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
The membership of the Audit Committee is set forth below:
Morris L. McNair, III (Chair of the Audit Committee)
Mary Lee Schneider
Thomas M. Turpin
Morris L. McNair, III (Chair of the Audit Committee)
Mary Lee Schneider
Thomas M. Turpin
Nominating and Governance Committee: The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board is responsible for nominating
Board Members and making recommendations to the Board concerning Board composition, committee
structure and governance, director education and governance practices. The Board has determined that each member of the
Nominating and Governance Committee is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act. The Nominating and Governance Committee Charter is available
on the Funds' website.
The membership of the Nominating and Governance Committee is set forth below:
Mary Lee Schneider (Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee)
Morris L. McNair, III
Thomas M. Turpin
Mary Lee Schneider (Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee)
Morris L. McNair, III
Thomas M. Turpin
|
Board Committee Meetings (for most recently completed fiscal year)*
|
|
|
Audit Committee
|
Nominating & Governance Committee
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
*Because the Funds are new this information is not yet available.
LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS. The Board is responsible for oversight of the business and affairs of the Funds. The Funds have engaged the Manager to manage the business and affairs of
the Funds on a day-to-day basis. The Board oversees the Manager and certain other principal service providers in the operations
of the Funds. The Board is currently composed of four members, three of whom are Independent Board Members. The Board meets at regularly
scheduled meetings four times throughout the year. In addition, the Board Members may meet in-person or by telephone
at special meetings or on an informal basis at other times. As described above, the Board has established two standing committees—Audit, and Nominating and Governance—and may establish ad hoc committees or working groups from time to time, to assist the
Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The Independent Board Members have also engaged independent legal counsel to assist them
in fulfilling their responsibilities.
The Board is chaired an individual who is an Independent Board Member. As Chair, this
Independent Board Member leads the Board in its activities. The Board Members have determined that the Board's leadership and
committee structure is appropriate because the Board believes it sets the proper tone to the relationships between the Funds, on
the one hand, and the Manager, the subadviser(s) and certain other principal service providers, on the other, and facilitates the exercise
of the Board's independent judgment in evaluating and managing the relationships. In addition, the structure efficiently allocates responsibility
among committees.
The Board has concluded that, based on each Board Member's experience, qualifications,
attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Board Members, each Board Member should serve
as a Board Member. Among other attributes common to all Board Members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question
and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the various service providers to the Funds, and to exercise
reasonable business judgment in the performance of their duties as Board Members. A Board Member's ability to perform his or her duties
effectively may have been attained through a Board Member's educational background or professional training; business, consulting,
public service or academic positions; experience from service as a Board Member of the Funds, other funds in the Fund Complex, public
companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations; or other experiences. Set forth below is a brief discussion of the
specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Board Member that led the Board to conclude that he or she should serve as a
Board Member.
17
Morris L. McNair, III. Mr. McNair joined the Board of PGIM Rock ETF Trust and PGIM Credit Income Fund in
2023 and PGIM Private Real Estate Fund and PGIM Private Credit Fund in 2022. Mr. McNair has held senior
executive positions in the financial services industry, including having served on an audit committee and has over 28 years of private
credit markets and special situations investing experience.
Mary Lee Schneider. Ms. Schneider joined the Board of PGIM Rock ETF Trust and PGIM Credit Income Fund
in 2023 and PGIM Private Real Estate Fund and PGIM Private Credit Fund in 2022. Ms. Schneider has served in
a variety of senior leadership positions — including CEO and CTO — in the publishing, printing and educational services industries. She also has years of experience in the non-profit sector, including serving on Penn State University’s Board of Trustees and Mercy Home for Boys & Girls’ Leader Council.
Thomas M. Turpin. Mr. Turpin joined the Board of PGIM Rock ETF Trust and PGIM Credit Income Fund in
2023 and PGIM Private Real Estate Fund and PGIM Private Credit Fund in 2022. Mr. Turpin has worked in the asset
management industry for over 30 years and served as a senior executive in an asset management firm.
Scott E. Benjamin. Mr. Benjamin, an Interested Trustee of PGIM Rock ETF Trust since 2023, has served
as a Vice President of PGIM Rock ETF Trust since 2023, and other funds in the PGIM Investments Retail Fund Complex
since 2009. Mr. Benjamin has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2003 and also serves as an Interested Board Member
of the PGIM Investments Retail Funds since 2010.
Specific details about each Board Member's professional experience appear in the professional
biography tables, above.
Risk Oversight. Investing in general and the operation of a registered investment company involve
a variety of risks, such as investment risk, compliance risk, and operational risk, among others. The Board oversees risk
as part of its oversight of the Funds. Risk oversight is addressed as part of various regular Board and committee activities. The Board, directly
or through its committees, reviews reports from among others, the Manager, subadvisers, the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer, the Funds'
independent registered public accounting firm, counsel, and internal auditors of the Manager or its affiliates, as appropriate,
regarding risks faced by the Funds and the risk management programs of the Manager and certain service providers. The actual day-to-day
risk management with respect to the Funds resides with the Manager and other service providers to the Funds. Although the risk
management policies of the Manager and the service providers are designed to be effective, those policies and their implementation
vary among service providers and over time, and there is no guarantee that they will be effective. Not all risks that may affect the
Funds can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and some risks are
simply beyond any control of the Funds or the Manager, its affiliates or other service providers.
Selection of Board Member Nominees. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for considering nominees for
Board Members at such times as it considers electing new members to the Board. The Nominating
and Governance Committee may consider recommendations by business and personal contacts of current Board Members, and by
executive search firms which the Nominating and Governance Committee may engage from time to time and will also consider shareholder
recommendations. The Nominating and Governance Committee has not established specific, minimum qualifications that it
believes must be met by a nominee. In evaluating nominees, the Nominating and Governance Committee considers, among other things, an
individual's background, skills, and experience; whether the individual is an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act; and whether the individual would be deemed an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of applicable SEC rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee
also considers whether the individual's background, skills, and experience will complement
the background, skills, and experience of other nominees and will contribute to the diversity of the Board. There are no differences
in the manner in which the Nominating and Governance Committee evaluates nominees for the Board based on whether the nominee
is recommended by a shareholder.
A shareholder who wishes to recommend an individual for nomination should submit his
or her recommendation in writing to the Chair of the Board or the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, in either case
in care of the specified Fund(s), at 655 Broad Street, 6th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. At a minimum, the recommendation should include:
the name, address and business, educational and/or other pertinent background of the person being recommended;
a statement concerning whether the person is an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act; any other information that the Funds would be required
to include in a proxy statement concerning the person if he or she was nominated; and the name and
address of the person submitting the recommendation, together with the number of Fund shares held by such person and the
period for which the shares have been held. The recommendation also can include any additional information which the person submitting
it believes would assist the Nominating and Governance Committee in evaluating the recommendation.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 18
Shareholders should note that a person who owns securities issued by Prudential (the
parent company of the Funds' Manager) would be deemed an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. In addition, certain other relationships with Prudential or its
subsidiaries, with registered broker-dealers, or with the Funds' outside legal counsel may cause a person
to be deemed an “interested person.” Before the Nominating and Governance Committee decides to nominate an individual for election
to the Board, Committee members and other Board Members customarily interview the individual in person. In addition, the individual
customarily is asked to complete a detailed questionnaire which is designed to elicit information which must be disclosed under
SEC and stock exchange rules and to determine whether the individual is subject to any statutory disqualification from serving on
the board of a registered investment company.
Share Ownership. Information relating to each Board Member's Fund share ownership and in all registered
funds in the PGIM Investments-advised funds that are overseen by the respective Board Member as of the
most recently completed calendar year is set forth in the chart below.
|
Name
|
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Funds
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Board Member in Fund Complex
|
|
Board Member Share Ownership: Independent Board Members
|
||
|
Morris L. McNair, III
|
None
|
None
|
|
Mary Lee Schneider
|
None
|
None
|
|
Thomas M. Turpin
|
None
|
None
|
|
Board Member Share Ownership: Interested Board Members
|
||
|
Scott E. Benjamin
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
None of the Independent Board Members, or any member of his/her immediate family,
owned beneficially or of record any securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of a Fund or a person (other than a
registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or
principal underwriter of a Fund as of the most recently completed calendar year.
Shareholder Communications with Board Members. Shareholders can communicate directly with Board Members by writing to the Chair
of the Board, c/o the Funds, 655 Broad Street, 6th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Shareholders can communicate directly with
an individual Board Member by writing to that Board Member, c/o the Funds, 655 Broad
Street, 6th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Such communications to the Board or individual Board Members are not screened
before being delivered to the addressee.
MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS
MANAGER. The Manager’s address is 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. The Manager serves as manager to all of the other investment companies that comprise the PGIM mutual funds, closed end funds and
ETFs. See the Prospectus for more information about PGIM Investments. As of February 29, 2024, the Manager served as
the investment manager to all of the Prudential US and offshore open-end investment companies, and as administrator to closed-end
investment companies, with aggregate assets of approximately $302.2 billion.
The Manager is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PIFM Holdco, LLC, which is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of PGIM Holding Company LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential.
Pursuant to a management agreement with the Trust on behalf of each Fund (the “Management Agreement”), PGIM Investments, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated policies
of the Funds, manages both the investment operations of the Funds and the composition of each Fund's portfolio, including the purchase,
retention, disposition and loan of securities and other assets. In connection therewith, the Manager is obligated to keep certain books and
records of the Funds. The Manager is authorized to enter into subadvisory agreements for investment advisory services in connection with
the management of each Fund. The Manager will continue to have responsibility for all investment advisory services performed pursuant
to any such subadvisory agreements. PGIM Investments will review the performance of the subadviser(s) and make recommendations
to the Board with respect to the retention of subadvisers and the renewal of contracts. The Manager also administers each Fund's
business affairs and, in connection therewith, furnishes the Funds with office facilities, together with those ordinary clerical
and bookkeeping services which are not being furnished by the Funds’ custodian (the “Custodian”). The management services of PGIM Investments to each Fund are not exclusive under
the terms of the Management Agreement and PGIM Investments is free to, and does, render management
services to others.
19
PGIM Investments may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management fee.
Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Funds’ total return. These voluntary waivers may be terminated at any time without notice. To the extent that PGIM Investments agrees to waive its fee, it may enter into a relationship agreement with the subadviser to
share the economic impact of the fee waiver or expense subsidy.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust has approved a unitary management fee structure
for the Funds, pursuant to which, the Manager is responsible for paying substantially all the expenses of the Funds, excluding payments under the Funds’ 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage fees, costs of holding
shareholder meetings, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses.
In connection with its management of the corporate affairs of the Funds, PGIM Investments
bears the following expenses:
■
Expenses of any subadviser of the Funds, the Funds’ transfer agent, registrar, distributor, depository, dividend disbursing agent, securities lending agent, any index calculation, maintenance or dissemination agent,
accounting services provider, and the agent responsible for calculating the current value of portfolio positions for dissemination
during the business day;
■
All fees and expenses of the Custodian that relate to the Funds, including (i) the
custodial function and the recordkeeping connected therewith, (ii) preparing and maintaining the general accounting records of the Funds,
and (iii) the pricing or valuation of the shares of the Funds;
■
Expenses of obtaining quotations for calculating the value of the Funds’ net assets and expenses relating to the computation of the Funds’ net asset value;
■
Expenses of maintaining the Funds’ tax records;
■
Recordkeeping fees and expenses for shareholder accounts;
■
Costs and/or fees, including legal fees, incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Funds’ product descriptions (unless such expenses are paid for pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan or related agreement),
notices and reports of each Fund to its shareholders and other related communications of each Fund to its shareholders (other
than those that are paid by the Funds), the expenses of preparing, setting in print, printing and distributing prospectuses and
statements of additional information and any supplements thereto (unless such expenses are paid for pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 distribution
plan or related agreement), the filing of reports with regulatory bodies, the maintenance of each Fund’s existence and qualification to do business, and the expenses of issuing, redeeming, registering and qualifying for sale, shares with federal and state
securities authorities;
■
Any licensing fees necessary for the operation of the Trust and the Funds;
■
Any costs related to the use of any index for which an affiliated person, or an affiliated
person of an affiliated person, of the Trust, Funds, Manager, any subadviser, the distributor or promoter of the Fund serves as
index provider, as such may be required by the 1940 Act or any exemptive relief relied upon under the 1940 Act;
■
The Funds’ ordinary legal fees, including fees that arise in the ordinary course of business in connection with listing shares of the Funds on a securities exchange;
■
Fees and expenses of independent accountants for the Funds;
■
Costs of printing certificates (if any) representing shares of the Funds;
■
Each Fund’s pro rata portion of the fidelity bond or other insurance premiums;
■
Association membership dues;
■
Organizational and offering expenses, and any other expenses which are capitalized
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
■
Fees and expenses of Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act; and
■
Salaries and expenses of all employees of the Trust and the Manager.
Under the terms of the Management Agreement, each Fund is responsible for the payment
of the following expenses:
■
Taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, stamp, transfer and withholding
taxes) and governmental fees, if any, levied against the Fund;
■
Brokerage fees, commissions and other portfolio transaction expenses incurred for
the Funds, including acquired fund fees and expenses and expenses of other pooled investment vehicles and expenses relating to
creation and redemption transactions;
■
Costs, including the interest expenses and any loan commitment or other associated
fees, of borrowing money;
■
Expenses incurred pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan or related agreement,
including distribution fees;
■
Expenses incident to meetings of each Fund’s shareholders and the associated preparation, filing and mailing of associated notices and proxy statements; and
■
Extraordinary expenses, including extraordinary legal expenses, as may arise including
expenses incurred in connection with litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, proceedings, other claims and the legal obligations
of the Funds to indemnify its Trustees, officers, employees, shareholders, distributors, the Manager, and agents with respect thereto;
and
■
The management fee payable to PGIM Investments.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 20
Each Management Agreement provides that PGIM Investments will not be liable for any
error of judgment by PGIM Investments or for any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the matters to which the Management
Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the 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 loss
resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard
by it of its obligations and duties under the Management Agreement. Each Management Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically
if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act), and that it may be terminated without penalty by the Fund by the Board or vote
of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), or by PGIM Investments, without penalty, upon
not more than 60 days', nor less than 30 days', written notice to the Fund. Each Management Agreement will continue in effect for
a period of more than two years from the date of execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually
in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Pursuant to each Management Agreement, PGIM Investments is entitled to receive the
fees set forth below, payable monthly based on each Fund’s average daily net assets. Under each Management Agreement, PGIM Investments is responsible for substantially all the expenses of the Funds, excluding payments noted above.
Contractual Management Fee Rate:
The Management Fee rate for each of the Funds is:
0.00% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.
Since the Funds are newly-organized, they did not pay management fees during the last
three fiscal years.
SUBADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS. The Manager has entered into a subadvisory agreement (the “Subadvisory Agreement”) with the Funds' subadviser. Each Subadvisory Agreement provides that the subadviser will furnish investment
advisory services in connection with the management of the Funds. In connection therewith, the subadviser is obligated to keep
certain books and records of the Funds. Under the Subadvisory Agreement, the subadviser, subject to the supervision of PGIM Investments,
is responsible for managing the assets of the Funds in accordance with the Funds' investment objectives, policies and restrictions.
The subadviser determines what securities and other instruments are purchased and sold for the Funds and is responsible for obtaining
and evaluating financial data relevant to the Funds. PGIM Investments continues to have responsibility for all investment advisory
services pursuant to the Management Agreements and supervises the subadviser's performance of such services.
As discussed in the Prospectuses, PGIM Investments employs the subadviser under a
“manager of managers” structure that allows PGIM Investments to replace the subadviser or amend a Subadvisory Agreement without
seeking shareholder approval. The Subadvisory Agreement provide that they will terminate in the event of their assignment (as defined
in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the respective Management Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated by the
Funds, PGIM Investments, or the subadviser upon not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice. Each Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will continue in effect
for a period of not more than two years from its execution only so long as such continuance
is specifically approved at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Any new subadvisory agreement or amendment to a Fund’s Management Agreement or Subadvisory Agreement that directly or indirectly results in an increase
in the aggregate management fee rate payable by the Fund will be submitted to the Fund’s shareholders for their approval.
The applicable fee rates payable by PGIM Investments for the indicated fiscal years
are set forth below. Subadvisory fees are based on the average daily net assets of each Fund, calculated and paid on a monthly basis,
at the fee rate as set forth in the Subadvisory Agreement. Subadvisory fees are paid by PGIM Investments out of the management fee
that it receives from the Fund.
Contractual Subadvisory Fee Rate:
The Subadvisory Fee rate for each of the Funds is:
0.00% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.
Since the Funds are newly-organized, they did not pay subadvisory fees during the
last three fiscal years.
The Manager pays the subadviser for its services under the Subadvisory Agreement in
the amount and on the terms stated in the agreement. Because the subadviser is an affiliate, the Manager may from time to time
share certain of its profits with, or allocate other resources to, the subadviser. Any such payments by the Manager to the subadviser will be from the Manager’s own resources.
21
THE FUNDS’ PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED
The table below identifies the number and total assets of other registered investment
companies and other types of investment accounts managed by each portfolio manager. For each category, the number of investment accounts
and total assets in the investment accounts whose fees are based on performance, if any, is indicated in italics typeface. Information shown below is as of each Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, unless noted otherwise.
|
Other Funds and Investment Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers*
|
|||||
|
Funds
|
Subadviser
|
Portfolio
Manager
|
Registered
Investment
Companies**
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles**
|
Other
Accounts/
Total Assets**
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF
|
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
|
Marco Aiolfi, PhD
|
33/$37,405,358,987
|
1/$45,121,526
|
1/$241,351,947
|
|
|
|
John Hall, CFA
|
2/$3,999,347
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
|
Lorne Johnson, PhD
|
2/$3,999,347
|
None
|
None
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF
|
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
|
Marco Aiolfi, PhD
|
33/$37,405,358,987
|
1/$45,121,526
|
1/$241,351,947
|
|
|
|
John Hall, CFA
|
2/$3,999,347
|
None
|
None
|
|
|
|
Lorne Johnson, PhD
|
2/$3,999,347
|
None
|
None
|
* Accounts are managed on a team basis. If a portfolio manager is a member of a team,
any account managed by that team is included in the number of accounts and total assets
for such portfolio manager (even if such portfolio manager is not primarily involved in
the day-to-day management of the account).
“Other Pooled Investment Vehicles” includes commingled insurance company separate accounts, commingled trust funds and
other commingled investment vehicles. “Other Accounts” includes single client accounts, managed accounts (which are counted as one account
per managed account platform), asset allocation clients, and accounts of affiliates.
** Since the Funds are newly organized, information is as of December 31, 2023.
THE FUNDS’ PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS
The table below identifies the dollar value (in ranges) of investments beneficially
held by, and financial interests awarded to, each portfolio manager, if any, in each Fund and in other investment accounts managed by,
or which have an individual portion or sleeve managed by, each portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, objectives
and policies similar to each Fund. Information shown below is as of each Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, unless noted otherwise.
|
Personal Investments and Financial Interests of the Portfolio Managers
|
||
|
Subadviser
|
Portfolio Managers
|
Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Funds and Similar
Strategies**
|
|
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
|
Marco Aiolfi, PhD
|
None
|
|
|
John Hall, CFA
|
None
|
|
|
Lorne Johnson, PhD
|
None
|
*“Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies” include the indicated Fund and all other investment accounts which are managed by
the same portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, investment objectives and policies that
are similar to those of the Fund. “Other Investment Accounts” in similar strategies include other Prudential registered investment companies, insurance company separate accounts, and collective
and commingled trusts. “Investments” include holdings in the Fund and in investment accounts in similar strategies, including shares or units that may be held through a 401(k)
plan and/or deferred compensation plan. “Other Financial Interests” include interests in the Fund and in investment accounts in similar strategies resulting from awards under an investment professional’s long-term compensation plan, where such awards track the performance of certain strategies and are subject to increase or decrease based on the annual performance
of such strategies. The dollar ranges for each Portfolio Manager's investment in the
Funds are as follows: Marco Aiolfi, PhD: None; John Hall, CFA: None and Lorne Johnson, PhD: None.
**Since the Funds are newly organized, information is as of December 31, 2023.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS—COMPENSATION AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Set forth below is an explanation of the structure of, and methods used to determine, portfolio manager
compensation. Also set forth below is an explanation of any material conflicts of interest that may arise between a portfolio manager's
management of the Fund's investments and investments in other accounts.
PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC (“PGIM Quantitative Solutions”)
COMPENSATION. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ investment professionals are compensated through a combination of base salary, a performance-based annual cash incentive bonus and an annual long-term incentive grant.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions regularly utilizes third party surveys to compare its compensation program against leading asset management
firms to monitor competitiveness.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 22
An investment professional’s incentive compensation, including both the annual cash bonus and long-term incentive grant, is largely driven by a person’s contribution to PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ goal of providing investment performance to clients consistent with portfolio objectives, guidelines and risk parameters, as well as such person’s qualitative contributions to the organization. An investment professional’s long-term incentive grant is currently divided into two components: (i) 80% of the value of the grant is based on the performance of certain PGIM Quantitative Solutions strategies, and (ii) 20% of the
value of the grant consists of restricted stock of Prudential Financial, Inc. (PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ ultimate parent company). Both such values are subject to increase or decrease. The long-term incentive grants are subject to vesting requirements. The incentive
compensation of each investment professional is not based solely or directly on the performance of the Fund (or any other individual account
managed by PGIM Quantitative Solutions) or the value of the assets of the Fund (or any other individual account managed by PGIM Quantitative
Solutions).
The annual cash bonus pool is determined quantitatively based on two primary factors:
1) investment performance of composites representing PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ various investment strategies on a 1-year and 3-year basis relative to appropriate market peer groups and the indices against which PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ strategies are managed, and 2) business results as measured by PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ pretax income.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Like other investment advisers, PGIM Quantitative Solutions is subject to various
conflicts of interest in the ordinary course of its business. PGIM Quantitative Solutions strives to identify potential
risks, including conflicts of interest, that are inherent in its business, and conducts annual conflict of interest reviews. When actual
or potential conflicts of interest are identified, PGIM Quantitative Solutions seeks to address such conflicts through one or more of
the following methods:
■
Elimination of the conflict;
■
Disclosure of the conflict; or
■
Management of the conflict through the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions follows Prudential Financial’s Standards on business ethics, personal securities trading, and information barriers. PGIM Quantitative Solutions has adopted a code of ethics, allocation policies
and conflicts of interest policies, among others, and has adopted supervisory procedures to monitor compliance with its policies. PGIM
Quantitative Solutions cannot guarantee, however, that its policies and procedures will detect and prevent, or result in the
disclosure of, each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.
Side-by-Side Management of Accounts and Related Conflicts of Interest
Side-by-side management of multiple accounts can create incentives for PGIM Quantitative Solutions to favor one account over another. Examples are detailed below, followed by a discussion of how PGIM Quantitative Solutions addresses these conflicts.
Asset-Based Fees vs. Performance-Based Fees; Other Fee Considerations. PGIM Quantitative Solutions manages accounts with asset-based fees alongside accounts with performance-based fees. Asset-based fees are calculated based on the value of a client’s portfolio at periodic measurement dates or over specified periods of time. Performance-based
fees are generally based on a share of the total return of a portfolio, and may offer greater upside potential to PGIM Quantitative
Solutions than asset-based fees, depending on how the fees are structured. This side-by-side management could create an incentive
for PGIM Quantitative Solutions to favor one account over another. Specifically, PGIM Quantitative Solutions could have the incentive
to favor accounts for which it receives performance fees, and possibly take greater investment risks in those accounts, in
order to bolster performance and increase its fees. In addition, since fees are negotiable, one client may be paying a higher fee than another
client with similar investment objectives or goals. In negotiating fees, PGIM Quantitative Solutions takes into account a number of factors
including, but not limited to, the investment strategy, the size of a portfolio being managed, the relationship with the client,
and the required level of service. Fees may also differ based on account type. For example, fees for commingled vehicles, including those
that PGIM Quantitative Solutions subadvises, may differ from fees charged for single client accounts.
Long Only/Long-Short Accounts. PGIM Quantitative Solutions manages accounts that only allow it to hold securities
long as well as accounts that permit short selling. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may, therefore, sell
a security short in some client accounts while holding the same security long in other client accounts, creating the possibility that PGIM
Quantitative Solutions is taking inconsistent positions with respect to a particular security in different client accounts.
Compensation/Benefit Plan Accounts/Other Investments by Investment Professionals. PGIM Quantitative Solutions manages certain funds and strategies whose performance is considered in determining long-term incentive
plan benefits for certain investment professionals. Investment professionals involved in the management of accounts in these strategies
have an incentive to favor them over other accounts they manage in order to increase their compensation. Additionally, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ investment professionals may have an interest in funds in those strategies if the funds are chosen as options in
their 401(k) or deferred compensation plans offered by Prudential or if they otherwise invest in those funds directly.
23
Affiliated Accounts. PGIM Quantitative Solutions manages accounts on behalf of its affiliates as well as
unaffiliated accounts. PGIM Quantitative Solutions could have an incentive to favor accounts of affiliates over
others.
Non-Discretionary Accounts or Model Portfolios. PGIM Quantitative Solutions provides non-discretionary model portfolios to some clients
and manages other portfolios on a discretionary basis. When PGIM Quantitative Solutions
manages accounts on a non-discretionary basis, the investment team will typically deliver a model portfolio to a non-discretionary
client at or around the same time as executing discretionary trades in the same strategy. The non-discretionary clients may be disadvantaged
if PGIM Quantitative Solutions delivers the model investment portfolio to them after it initiates trading for the discretionary
clients, or vice versa.
Large Accounts/Higher Fee Strategies. Large accounts typically generate more revenue than do smaller accounts and certain
strategies have higher fees than others. As a result, a portfolio manager has an incentive when
allocating investment opportunities to favor accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for PGIM Quantitative Solutions.
Securities of the Same Kind or Class. PGIM Quantitative Solutions sometimes buys or sells, or directs or recommends that
a client buy or sell, securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for another
client, at prices that may be different. Although such pricing differences could appear as preferences for one client over another, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ trade execution in each case is driven by its consideration of a variety of factors as we seek the most advantageous
terms reasonably attainable in the circumstances. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may also, at any time, execute trades of securities of
the same kind or class in one direction for an account and in the opposite direction for another account, or not trade in any other account.
Opposite way trades are generally due to differences in investment strategy, portfolio composition, or client direction.
How PGIM Quantitative Solutions Addresses These Conflicts of Interest
The conflicts of interest described above with respect to PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ different types of side-by-side management could influence PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ allocation of investment opportunities as well as its timing, aggregation and allocation of trades. PGIM Quantitative Solutions has developed policies and procedures designed to address
these conflicts of interest. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Conflicts of Interest and related policies stress that investment decisions are to be made in accordance with the fiduciary duties owed to each account without giving consideration to PGIM Quantitative Solutions or PGIM Quantitative Solutions personnel’s pecuniary, investment or other financial interests.
In keeping with its fiduciary obligations, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ policies with respect to allocation and aggregation are to treat all of its accounts fairly and equitably over time. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ investment strategies generally require that PGIM Quantitative Solutions invest its clients’ assets in securities that are publicly traded. PGIM Quantitative Solutions generally does not participate in initial public offerings. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ investment strategies are team managed, reducing the likelihood that one portfolio would be favored over other portfolios managed by the team. These factors reduce the
risk that PGIM Quantitative Solutions could favor one client over another in the allocation of investment opportunities. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ compliance procedures with respect to these policies include independent reviews by its compliance unit of the timing, allocation
and aggregation of trades, allocation of investment opportunities and the performance of similarly managed accounts. These
procedures are designed to detect patterns and anomalies in PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ side-by-side management and trading so that PGIM Quantitative Solutions may take measures to correct or improve its processes. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Trade Management Oversight Committee, which consists of senior members of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ management team, reviews, among other things, trading patterns, execution impact on client accounts and broker performance, on a periodic basis.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions rebalances portfolios periodically with frequencies that
vary with market conditions and investment objectives and may differ across portfolios in the same strategy based on variations
in portfolio characteristics and constraints. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may choose to aggregate trades for multiple portfolios rebalanced
on any given day, where appropriate and consistent with its duty of best execution. Orders are generally allocated at the
time of the transaction or as soon as possible thereafter, on a pro rata basis equal to each account’s appetite for the issue when such appetite can be determined.
With respect to PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ management of long-short and long only active equity accounts, the security weightings (positive or negative) in each account are typically determined by a quantitative
algorithm. An independent review is performed by the compliance unit to assess whether any such positions would represent a departure from
the quantitative algorithm used to derive the positions in each portfolio. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ review is intended to identify situations where PGIM Quantitative Solutions would seem to have conflicting views of the same security in different portfolios, although
such views may actually be reasonable due to differing portfolio constraints.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Relationships with Affiliates and Related Conflicts of Interest
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 24
As an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, PGIM Quantitative
Solutions is part of a diversified, global financial services organization. PGIM Quantitative Solutions is affiliated with many types of
U.S. and non-U.S. financial service providers, including insurance companies, broker-dealers, commodity trading advisors, commodity
pool operators and other investment advisers. Some of its employees are officers of and/or provide services to some of these affiliates.
Conflicts Related to PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Affiliations
Conflicts Arising Out of Legal Restrictions. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may be restricted by law, regulation, contract or other
constraints as to how much, if any, of a particular security it may purchase or sell on behalf
of a client, and as to the timing of such purchase or sale. Sometimes these restrictions apply as a result of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. For example, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ holdings of a security on behalf of its clients are required, under certain regulations, to be aggregated with the holdings of that security by other Prudential Financial
affiliates. These holdings could, on an aggregate basis, exceed certain reporting or ownership thresholds. Prudential tracks these aggregate
holdings and PGIM Quantitative Solutions may restrict purchases, sell existing investments, or otherwise restrict, forego or limit
the exercise of rights to avoid crossing such thresholds because of the potential consequences to PGIM Quantitative Solutions, Prudential or PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ clients if such thresholds are exceeded. In addition, PGIM Quantitative Solutions could receive material,
non-public information with respect to a particular issuer from an affiliate and, as a result, be unable to execute purchase
or sale transactions in securities of that issuer for its clients. PGIM Quantitative Solutions is generally able to avoid receiving material,
non-public information from its affiliates by maintaining information barriers to prevent the transfer of information between affiliates. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ trading of Prudential Financial common stock for its clients’ portfolios also presents a conflict of interest and, consequently, PGIM Quantitative Solutions does so only when permitted by its clients.
The Fund may be prohibited from engaging in transactions with its affiliates even
when such transactions may be beneficial for the Fund. Certain affiliated transactions are permitted in accordance with procedures
adopted by the Fund and reviewed by the independent board members of the Fund.
Conflicts Related to PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Multi-Asset Class Services. PGIM Quantitative Solutions performs asset allocation services as subadviser for affiliated mutual funds managed or co-managed by the Manager.
Where, in these arrangements, PGIM Quantitative Solutions also manages underlying funds or accounts within asset classes
included in the mutual fund guidelines, PGIM Quantitative Solutions will allocate assets to such underlying funds, vehicles or
accounts. In these circumstances, PGIM Quantitative Solutions receives both an asset allocation fee and a management fee. As a result,
PGIM Quantitative Solutions has an incentive to allocate assets to an asset class or vehicle that it manages in order to increase
its fees. To help mitigate this conflict, the compliance group reviews the asset allocation to determine that the investments were made within
the guidelines established for each asset class or fund.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ affiliates can have an incentive to seek to influence PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ asset allocation decisions, for example to facilitate hedging or improve profit margins. Through training and
the establishment of communication barriers, however, PGIM Quantitative Solutions seeks to avoid any influence by its affiliates and implements
its asset allocation decisions solely in what PGIM Quantitative Solutions believes to be the best interests of the funds and in
compliance with applicable guidelines. PGIM Quantitative Solutions also believes that it makes such allocations in a manner consistent
with its fiduciary obligations.
In certain arrangements, PGIM Quantitative Solutions subadvises mutual funds for the
Manager through a program where they have selected PGIM Quantitative Solutions as a manager, resulting in PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ collection of subadvisory fees from them. The Manager also selects managers for some of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ asset allocation products and, in certain cases, is compensated by PGIM Quantitative Solutions for these services under service agreements.
The Manager and PGIM Quantitative Solutions may have a mutual incentive to continue these types of arrangements that
benefit both companies. These and other types of conflicts of interest are reviewed to verify that appropriate oversight is performed.
Conflicts Related to PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Financial Interests and the Financial Interests of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Affiliates.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions, Prudential Financial, Inc., The Prudential Insurance
Company of America (PICA) and other affiliates of PGIM Quantitative Solutions have financial interests in, or relationships with, companies
whose securities PGIM Quantitative Solutions holds, purchases or sells in its client accounts. Certain of these interests and relationships
are material to PGIM Quantitative Solutions or to the Prudential enterprise. At any time, these interests and relationships could
be inconsistent or in potential or actual conflict with positions held or actions taken by PGIM Quantitative Solutions on behalf of its client
accounts. For example, PGIM Quantitative Solutions invests in the securities of one or more clients for the accounts of other clients. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ affiliates sell various products and/or services to certain companies whose securities PGIM Quantitative Solutions
purchases and sells for its clients. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ affiliates hold public and private debt and equity securities of a large number of issuers. PGIM Quantitative
25
Solutions invests in some of the same issuers for its client accounts but at different
levels in the capital structure. For instance, PGIM Quantitative Solutions may invest client assets in the equity of companies whose debt
is held by an affiliate. Certain of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ affiliates (as well as directors of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ affiliates) are officers or directors of issuers in which PGIM Quantitative Solutions invests from time to time. These issuers may also be service
providers to PGIM Quantitative Solutions or its affiliates. In general, conflicts related to the financial interests described above
are addressed by the fact that PGIM Quantitative Solutions makes investment decisions for each client independently considering the
best economic interests of such client.
Certain of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ employees may offer and sell securities of, and interests in, commingled funds that PGIM Quantitative Solutions manages or subadvises. Employees may offer and sell securities
in connection with their roles as registered representatives of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (a broker-dealer
affiliate), or as officers, agents, or approved persons of other affiliates. There is an incentive for PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ employees to offer these securities to investors regardless of whether the investment is appropriate for such investor since increased assets in
these vehicles will result in increased advisory fees to PGIM Quantitative Solutions. In addition, although sales commissions are not paid
for such activities, such sales could result in increased compensation to the employee. To mitigate this conflict, PGIM Quantitative
Solutions performs suitability checks on new clients as well as on an annual basis with respect to all clients.
Conflicts Related to Long-Term Compensation
A portion of the long-term incentive grant of some of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ investment professionals will increase or decrease based on the performance of several of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ strategies over defined time periods. Consequently, some of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ portfolio managers from time to time have financial interests in the accounts they advise. To address potential conflicts related to these financial interests, PGIM Quantitative Solutions has procedures,
including supervisory review procedures, designed to verify that each of its accounts is managed in a manner that is consistent with PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ fiduciary obligations, as well as with the account’s investment objectives, investment strategies and restrictions. Specifically, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ chief investment officer will perform a comparison of trading costs between accounts in the strategies whose performance is considered in connection with the long-term incentive grant and other accounts, to
verify that such costs are consistent with each other or otherwise in line with expectations. The results of the analysis are discussed at a meeting of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Trade Management Oversight Committee.
Conflicts Related to Service Providers. PGIM Quantitative Solutions retains third party advisors and other service providers
to provide various services for PGIM Quantitative Solutions as well as for funds that PGIM Quantitative
Solutions manages or subadvises. A service provider may provide services to PGIM Quantitative Solutions or one of its funds while
also providing services to PGIM, Inc. (PGIM) other PGIM-advised funds, or affiliates of PGIM, and may negotiate rates in the context
of the overall relationship. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may benefit from negotiated fee rates offered to its funds and vice-versa. There is
no assurance, however, that PGIM Quantitative Solutions will be able to obtain advantageous fee rates from a given provider negotiated
by its affiliates based on their relationship with the service provider, or that it will know of such negotiated fee rates.
Conflicts of Interest in the Voting Process
Occasionally, a conflict of interest may arise in connection with proxy voting. For
example, the issuer of the securities being voted may also be a client or affiliate of PGIM Quantitative Solutions. When PGIM Quantitative
Solutions identifies an actual or potential conflict of interest between PGIM Quantitative Solutions and its clients or affiliates, PGIM Quantitative
Solutions votes in accordance with the policy of its proxy voting advisor rather than its own policy. In that manner, PGIM Quantitative
Solutions seeks to maintain the independence and objectivity of the vote.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
CUSTODIAN. The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”), 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as Custodian for each Fund’s portfolio securities and cash, and in that capacity, maintains certain financial accounting books and records pursuant to an agreement with each Fund. Subcustodians provide custodial services for any non-U.S.
assets held outside the United States. The Manager is responsible for compensating BNY under the Custodian Agreement.
TRANSFER AGENT. BNY, 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the transfer and dividend
disbursing agent of each Fund. BNY provides customary transfer agency services to the Funds, including the
handling of shareholder communications, the processing of shareholder transactions, the maintenance of shareholder account records,
the payment of dividends and distributions, and related functions. The Manager is responsible for compensating BNY under the Transfer
Agency and Service Agreement.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM. [______________________________] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm of each Fund, and in that capacity will audit the annual financial
statements for the next fiscal year.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 26
DISTRIBUTOR. Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (“PIMS” or the “Distributor”), 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410, acts as the distributor of the Funds. The Distributor is a subsidiary
of Prudential.
Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units.
The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus and, upon request, this SAI, to persons purchasing Creation Units and maintains records of both
orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the
Securities Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Although the Distributor does not receive any fees under the Distribution Agreement,
the Manager or its affiliates may pay the Distributor for certain distribution related
services.
Because the Funds are new, they have not made any payments for these services.
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12b-1) PLAN. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service (12b-1) Plan (the “12b-1 Plan”) with respect to shares of the Funds to permit the implementation of the Funds' method of
distribution. However, no 12b-1 Plan fee is currently charged to the Funds, and there are no plans in place to impose a 12b-1
Plan fee.
Under the terms of the 12b-1 Plan, the Trust is permitted to compensate, out of the
Funds' assets, in amounts up to an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Funds' shares, financial intermediaries
for costs and expenses incurred in connection with the distribution and marketing of the shares and/or the provision of certain shareholder
services to its customers that invest in shares of the Funds. Such services may include, but are not limited to, the following: marketing
and promotional services including advertising; providing facilities to answer questions from prospective investors about the Funds;
receiving and answering correspondence or responding to shareholder inquiries, including requests for prospectuses and statements
of additional information; and preparing, printing and delivering prospectuses and shareholder reports to prospective shareholders.
Fees paid pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan may be paid for shareholder services and the
maintenance of shareholder accounts, and therefore may constitute “service fees” for purposes of applicable rules of the FINRA. The 12b-1 Plan has been adopted in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act and will be administered in accordance
with the provisions of that rule.
The 12b-1 Plan provides that it may not be amended to materially increase the costs
which shareholders may bear under the 12b-1 Plan without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Funds and by vote of a majority of both: (i) the Trustees of the Trust; and (ii) those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the 12b-1 Plan or any agreements related
to it (the “Disinterested Trustees”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the 12b-1 Plan and any related amendments.
The 12b-1 Plan provides that it may not take effect until approved by vote of a majority of both: (i) the Trustees of the
Trust; and (ii) the Disinterested Trustees defined above.
Following the expiration of the one-year period commencing with the effectiveness
of the 12b-1 Plan, the 12b-1 Plan shall continue in effect so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the
Trustees and the Disinterested Trustees defined above. The 12b-1 Plan provides that an appropriate officer of the Funds shall provide
to the Trustees, and the Board of Trustees shall review at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts so expended and the purposes
for which such expenditures were made.
In addition, the Manager and its affiliates also may make payments out of their own
resources, at no cost to the Funds, to financial intermediaries for services which may be deemed to be primarily intended to result
in the sale of shares of the Funds. The payments described in this section may be significant to the payors and the payees.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRMS. The Manager and its affiliates may make payments (“Payments”) to certain broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) related to activities that are designed to make registered representatives, other
professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about the Funds or for other
activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology
platforms and/or reporting systems. The Manager and its affiliates may also make Payments to Intermediaries for certain printing,
publishing and mailing costs associated with the Funds or materials relating to exchange-traded funds in general. In addition, the Manager
and its affiliates may make Payments to Intermediaries that make Fund shares available to their clients or for otherwise promoting
the Funds. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as marketing support or revenue-sharing payments. Any Payments
made by the Manager and its affiliates will be made from its own assets and not from the assets of the Funds.
Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary. As a result, an
Intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services
to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive. Payments create conflicts of interest between
the Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds over other investments.
27
The Manager or its affiliates may determine to make Payments based on any number of
metrics. For example, the Manager and its affiliates may make Payments at year-end and/or other intervals in a fixed amount, an amount based upon an Intermediary’s services at defined levels, an amount based upon the total assets represented by funds subject
to arrangements with the Intermediary, or an amount based on the Intermediary’s net sales of one or more funds in a year or other period, any of which arrangements may include an agreed-upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing. A shareholder
should contact his or her Intermediary’s salesperson or other investment professional for more information regarding any Payments the Intermediary firm may receive.
In addition to the payments described above, the Manager and its affiliates may also
make payments to Intermediaries in connection with certain transaction fees (also referred to as “ticket charges”) incurred by Intermediaries.
In addition to the payments described above, the Manager and its affiliates may make
payments in connection with, or reimburse Intermediaries’ sponsorship and/or attendance, at conferences, seminars or informational meetings (“event support”), provide Intermediaries or their personnel with occasional tickets to events or other entertainment,
meals and small gifts (“other non-cash compensation”), and make charitable contributions to valid charitable organizations at the request
of Intermediaries (“charitable contributions”) to the extent permitted by applicable law, rules and regulations.
Independent financial intermediaries unaffiliated with the Manager and its affiliates
may perform shareholder servicing functions with respect to certain of their clients whose assets may be invested in the Funds. These
services may include the provision of ongoing information concerning the Funds and their investment performance, responding to shareholder
inquiries, and other services. The Manager and its affiliates may pay fees to such entities for the provision of these
services out of their own resources.
From time to time, the Manager and its affiliates may pay or reimburse broker-dealers,
banks or other financial institutions for the Manager and its affiliates’ attendance at investment forums sponsored by such firms, or the Manager and its affiliates may co-sponsor such investment forums with such financial institutions. Payments and reimbursements
for such activities are made out of the Manager and its affiliates’ own assets and at no cost to the Funds. Such activities may provide incentives to financial institutions to market shares of the Funds. Additionally, these activities may give the Manager and its affiliates
additional access to sales representatives of such financial institutions, which may increase sales of Fund shares.
No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Financial intermediaries
may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of Funds shares for reinvestment
of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their financial intermediary to determine the availability and costs
of the service and the details of participation therein. Financial intermediaries may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures
and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and net capital gains will be automatically
reinvested in additional whole shares of the Funds purchased in the secondary market.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS & BROKERAGE
The Funds have adopted a policy pursuant to which the Funds and their Manager, subadviser
and principal underwriter are prohibited from directly or indirectly compensating a broker-dealer for promoting or selling
Fund shares by directing brokerage transactions to that broker. The Funds have adopted procedures for the purpose of deterring and detecting
any violations of the policy. The policy permits the Funds, the Manager and the subadviser to use selling brokers to execute transactions
in portfolio securities so long as the selection of such selling brokers is the result of a decision that executing such transactions
is in the best interest of the Funds and is not influenced by considerations about the sale of Fund shares. For purposes of this section,
the term “Manager” includes the subadviser.
The Manager is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities, futures contracts
and options on such securities and futures for the Funds, the selection of brokers, dealers and futures commission merchants to effect
the transactions and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. On a national securities exchange, broker-dealers may receive
negotiated brokerage commissions on Fund portfolio transactions, including options, futures, and options on futures transactions and
the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon the exercise of options. On a non-U.S. securities exchange, commissions may be fixed.
Orders may be directed to any broker or futures commission merchant including, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable
laws, one of the Manager's affiliates (an affiliated broker). Brokerage commissions on U.S. securities, options and futures
exchanges or boards of trade are subject to negotiation between the Manager and the broker or futures commission merchant.
In the OTC market, securities are generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to
the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter,
generally referred to as the underwriter's
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 28
concession or discount. On occasion, certain money market instruments and U.S. Government
agency securities may be purchased directly from the issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid. The
Funds will not deal with an affiliated broker in any transaction in which an affiliated broker acts as principal except in accordance with
the rules of the SEC.
In placing orders for portfolio securities of the Funds, the Manager's overriding
objective is to obtain the best possible combination of favorable price and efficient execution. The Manager seeks to effect such transaction
at a price and commission that provides the most favorable total cost of proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. The factors
that the Manager may consider in selecting a particular broker, dealer or futures commission merchant (firms) are the Manager's
knowledge of negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transaction costs; the nature of the portfolio transaction;
the size of the transaction; the desired timing of the trade; the activity existing and expected in the market for the particular transaction;
confidentiality; the execution, clearance and settlement capabilities of the firms; the availability of research and research-related
services provided through such firms; the Manager's knowledge of the financial stability of the firms; the Manager's knowledge of actual
or apparent operational problems of firms; and the amount of capital, if any, that would be contributed by firms executing the transaction.
Given these factors, the Funds may pay transaction costs in excess of that which another firm might have charged for effecting
the same transaction.
When the Manager selects a firm that executes orders or is a party to portfolio transactions,
relevant factors taken into consideration are whether that firm has furnished research and research-related products and/or services,
such as research reports, research compilations, statistical and economic data, computer databases, quotation equipment
and services, research-oriented computer software and services, reports concerning the performance of accounts, valuations
of securities, investment-related periodicals, investment seminars and other economic services and consultations. Such services are
used in connection with some or all of the Manager's investment activities; some of such services, obtained in connection with
the execution of transactions for one investment account, may be used in managing other accounts, and not all of these services may
be used in connection with the Funds. The Manager maintains an internal allocation procedure to identify those firms who have
provided it with research and research-related products and/or services, and the amount that was provided, and to endeavor to direct
sufficient commissions to them to ensure the continued receipt of those services that the Manager believes provide a benefit to
the Funds and their other clients. The Manager makes a good faith determination that the research and/or service is reasonable in light
of the type of service provided and the price and execution of the related portfolio transactions.
When the Manager deems the purchase or sale of equities to be in the best interests
of the Funds or their other clients, including Prudential, the Manager may, but is under no obligation to, aggregate the transactions
in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of
the transactions, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner it considers to be most
equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to its clients. The allocation of orders among firms and the commission rates paid
are reviewed periodically by the Funds' Board. Portfolio securities may not be purchased from any underwriting or selling syndicate
of which any affiliate, during the existence of the syndicate, is a principal underwriter (as defined in the 1940 Act), except in accordance
with rules of the SEC. This limitation, in the opinion of the Funds, will not significantly affect the Funds' ability to pursue their
present investment objectives. However, in the future in other circumstances, the Funds may be at a disadvantage because of this limitation
in comparison to other funds with similar objectives but not subject to such limitations.
Subject to the above considerations, an affiliate may act as a broker or futures commission
merchant for the Funds. In order for an affiliate of the Manager to effect any portfolio transactions for the Funds, the commissions,
fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or
other remuneration paid to other firms in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities or futures being purchased
or sold on an exchange or board of trade during a comparable period of time. This standard would allow the affiliated broker to receive
no more than the remuneration which would be expected to be received by an unaffiliated firm in a commensurate arm's-length transaction.
Furthermore, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Board Members, has adopted procedures which are reasonably
designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to the affiliated broker (or any affiliate) are consistent
with the foregoing standard. In accordance with Section 11(a) of the 1934 Act, an affiliate may not retain compensation for effecting
transactions on a national securities exchange for the Funds unless the Funds have expressly authorized the retention of such compensation.
The affiliate must furnish to the Funds at least annually a statement setting forth the total amount of all compensation retained
by the affiliate from transactions effected for the Funds during the applicable period. Brokerage transactions with an affiliated broker
are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be imposed upon the affiliate by applicable law. Transactions in options by the Funds
will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges governing the maximum number of options which may be written or held
by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or held on the same or different
exchanges or are written or held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which the Funds
may write or hold may be affected by options written or held by the Manager and other investment advisory clients of the Manager.
An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.
29
The Funds may participate in a voluntary commission recapture program available through
Capital Institutional Services, Inc. (CAPIS). A subadviser participating in the program retains the responsibility to seek best execution
and is under no obligation to place any specific trades with a broker available through the program (each, a designated broker). A
portion of commissions on trades executed through designated brokers is rebated to the Funds as a credit that can be used by the Funds
to pay expenses of the Funds.
Because each Fund is new, it does not disclose its payment of commissions because
it has not yet completed a fiscal year.
The Funds are required to disclose their holdings of securities of their regular brokers
and dealers (as defined under Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) and their parents as of the most recently completed fiscal year. Because
the Funds are new, the Funds held no securities of their regular brokers and dealers as of the most recently completed fiscal year.
The below table shows the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates over the two most recently completed fiscal years:
|
Portfolio Turnover Rate
|
|
|
|
Fund name
|
2023*
|
2022*
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
* Because the Funds are new, this information is not available.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FUND HISTORY. PGIM Rock ETF Trust (the “Trust”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on August 30, 2023. The Trust is currently composed of the series listed below:
|
Current Series of the Trust
|
||
|
Name
|
Date Established
|
Date Operations Commenced
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – January
|
September 22, 2023
|
December 29, 2023
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – February
|
September 22, 2023
|
January 31, 2024
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – March
|
September 22, 2023
|
February 29, 2024
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – April
|
September 22, 2023
|
March 28, 2024
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – May
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – June
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – July
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – August
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – September
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – October
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – November
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 12% Buffer ETF – December
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – January
|
September 22, 2023
|
December 29, 2023
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – February
|
September 22, 2023
|
January 31, 2024
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – March
|
September 22, 2023
|
February 29, 2024
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF –April
|
September 22, 2023
|
March 28, 2024
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – May
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – June
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – July
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – August
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – September
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – October
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – November
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM US Large-Cap 20% Buffer ETF – December
|
September 22, 2023
|
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF
|
March 28, 2024
|
|
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 30
|
Current Series of the Trust
|
||
|
Name
|
Date Established
|
Date Operations Commenced
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF
|
March 28, 2024
|
|
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES AND ORGANIZATION.
The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest,
$0.001 par value per share, of one or more series and classes within any series and to divide or combine the shares of any series or
class without materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of such shares of such series or class in the assets held with respect to that series. In accordance with the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, the Board Members may authorize the creation of
additional series and classes within such series, with such preferences, privileges and rights as the Board Members may determine.
Shares of each Fund, when issued, are fully paid, nonassessable, and fully transferable.
Shares are also redeemable at the option of the Trust under certain circumstances. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription
rights. In the event of liquidation, each share of each Fund is entitled to its portion of all of the Fund’s assets after all debt and expenses of the Fund have been paid.
The Trust does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders unless otherwise
required by law. The Trust will not be required to hold meetings of shareholders unless, for example, the election of Board Members is
required to be acted on by shareholders under the 1940 Act. Shareholders have certain rights, including the right to call a meeting upon the written request of 10% of the Trust’s outstanding shares entitled to vote for the purpose of voting on the removal of one
or more Board Members.
Under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, the Board may authorize the creation
of additional series of shares (the proceeds of which would be invested in separate, independently managed portfolios with distinct
investment objectives and policies and share purchase, redemption and NAV procedures) with such preferences, privileges and rights
as the Board Members may determine. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional series, and all assets
in which such consideration is invested, would belong to that series (subject only to the rights of creditors of that series) and
would be subject to the liabilities related thereto.
The Board has the power to alter the number and the terms of office of the Board Members,
provided that at all times at least a majority of the Board Members have been elected by the shareholders of the Trust. The voting
rights of shareholders are not cumulative, so that holders of more than 50 percent of the shares voting can, if they choose, elect all
Board Members being selected, while the holders of the remaining shares would be unable to elect any Board Members.
In becoming a shareholder of a Fund, each shareholder is deemed to have expressly
agreed to be bound by the provisions of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust. Among other things, the Agreement and Declaration
of Trust includes a process for bringing derivative actions under Delaware law against the Trust and a forum selection clause
for law suits brought by shareholders. Shareholders should be aware that, notwithstanding the express language of the Agreement and Declaration
of Trust, shareholders' waivers of their rights under the federal securities laws may not be enforceable.
Section 9 of Article VIII of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides a detailed
process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders for claims other than federal securities law claims. This derivative
actions process is intended to protect the Trust and its shareholders from illegitimate shareholder demands and derivative actions. Prior to
bringing a derivative action, a demand by the complaining shareholder must first be made on the Trustees. Following receipt of the
demand, the Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to investigate and consider the demand. The Trustees will
be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the request and may require an undertaking by the shareholders
making such request to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any such advisors in the event that the Trustees determine not
to bring such action. Under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders are eligible to bring derivative actions under
Delaware law only if they collectively hold 10% or more of the total net asset value of all shares issued and outstanding of the Trust, or the
Fund or share class to which such action relates if it does not relate to all Funds and share classes. This 10% requirement does not apply
to claims arising under the federal securities laws.
Section 11 of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust also requires that actions by
shareholders be brought in the Delaware Court of Chancery, or if not permitted in the Court of Chancery, then in the Superior Court
of Delaware. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust further provides that the United States Federal District Courts shall be the sole
and exclusive forum for the resolution of any claims arising under any federal securities laws. In cases brought both in Delaware and Federal
District Courts, shareholders waive the right to jury trial to the fullest extent permitted by law.
31
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS
PGIM Investments LLC or an affiliate will own all (100%) initial seed capital shares
of each Fund as of the date of this SAI and shall be deemed a control person of each Fund. PGIM Investments is a New York limited liability
company. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may be able to determine the outcome of any matter affecting and
voted on by shareholders of each Fund. As of the date of this SAI, the Board Members and Officers of each Fund, as a group, owned less
than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Because each Fund is new, no financial information is available. When available, each Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports will be available upon request and without charge.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 32
PART II
CREATIONS AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES
The Funds issue and redeem their shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis
through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined herein), of
an order in proper form. Shares are not individually redeemable.
CREATION AND REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES. A transaction fee, as set forth in the table below, is imposed for the transfer and
other transaction costs associated with the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, as
applicable. An Authorized Participant is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement
with the Funds or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption
of Creation Units. Authorized Participants may be required to pay a fixed creation transaction fee and/or a fixed redemption transaction
fee, as applicable, for each transaction in a Creation Unit regardless of the number of Creation Units created or redeemed on that
day. These fees, if charged, are paid to the Custodian to offset costs associated with processing creation and redemption transactions.
The Funds may adjust the transaction fee from time to time. Authorized Participants transacting in creation units for cash
may pay an additional variable fee to compensate the Funds for transaction costs and market impact expenses relating to purchases or sales
of portfolio securities. With respect to creation orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the
Deposit Instruments to the account of the Trust and with respect to redemption orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs
of transferring the securities and other instruments received on redemption from the Trust to their designated account. Investors who use
the services of a broker or other such intermediary may also be charged a fee for such services.
From time to time, the Funds may waive all or a portion of their applicable transaction
fee(s).
The following table shows, as of the date of this SAI, the approximate value of one
Creation Unit of the Fund, fixed transaction fees and maximum additional charges for creations and redemptions (as described herein):
|
Fund
|
Approximate Value
of a Creation Unit
|
Size of a
Creation Unit
|
Fixed
Transaction Fee
|
Maximum Additional
Charge for Creations*
|
Maximum Additional
Charge for
Redemptions*
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12
ETF
|
[_____]
|
[_____]
|
$500
|
3.00%
|
2.00%
|
|
PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20
ETF
|
[_____]
|
[_____]
|
$500
|
3.00%
|
2.00%
|
*As a percentage of the NAV per Creation Unit, inclusive, in the case of redemptions,
of the fixed redemption transaction fee.
In its discretion, the Trust reserves the right to increase or decrease, from time
to time, the number of shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number
of shares outstanding of the Funds, and to make a corresponding change in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, in the
event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable
by the Board.
GENERAL. An Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible
for resale under Rule 144A.
A “Business Day” with respect to each Fund is any day each Fund is open for business, including any
day when it satisfies redemption requests as required by Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act. Each Fund is open for business
any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas Day.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING. The method by which Creation Units are created and traded may raise certain issues
under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by each Fund on an ongoing basis,
at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that
some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in
a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of
the 1933 Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter
if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent shares and sells such shares directly
to customers or if it chooses to couple the creation of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary
market demand for shares. A determination of
33
whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act must take into account
all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case and the examples
mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus.
This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available in respect of such transactions
as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act.
PORTFOLIO DEPOSIT. The consideration for a purchase of Creation Units may consist of an in-kind deposit
of a portfolio of securities and other instruments (the “Deposit Instruments”) and an amount of cash computed as described below (the “Cash Amount”). The Fund may permit or require that purchases of Creation Units be made entirely in cash. The
Fund may permit or require that purchases of Creation Units be made entirely in cash. The Cash Amount together with the Deposit
Instruments, as applicable, are referred to as the “Portfolio Deposit.” A Portfolio Deposit may consist solely of cash at the discretion of a Fund. A Portfolio
Deposit may be different than the portfolio each Fund will deliver upon redemption of Fund shares and each Fund
may accept “Custom Baskets.” Custom Baskets may include any of the following: (i) a basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of a Fund’s portfolio holdings; (ii) a representative basket that is different from the initial basket used in transactions
on the same business day; or (iii) a basket that contains bespoke cash substitutions for a single Authorized Participant. Each Fund has adopted
policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of baskets, including heightened requirements for certain
types of custom baskets. Such policies and procedures provide the parameters for the construction and acceptance of custom baskets,
and may take into account various factors in seeking to ensure that the custom basket is in the best interests of each Fund and
its shareholders. The policies and procedures distinguish among different types of custom baskets that may be used and impose different
requirements for different types of custom baskets in order to seek to mitigate against potential risks of conflicts and/or overreaching
by an Authorized Participant.
In the event a Fund requires Deposit Instruments and a Cash Amount in consideration
for purchasing a Creation Unit, the function of the Cash Amount is to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation
Unit and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Amount would be an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the
shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the aggregate market value of the Deposit Instruments.
If the Cash Amount is a positive number (the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant
will deliver the Cash Amount. If the Cash Amount is a negative number (the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the Deposit Amount), the
Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Amount. Computation of the Cash Amount excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees
and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Instruments, which shall be the sole responsibility
of the Authorized Participant.
BNY, the Administrative Agent, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation
(“NSCC”), makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the NYSE (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern
time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Instrument to be included in the current Portfolio
Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day), as well as information regarding the Cash Amount for each
Fund. Such Portfolio Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect creations of Creation Units
of each Fund until such time as the next-announced Portfolio Deposit composition is made available.
In addition, the Trust reserves the right to accept a basket of securities or cash
that differs from Deposit Instruments or to permit the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Amount to replace any Deposit Instrument or to accept securities or other instruments not included in the initial announcement of
the Deposit Instruments as determined by the Manager (or its delegate) pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust. In the case
of cash in lieu transactions, in order to seek to replicate the in-kind creation order process, the Trust expects to purchase the Deposit
Instruments represented by the cash in lieu amount in the secondary market (“Market Purchases”). In such cases where the Trust makes Market Purchases, the Authorized Participant may be required to reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference
between the market value at which the securities were purchased by the Trust and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at PGIM Investments’ discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees and taxes. Brokerage commissions incurred in connection with the Trust’s acquisition of Deposit Instruments may be at the expense of each Fund and will affect the value of all shares of each
Fund; but each Fund may charge the transaction fee to compensate for brokerage expenses.
PROCEDURES FOR CREATION OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to create Creation Units of a
Fund, an Authorized Participant must have a written agreement with a Fund or one of its service
providers (“Participant Agreement”) that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation
Units. All Creation Units of a Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of the Depository Trust Company DTC in the
name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC participant.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 34
All orders to create Creation Units must be placed in multiples of a certain number
of shares of each Fund. Except as described below, and in all cases subject to the terms of the applicable Participant Agreement, all
orders to create Creation Units, whether through the NSCC Clearing Process or outside the NSCC Clearing Process through DTC or otherwise,
must be received by the Distributor no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (“Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time or, for Custom Baskets, such earlier time set forth in the Participant Agreement), in each case on
the date such order is placed in order for creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of each Fund as determined on such
date. Each Fund reserves the right, upon notice to Authorized Participants pursuant to the respective Participant Agreement, to require
orders to be placed earlier than the Closing Time. The Business Day on which a creation order (or order to redeem as discussed below)
is placed is herein referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to
the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement or any associated document. Economic or market
disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized
Participant. Creation Units may be issued, in the sole discretion of the Trust, notwithstanding the failure to receive all or a portion
of the Portfolio Deposit on the settlement date. In such cases, the Authorized Participant will remain liable for the full deposit of the missing
portion(s) of the Portfolio Deposit and will be required to post collateral with the Trust consisting of cash at least equal to a
percentage of the marked-to-market value of such missing portion(s) that is specified in the Participant Agreement. The Trust may use such
collateral to buy the missing portion(s) of the Portfolio Deposit at any time and will subject such Authorized Participant to liability for
any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such securities and the value of such collateral. The Trust will have no liability
for any such shortfall. The Trust will return any unused portion of the collateral to the Authorized Participant once the entire Fund Deposit
has been properly received by the Distributor and deposited into the Trust.
Investors seeking to purchase Creation Units of a Fund through an Authorized Participant
must place such orders in the form required by such Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker
may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, orders to create Creation Units of a Fund may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. At any given time there may
be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement. Those placing orders to create Creation Units of
a Fund through the NSCC Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor
prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date.
Orders for creation that are effected outside the NSCC Clearing Process are likely
to require transmittal by the Authorized Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the NSCC Clearing Process.
Those persons placing orders outside the NSCC Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal
Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer
of Deposit Instruments and Cash Amount.
PLACEMENT OF CREATION ORDERS USING NSCC CLEARING PROCESS. For Portfolio Deposits created through the NSCC Clearing Process, the Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to transmit to the NSCC on behalf
of the Authorized Participant such trade instructions as are necessary to effect Authorized Participant’s creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions from the Distributor to the NSCC, the Authorized Participant agrees to transfer the requisite Deposit Instruments
(or contracts to purchase such Deposit Instruments that are expected to be delivered in a “regular way” manner) and the Cash Amount to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Each Fund reserve the
right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a delayed basis under certain circumstances compliant with applicable law. An order
to create Creation Units of a Fund through the NSCC Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if
(i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth
in the Participant Agreement and any ancillary documents are properly followed.
For orders effected outside the NSCC Clearing Process, the order must state that the
Authorized Participant is not using the NSCC Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected
through a transfer of securities and cash. The Portfolio Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion
so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Instruments through DTC to the account of the Trust by no later than 11:00
a.m. Eastern time, of the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit
Instruments to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities,
will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred
directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve wire system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later
than 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. An order to create Creation
Units of a Fund outside the NSCC Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is
received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant
Agreement and any ancillary documents are properly followed. However, if the Distributor does not receive both the requisite
Deposit Instruments and the Cash Amount in a timely fashion on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, such
order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the
35
Distributor, such cancelled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using
the Portfolio Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the current NAV of each Fund. Each Fund reserve the right to settle Creation
Unit transactions on a delayed basis under certain circumstances and compliant with applicable law.
Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions effected outside
the NSCC Clearing Process and in circumstances in which any cash can be used in lieu of Deposit Instruments to create
Creation Units. (See “Creation Transaction Fee” section below.)
The Distributor will inform the Transfer Agent, the Manager and the Custodian upon
receipt of a Creation Order that includes securities or other instruments custodied outside of the United States. The Custodian will then
provide such information to the appropriate subcustodian. The Custodian will cause the subcustodian of each Fund to maintain an
account into which the Deposit Instruments (or the cash value of all or part of such securities, in the case of a permitted or required
cash purchase or “cash in lieu” amount) will be delivered. Deposit Instruments must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable
local custodian. The Trust must also receive, on or before the contractual settlement date, immediately available or same
day funds estimated by the Custodian to be sufficient to pay the Cash Amount next determined after receipt in proper form of
the purchase order, together with applicable transaction fees.
Once the Transfer Agent has accepted a creation order, the Transfer Agent will confirm
the issuance of a Creation Unit of each Fund against receipt of payment, at such NAV as will have been calculated after receipt
in proper form of such order. The Transfer Agent will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance of such order.
ACCEPTANCE OF CREATION ORDERS. The Trust and the Distributor reserve the right to reject or revoke acceptance of
a creation order transmitted to it in respect of a Fund, for example, if (a) the order is not in proper
form; (b) the purchaser or group of related purchasers, upon obtaining the Creation Units of shares, would own 80% or more of the outstanding
shares of each Fund; (c) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of each Fund, be unlawful, as in the case
of a purchaser who was banned from trading in securities; or (d) there exist circumstances outside the control of each Fund that
make it impossible to process purchases of Creation Units of shares for all practical purposes. The Transfer Agent will notify a prospective
purchaser of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Custodian, any subcustodian and the Distributor are under no
duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits to Authorized Participants nor shall
either of them incur any liability to Authorized Participants for the failure to give any such notification. All questions as to the
number of shares of each security in the Deposit Instruments and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any
securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Units may be issued, in the sole discretion of the Trust, notwithstanding
the failure to deliver certain Deposit Instruments at settlement as described below. In these circumstances, in addition to available Deposit
Instruments, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Amount, plus (ii) at least 105%, which the
Trust may change from time to time, of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Instruments (the “Additional Cash Deposit”) with each Fund pending delivery of any missing Deposit Instruments.
If the Trust permits, and an Authorized Participant determines to post, an Additional
Cash Deposit as collateral for any undelivered Deposit Instruments, such Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the
appropriate amount of federal funds by 10:00 a.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the date of requested
settlement. If the Custodian does not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount by such time, then the order
may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to each Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom.
An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Custodian, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Instruments
to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 105% as required, which
the Trust may change from time to time, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Instruments. At any time, at the discretion
of the Trust, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Instruments. The Authorized Participant will
be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include
the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Instruments exceeds the market value of such Deposit Instruments on the
transmittal date plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused
portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Instruments have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased
by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee may be charged.
CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A fixed creation transaction fee generally is imposed on each creation transaction
regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased in the transaction. The amount of the creation transaction
fee as well as the maximum amount of any applicable variable charge for cash creations for each Fund are disclosed above. In
the case of cash creations or where the Trust permits a purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of depositing a portion of the Deposit
Instruments, the purchaser may be assessed an
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 36
additional variable charge to compensate each Fund for the costs associated with purchasing
the applicable securities. The Trust expects to purchase, in the secondary market or otherwise gain exposure to, the portfolio
securities that could have been delivered as a result of an in-kind creation order (“Market Purchases”). In such cases where the Trust makes Market Purchases, the Authorized Participant may be required to reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference
between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Trust and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at the Manager’s discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and
certain taxes (in each case which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). The Manager may
adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition of the creation securities changes or cash in lieu is added to the Cash
Amount to protect remaining shareholders. Purchasers of Creation Units are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities
constituting the Deposit Instruments to the account of the Trust.
REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt
of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor, only on a Business Day and only
through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. The Trust will not redeem shares in amounts less
than Creation Units. Beneficial owners also may sell shares in the secondary market, but must accumulate enough shares to constitute a
Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient
liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage
and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
Each Fund’s securities received on redemption (“Redemption Instruments”) may not be identical to Deposit Instruments that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. All orders are subject to acceptance by
the Distributor. In addition, Redemption Instruments received by one shareholder may not be the same as received those by other shareholders.
The Trust will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request
from a Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in each Fund. If the Authorized Participant,
upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust,
the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust. Unless cash redemptions
are permitted or required for a Fund or a Custom Basket is approved, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist
of Redemption Instruments, plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed, as next
determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Redemption Instruments, less the fixed transaction fee
and any variable transaction fees. Should the Redemption Instruments have a value greater than the NAV of the shares being redeemed,
a compensating cash payment to the Trust equal to the differential plus any applicable redemption transaction fee will be required
to be arranged for by or on behalf of the redeeming shareholder.
REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEE. The basic fixed redemption transaction fee is the same no matter how many Creation
Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request. An additional charge may be charged
with respect to cash redemptions or redemptions outside of the NSCC Clearing Process. An additional variable transaction
charge for cash redemptions or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are permitted or required for a Fund) may also
be imposed to compensate each Fund for the costs associated with selling the applicable securities. The Trust expects to sell,
in the secondary market, the portfolio securities or settle any financial instruments not transferred in-kind (“Market Sales”). In such cases where the Trust makes Market Sales, the Authorized Participant may be required to reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference
between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were sold or settled by the Trust and the
cash in lieu amount (which amount, at PGIM Investments’ discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes (“Transaction Costs”). PGIM Investments may adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition of the
redemption securities changes or cash in lieu is added to the Cash Amount to protect remaining shareholders. In no event will transaction
fees charged by a Fund in connection with a redemption exceed 2% of the value of each Creation Unit. Investors who use the services
of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. To the extent a Fund cannot, or elects not to, recoup
the amount of Transaction Costs incurred in connection with a redemption from the redeeming shareholder because of the 2% cap
or otherwise, those Transaction Costs will be borne by each Fund’s remaining shareholders and negatively affect Fund performance.
PLACEMENT OF REDEMPTION ORDERS USING NSCC CLEARING PROCESS. An order to redeem Creation Units of a Fund using the NSCC Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received
by the Distributor not later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on such Transmittal Date (or, for Custom Baskets where cash replaces
any Redemption Instrument, such earlier time set forth in the Participant Agreement or any ancillary documents); and (ii) all other
procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement or any ancillary documents are properly followed; such order will be effected based on the
NAV of each Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units of a Fund using the NSCC Clearing Process made in proper form
but received by each Fund after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following
the Transmittal Date. The requisite Fund
37
securities (or contracts to purchase such Fund securities which are expected to be
delivered in a “regular way” manner) and the applicable cash payment will be transferred. Each Fund reserves the right to settle
Creation Unit transactions on a delayed basis under certain circumstances compliant with applicable law.
PLACEMENT OF REDEMPTION ORDERS OUTSIDE NSCC CLEARING PROCESS. For orders effected outside the NSCC Clearing Process, the order must state that the Authorized Participant is not using the Clearing Process
and that redemption of Creation Units of each Fund will instead be effected through transfer of Creation Units of each Fund directly
through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Units of a Fund outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal
Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such
order is preceded or accompanied by the requisite number of shares of Creation Units specified in such order, which delivery must be
made through DTC to the Custodian no later than 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, on such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”); and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement or any ancillary document are properly followed. Each Fund reserves the
right, upon notice to Authorized Participants pursuant to the respective Participant Agreement, to require orders to be placed earlier
than 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.
After the Distributor has deemed an order for redemption outside the NSCC Clearing
Process received, the Custodian will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Redemption Instruments (or contracts to purchase
such Redemption Instruments) and the cash redemption payment to the redeeming Beneficial Owner. Each Fund reserves the right
to settle Creation Unit transactions on a delayed basis under certain circumstances compliant with applicable law. An additional variable
redemption transaction fee may be applicable to redemptions outside the NSCC Clearing Process.
To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to each Fund’s Transfer Agent on the settlement date, the Trust, in its sole discretion, may nonetheless accept
the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such
undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to market daily) of at least 105%, which the Trust may change from time to time, of the value of the missing shares.
The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other
things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by the Custodian and
marked to market daily, and that the fees of the Custodian and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery
of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant’s agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of a Fund, to purchase the missing shares or acquire the Deposit Instruments and the Cash Amount underlying such shares
at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing
such shares, Deposit Instruments or Cash Amount and the value of the collateral.
Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for an Authorized Participant
to transfer the Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Redemptions of shares for Redemption Instruments that
include securities or other instruments custodied outside of the United States will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal
and state securities laws and a Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits or requires cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem
Creation Units for cash to the extent that each Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Redemption Instruments upon redemptions or could
not do so without first registering the securities under such laws.
In connection with taking delivery of Redemption Instruments upon redemption of Creation
Units that include securities or other instruments custodied outside of the United States, a redeeming shareholder or entity
acting on behalf of a redeeming shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or
other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Redemption Instruments are customarily traded, to which account such Redemption
Instruments will be delivered. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the entity acting on behalf of a redeeming shareholder
has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Redemption Instruments in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible
to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Instruments in such jurisdictions,
the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholder will be required to receive
its redemption proceeds in cash.
Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made in a “regular way” manner. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries or for other reasons, however, the delivery of redemption proceeds may take longer.
In such cases, the local market settlement procedures will not commence until the end of the local holiday periods. If a Fund
has a foreign investment in its basket, each Fund may delay delivery of the foreign investment in the redemption proceeds for more than
seven days thereafter if the if each Fund delivers the foreign investment as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 days thereafter.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 38
NET ASSET VALUE
The value of a single share of each Fund—known as the net asset value per share or NAV—is determined by subtracting Fund liabilities from the value of Fund assets and dividing the remainder by the number of outstanding
shares. Investors purchasing or selling shares in the secondary market may transact at a price other than each Fund’s NAV. Each Fund will compute its NAV once each business day at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. For purposes
of computing NAV, each Fund will value futures contracts generally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Each
Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and will price its shares as of
4:00 p.m. Eastern time, if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE. Please see the NYSE website (www.nyse.com) for a specific
list of the holidays on which the NYSE is closed.
Each Fund’s portfolio securities are valued based upon market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Manager, as the Board's valuation designee. In
this capacity, the Manager has adopted methodologies for determining the fair value of certain types of securities and other
assets held by each Fund that do not have quoted market prices, including the use of other pricing sources, such as bid prices supplied
by a principal market maker and evaluated prices supplied by pricing vendors that employ analytic methodologies that take into account
the prices of similar securities and other market factors. In determining a security's value, each Fund generally uses the following
methodologies. Securities included on the NASDAQ Market are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”) on the day of valuation, or if there was no NOCP, at the last sale price. NASDAQ Market Securities for which there was no NOCP or last sale price are valued
at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on the day of valuation, or the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Open-end,
non-exchange traded mutual funds are valued at their net asset value as determined as of the close of the NYSE on the date of
valuation. Corporate bonds (other than convertible debt securities) and U.S. Government securities that are actively traded in the OTC market,
including listed securities for which the primary market is believed by the Manager in consultation with the subadviser to be over-the-counter,
are valued on the basis of valuations provided by an independent pricing agent which uses information with respect to transactions
in bonds, quotations from bond dealers, agency ratings, market transactions in comparable securities and various relationships
between securities in determining value. Convertible debt securities that are actively traded in the over-the-counter market,
including listed securities for which the primary market is believed by the Manager in consultation with the subadviser to be OTC, are
valued on the day of valuation at an evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing agent, or, in the absence of valuation provided
by an independent pricing agent, at the bid price provided by a principal market maker or primary market dealer.
Options on securities and securities indices that are listed on an exchange are valued
at the last sale price on such exchange on the day of valuation or, if there was no such sale on such day, at the mean between the most
recently quoted bid and asked prices on such exchange or at the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Where exchange
trading has halted on exchange-traded call or put options, the last available traded price may be used for a period of no longer than
five business days. On the sixth business day, such options may be valued at zero in the absence of trading, when such options are “out of the money” by more than 5% of the value of the underlying asset and expire within 14 calendar days of the valuation date.
Futures contracts and options thereon traded on a commodities exchange or Board of
Trade shall be valued on the day of valuation at the last sale price at the close of trading on such exchange or Board of Trade or,
if there was no sale on the applicable exchange or Board of Trade on such date, at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and
asked prices on such exchange or Board of Trade or at the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Quotations of non-U.S.
securities in a non-U.S. currency are converted to U.S. dollar equivalents at the current rate obtained from a recognized bank, dealer
or independent service, and forward currency exchange contracts are valued at the current cost of covering or offsetting such contacts.
Should an extraordinary event, which is likely to affect the value of the security, occur after the close of an exchange on which
a portfolio security is traded, such security will be valued at fair value considering factors determined in good faith by the Manager.
The use of fair value pricing procedures involves subjective judgments and it is possible
that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that
security. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that each Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if the security were
sold at approximately the same time at which the NAV per share is determined.
Generally, each Fund will value futures contracts at the close of trading for those
contracts (normally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE). If, in the judgment of the subadviser or Manager, the
closing price of a contract is materially different from the contract price at the NYSE close, a fair value price for the contract will be
determined.
If dividends are declared daily, the NAV of each class of shares will generally be
the same. It is expected, however, that the dividends, if any, will differ by approximately the amount of the distribution and/or service fee
expense accrual differential among the classes.
39
TAXES, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following is a summary of certain tax considerations generally affecting the Funds
and their shareholders. This section is based on the Code, Treasury Regulations, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently
in effect. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. Please consult your own tax adviser concerning the
consequences of investing in the Funds in your particular circumstances under the Code and the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
QUALIFICATION AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY. Each Fund has elected to be taxed as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and intends to meet all other requirements that are necessary
for it to be relieved of federal taxes on income and gains it distributes to shareholders. As a regulated investment company, a Fund
is not subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income (i.e., investment company taxable income, as that term
is defined in the Code, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term
capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its net
tax-exempt income and investment company taxable income for the year (the “Distribution Requirement”), and satisfies certain other requirements of the Code that are described below.
Net capital gains of each Fund that are available for distribution to shareholders
will be computed by taking into account any applicable capital loss carryforward. No capital gains distributions are expected to be paid
to shareholders until net gains have been realized in excess of such losses. The Funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses for
an unlimited period. Capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses.
If the Funds were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, each Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject to limitation. If a Fund has a capital loss carryforward, the amount and duration of any such capital loss carryforward will be set forth at
the end of this section.
In addition to satisfying the Distribution Requirement, the Funds must derive at least
90% of their gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to loans of stock and securities, gains from the sale
or disposition of stock, securities or non-U.S. currencies and other income (including but not limited to gains from options,
futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income
derived from an interest in a QPTP.
Each Fund must also satisfy an asset diversification test on a quarterly basis. Failure
to do so may result in the Fund being subject to penalty taxes, being required to sell certain of its positions, and may cause the
Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Under this asset diversification test, at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets must be represented by cash, United States government securities, securities
of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities of (x) any one issuer (other than United States government
securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or two or more issuers (other than securities of other regulated investment
companies) of which the Fund owns 20% or more of the voting stock and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades
or businesses or (y) one or more QPTPs and commonly referred to as “master limited partnerships.”
Each Fund may be able to cure a failure to derive 90% of its income from the sources
specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings in the manner described above by paying a tax, by disposing of certain assets, or
by paying a tax and disposing of assets. If, in any taxable year, the Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure,
the Fund will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible
by the Fund in computing its taxable income.
Although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment
companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Each Fund’s investments in partnerships, including in QPTPs, may result in the Fund being subject to state, local or non-U.S.
income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
If for any year a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, or fails
to meet the Distribution Requirement, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) will be subject to tax at regular corporate
rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital
gains, will be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. However, such dividends will be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend
income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate
shareholders. Moreover, if a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits
accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. If a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment
company for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be subject to taxation on any net built-in-gains (i.e., the excess of
the aggregate gain, including items of income, over aggregate loss that would have been realized if the Fund had been liquidated) recognized
for a period of five years, or, under certain circumstances, may have to recognize and pay tax on such net built-in-gain, in order
to qualify as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 40
EXCISE TAX ON REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANIES. A 4% non-deductible excise tax is imposed on a regulated investment company to the extent that it distributes income in such a way that it is taxable to shareholders
in a calendar year other than the calendar year in which a Fund earned the income. Specifically, the excise tax will be imposed if the
Fund fails to distribute in each calendar year an amount equal to 98% of ordinary taxable income, including qualified dividend income,
for the calendar year and 98.2% of capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year (or,
at the election of a regulated investment company having a taxable year ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year). The
balance of such income must be distributed during the next calendar year. For the foregoing purposes, a regulated investment
company is treated as having distributed otherwise retained amounts if it is subject to income tax on those amounts for any taxable year
ending in such calendar year.
Each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its
qualified dividend income, ordinary income and capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this
excise tax. However, investors should note that a Fund may in certain circumstances be required to borrow money or liquidate portfolio investments
to make sufficient distributions to avoid excise tax liability.
FUND INVESTMENTS. Each Fund may make investments or engage in transactions that affect the character,
amount and timing of gains or losses realized by the Fund. Each Fund may make investments that produce income
that is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by the Fund. Any such income would be treated as income earned by a Fund and
therefore would be subject to the Distribution Requirement. Such investments may require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other
securities in order to comply with those requirements. Each Fund may also make investments that prevent or defer the recognition
of losses or the deduction of expenses. These investments may likewise require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities
in order to comply with the Distribution Requirement. Additionally, a Fund may make investments that result in the recognition
of ordinary income rather than capital gain, or that prevent the Fund from accruing a long-term holding period. These investments
may prevent a Fund from making capital gain distributions as described below. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, will
make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it makes any such investments in
order to mitigate the effect of these rules. The foregoing concepts are explained in greater detail in the following paragraphs.
Gains or losses on sales of stock or securities by a Fund generally will be treated
as long-term capital gains or losses if the stock or securities have been held by it for more than one year, except in certain cases where
the Fund acquires a put or writes a call or otherwise holds an offsetting position, with respect to the stock or securities. Other
gains or losses on the sale of stock or securities will be short-term capital gains or losses.
In certain situations, a Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its
net capital loss realized after October (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) and its late-year
ordinary loss (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October non-U.S. currency and passive non-U.S. investment company (“PFIC”) losses over post-October non-U.S. currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary
income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer
the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December)
may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
If an option written by a Fund on securities lapses or is terminated through a closing
transaction, such as a repurchase by the Fund of the option from its holder, the Fund will generally realize short-term capital gain
or loss. If securities are sold by a Fund pursuant to the exercise of a call option written by it, the Fund will include the premium received
in the sale proceeds of the securities delivered in determining the amount of gain or loss on the sale. Gain or loss on the sale, lapse
or other termination of options acquired by a Fund on stock or securities and on narrowly-based stock indices will be capital gain or loss
and will be long-term or short-term depending on the holding period of the option.
Certain Fund transactions may be subject to wash sale, short sale, constructive sale,
conversion transaction, constructive ownership transaction and straddle provisions of the Code that may, among other things, require
a Fund to defer recognition of losses or convert long-term capital gain into ordinary income or short-term capital gain taxable as
ordinary income. The Fund's investments in offsetting positions with respect to the Underlying ETF may affect the character of gains or
losses realized by the Fund under the Code's “straddle” rules and may increase the amount of short-term capital gain realized by the Fund.
Short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income when distributed to U.S. shareholders in a non-liquidating distribution. As
a result, if the Fund makes a non-liquidating distribution of its short-term capital gain, the amount which U.S. shareholders must
treat as ordinary income may be increased substantially as compared to a fund that did not engage in such transactions. Accordingly,
shareholders could have a lower after-tax return from investing in the Fund than investing directly in the Underlying ETF (even
if the value of the Underlying Fund does not exceed the cap).
41
As a result of entering into swap contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net
payments. Each Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap
or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute taxable ordinary income or deductions, while termination
of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if a Fund has been a party
to the swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, a Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss
with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax
purposes as ordinary income or loss. Periodic net payments that would otherwise constitute ordinary deductions but are allocable under
the Code to exempt-interest dividends will not be allowed as a deduction but instead will reduce net tax-exempt income.
In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when a Fund closes the sale
by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally capital
gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in a Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by a Fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short
sale, special rules would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running
of the holding period of “substantially identical property” held by a Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital
loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by a Fund for more than one year. In general, a Fund will not be permitted
to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed
stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.
Debt securities acquired by a Fund may be subject to original issue discount and market
discount rules which, respectively, may cause the Fund to accrue income in advance of the receipt of cash with respect to interest
or cause gains to be treated as ordinary income subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above. Market discount generally
is the excess, if any, of the principal amount of the security (or, in the case of a security issued at an original issue discount, the
adjusted issue price of the security) over the price paid by a Fund for the security. Original issue discount or market discount that accrues in
a taxable year is treated as income earned by a Fund and therefore is subject to the Distribution Requirement. Because this income earned
by a Fund in a taxable year may not be represented by cash income, the Fund may have to borrow money or dispose of other
securities and use the proceeds to make distributions to satisfy the Distribution Requirement.
Certain futures contracts and certain listed options (referred to as Section 1256
contracts) held by a Fund will be required to be “marked to market” for federal income tax purposes at the end of the Fund’s taxable year, that is, treated as having been sold at the fair market value on the last business day of the Fund’s taxable year. Except with respect to certain non-U.S. currency forward contracts, sixty percent of any gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales and on actual dispositions
will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and forty percent will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any net mark-to-market
gains may be subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above, even though a Fund may receive no corresponding cash
amounts, possibly requiring the disposition of portfolio securities or borrowing to obtain the necessary cash. The Fund believes
that the FLEX Options typically held in its portfolio will not be subject to Section 1256, and disposition of such options will likely result
in short-term capital gains or losses.
Gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates that occur between
the time a Fund accrues interest or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a non-U.S. currency and the time
the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or
losses on non-U.S. currency forward contracts or dispositions of debt securities denominated in a non-U.S. currency that are attributable
to fluctuations in the value of the non-U.S. currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and
the date of disposition thereof generally also are treated as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code
as “Section 988” gains or losses, increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income available to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund’s net capital gain. If Section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year, a Fund would not be able to make any ordinary
dividend distributions from current earnings and profits, and distributions made before the losses were realized could be recharacterized
as a return of capital to shareholders, rather than as an ordinary dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares.
FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. Each Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its net investment income
for each taxable year. Dividends of net investment income paid to a non-corporate U.S. shareholder that are reported as
qualified dividend income will generally be taxable to such shareholder at capital gain income tax rates. The amount of dividend income
that may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will generally be limited to the aggregate of the eligible dividends
received by the Fund. Dividends of net investment income that are not reported as qualified dividend income or exempt-interest dividends
and dividends of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates. Dividends paid by a Fund with
respect to a taxable year will qualify for the dividends received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount
of dividends received by the Fund from certain domestic corporations for the taxable year. For tax years beginning after December
31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, a Fund may also report dividends eligible for a 20% “qualified business income” deduction for non-corporate U.S. shareholders to the extent the
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 42
Fund’s income is derived from ordinary REIT dividends, reduced by allocable Fund expenses. In order for a Fund’s dividends to be eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income or for the dividends received
deduction or qualified business income deduction, the Fund must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the shares on which
the Fund received the eligible dividends, and the U.S. shareholder must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to
the Fund shares. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or
deemed made) during the year, including the portion of dividends paid that qualify for the reduced tax rate.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by a Fund into
account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Funds
in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated
as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in
the year declared rather than the year paid.
Dividends paid by the Funds that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends
will not be subject to regular federal income tax. Dividends paid by the Funds will be exempt from federal income tax (though not necessarily
exempt from state and local taxation) to the extent of each Fund’s tax-exempt interest income as long as 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets at the end of each quarter is invested in (1) state, municipal and other bonds that are excluded from gross income
for federal income tax purposes or (2) interests in other regulated investment companies, and, in each case, as long as the Fund properly
reports such dividends as exempt-interest dividends. Exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities
of a state, or its political subdivisions, are generally exempt from income tax in that state. However, income from municipal securities from
other states generally will not qualify for tax-free treatment.
Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of
a Fund will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent it relates to exempt-interest dividends received by a shareholder.
If a shareholder receives exempt-interest dividends with respect to any share of a Fund (unless the Fund declares income dividends
daily and pays such dividends at least as frequently as monthly) and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months
or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. In addition,
the Code may require a shareholder that receives exempt-interest dividends to treat as taxable income a portion of certain otherwise
non-taxable social security and railroad retirement benefit payments. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by a
Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status
in the hands of a shareholder who is a “substantial user” of a facility financed by such bonds, or a “related person” thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from a Fund may affect a non-U.S. corporate shareholder’s federal “branch profits” tax liability and the federal “excess net passive income” tax liability of a shareholder of an S corporation. Shareholders should consult their
own tax advisers as to whether they are (i) “substantial users” with respect to a facility or “related” to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to the federal “branch profits” tax, or the federal “excess net passive income” tax.
Each Fund may either retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain (i.e., excess
net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each taxable year. Each Fund currently intends to distribute any
such amounts. If net capital gain is distributed and reported as a “capital gain dividend,” it will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length
of time the shareholder has held its shares or whether such gain was recognized by the Fund prior
to the date on which the shareholder acquired its shares. Conversely, if a Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund
will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 21% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected
that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution
of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its
tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain,
and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Distributions by a Fund that exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares; any distribution in excess of such tax basis will be treated as gain from the sale of its shares, as discussed below. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s minimum distribution requirements but not in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits will be taxable to shareholders and will not constitute nontaxable returns of capital. In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject to limitation.
Distributions by a Fund will be treated in the manner described above regardless of
whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). Shareholders receiving
a distribution in the form of additional shares will be treated as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of cash that
could have been received. In addition, prospective investors in a Fund should be aware that distributions from the Fund will, all other
things being equal, have the effect of reducing the NAV of the Fund’s shares by the amount of the distribution. If the NAV is reduced below a shareholder’s cost, the distribution will
43
nonetheless be taxable as described above, even if the distribution effectively represents
a return of invested capital. Investors should consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution, when
the price of shares may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution.
SALE OF SHARES. A shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss on the sale or redemption of
shares in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sale or redemption and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if the shareholder acquires other shares of a
Fund or substantially identical stock or securities within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before such disposition, such as pursuant
to reinvestment of a dividend in shares of the Fund. Additionally, if a shareholder disposes of shares of a Fund within 90 days following
their acquisition, and the shareholder subsequently re-acquires Fund shares (1) before January 31 of the calendar year following
the calendar year in which the original stock was disposed of, (2) pursuant to a reinvestment right received upon the purchase of
the original shares and (3) at a reduced load charge (i.e., sales or additional charge), then any load charge incurred upon the acquisition
of the original shares will not be taken into account as part of the shareholder’s basis for computing gain or loss upon the sale of such shares, to the extent the original load charge does not exceed any reduction of the load charge with respect to the acquisition of the subsequent
shares. To the extent the original load charge is not taken into account on the disposition of the original shares, such charge shall
be treated as incurred in connection with the acquisition of the subsequent shares. In general, any gain or loss arising from (or
treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares of a Fund will be considered capital gain or loss and will be long term capital
gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or redemption of shares
held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of long-term capital gain dividends
received on (or undistributed long-term capital gains credited with respect to) such shares.
Capital gain of a non-corporate U.S. shareholder is generally taxed at a federal income
tax rate of up to 15% or 20% for individuals, depending on whether their incomes exceed certain threshold amounts, which are adjusted
annually for inflation, where the property is held by the shareholder for more than one year. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder
is taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
Cost Basis Reporting. Your broker or other intermediary must report cost basis information to you and
the IRS when you sell or exchange shares in your non-retirement accounts. The cost basis regulations do not affect retirement
accounts or money market funds. The regulations also require reporting whether a gain or loss is short-term (shares held
one year or less) or long-term (shares held more than one year). To calculate the gain or loss on shares sold, you need to know the cost
basis of the shares. Cost basis is the original value of an asset for tax purposes (usually the gross purchase price), adjusted for stock splits,
reinvested dividends, and return of capital distributions. This value is used to determine the capital gain (or loss), which is
the difference between the cost basis of the shares and the gross proceeds when the shares are sold. Intermediaries generally support several
different cost basis methods from which you may select a cost basis method you believe best suited to your needs. If you decide to
elect the default method, no action is required on your part.
TAXATION ON CREATIONS AND REDEMPTIONS OF CREATION UNITS. An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss is calculated
by taking the market value of the Creation Units purchased over the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor. However, the IRS may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of
Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisors.
Capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally
create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital
gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has the right to reject an order for a purchase
of shares of a Fund if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding
shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in
the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. If a Fund’s basis in such securities on the date of deposit was less than market value on such date, the Fund, upon disposition of the securities, would recognize more taxable gain
or less taxable loss than if its basis in the securities had been equal to market value. It is not anticipated that the Trust will exercise
the right of rejection except in a case where the Trust determines that accepting the order could result in material adverse tax consequences
to the Fund or its shareholders. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership
for purposes of the 80% determination.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. Backup withholding will apply, at a 24% rate to all dividends and capital gain dividends,
and the proceeds of the sale of shares, paid to any shareholder (1) who has provided either an incorrect tax
identification number or no number at all, (2) who is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to report the receipt of interest
or dividend income properly or (3) who has failed to certify that it is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or
other exempt recipient. In addition, dividends and capital
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 44
gain dividends made to corporate U.S. holders may be subject to information reporting
and backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure
statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but
under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss is reportable
under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
MEDICARE CONTRIBUTION TAX. A U.S. person that is an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall into
a special class of trusts that is exempt from such tax, is subject to a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the U.S. person’s “net investment income” for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of the U.S. person’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Each Fund shareholder’s net investment income will generally include, among other things, dividend income from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of Fund shares, unless such dividend income
or net gains are derived in the ordinary course of the conduct of a trade or business (other than a trade or business that consists of
certain passive or trading activities). If you are a U.S. person that is an individual, estate or trust, you are urged to consult your
tax advisers regarding the applicability of the Medicare contribution tax to your income and gains in respect of your investment in Fund shares.
NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS. Dividends paid to a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien
individual, non-U.S. trust or estate, non-U.S. corporation, or non-U.S. partnership (“non-U.S. shareholder”) will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on the gross amount of the dividend. Such a
non-U.S. shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale
of shares of a Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt-interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed
capital gains, and amounts reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends.
The foregoing applies when the non-U.S. shareholder’s income from a Fund is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. If the income from a Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried
on by a non-U.S. shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, net capital gain dividends, undistributed
capital gains credited to such shareholder and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of a Fund will be subject to U.S. federal
income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations.
Distributions that a Fund reports as “short-term capital gain dividends” or “net capital gain dividends” will not be treated as such to a recipient non-U.S. shareholder if the distribution is attributable to a gain from
the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation (including a REIT dividend attributable to such gain) and a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceed certain levels. Instead, if the non-U.S. shareholder has
not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution,
such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by a Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the non-U.S. shareholder; if
the non-U.S. shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one-year period ending on the
date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 21% withholding tax and could subject the
non-U.S. shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. Additionally, if a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a non-U.S. shareholder realizing gains upon a sale of Fund shares could be subject to the 21% withholding tax and U.S.
filing requirements unless more than 50% of a Fund’s shares were owned by U.S. persons at such time or unless the non-U.S. person had not held more than 5% of a Fund’s outstanding shares throughout either such person’s holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years.
The rules laid out in the previous paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.
Provided that more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation
is regularly traded on an established securities market and a Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation
during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution), in redemption of a non-U.S. shareholder’s shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If a Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Fund’s adjusted bases to the extent of the greatest non-U.S. ownership percentage of the Fund during the
five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
45
In the case of non-U.S. non-corporate shareholders, a Fund may be required to backup
withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders
furnish the Fund with proper notification of their non-U.S. status.
A 30% withholding tax is currently imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and
other income items paid to (i) non-U.S. financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and
disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities, unless
they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, non-U.S. financial institutions will
need to (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and
taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to
the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax
on certain payments made to non-compliant non-U.S. financial institutions or to account holders, or (ii) in the event that an
intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities with similar account holder
information. Other non-U.S. entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial
U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply.
The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an
applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers
with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in a Fund, the procedure for claiming the benefit of a lower
treaty rate and the applicability of non-U.S. taxes.
NON-U.S. TAXES. Each Fund may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes or other non-U.S. taxes with respect
to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gain) received from sources within non-U.S. countries.
So long as more than 50% by value of the total assets of a Fund (1) at the close of the taxable year, consists of stock or securities
of non-U.S. issuers, or (2) at the close of each quarter, consists of interests in other regulated investment companies, a Fund may elect to
treat any non-U.S. income taxes paid by it as paid directly by its shareholders.
If a Fund makes the election, each shareholder will be required to (i) include in
gross income, even though not actually received, its pro rata share of a Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating U.S. taxable income) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax) its pro rata share of a Fund’s income taxes. A non-U.S. tax credit may not exceed the U.S. federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the non-U.S. source income. For this purpose, each
shareholder must treat as non-U.S .source gross income (i) its proportionate share of non-U.S. taxes paid by a Fund and (ii) the portion
of any actual dividend paid by a Fund which represents income derived from non-U.S. sources; the gain from the sale of securities
will generally be treated as U.S. source income and certain non-U.S. currency gains and losses likewise will be treated as derived
from U.S. sources. This non-U.S. tax credit limitation is, with certain exceptions, applied separately to separate categories of income;
dividends from a Fund will be treated as “passive” or “general” income for this purpose. The effect of this limitation may be to prevent shareholders
from claiming as a credit the full amount of their pro rata share of a Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes. In addition, shareholders will not be eligible to claim a non-U.S. tax credit with respect to non-U.S. income taxes paid by a Fund unless certain holding period requirements
are met at both a Fund and the shareholder levels. For purposes of foreign tax credits for U.S. shareholders of a
Fund, foreign capital gains taxes may not produce associated foreign source income, limiting the availability of such credits for U.S.
persons.
Each Fund will make such an election only if it deems it to be in the best interest of
its shareholders. A shareholder not subject to U.S. tax may prefer that this election not be made. Each Fund will notify shareholders
in writing each year if it makes the election and of the amount of non-U.S. income taxes, if any, to be passed through to the shareholders
and the amount of non-U.S. taxes, if any, for which shareholders of the Fund will not be eligible to claim a non-U.S. tax credit
because the holding period requirements (described above) have not been satisfied.
Shares of a Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated
within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
STATE AND LOCAL TAX MATTERS. Depending on the residence of the shareholders for tax purposes, distributions may
also be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation regarding qualified dividend
income, ordinary income dividends and capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies and other items may differ from
federal income tax rules. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers as to the consequences of these and other state and local
tax rules affecting investment in a Fund.
CAPITAL LOSS CARRYFORWARDS. Because the Funds are new, this information is not available.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 46
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio
securities owned by each Fund and to authorize certain arrangements to make available information about portfolio holdings.
These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosures of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are made consistently with the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, the fiduciary duties of each Fund and its adviser, certain provisions of the 1940
Act and the rules thereunder permitting the operation of a Fund as an ETF, and the requirements of any Exchange. The policy is designed to
ensure that disclosures of nonpublic portfolio holdings to selected third parties are made only when the Fund has legitimate business
purposes for doing so and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic
information.
The Board has authorized PGIM Investments, as the investment manager of each Fund,
to administer these policies and procedures and to enter into confidentiality agreements on behalf of the Funds that provide that
all information disclosed shall be treated as confidential and that the recipient will not trade on the nonpublic information. No
material, non-public information, including but not limited to portfolio holdings, may be disseminated to third parties except in compliance
with these policies and procedures.
The Custodian Bank (BNY) is authorized to facilitate, under the supervision of PGIM
Investments, the release of portfolio holdings.
Each Fund will post on its publicly available website on each day that the Fund is
open for business, including as required by Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act (a “Business Day”), before commencement of trading of the Fund’s shares on the Exchange, the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities, assets and other positions held by the Fund that will form the basis for the ETF’s calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day. The website will be publicly available at no charge. Each Fund’s portfolio holdings, or portions thereof, also may be disclosed through financial reporting and news services, such as Bloomberg,
and through other publicly accessible Internet websites.
In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share
quantities to deliver (or be received) in exchange for Fund shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, will be publicly
disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange(s). Neither the Funds nor their service providers may publicly disseminate
material non-public information concerning a Fund without the approval of the Chief Compliance Officer.
Complete Fund holdings will be made public at the time of quarterly public regulatory
filings via Forms N-CSR and/or N-PORT, unless noted otherwise herein.
Daily Calculation of Net Asset Value. The net asset value per share of each Fund will
be calculated on each Business Day and will be made available to all market participants at the same time via the Fund’s Website. A Fund’s net asset value may also be made available through other published means (e.g., in newspapers or other Internet websites). The Fund’s website will also include, on a per share basis, the market closing price or mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of
calculation of such net asset value, and a calculation of the premium or discount of the market closing price or mid-point of the bid/ask spread against such net asset value. Each Fund’s website will also include information on the premium or discount of the market closing
price over the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year and information
on the median bid/ask spread during each of the last 30 calendar days.
Public Disclosures—Non-Specific Information. Each Fund and/or PGIM Investments may publicly distribute non-specific information about the Funds and/or summary information about the Funds at any time. Such information
will not identify any specific portfolio holding, but may reflect, among other things, the quality or character of a Fund’s holdings.
Ongoing Nonpublic Disclosure Arrangements. Each Fund has entered into ongoing arrangements
to make available nonpublic information about its portfolio holdings, subject to the conditions, restrictions
and requirements set forth below. Parties receiving this information may include intermediaries that distribute Fund shares, third-party providers
of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other services for the Funds, rating and ranking organizations, and certain affiliated persons
of each Fund, as described below. The procedures utilized to determine eligibility are set forth below:
■
A request for release of portfolio holdings shall be prepared setting forth a legitimate
business purpose for such release which shall specify the Fund(s), the terms of such release, and frequency (e.g., level of detail,
staleness). Such request shall address whether there are any conflicts of interest between the Fund and the investment adviser, subadviser,
principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof and how such conflicts shall be dealt with to demonstrate that the
disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders of the Fund(s).
■
The request shall be forwarded to PGIM Investments’ Product Management Group and to the Chief Compliance Officer or their delegate for review and approval.
■
A confidentiality agreement in the form approved by a Fund officer must be executed
by the recipient of the portfolio holdings.
■
A Fund officer shall approve the release and the agreement. Copies of the release and agreement shall be sent to PGIM Investments’ Law Department.
47
■
Written notification of the approval shall be sent by such officer to PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group to arrange the release of portfolio holdings.
■
PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group shall arrange the release by the Custodian Bank.
Requests for disclosure to PGIM Investments or its employees shall follow the procedures
noted above other than the execution of a confidentiality agreement.
Set forth below are the authorized ongoing arrangements as of the date of this SAI:
1. Traditional External Recipients/Vendors
■
Full holdings on a daily basis to Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), Broadridge and Glass, Lewis & Co. (proxy voting administrator/agents) at the end of each day;
■
Full holdings on a daily basis to ISS (securities class action claims administrator)
at the end of each day;
■
Full holdings on a daily basis to a Fund's subadviser(s), Custodian Bank, sub-custodian
(if any) and accounting agents (which includes the Custodian Bank and any other accounting agent that may be appointed)
at the end of each day. When a Fund has more than one subadviser, each subadviser receives holdings information only with respect
to the “sleeve” or segment of the Fund for which the subadviser has responsibility;
■
Full holdings to a Fund's independent registered public accounting firm as soon as
practicable following the Fund's fiscal year-end or on an as-needed basis;
■
Full holdings to a Fund’s counsel on an as-needed basis;
■
Full holdings to counsel of a Fund’s independent board members on an as-needed basis;
■
Full holdings to financial printers as soon as practicable following the end of a
Fund's quarterly, semi-annual and annual period-ends; and
■
Full holdings to a Fund’s securities lending agent on a daily basis.
2. Analytical Service Providers
■
Fund trades on a quarterly basis to Abel/Noser Corp. (an agency-only broker and transaction
cost analysis company) as soon as practicable following the Fund's fiscal quarter-end;
■
Full holdings to Morningstar and Bloomberg on a daily basis;
■
Full holdings on a daily basis to FactSet Research Systems Inc. (investment research
provider) at the end of each day;
■
Full holdings on a quarterly basis to Frank Russell Company (investment research provider)
when made available;
■
Full holdings on a monthly basis to Fidelity Advisors (wrap program provider) approximately
five days after the end of each month (PGIM Jennison Growth Fund and certain other selected PGIM Funds only);
■
Full holdings on a daily basis to Bloomberg BVAL, ICE, S&P Global, Refinitiv and J.P.
Morgan Pricing Direct (securities valuation);
■
Full holdings on a monthly basis to FX Transparency (foreign exchange/transaction
analysis) when made available;
■
Full holdings on a daily basis to ICE/Hedgemark (liquidity calculations);
■
Full holdings to Innocap (VaR calculations) on a daily basis (for funds that are full
derivatives users pursuant to Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act).
In each case, the information disclosed must be for a legitimate business purpose
and is subject to a confidentiality agreement intended to prohibit the recipient from trading on or further disseminating such information
(except for legitimate business purposes).
In addition, certain authorized employees of PGIM Investments receive portfolio holdings
information on a quarterly, monthly or daily basis or upon request, in order to perform their business functions. All PGIM Investments
employees are subject to the requirements of the personal securities trading policy of Prudential, which prohibits employees from
trading on or further disseminating confidential information, including portfolio holdings information.
There can be no assurance that the policies and procedures on portfolio holdings information
will protect a Fund from the potential misuse of such information by individuals or entities that come into possession of
the information.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated to the Manager the responsibility for voting any proxies and
maintaining proxy recordkeeping with respect to the Funds. The Manager is authorized by the Funds to delegate, in whole or in part,
their proxy voting authority to the subadviser(s) or third party vendors consistent with the policies set forth below. The proxy voting
process shall remain subject to the supervision of the Board, including any committee thereof established for that purpose.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 48
The Manager and the Board view the proxy voting process as a component of the investment
process and, as such, seek to ensure that all proxy proposals are voted with the primary goal of seeking the optimal benefit
for the Funds. Consistent with this goal, the Board views the proxy voting process as a means to encourage strong corporate governance
practices and ethical conduct by corporate management. The Manager and the Board maintain a policy of seeking to protect the
best interests of the Funds should a proxy issue potentially implicate a conflict of interest between the Funds and the Manager or
its affiliates.
The Manager delegates to the Funds' subadviser(s) the responsibility for voting proxies.
The subadviser is expected to identify and seek to obtain the optimal benefit for the Funds, and to adopt written policies that meet
certain minimum standards, including that the policies be reasonably designed to protect the best interests of the Funds and delineate
procedures to be followed when a proxy vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Funds and the interests of the subadviser
or its affiliates. The Manager and the Board expect that the subadviser will notify the Manager and Board at least annually of
any such conflicts identified and confirm how the issue was resolved. In addition, the Manager expects that the subadviser will deliver to
the Manager, or its appointed vendor, information required for filing the Form N-PX with the SEC. Information regarding how the Funds
voted proxies relating to their portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge
on the Funds' website at www.pgim.com/investments and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
A summary of the proxy voting policies of the subadviser(s) is set forth in its respective
Appendix to this SAI.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board has adopted a Code of Ethics. In addition, the Manager, subadviser(s) and
Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics. The Codes of Ethics apply to access persons (generally, persons who have access to
information about the Funds' investment program) and permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including
securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. However, the protective provisions of the Codes of Ethics prohibit certain
investments and limit such personnel from making investments during periods when the Funds are making such investments. The Codes of
Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.
APPENDIX I: PROXY VOTING POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISER
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
Description of PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC Proxy Voting Policies. It is the policy of PGIM Quantitative Solutions to vote proxies on client securities in the best long-term economic interest of its clients (i.e., the
mutual interests of clients in seeing the appreciation in value of a common investment over time). In the case of pooled accounts, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ policy is to vote proxies on securities in such account in the best long-term economic interest of the pooled account.
In the event of any actual or potential conflict of interest between PGIM Quantitative Solutions and its clients or affiliates, PGIM
Quantitative Solutions votes in accordance with the policy of its proxy voting advisor rather than its own policy.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders. These guidelines reflect PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ judgment of how to further the best long-range economic interest of its clients through the shareholder voting process. They also reflect PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ general philosophy on corporate governance matters and its approach to governance and other issues that may often
arise when voting ballots on the various securities held in client accounts. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ guidelines are not intended to limit the analysis of individual issues at specific companies nor do they indicate how it will vote in every instance. Rather, they express PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ views about various ballot issues generally, and provide insight into how it typically approaches such
issues. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may consider Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) factors in its voting decisions. Where ballot issues are not addressed by PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ policy, or when circumstances may suggest a vote not in accordance with its established guidelines, PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ voting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the potential economic impact of the proposal, as well as any circumstances that may result in restrictions on trading
the security. Case-by-case, or manual, evaluation of a ballot item entails consideration of various, specific factors as they relate to a
particular issuer and/or proposed action. For example, when performing manual evaluation of a ballot item relating to executive compensation
(which will generally occur if PGIM Quantitative Solutions receives research suggesting a vote “against” the item), we consider such factors as stock performance, financial position and
compensation practices of the issuer relative to its peers, change in control, tax
gross-up and clawback policies of the issuer, pay inequality and other corporate practices, although not all factors may be relevant
or of equal significance to a specific matter. With respect to contested meetings, which we always vote on a case-by-case basis, we consider
research provided by PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ proxy advisor as well as other sources of information available in the marketplace, in order to understand the issues on both sides of the contest and determine our view. With respect to mergers and acquisitions,
we consider whether a fairness opinion as to valuation has been obtained. With respect to non-U.S. holdings, PGIM Quantitative
Solutions takes into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair its ability to trade those securities or have other
potentially adverse economic consequences, and
49
generally votes non-US securities on a best efforts basis if PGIM Quantitative Solutions
determines that voting is in the best economic interest of its clients. PGIM Quantitative Solutions may be unable to vote proxies
in countries where clients or their custodians do not have the ability to cast votes due to lack of documentation or operational capacity,
or otherwise. The Fund determines whether fund securities out on loan are to be recalled for voting purposes and PGIM Quantitative
Solutions is not involved in any such decision. PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Proxy Voting Committee includes representatives of PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ Investment, Operations, Compliance, Risk and Legal teams. This committee is responsible for interpreting the
proxy voting policy, identifying conflicts of interest, and periodically assessing the effectiveness of the policies and procedures.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions utilizes the services of a third party proxy voting advisor,
and has directed the proxy advisor, upon receipt of the proxies, to vote in a manner consistent with PGIM Quantitative Solutions’ established proxy voting guidelines described above (assuming timely receipt of proxy materials from issuers and custodians). PGIM Quantitative
Solutions conducts regular due diligence on its proxy advisor. In accordance with its obligations under the Advisers Act, PGIM
Quantitative Solutions provides full disclosure of its proxy voting policy, guidelines and procedures to its clients upon their request,
and will also provide to any client, upon request, the proxy voting records for that client’s securities.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust 50
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits.
(c) Registrant incorporates by reference the following provisions of its Agreement
and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, as Exhibit (a)(2) and Exhibit (b), respectively, defining the rights of Registrant’s shareholders: Articles III and V of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Article III of the By-Laws.
(d)(3) Management Agreement between the Registrant and PGIM Investments LLC on behalf
of PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF and PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(d)(4) Subadvisory Agreement between PGIM Investments LLC and PGIM Quantitative Solutions
LLC on behalf of PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF and PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(e)(2) Amendment to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Prudential
Investment Management Services LLC to add PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF and PGIM Laddered Fund of
Buffer 20 ETF. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(f) Not applicable.
(g)(2) Amendment dated to Custody Agreement dated November 7, 2002, between the Registrant
and The Bank of New York Mellon. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
C-1
(h)(1) Transfer Agency and Service agreement between the Registrant and The Bank Of
New York Mellon dated March 24, 2022. Incorporated by reference to PGIM ETF Trust Post-Effective Amendment
No. 27 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-222469) filed via EDGAR on May 17, 2022.
(h)(2) Amendment dated to Transfer Agency and Service agreement between the Registrant
and The Bank Of New York Mellon dated March 24, 2022. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(h)(3) Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between each Fund listed on Appendix
A thereto and the Bank of New York Mellon dated February 3, 2006. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective
Amendment No. 89 to the Registration Statement for Prudential Investment Portfolios 14 on Form N-1A
(File No. 002-82976) filed via EDGAR on April 27, 2022.
(h)(4) Amendment dated to the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated February
3, 2006, with the Bank of New York Mellon. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(i)(2) Opinion and consent of Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP to add series PGIM
Laddered Fund of Buffer 12 ETF and PGIM Laddered Fund of Buffer 20 ETF. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(j) Consent of independent registered public accounting firm. N/A
(k) Not applicable.
(m) Distribution and Service Plan. To be filed in subsequent amendment.
(n) Not applicable.
(o) Power of Attorney dated September 28, 2023.
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Registrant.
None.
C-2
Item 30. Indemnification.
Subject to the limitations of Section 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) and pursuant to Del. Code Ann. Title 12 sec. 3817, a Delaware statutory trust
may provide in its governing instrument for the indemnification of its officers and trustees from and against any
and all claims and demands. Article VII, Section 2 of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Article XI of
the By-Laws provide that (1) the officers, Trustees, employees and agents of the Registrant will not be liable to the
Registrant, any shareholder, officer, Trustee, employee, agent or other person for any action or failure to act,
except for bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties, and those individuals
may be indemnified against liabilities in connection with the Registrant, subject to the same exceptions and
(2) all persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against Registrant shall look only to the assets
of the appropriate Series (or if no Series has yet been established, only to the assets of the Registrant). As permitted
by Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act, pursuant to Section 10 of the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor of the Registrant
may be indemnified against liabilities which it may incur, except liabilities arising from bad faith, gross negligence,
willful misfeasance or reckless disregard of duties.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (Securities Act) may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant
to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (Commission) such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1940
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a Trustee, officer, or controlling person
of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted against
the Registrant by such Trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the shares 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 1940 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant has purchased an insurance policy insuring its officers and Trustees
against liabilities, and certain costs of defending claims against such officers and Trustees, to the extent such officers
and Trustees are not found to have committed conduct constituting willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard in the performance of their duties. The insurance policy also insures the Registrant against
the cost of indemnification payments to officers and Trustees under certain circumstances.
Section 9 of the Management Agreement and Section 6 of the Subadvisory Agreements
limit the liability of PGIM Investments LLC and PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC, respectively, to liabilities
arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their respective duties or from reckless
disregard by them of their respective obligations and duties under the agreements.
Item 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser.
PGIM Investments LLC (“PGIM Investments”)
See the Prospectus constituting Part A of this Registration Statement and “Management and Advisory Arrangements” in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) constituting Part B of this Registration
Statement.
The business profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in
by the officers and directors of PGIM Investments during the past two years are listed in Schedules A and D of Form
ADV of PGIM Investments as currently on file with the Commission (File No. 801-31104), the text of which is hereby
incorporated by reference.
PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC
See the Prospectus constituting Part A of this Registration Statement and “Management and Advisory Arrangements” in the SAI.
C-3
The business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in
by the officers and directors of PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC during the past two years is included in its Form
ADV as currently on file with the Commission (File No. 801-62692), the relevant text of which is incorporated herein
by reference.
Item 32. Principal Underwriters.
(a) Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (PIMS) is distributor for PGIM Rock
ETF Trust, PGIM Credit Income Fund, PGIM Private Credit Fund, PGIM Private Real Estate Fund, Inc., PGIM ETF
Trust, Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc., The Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc., Prudential
Investment Portfolios 2, Prudential Investment Portfolios 3, Prudential Investment Portfolios Inc. 14, Prudential
Investment Portfolios 4, Prudential Investment Portfolios 5, Prudential Investment Portfolios 6, Prudential
National Muni Fund, Inc., Prudential Jennison Blend Fund, Inc., Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth Fund, Inc.,
Prudential Investment Portfolios 7, Prudential Investment Portfolios 8, Prudential Jennison Small Company
Fund, Inc., Prudential Investment Portfolios 9, Prudential World Fund, Inc., Prudential Investment Portfolios,
Inc. 10, Prudential Jennison Natural Resources Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Total Return Fund, Inc., Prudential
Investment Portfolios 12, Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 15, Prudential Investment Portfolios 16, Prudential
Investment Portfolios, Inc. 17, Prudential Investment Portfolios 18, Prudential Sector Funds, Inc. Prudential
Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc., The Target Portfolio Trust, and The Prudential Series Fund.
PIMS is also distributor of the following other investment companies: Separate Accounts: Prudential’s Gibraltar Fund, Inc., The Prudential Variable Contract GI-2, The Pruco Life Flexible Premium
Variable Annuity Account, The Pruco Life of New Jersey Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Account, The Prudential
Individual Variable Contract Account, The Prudential Qualified Individual Variable Contract Account and PRIAC Variable
Contract Account A.
(b) The following table sets forth information regarding certain officers of PIMS.
As a limited liability company, PIMS has no directors.
|
Name and Principal Business Address
|
Positions and Offices with Underwriter
|
Positions and Offices with Registrant
|
|
Andre T. Carrier (2)
|
President
|
N/A
|
|
Scott E. Benjamin (2)
|
Vice President
|
Board Member and
Vice President
|
|
H. Soo Lee (1)
|
Senior Vice President, Chief
Legal Officer and Secretary
|
N/A
|
|
John N. Christolini (3)
|
Senior Vice President and
Chief Compliance Officer
|
N/A
|
|
Karen Leibowitz (2)
|
Senior Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer
|
N/A
|
|
Robert Smit (4)
|
Senior Vice President, Controller
and Chief Financial Officer
|
N/A
|
|
Hansjerg Schlenker (2)
|
Senior Vice President and
Chief Operations Officer
|
N/A
|
|
Peter Puzio (3)
|
Senior Vice President
|
N/A
|
|
Kevin Chaillet (3)
|
Treasurer
|
N/A
|
|
Kelly Florio (4)
|
Vice President and Anti-Money
Laundering Officer
|
Anti-Money Laundering
Compliance Officer
|
Principal Business Addresses:
(1)
213 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102
(2)
655 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
(3)
280 Trumbull Street, Hartford, CT 06103
(4)
751 Broad Street, Newark NJ, 07102
(c) Registrant has no principal underwriter who is not an affiliated person of the
Registrant.
C-4
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of
the 1940 Act and the Rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of The Bank of New York Mellon. (BNY),
240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, PGIM Quantitative Solutions LLC, 655 Broad Street, 16th Floor,
Newark, NJ 07102, and the Registrant, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.
Documents required by Rules 31a-1(b) (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and 31a-1
(d) and (f) will be kept at 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, and the remaining accounts, books and other
documents required by such other pertinent provisions of Section 31(a) and the Rules promulgated thereunder
will be kept by BNY.
Item 34. Management Services.
Other than as set forth under the captions “How the Fund is Managed-Manager” and “How the Fund is Managed-Distributor” in the Prospectus and the caption “Management and Advisory Arrangements” in the SAI, constituting Parts A and B, respectively, of this Registration Statement, Registrant
is not a party to any management-related service contract.
Item 35. Undertakings.
Not applicable.
C-5
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company
Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Newark, and State of New Jersey, on March 29, 2024.
PGIM Rock ETF Trust
*
Stuart S. Parker, President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment
to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on
the date indicated.
|
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
*
Morris L. McNair, III
|
Trustee
|
|
|
*
Mary Lee Schneider
|
Trustee
|
|
|
*
Thomas M. Turpin
|
Chairperson and Trustee
|
|
|
*
Scott Benjamin
|
Trustee
|
|
|
*
Stuart S. Parker
|
President, Principal Executive Officer
|
|
|
*
Christian J. Kelly
|
Principal Financial Officer
|
|
|
*
Elyse McLaughlin
|
Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer
|
|
|
*By: /s/ Debra Rubano
Debra Rubano
|
Attorney-in-Fact
|
March 29, 2024
|
C-6
POWER OF ATTORNEY
for the PGIM Rock ETF Trust
for the PGIM Rock ETF Trust
The undersigned, directors/trustees and/or officers of the PGIM Rock ETF Trust (the
“Trust”), hereby authorize Andrew French, Claudia DiGiacomo, Melissa Gonzalez, Patrick McGuinness, Debra Rubano,
George Hoyt and Devan Goolsby or any of them, as attorney-in-fact, to sign on his or her behalf in
the capacities indicated (and not in such person’s personal individual capacity for personal financial or estate planning), the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed for the Trust or any amendment thereto (including any pre-effective
or post-effective amendments) and any and all supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, for or on
behalf of the Trust or any current or future series thereof, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, via facsimile, email
or other means, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.
This Power of Attorney shall be valid from the date hereof until revoked by the undersigned.
|
|
|
|
/s/ Scott E. Benjamin
Scott E. Benjamin
|
/s/ Stuart S. Parker
Stuart S. Parker
|
|
/s/ Christian J. Kelly
Christian J. Kelly
|
/s/ Mary Lee Schneider
Mary Lee Schneider
|
|
/s/ Elyse McLaughlin
Elyse McLaughlin
|
/s/ Thomas M. Turpin
Thomas M. Turpin
|
|
/s/ Morris L. McNair III
Morris L. McNair III
|
|
|
Dated: September 28, 2023
|
|
C-7
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