Form 485BPOS First Eagle ETF Trust
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2026
REGISTRATION NO. 333-290276 and 811-24120
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2
AND/OR
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 7
(CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX OR BOXES)
FIRST EAGLE ETF TRUST
(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN CHARTER)
1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NY 10105
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
REGISTRANT’S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (212) 698-3300
SHEELYN MICHAEL
1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NY 10105
(NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)
COPY TO:
NATHAN J. GREENE, ESQ.
SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP
787 SEVENTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10019
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
| ☒ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| ☐ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| ☐ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a) |
| ☐ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) |
| ☐ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
| ☐ | on (date) 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. |

Prospectus
First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF
(NYSE Arca, Inc. – FESC)
First Eagle Core Municipal ETF
(NYSE Arca, Inc. – FECM)
of First Eagle ETF Trust
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
No securities dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this Prospectus or in approved sales literature in connection with the offer contained herein, and if given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF or the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF (each a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”) or First Eagle ETF Trust. This Prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities offered hereby in any jurisdiction or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.
SUMMARY SECTION
The investment objective of the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek long-term growth of capital.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | ||
| Distribution (12b-1) Fees | ||
| Other Expenses(1) | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursement(2) | ||
| Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements |
| (1) |
| (2) |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that: (1) your investment has a 5% return each year, and (2) the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that the fee waiver is taken into account only for the one-year expense example). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
| $ |
$ |
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. No portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (‘‘ETF’’) and invests, under normal circumstances, in equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what the Adviser believes are opportunistic situations for undervalued securities. Normally, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies. The Adviser defines small-cap companies as those that have at the time of investment a market capitalization not greater than that of the largest company in the Russell
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2000® Index. The market capitalization of companies included in the Russell 2000® Index ranged from approximately $5 million to $31 billion as of December 31, 2025. The Russell 2000® Index is reconstituted annually. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market capitalization and current index membership. Indexes are unmanaged and do not incur management fees or other operating expenses, and one cannot invest directly in an index. The Sub-Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board, provides investment management and related trading assistance to the Adviser. This includes managing cash flow activity and general portfolio design and implementation consistent with the Fund’s investment strategies and operations as an ETF. Primary management of the Fund’s investment program is by the Adviser.
The Fund invests primarily in domestic common stocks and may invest to a lesser extent in common stocks of non-U.S. issuers. Potential investments that the Adviser considers to be opportunistic may include situations involving company turnarounds (e.g., a company that may be experiencing periods of poor financial or stock performance but may be exhibiting potential for financial recovery), emerging growth companies with interrupted earnings patterns (e.g., companies without a long or consistent history of earnings but that the Adviser believes have the potential for earnings growth), companies with unrecognized asset values, or undervalued growth companies (e.g., companies that have low multiples of price-to-book or price-to-sales ratios, or companies with securities that are trading at a price below what the Adviser believes the security is worth). The Adviser also considers investments in companies that have the potential to benefit from a perceived catalyst for positive change, such as companies with new management, a more favorable business cycle, product innovation and/or margin improvement.
Principal Investment Risks
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Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk — Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are institutional investors and may act as authorized participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value (“NAV”) and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. These events, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than the NAV when you buy Shares in the secondary market, and you may receive less (or more) than NAV when you sell those Shares in the secondary market. A diminished market for an ETF’s shares substantially increases the risk that a shareholder may pay considerably more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. In periods of market volatility, APs, market makers and/or liquidity providers may be less willing to transact in Shares. If these firms exit the business or are unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a premium or discount to NAV and bid-ask spreads may widen.
Secondary Market Trading Risk — Although Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the
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Exchange may be halted. Trading may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Fund inadvisable. These may include: (a) the extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or the financial instruments composing the Fund’s portfolio; or (b) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. During periods of market stress, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. Further, APs may be unwilling to participate in the creation/redemption process during periods of market stress, particularly if the market for shares becomes less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which may lead to widening of bid-ask spreads and differences between the market price of the shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk — As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. There is a risk that market prices for Fund Shares will vary significantly from the Fund’s NAV. Where all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in a foreign market that is closed when the market in which the Fund’s Shares are listed is open for trading, there may be changes between the last quote of the underlying securities’ value in the closed foreign market and the value of such underlying securities during the Fund’s domestic trading day.
Management of the Fund
Investment Adviser
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment sub-adviser.
Portfolio Managers
William A. Hench, Suzanne Franks and Adam Mielnik are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and serve as the Fund’s Portfolio Managers.
| Name | Title with Adviser | Tenure with the Fund | ||
| William A. Hench | Head of the First Eagle Small Cap Team | Since Inception in June 2026 | ||
| Suzanne Franks | Member of the First Eagle Small Cap Team | Since Inception in June 2026 | ||
| Adam Mielnik, CFA | Member of the First Eagle Small Cap Team | Since Inception in June 2026 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and investors can only buy and sell Shares through brokers or dealers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). The median bid-ask spread for the Fund’s most recent fiscal year cannot be provided because the Fund did not have a trading history to report trading information and related costs prior to the date of this Prospectus. Once available, information on the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads will be provided at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf.
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The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund expects creation and redemption transactions to be effected primarily in-kind in exchange for a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund (the “Deposit Securities”), although the Fund may, when determined appropriate, issue and redeem Creation Units partially or wholly for cash.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable, and generally will be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Amounts withdrawn from a tax-deferred account may be subject to tax.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
You may purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”). The Fund’s investment adviser, or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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SUMMARY SECTION
The investment objective of the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek to provide current income exempt from regular federal income taxes.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | ||
| Distribution (12b-1) Fees | ||
| Other Expenses(1) | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||
| Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursement(2) | ||
| Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements |
| (1) |
| (2) |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that: (1) your investment has a 5% return each year, and (2) the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that the fee waiver is taken into account only for the one-year expense example). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years |
| $ |
$ |
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. No portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
To pursue its investment objective, the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. Such municipal bonds may include obligations issued by U.S. states and their subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations,
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as well as obligations issued by U.S. territories that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax, and may include all types of municipal bonds, including general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, education revenue bonds, industrial revenue bonds, special tax bonds, tax allocation revenue securities, transportation facility revenue bonds and municipal lease obligations. The Fund may invest without limit in municipal securities that generate income taxable to shareholders subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. While the Fund may invest in securities with any duration or time to maturity, under normal market conditions, the Fund will generally maintain an investment portfolio with a modified duration of between 3 and 10 years. Modified duration is a measure of the sensitivity of a bond's price to changes in interest rates, expressed in years.
The Fund will seek to invest primarily in investment grade municipal bonds but may invest up to 15% of its net assets in municipal bonds rated BB+/Ba1 and below at the time of purchase by at least one independent rating agency, or, if unrated, judged by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. Such below-investment-grade bonds are commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds. The Fund has no minimum rating limitation for such investments. In deciding whether to sell a security, the Adviser considers various factors related to the market and the portfolio, which may include whether: a security has become overvalued; the Adviser detects credit deterioration or modifies its portfolio strategy, such as sector and/or state allocations; or a security exceeds the portfolio’s diversification targets (i.e., the Adviser’s internal targets for exposures across sectors, states and specific issuers in order to limit exposures to events or factors that may affect any individual industry, geographic location or credit).
While the municipal issuers in which the Fund invests may be located in the same geographic area or may pay their interest obligations from revenue of similar projects, such as hospitals, airports, utility systems and housing finance agencies, as of the date of this prospectus, the Fund does not expect that it will have significant exposure to any particular geographic area or type of project.
The Fund may invest in municipal zero coupon bonds.
Principal Investment Risks
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General Obligation and Revenue Bonds — General obligation bonds are general obligations of a governmental entity that are secured by the entity’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are not supported by an issuer’s power to levy taxes and are payable only from the revenues derived from specific projects, authorities or facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or another specific revenue source.
Education Revenue Bonds — Education revenue bonds are payable from and secured by revenues derived from the operation of schools, colleges and universities and their revenues are derived mainly from ad valorem taxes, or for higher education systems, from tuition, dormitory revenues, grants and endowments. Payment on education revenue bonds may be adversely affected by litigation contesting the state constitutionality of financing public
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education in part from ad valorem taxes. Risks related to college and university obligations include the prospect of a declining percentage of the population consisting of “college” age individuals, possible inability to raise tuitions and fees sufficiently to cover increased operating costs, the uncertainty of continued receipt of Federal grants and state funding and new government legislation or regulations which may adversely affect the revenues or costs of such issuers.
Industrial Revenue Bonds — Industrial revenue bonds are issued by governmental entities to provide financing aid to community facilities such as hospitals, hotels, business or residential complexes, convention halls and sport complexes. The proceeds from the issuance of an industrial revenue bond are directed to a private, for-profit business and the industrial revenue bond is backed by the credit and security of the private, for-profit business. Payment on industrial revenue bonds may be adversely affected by the general state of the economy, intense competition, consolidation, domestic and international politics, excess capacity and consumer spending trends. In addition, they may also be significantly affected by overall capital spending levels, economic cycles, technical obsolescence, delays in modernization, labor relations, government regulations and e-commerce initiatives. Industrial issuers may also be affected by factors more specific to their individual industries.
Special Tax Bonds — Special tax bonds are payable from and secured by revenues received by a municipality from a particular tax. Examples of special taxes are a tax on the rental of a hotel room, on the purchase of food and beverages, on the purchase of fuel, on the rental of automobiles or on the consumption of liquor. Special tax bonds are not secured by the general tax revenues of the municipality, and they do not represent general obligations of the municipality. Payment on special tax bonds may be adversely affected by a reduction in revenues realized from the underlying special tax. In addition, if spending on the particular goods or services that are subject to the special tax decrease, the municipality may be under no obligation to increase the rate of the special tax to ensure that sufficient revenues are raised from the shrinking taxable base.
Tax Allocation Revenue Securities — Tax allocation bonds are typically secured by incremental tax revenues collected on property within the areas where redevelopment projects financed by bond proceeds are located. Tax allocation bond payments are expected to be made from projected increases in tax revenues derived from higher assessed values of property resulting from development in the particular project area and not from an increase in tax rates. Payment on tax allocation bonds may be adversely affected by variations in taxable values of property in a project area, successful appeals by property owners of assessed valuations, substantial delinquencies in the payment of property taxes, or imposition of any constitutional or legislative property tax rate decrease.
Transportation Facility Revenue Bonds — Transportation facility revenue bonds are obligations which are payable from and secured by revenues derived from the ownership and operation of facilities such as airports, bridges, turnpikes, port authorities, convention centers and arenas. Payment on bonds related to airports and other facilities is dependent on fees received from signatory airlines use agreements (which consist of annual payments for leases, occupancy of certain terminal space and service fees), user fees from ports, tolls on turnpikes and bridges and rents from buildings. The revenue earned from these fees may be reduced by increased cost of maintenance, decreased use of a facility, lower cost of alternative modes of transportation, scarcity of fuel and reduction or loss of rents.
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Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk — Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are institutional investors and may act as authorized participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value (“NAV”) and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. These events, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than the NAV when you buy Shares in the secondary market, and you may receive less (or more) than NAV when you sell those Shares in the secondary market. A diminished market for an ETF’s shares substantially increases the risk that a shareholder may pay considerably more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. In periods of market volatility, APs, market makers and/or liquidity providers may be less willing to transact in Shares. If these firms exit the business or are unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a premium or discount to NAV and bid-ask spreads may widen.
Cash Transactions Risk — Unlike certain ETFs, the Fund may effect its creations and redemptions partially or wholly for cash rather than on an in-kind basis. As a result, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times in order to obtain the cash needed to meet redemption orders. The Fund also may incur costs such as brokerage costs or be unable to realize certain tax benefits associated with in-kind transfers of portfolio securities that may be realized by other ETFs. These costs may decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent that the costs are not offset by a transaction fee payable by an AP. Shareholders may be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise have been subject to and/or at an earlier date than if the Fund had effected redemptions wholly on an in-kind basis. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the Fund’s shares to trade in the market at wider bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Secondary Market Trading Risk — Although Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted. Trading may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Fund inadvisable. These may include: (a) the extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or the financial instruments composing the Fund’s portfolio; or (b) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. During periods of market stress, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. Further, APs may be unwilling to participate in the creation/redemption process during periods of market stress, particularly if the market for shares becomes less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which may lead to widening of bid-ask spreads and differences between the market price of the shares and the underlying value of those shares.
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Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk — As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. There is a risk that market prices for Fund Shares will vary significantly from the Fund’s NAV. Where all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in a foreign market that is closed when the market in which the Fund’s Shares are listed is open for trading, there may be changes between the last quote of the underlying securities’ value in the closed foreign market and the value of such underlying securities during the Fund’s domestic trading day.
Management of the Fund
Investment Adviser
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser.
Portfolio Managers
John V. Miller and David Blair are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and serve as the Fund’s Portfolio Managers.
| Name | Title with Adviser | Tenure with the Fund | ||
| John V. Miller, CFA | Head and Chief Investment Officer of the Municipal Credit Team | Since Inception in June 2026 | ||
| David J. Blair, CFA | Head of the Municipal Core SMA business | Since Inception in June 2026 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and investors can only buy and sell Shares through brokers or dealers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). The median bid-ask spread for the Fund’s most recent fiscal year cannot be provided because the Fund did not have a trading history to report trading information and related costs prior to the date of this Prospectus. Once available, information on the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads will be provided at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf.
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund may issue and redeem Creation Units in-kind in exchange for a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund (the “Deposit Securities”), partially or wholly for cash, or in a combination of Deposit Securities and cash.
Tax Information
The Fund anticipates that most of its dividends will consist of “exempt-interest dividends,” which are excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. All or a portion of these dividends, however, may be subject to state and local taxes or to the federal alternative minimum tax. Additionally, some distributions by the Fund and any gain on the redemption or exchange of Fund shares for shares of another fund generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. See the Dividends, Distributions and Taxes section for more information.
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Financial Intermediary Compensation
You may purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”). The Fund’s investment adviser, or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Investment Objective
Each Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of First Eagle ETF Trust (the “Trust”) without shareholder approval. Shareholders will, however, receive 60 days’ prior written notice of any changes. Any such changes may result in a Fund having an investment objective different from the objective that the shareholder considered appropriate at the time of investment in the Fund.
Additional Information About Each Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies
First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF (“Small Cap Equity ETF”)
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (‘‘ETF’’) and invests, under normal circumstances, in equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what the Adviser believes are opportunistic situations for undervalued securities. Normally, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies. The Adviser defines small-cap companies as those that have at the time of investment a market capitalization not greater than that of the largest company in the Russell 2000® Index. The market capitalization of companies included in the Russell 2000® Index ranged from approximately $5 million to $31 billion as of December 31, 2025. The Russell 2000® Index is reconstituted annually. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market capitalization and current index membership. Indexes are unmanaged and do not incur management fees or other operating expenses, and one cannot invest directly in an index. The Sub-Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board, provides investment management and related trading assistance to the Adviser. This includes managing cash flow activity and general portfolio design and implementation consistent with the Fund’s investment strategies and operations as an ETF. Primary management of the Fund’s investment program is by the Adviser.
The Fund invests in domestic equity securities and may invest to a lesser extent in securities of non-U.S. issuers (including American Depositary Receipts, Global Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts).
For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy, equity securities include common stock, securities convertible into common stock, preferred stock, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), listed depository receipts and equity ETFs. The Fund expects common stocks to be its principal type of equity security; securities convertible into common stock, preferred stock, REITs, listed depository receipts and equity ETFs are not expected to be principal investments.
The Fund may invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds for cash sweeps. Potential investments that the Adviser considers to be opportunistic may include situations involving company turnarounds (e.g., a company that may be experiencing periods of poor financial or stock performance but may be exhibiting potential for financial recovery), emerging growth companies with interrupted earnings patterns (e.g., companies without a long or consistent history of earnings but that the Adviser believes have the potential for earnings growth), companies with unrecognized asset values, or undervalued growth companies (e.g., companies that have low multiples of price-to-book or price-to-sales ratios, or companies with securities that are trading at a price below what the Adviser believes the security is worth). The Adviser also considers investments in companies that have the potential to benefit from a perceived catalyst for positive change, such as companies with new management, a more favorable business cycle, product innovation and/or margin improvement.
The Fund particularly seeks companies that have financial strength and stability, strong management and fundamental value.
The Adviser may sell a stock if the stock has reached a price whereby its risk/reward characteristics are not as favorable, the company’s fundamentals have deteriorated so that the original investment thesis for holding the stock no longer holds, or if a better opportunity has been identified.
The Fund’s 80% Policy is non-fundamental and can be changed by the Board upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. The Fund must comply with its 80% Policy at the time the Fund invests its assets. Accordingly, when the Fund no longer meets the 80% requirement as a result of circumstances beyond its control, such as changes in the value of portfolio holdings, the Fund would not have to sell its holdings, but any new investments it makes would need to be consistent with its 80% Policy.
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First Eagle Core Municipal ETF (“Core Municipal ETF”)
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and seeks to provide investors with current income exempt from regular federal income tax. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective when consistent with the Fund’s primary objective. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. Such municipal bonds may include obligations issued by U.S. states and their subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well as obligations issued by U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest in all types of municipal bonds, including general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, education revenue bonds, industrial revenue bonds, special tax bonds, tax allocation revenue securities, transportation facility revenue bonds, municipal lease obligations and participation interests in municipal leases. The Fund may invest without limit in municipal securities that generate income taxable to shareholders subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Maturity measures the time until the final payment on a bond is due. While the Fund may invest in securities with any duration or time to maturity, in pursuit of its investment objective the Fund generally will maintain, under normal market conditions, an investment portfolio with a modified duration of between 3 and 10 years. Modified duration is a measure of the sensitivity of a bond's price to changes in interest rates, expressed in years. A debt instrument’s “duration” is a way of measuring a debt instrument’s sensitivity to a potential change in interest rates. An increase in interest rates tends to reduce the market value of debt instruments, while a decline in interest rates tends to increase their values. Generally, debt instruments with long maturities and low coupons have the longest durations. Longer-duration instruments tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than those with shorter durations. For example, if a debt instrument has a duration of five years and interest rates increase (decrease) by 1%, then the value of that debt instrument would be expected to decline (increase) by approximately 5%. Duration is a factor that the Adviser uses in its analysis of the Fund’s portfolio, including to manage the Fund’s interest rate sensitivity.
The Fund will seek to invest primarily in investment grade municipal bonds but may invest up to 15% of its net assets in municipal bonds rated BB+/Ba1 and below at the time of purchase by at least one independent rating agency, or, if unrated, judged by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. Such below-investment-grade bonds are commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds. The Fund has no minimum rating limitation for such investments.
The Adviser relies on an approach that balances thorough top-down and bottom-up analysis. The Adviser uses its analysis of macroeconomic trends to set targets around risk exposures (duration, curve, credit) and portfolio structure. This is combined with analysis of technical trends and daily trading activity to form views around relative value for portfolio positioning. Deep fundamental credit research is utilized to identify bonds that present attractive return potential. This bottom-up credit analysis, along with the top-down macro analysis, provides an input into the decision of how much overall credit risk to assume.
The Adviser seeks diversification across various sectors, states and specific issuers in order to limit exposures to events or factors that may affect any individual industry, geographic location or credit.
Diversification is also a focus in its approach to exposures across risk factors and bond structures. Careful attention is given to avoid excessive concentration in positions that perform similarly in particular market scenarios.
In deciding whether to sell a security, the Adviser considers various factors related to the market and the portfolio, which may include whether: a security has become overvalued; the Adviser detects credit deterioration or modifies its portfolio strategy, such as sector and/or state allocations; or a security exceeds the portfolio’s diversification targets (i.e., the Adviser’s internal targets for exposures across sectors, states and specific issuers in order to limit exposures to events or factors that may affect any individual industry, geographic location or credit).
While the municipal issuers in which the Fund invests may be located in the same geographic area or may pay their interest obligations from revenue of similar projects, such as hospitals, airports, utility systems and housing finance agencies, as of the date of this prospectus, the Fund does not expect that it will have significant exposure to any particular geographic area or type of project.
The Fund may invest in municipal zero coupon bonds.
The Fund’s 80% Policy is fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund must comply with its 80% Policy at the time the Fund invests its assets. Accordingly, when the Fund no longer meets the 80% requirement as a result of circumstances beyond its control, such as changes in the value of portfolio holdings, the Fund would not have to sell its holdings, but any new investments it makes would need to be consistent with its 80% Policy.
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Additional Information About Each Fund’s Principal Investments and Risks
Some of the principal investment risks of the Funds are described below in greater detail than in the Fund Summaries at the beginning of this Prospectus. The chart identifies which of these risks are applicable to a particular Fund. Other investment risks and practices also apply and are described in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), which is available on request (see back cover).
| Risk | Small Cap Equity ETF |
Core Municipal ETF |
| Alternative Minimum Tax Risk | ● | |
| Authorized Participant Concentration Risk | ● | ● |
| Call Risk | ● | |
| Changes in Debt Ratings Risk | ● | |
| Credit and Interest Rate Risk | ● | |
| Currency Risk | ● | |
| Cybersecurity Risk | ● | ● |
| Equity Risk | ● | |
| ETF Risk | ● | ● |
| Foreign Investment Risk | ● | |
| High Yield Risk | ● | |
| Illiquid Investment Risk | ● | |
| Income Risk | ● | |
| Large Shareholder Risk | ● | ● |
| Market Risk | ● | ● |
| Municipal Bond Risk | ● | |
| Municipal Issuer Focus Risk | ● | |
| Municipal Lease Obligation Risk | ● | |
| New Fund Risk | ● | ● |
| Reference Rate Transition Risk | ● | |
| Small-Size Company Risk | ● | |
| Tax Risk | ● | |
| Tax-Exempt Status Risk | ● | |
| Unrated Bond Risk | ● | |
| U.S. Territory Risk | ● | |
| Valuation Risk | ● | |
| Value Investment Strategy Risk | ● | |
| Zero Coupon Bond Risk | ● |
Alternative Minimum Tax Risk — Although the interest received from municipal securities generally is exempt from federal income tax, the Fund may invest a portion of its total assets in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, investment in the Fund could cause shareholders to be subject to, or result in an increased liability under, the federal alternative minimum tax.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk — Only authorized participants (“APs”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Each Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as APs and such APs have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders. Consequently, there is no assurance that APs will establish or maintain an active trading market for a Fund’s Shares. This risk may be heightened to the extent that securities held by a Fund are traded outside a collateralized settlement system. In that case, APs may be required to post collateral on certain trades on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants), which only a limited number of APs may be able to do. In addition, to the extent that APs exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to a Fund and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units (as defined below), this may result in a significantly diminished trading market for Shares, and Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or
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discount to the Fund’s NAV and to face trading halts and/or delisting. Investments in non-U.S. securities, if applicable, may have lower trading volumes and may increase this risk.
Call Risk — An issuer may exercise its right to redeem a fixed income security earlier than expected (a call). Issuers may call outstanding securities prior to their maturity for a number of reasons (e.g., declining interest rates, changes in credit spreads and improvements in the issuer’s credit quality). If an issuer calls a security that the Fund has invested in, the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to reinvest in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or securities with other, less favorable features.
Changes in Debt Ratings Risk — Investments can be subject to the risk of downgrade by a ratings agency. Ratings downgrades generally affect the value of the downgraded security and are likely to result in both decreased demand for the security and an investor expectation of a higher rate of return on the security.
Credit and Interest Rate Risk — All debt obligations, such as bonds, are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may fluctuate in response to the risk that the issuer of a bond or other instrument will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. The value of the debt securities held by the Fund fluctuates with the credit quality of the issuers of those securities. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a security is unable to meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt. In addition, fluctuations in interest rates can affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund. A debt instrument’s “duration” is a way of measuring a debt instrument’s sensitivity to a potential change in interest rates. An increase in interest rates tends to reduce the market value of debt instruments, while a decline in interest rates tends to increase their values. Generally, debt instruments with long maturities and low coupons have the longest durations. Longer-duration instruments tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than those with shorter durations. For example, if a debt instrument has a duration of three years and interest rates increase (decrease) by 1%, then the value of that debt instrument would be expected to decline (increase) by approximately 3%.
The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk in times of monetary policy change and/or uncertainty, such as when the Federal Reserve Board ends a quantitative easing program and/or raises rates. A rising interest rate environment increases certain risks, including the potential for periods of volatility, increased redemptions and extended durations (i.e., extension risk). A low interest rate environment may prevent the Fund from providing a positive yield. Recent market conditions and events, including increases in interest rates, may exacerbate the risk that borrowers will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. During periods of decreasing or prolonged low interest rates, financial markets in which the Fund invests could be negatively affected by, for example, increased volatility, reduced value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, and perceptions of broader economic decline. When interest rates fall, the Fund may also face prepayment risk, meaning that an obligor will pay certain obligations more quickly than originally expected, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields. In addition, there is risk of significant future rate moves and related economic and market impacts. The rapid development and fluidity of these or other events may affect the economies of many nations, individual issuers and the global markets, including liquidity and volatility, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
Credit spread risk is the risk that economic and market conditions or any actual or perceived credit deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between two securities of similar maturity but different credit quality) and a decline in price of an issuer’s securities.
Currency Risk — Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to that of the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s non-U.S. currencies or securities that trade in and receive revenue in non-U.S. currencies. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to, among other things, changes in interest rates, intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad. In addition, foreign government exchange controls and restrictions on repatriation of currency can result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies to settle obligations. Such governmental actions could also cause hedges the Fund has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in the Fund having full currency exposure while incurring transaction costs.
Cybersecurity Risk — The occurrence of a disaster such as a cyber-attack, a natural catastrophe, an industrial accident, a terrorist attack or war, events unanticipated in the disaster recovery systems of the Funds and the Adviser, or a support failure from external providers, could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to conduct business and on its results of operations and financial condition, particularly if those events affect the Funds’ and/or the Adviser’s computer-based data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems or destroy data. If the Adviser was unavailable in the event of a disaster, the Funds’ ability to effectively conduct its business could be severely compromised. The Funds and the Adviser depend heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite implementation of a variety of security measures, the computer systems of the Funds and/or Adviser could be subject to cyber-attacks and unauthorized
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access, such as physical and electronic break-ins, “phishing” attempts or unauthorized tampering. Like other companies, the Funds and the Adviser may experience threats to their data and systems, including malware and computer virus attacks, impersonation of authorized users, unauthorized access, system failures and disruptions. The Funds do not control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Funds, the Adviser, shareholders and/or an issuer, each of which would be negatively impacted. If one or more of these events occurs, it could potentially jeopardize the confidential, proprietary and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, the computer systems and networks of the Funds or Adviser, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in the Funds’ operations, which could result in damage to the Funds’ reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, regulatory penalties and/or customer dissatisfaction or loss.
Equity Risk — The equity securities in which the Fund invests are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of a Fund’s equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility. An investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
ETF Risk — Small Cap Equity ETF may be subject to the risks discussed in this Prospectus through the Fund’s investments in ETFs. In addition, each Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, each Fund is exposed to the Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk, Secondary Market Trading Risk and Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk described below. Core Municipal ETF is also exposed to Cash Transactions Risk.
| • | Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk — Each Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. These events, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than the NAV when you buy Shares in the secondary market, and you may receive less (or more) than NAV when you sell those Shares in the secondary market. A diminished market for an ETF’s shares substantially increases the risk that a shareholder may pay considerably more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. If these firms exit the business or are unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders, ETF Shares may trade at a premium or discount to NAV and bid-ask spreads may widen. |
| • | Cash Transactions Risk — Unlike certain ETFs, the Core Municipal ETF may effect its creations and redemptions partially or wholly for cash rather than on an in-kind basis. Because of this, the Core Municipal ETF may incur costs such as brokerage costs or be unable to realize certain tax benefits associated with in-kind transfers of portfolio securities that may be realized by other ETFs. These costs may decrease the Core Municipal ETF’s NAV to the extent that the costs are not offset by a transaction fee payable by an AP. Shareholders may be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise have been subject to and/or at an earlier date than if the Core Municipal ETF had effected redemptions wholly on an in-kind basis. |
| • | Secondary Market Trading Risk — Although the Funds’ Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for Shares will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted. During periods of market stress, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. Further, APs may be unwilling to participate in the creation/redemption process during periods of market stress, particularly if the market for shares becomes less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Funds’ underlying portfolio holdings, which may lead to widening of bid-ask spreads and differences between the market price of the shares and the underlying value of those shares. |
| • | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk — As with all ETFs, Shares of each Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. Where all or a portion of a Fund’s underlying securities trade in a foreign market that is closed when the market in which the | |
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Fund’s Shares are listed is open for trading, there may be changes between the last quote of the underlying securities’ value in the closed foreign market and the value of such underlying securities during the Fund’s domestic trading day.
Foreign Investment Risk — The Fund may invest in foreign investments (including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”)). Foreign investments, which can be denominated in any applicable foreign currency, are generally susceptible to less politically, economically and socially stable environments, foreign currency and exchange rate changes, and adverse changes to government regulations. While depositary receipts provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign investments. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Additionally, dividends and interest received by the Fund and capital gains recognized by the Fund may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries and may decrease the Fund’s return.
The Fund will value its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. Investments in securities of foreign entities and securities denominated or traded in foreign currencies involve special risks, which include more or less foreign government regulation; less public information; less stringent investor protections; less stringent accounting, corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure standards; and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which the Fund invests. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Recently, various countries have seen significant internal conflicts and in some cases, civil wars may have had an adverse impact on the securities markets of the countries concerned. In addition, the occurrence of new disturbances due to acts of war or terrorism or other political developments cannot be excluded. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, government regulation, political, regulatory or social instability or uncertainty or diplomatic developments, including the imposition of sanctions or other similar measures, could adversely affect the Fund’s investments.
Recent examples of the above include conflict, loss of life and disaster connected to ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and Hamas and Israel in the Middle East. The extent, duration and impact of these conflicts, related sanctions and retaliatory actions are difficult to ascertain, but could be significant and have severe adverse effects on the region, including significant adverse effects on the regional or global economies and the markets for certain securities and commodities. These impacts could negatively affect the Fund’s investments in securities and instruments that are economically tied to the applicable region, and include (but are not limited to) declines in value and reductions in liquidity. In addition, to the extent new sanctions are imposed or previously relaxed sanctions are reimposed (including with respect to countries undergoing transformation), complying with such restrictions may prevent the Fund from pursuing certain investments, cause delays or other impediments with respect to consummating such investments or divestments, require divestment or freezing of investments on unfavorable terms, render divestment of underperforming investments impracticable, negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, prevent the Fund from receiving payments otherwise due it, increase diligence and other similar costs to the Fund, render valuation of affected investments challenging, or require the Fund to consummate an investment on terms that are less advantageous than would be the case absent such restrictions. Any of these outcomes could adversely affect the Fund’s performance with respect to such investments, and thus the Fund’s performance as a whole.
Illiquid Investment Risk — Holding illiquid securities restricts or otherwise limits the ability for the Fund to freely dispose of its investments for specific periods of time. The Fund might not be able to sell illiquid securities at its desired price or time. Changes in the markets or in regulations governing the trading of illiquid instruments can cause rapid changes in the price or ability to sell an illiquid security. The market for lower-quality debt instruments, including high yield or “junk” bonds and leveraged loans, is generally less liquid than the market for higher-quality debt instruments. In addition, brokers and dealers have decreased their inventories of municipal bonds in recent years. This could limit the Adviser’s ability to buy or sell municipal bonds and increase price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, recent federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of municipal bonds, which may further decrease the Adviser’s ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result, the Adviser may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a security, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.
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High Yield Risk — The Fund may invest in high yield debt instruments. Instruments with the lowest investment grade ratings are considered to have speculative characteristics. Certain debt instruments that have not been rated also are considered by the Adviser to be equivalent to below investment grade (often referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds). On balance, debt instruments that are below investment grade are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal according to the terms of the obligation and, therefore, carry greater investment risk, including the possibility of default and bankruptcy. In the event of a high yield issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of high yield bond holders, leaving few or no assets available to repay high yield bond holders. Prices of high yield instruments are subject to extreme price fluctuations and are likely to be less marketable and more adversely affected by economic downturns than higher-quality debt instruments. Adverse publicity and investors’ perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of lower-rated debt instruments, especially in a thinly traded market. Analyses of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated debt instruments may be more complex than for issuers of higher-rated instruments, and the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective may, to the extent of investment in lower-rated debt instruments, be more dependent upon such creditworthiness analyses than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher-rated instruments.
Income Risk — The Fund may experience a decline in its income due to falling interest rates, earnings declines, income decline within a security or default of an issuer of a security. During periods of increasing or prolonged high interest rates, among other things, borrowing costs may increase, fewer issuances of securities and decreased liquidity may occur and/or an issuer of a security may be unable to refinance existing debt obligations and/or make income payments. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund’s shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.
Large Shareholder Risk — Certain large shareholders, including APs, may from time to time own a substantial amount of a Fund’s shares. There is no requirement that these shareholders maintain their investment in a Fund. There is a risk that such large shareholders may redeem all or a substantial portion of their investments in a Fund in a short period of time, which could have a significant negative impact on a Fund’s NAV, liquidity, and brokerage costs. Large redemptions could to the extent a Fund permits redemptions in cash, accelerate the realization of taxable income and cause a Fund to make taxable distributions to shareholders earlier than a Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year.
Market Risk — All securities may be subject to adverse market trends. The value and liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio holdings may fluctuate in response to events specific to the issuers or bond markets in which a Fund invests, as well as economic, political, or social events in the United States or abroad. Markets can be volatile, and prices of individual securities and other investments at times may decline significantly and rapidly. This may cause a Fund’s portfolio to be worth less than the price originally paid for it, or less than it was worth at an earlier time. Market risk may affect a single issuer or the market as a whole. As a result, a portfolio of such securities may underperform the market as a whole. Recent market conditions and events, including a global public health crisis, wars and armed conflicts and actions taken by governments in response, may exacerbate volatility and may continue to negatively affect the price and liquidity of individual securities, national economies and global markets generally. Prices of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Rapid changes in value or liquidity, which often are not anticipated and can relate to events not connected to particular investments, may limit the ability of a Fund to dispose of its assets at the price or time of its choosing and can result in losses. Changes in price may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If a Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.
Municipal Bond Risk — Like other bonds, municipal bonds are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, and call risk. However, the obligations of some municipal issuers may not be enforceable through the exercise of traditional creditors’ rights. The reorganization under federal bankruptcy laws of a municipal bond issuer may result in the bonds being cancelled without payment or repaid only in part, or in delays in collecting principal and interest. In the event of a default in the payment of interest and/or repayment of principal, the Fund may enforce its rights by taking possession of, and managing, the assets securing the issuer’s obligations on such securities. These actions may increase the Fund’s operating expenses. In addition, lawmakers may seek to extend the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or to impose other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. State or federal regulation with respect to a specific sector could impact the revenue stream for a given subset of the market. Municipal bonds may have lower overall liquidity than other types of bonds, and there may be less publicly available and timely information about the financial condition of municipal issuers than for issuers of other securities.
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Municipal Issuer Focus Risk — The municipal issuers in which the Fund invests may be located in the same geographic area or may pay their interest obligations from revenue of similar projects, such as hospitals, airports, utility systems and housing finance agencies. This may make the Fund’s investments more susceptible to similar social, economic, political or regulatory occurrences, making the Fund more susceptible to experience a drop in its share price than if the Fund had been invested across issuers that did not have similar characteristics. From time to time, the Fund’s investments may include securities that alone or together with securities held by other funds or accounts managed by the Adviser, represents a major portion or all of an issue of municipal securities. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments and, in some cases, there may be contractual restrictions on resales, the Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities at a desirable time or price.
General Obligation and Revenue Bonds — General obligation bonds are general obligations of a governmental entity that are secured by the entity’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are not supported by an issuer’s power to levy taxes and are payable only from the revenues derived from specific projects, authorities or facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or another specific revenue source.
Education Revenue Bonds — Education revenue bonds are payable from and secured by revenues derived from the operation of schools, colleges and universities and their revenues are derived mainly from ad valorem taxes, or for higher education systems, from tuition, dormitory revenues, grants and endowments. Payment on education revenue bonds may be adversely affected by litigation contesting the state constitutionality of financing public education in part from ad valorem taxes. Risks related to college and university obligations include the prospect of a declining percentage of the population consisting of “college” age individuals, possible inability to raise tuitions and fees sufficiently to cover increased operating costs, the uncertainty of continued receipt of Federal grants and state funding and new government legislation or regulations which may adversely affect the revenues or costs of such issuers.
Industrial Revenue Bonds — Industrial revenue bonds are issued by governmental entities to provide financing aid to community facilities such as hospitals, hotels, business or residential complexes, convention halls and sport complexes. The proceeds from the issuance of an industrial revenue bond are directed to a private, for-profit business and the industrial revenue bond is backed by the credit and security of the private, for-profit business. Payment on industrial revenue bonds may be adversely affected by the general state of the economy, intense competition, consolidation, domestic and international politics, excess capacity and consumer spending trends. In addition, they may also be significantly affected by overall capital spending levels, economic cycles, technical obsolescence, delays in modernization, labor relations, government regulations and e-commerce initiatives. Industrial issuers may also be affected by factors more specific to their individual industries.
Special Tax Bonds — Special tax bonds are payable from and secured by revenues received by a municipality from a particular tax. Examples of special taxes are a tax on the rental of a hotel room, on the purchase of food and beverages, on the purchase of fuel, on the rental of automobiles or on the consumption of liquor. Special tax bonds are not secured by the general tax revenues of the municipality, and they do not represent general obligations of the municipality. Payment on special tax bonds may be adversely affected by a reduction in revenues realized from the underlying special tax. In addition, if spending on the particular goods or services that are subject to the special tax decrease, the municipality may be under no obligation to increase the rate of the special tax to ensure that sufficient revenues are raised from the shrinking taxable base.
Tax Allocation Revenue Securities — Tax allocation bonds are typically secured by incremental tax revenues collected on property within the areas where redevelopment projects financed by bond proceeds are located. Tax allocation bond payments are expected to be made from projected increases in tax revenues derived from higher assessed values of property resulting from development in the particular project area and not from an increase in tax rates. Payment on tax allocation bonds may be adversely affected by variations in taxable values of property in a project area, successful appeals by property owners of assessed valuations, substantial delinquencies in the payment of property taxes, or imposition of any constitutional or legislative property tax rate decrease.
Transportation Facility Revenue Bonds — Transportation facility revenue bonds are obligations which are payable from and secured by revenues derived from the ownership and operation of facilities such as airports, bridges, turnpikes, port authorities, convention centers and arenas. Payment on bonds related to airports and other facilities is dependent on fees received from signatory airlines use agreements (which consist of annual payments for leases, occupancy of certain terminal space and service fees), user fees from ports, tolls on turnpikes and bridges and rents from buildings. The revenue earned from these fees may be reduced by increased cost of
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maintenance, decreased use of a facility, lower cost of alternative modes of transportation, scarcity of fuel and reduction or loss of rents.
Municipal Lease Obligation Risk — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. The issuer will generally appropriate municipal funds for that purpose, but is not obligated to do so. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property. However, if the issuer does not fulfill its payment obligation it may be difficult to sell the property and the proceeds of a sale may not cover the Fund’s loss.
New Fund Risk — Each Fund is a newly organized, management investment company with a limited operating history. A Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, and its investment strategy may not be successful under all future market conditions, either of which could result in the Fund being liquidated at some future time without shareholder approval and/or at a time that may not be favorable for certain shareholders. New funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment, trading or other efficiencies. In addition, the Fund may be subject to a “ramp-up” period, during which it may not be fully invested or able to meet its investment objective or principal investment strategies.
Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) Risk — The London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) generally ceased to be published on June 30, 2023, and the market has largely transitioned to SOFR-based rates, in some cases as adjusted by an applicable spread adjustment. Although SOFR has become the predominant reference rate for many U.S. dollar floating-rate instruments, SOFR-based rates (including any applicable spread adjustment) may not be, and may not prove to be, the economic equivalent of LIBOR and may perform differently than LIBOR would have performed. SOFR is an overnight, secured rate and may exhibit different volatility, liquidity and interest rate dynamics than LIBOR, including during periods of market stress. As a result, the pricing, valuation and return characteristics of SOFR-linked instruments held by the Fund may be materially different than it would have been under LIBOR, and such differences may adversely affect the Fund’s profitability.
SOFR also has a more limited operating history than LIBOR. The administrator of SOFR (currently, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) may make methodological or other changes to SOFR, or may suspend or discontinue the calculation or publication of SOFR. Any such changes, or the adoption of a successor or alternative reference rate, could affect the level of interest payable or receivable on SOFR-linked instruments and could adversely affect the value and marketability of such instruments.
In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in, or is otherwise exposed to, instruments that historically referenced LIBOR or that contain fallback provisions or rate-conversion mechanics, the operation of those provisions could result in a rate that is different from what would otherwise have applied, lead to disputes or administrative burden, or otherwise adversely affect the value, returns or liquidity of such instruments.
Small-Size Company Risk — The First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF will invest in small-size companies, the securities of which can be more volatile in price than those of larger companies. Positions in small-size companies, especially when the Fund is a larger holder of a small company’s securities, also may be more difficult or expensive to trade. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility are the less certain growth prospects of smaller companies, the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities and the greater sensitivity of smaller companies to changing economic conditions. In addition, smaller companies may lack depth of management, they may be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or development, or they may be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established.
Tax Risk — The Fund may be adversely impacted by changes in tax rates and policies. Because interest income from municipal securities is normally not subject to regular federal income taxation, the attractiveness of municipal securities in relation to other investment alternatives may be affected by changes in federal and state income tax rates or changes in the tax-exempt status of interest income from municipal securities. Any proposed or actual changes in such rates or exempt status, therefore, can significantly affect the demand for and supply, liquidity and marketability of the municipal securities. This could in turn affect the Fund’s net asset value and ability to acquire and dispose of municipal securities at desirable yield and price levels.
Tax-Exempt Status Risk — The Fund’s investments in municipal securities rely on the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsor’s counsel, that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued, and neither the Fund nor the Adviser will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. However, tax opinions are not binding on the IRS, and if any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is
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acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Fund and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liability for the current or past years and shareholders may have to file amended tax returns and pay additional taxes, interest and penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities.
Unrated Bond Risk — The Adviser may internally assign ratings to securities that are not rated by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, after assessing their credit quality and other factors, in categories similar to those of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. There can be no assurance, nor is it intended, that the Adviser’s credit analysis process is consistent or comparable with the credit analysis process used by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. Unrated securities are considered “investment-grade” or “below-investment-grade” if judged by the Adviser to be comparable to rated investment-grade or below-investment-grade securities. The Adviser’s rating does not constitute a guarantee of the credit quality. In addition, some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may trade less actively than rated securities, which means that the Fund might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price.
In evaluating the credit quality of a particular security, whether rated or unrated, the Adviser will normally take into consideration a number of factors including, but not limited to, the financial resources of the issuer, the underlying source of funds for debt service on a security, the issuer’s sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, any operating history of the facility financed by the obligation, the degree of community support for the financed facility, the capabilities of the issuer’s management, and regulatory factors affecting the issuer or the particular facility.
A reduction in the rating of a security after the Fund buys it will not require the Fund to dispose of the security. However, the Adviser will evaluate such downgraded securities to determine whether to keep them in the Fund’s portfolio.
U.S. Territory Risk — The Fund may invest in obligations of the governments of U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to the extent such obligations are exempt from regular federal income taxes. Accordingly, the Fund may be adversely affected by local political, economic, social and environmental conditions and developments, including natural disasters, within these U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions affecting the issuers of such obligations.
Certain municipalities in which the Fund may invest, currently experience significant financial difficulties, which may include default, insolvency or bankruptcy. As a result, securities issued by certain of these municipalities are currently considered below-investment-grade securities. A credit rating downgrade relating to, default by, or insolvency or bankruptcy of, one or several municipal security issuers of a state, territory, commonwealth or possession in which the Fund invests could affect the payment of principal and interest, the market values and marketability of many or all municipal obligations of such state, territory, commonwealth or possession.
Valuation Risk — The investments in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio investment at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same investments. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Fund’s pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Fund’s NAV.
Value Investment Strategy Risk — An investment made at a perceived “margin of safety” or “discount to intrinsic or fundamental value” can trade at prices substantially lower than when an investment is made, so that any perceived “margin of safety” or “discount to value” is no guarantee against loss. “Value” investments, as a category, or entire industries or sectors associated with such investments, may lose favor with investors as compared to those that are more “growth” oriented. In such an event, the Fund’s investment returns would be expected to lag relative to returns associated with more growth-oriented investment strategies. Investing in or having exposure to “value” securities presents the risk that such securities may never reach what the Adviser believes are their full market values, either because the market fails to recognize what the Adviser considers to be the security’s true value or because the Adviser misjudged that value.
Zero Coupon Bond Risk — Among the debt securities in which the Fund may invest are zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest. They are issued and traded at a discount from their face amount or par value, which discount varies depending on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of zero coupon securities
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generally are more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest periodically and in cash and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do other types of debt securities having similar maturities and credit quality. Original issue discount earned on zero coupon securities must be included in the Fund’s income. Thus, to continue to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company and to avoid a certain excise tax on undistributed income, the Fund may be required to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash it actually receives. These distributions must be made from the Fund’s cash assets or, if necessary, from the proceeds of sales of portfolio securities. The Fund will not be able to purchase additional income-producing securities with cash used to make such distributions, and its current income ultimately could be reduced as a result.
Information About Certain Non-Principal Investments and Risks of the Funds
Convertible Securities Risk — Small Cap Equity ETF may invest in securities that can be converted into common stock. Small Cap Equity ETF may be susceptible to convertible security risk. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. Convertible securities may gain or lose value due to changes in the issuer’s operating results, financial condition, and credit rating and changes in interest rates and other general economic, industry and market conditions. Convertible securities generally have higher yields than common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities (e.g., equity or debt). They may be less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock because they have fixed income characteristics, and provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares Risk — Investors buying or selling Shares of each Fund in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of a Fund’s Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in a Fund, asset swings in a Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Derivatives Risk — Futures contracts or other “derivatives,” including hedging strategies, present risks related to their significant price volatility and risk of default by the counterparty to the contract. The Fund may at times also purchase derivatives linked to relevant market indices as either a hedge or for investment purposes. A futures contract is considered a derivative because it derives its value from the price of the underlying security or financial index. The prices of futures contracts can be volatile and futures contracts may lack liquidity. In addition, there may be imperfect or even negative correlation between the price of a futures contract and the price of the underlying securities or financial index. Assuming the position pays interest income that is exempt from regular federal personal income tax, Core Municipal ETF can “count” relevant derivative positions towards its “80% of assets” allocation and, in doing so, values each position at the price at which it is held on the Fund’s books (generally market price, but anticipates valuing each such position for purposes of assessing compliance with this test at notional value). Core Municipal ETF may also invest (typically for hedging purposes or to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns) in derivative instruments such as options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, and interest rate swaps.
Legal and Regulatory Change Risks — The regulatory environment for investment companies is evolving, and changes in regulation may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments and its ability to pursue its trading strategy. In addition, the securities markets are subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations. The SEC and other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies. The effect of any future regulatory change on a Fund could be substantial and adverse.
Options Risk — The Fund may engage in various options transactions in which the Fund typically seeks to limit investment risk by purchasing the right to buy or sell, or by selling the obligation to buy or sell, a security at a set price in the future. The Fund pays a premium when buying options and receives a premium when selling options. When trading options, the Fund may incur losses or forego otherwise realizable gains if market prices do not move as expected.
Other Investment Company Risk — To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, including money market funds and ETFs, its performance will be affected by the performance of those other investment companies. Investments in other investment companies are subject to the risks of the other investment companies’ investments, as well as to the other investment companies’ expenses. As a result, shareholders of the Fund will indirectly be subject to the fees and expenses of the other investment companies in which the Fund invests, and these fees and expenses are in addition to the fees and expenses that Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations. An ETF may trade in the secondary market at a price below the value of its underlying portfolio and may not be liquid. An actively managed ETF’s performance will reflect its adviser’s ability to make investment decisions that are suited to achieving the ETF’s investment objectives. A passively managed ETF may not replicate the performance of the index it intends to track.
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Preferred Stock Risk — Unlike common stock, preferred stock generally pays a fixed dividend from a company’s earnings and may have a preference over common stock on the distribution of a company’s assets in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation.
Preferred stockholders’ liquidation rights are subordinate to the company’s debt holders and creditors. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive and the price of preferred stocks may decline. Dividends on preferred stock are discretionary in nature and may permit the issuer to defer dividend payments. Deferred dividend payments could have adverse tax consequences for a Fund and may cause the preferred stock to lose substantial value.
RIC Compliance Risk — Each Fund intends to elect and qualify each year for treatment as, a Regulated Investment Company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. To continue to qualify for federal income tax treatment as a RIC, such Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. If for any taxable year a Fund fails to qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded to RICs, all of the Fund’s taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders) and its income available for distribution will be reduced. Under certain circumstances, the Fund could cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but in order to do so, the Fund could incur significant Fund-level taxes and could be forced to dispose of certain assets.
Swaps Risk — Swap agreements (including interest rate, total return, credit default and index) are derivatives contracts where the parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, risks associated with swap agreements include adverse changes in the returns of the underlying instruments, failure of the counterparties to perform under the agreement’s terms and the possible lack of liquidity with respect to the agreements. In addition, interest rate swaps may fail to perform as intended and may not offset adverse changes in interest rates fully or at all. Interest rate swaps may also reduce the Fund’s gains due to favorable changes in interest rates and result in losses to the Fund. Counterparties to interest rate swaps are subject to manipulation in the marketplace of the floating rate benchmarks, which may affect the utility of interest rate swaps as a hedge.
Temporary Investments — Each Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking a temporary defensive position (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and all types of money market and short-term debt securities. The value of money market instruments tends to fall when current interest rates rise. Money market instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than longer-term securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk — While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Defensive Investment Strategies — Core Municipal ETF has the flexibility to respond promptly to changes in market and economic conditions. For example, a defensive strategy may be warranted during periods of unfavorable market or economic conditions, including periods of market turbulence or periods when prevailing market valuations are higher than those deemed attractive under the investment criteria generally applied on behalf of the Fund. Under a defensive strategy, the Fund may hold cash and/or invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality debt securities or money market instruments of U.S. issuers. In such a case, the Fund may not be able to pursue, and may not achieve, its investment objective. It is impossible to predict whether, when or for how long the Fund will employ defensive strategies.
The Funds may make other types of investments and may engage in various other investment practices. These investments and practices, and their risks, are described in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
The Board of the Trust, of which each Fund is a series, is responsible for supervising the operations and affairs of the Funds. The Adviser is responsible for the daily management and administration of each Fund’s operations.
Investment Adviser
The Adviser of each Fund is First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, a subsidiary of First Eagle Holdings, Inc. (“FE Holdings”). Based in New York City since 1937, FE Holdings, formerly Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder Holdings, Inc., traces its heritage to the German banking house Gebr. Arnhold, founded in Dresden in 1864. A controlling interest in FE Holdings is owned by funds managed by Genstar Capital, LLC. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser and offers a variety of investment management services. In addition to the Funds, the Adviser’s clients include the First Eagle Funds, First Eagle Variable Funds, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Private Credit Fund, other pooled vehicles, corporations and major retirement plans. As of May 30, 2026, the Adviser had over $149.45 billion in assets under management. The Adviser’s address is 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105.
Subject to the overall supervision of the Board, the Adviser manages the overall investment operations of each Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies and formulates a continuing investment strategy for the Fund pursuant to the terms of an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee that is computed and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.85% and 0.40% of the average daily net assets of the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF and First Eagle Core Municipal ETF, respectively, during the month. From the unitary management fees, the Adviser pays most of the expenses of the Funds, including the cost of sub-advisory fees to any investment sub-adviser, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services. However, the Adviser is not responsible for interest expenses, brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses and other extraordinary costs such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of business. No information regarding the advisory fees paid by the Funds is currently available, as the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) to 0.55% of the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s average daily net assets and 0.25% of the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s average daily net assets. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 0.55% or the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 0.25%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until June 30, 2027, and may not be terminated prior to that date without the approval of the Board of the Trust. The Adviser may not recoup waived fees or reimbursed expenses under the Expense Limitation Agreement with the Funds.
Investment Sub-Adviser
The Adviser has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, subject to certain conditions, to engage or terminate a sub-adviser, and to enter into and materially amend an existing sub-advisory agreement, upon the approval of the Board of Trustees, without obtaining shareholder approval. This exemptive relief has been approved by the Funds’ initial shareholder and the Board of Trustees. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the right to hire, terminate and replace sub-advisers when the Board of Trustees and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit a Fund. The exemptive order enables the Funds to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of sub-advisory agreements.
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, serves as the investment sub-adviser to the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF. The Sub-Adviser is an SEC-registered investment adviser formed in 2018 and is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings LLC. As of June 15, 2026, the Sub-Adviser had approximately $45.33 billion in assets under management.
The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. As part of its responsibilities, the Sub-Adviser may make investment decisions consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, including as part of managing cash flow activity. For its services, the Sub-Adviser is entitled to a fee paid by the Adviser (and not the Fund) based on average daily net assets.
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A discussion regarding the Board’s initial approval of the Funds’ Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement and the factors the Board considered with respect to their approval will be available in the Funds’ first Form N-CSR, which will be available on the Funds’ website and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Portfolio Managers
Personnel of the Adviser:
William A. Hench, Suzanne Franks and Adam Mielnik are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s portfolio and serve as the Fund’s Portfolio Managers. John V. Miller and David Blair are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF and serve as the Fund’s Portfolio Managers.
William A. Hench manages First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF. He joined the Adviser in April 2021. Mr. Hench is head of the Small Cap Fund Team and is the portfolio manager of the U.S. Small Cap strategy. Prior to joining the Adviser in April 2021, Mr. Hench was portfolio manager of the Small Cap Opportunistic Value strategy at Royce Investment Partners, where he worked for 18 years. Before that, he spent 10 years in the institutional equity business in Boston and New York, most recently with JP Morgan.
Suzanne Franks manages First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF. Ms. Franks is an Associate Portfolio Manager on the Small Cap team. She joined First Eagle Investment Management, LLC as an Associate Portfolio Manager in April 2021. Previously, Suzanne was assistant portfolio manager of the Small Cap Opportunistic Value strategy a Royce Investment Partners.
Adam Mielnik manages First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF. Mr. Mielnik is an Associate Portfolio Manager on the Small Cap team. Prior to joining First Eagle in April 2021, Mr. Mielnik was a senior analyst for the Small Cap Opportunistic Value strategy at Royce Investment Partners, where he worked for seven years. Mr. Mielnik earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
John V. Miller has served as a First Eagle Core Municipal ETF Portfolio Manager since June 2026. Mr. Miller joined the Adviser as a Portfolio Manager for the Funds and head and chief investment officer of the Municipal Credit team in January 2024. Previously, Mr. Miller was a senior managing director and head of municipal bonds at Nuveen Asset Management, where he worked for 27 years.
David J. Blair has served as a First Eagle Core Municipal ETF Portfolio Manager since June 2026. Prior to joining First Eagle in January 2025, Mr. Blair was a managing director and portfolio manager at Nuveen where he managed municipal separate account portfolios. Since 1996, he has worked at PIMCO and Nuveen, primarily as a municipal credit analyst and portfolio manager. Mr. Blair began his career in 1991 as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor for Arthur Andersen. He earned a BA in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. Mr. Blair holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Orange County.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of each Portfolio Manager, other accounts managed by them, and their ownership of Shares of the Funds.
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HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Each Fund issues and redeems its Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to a Fund, at NAV. APs must be (i) a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation, a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participant (as discussed below). In addition, each AP must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Investors can only buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling a Fund’s 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 offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares, and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The DTC or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning a Fund’s Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Share Trading Prices on the Exchange
Trading prices of a Fund’s Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares. To provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, or other widely disseminated means, an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for Shares as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Funds are neither involved in nor responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs. If the calculation of the IIV is based on the basket of Deposit Securities, such IIV may not represent the best possible valuation of a Fund’s portfolio because the basket of Deposit Securities does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current Fund portfolio at a particular point in time. The IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of a Fund’s NAV because the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed only once a day, typically at the end of the business day. The IIV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the Deposit Securities.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Funds, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains or losses. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Funds employ fair value pricing and impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Funds in effecting trades. In addition, the Funds reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
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Determination of Net Asset Value
In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
The Board has adopted a pricing and valuation policy for use by each Fund and its Valuation Designee (defined below) in calculating the Fund’s NAV. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, each Fund has designated the Adviser as its “Valuation Designee” to perform all of the fair value determinations as well as to perform all of the responsibilities that may be performed by the Valuation Designee in accordance with Rule 2a-5. The Valuation Designee is authorized to make all necessary determinations of the fair values of portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or if it is deemed that the prices obtained from brokers and dealers or independent pricing services are unreliable. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Funds may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee under the direction of the Board.
The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Trust under the general supervision of the Board.
A Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Funds do not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.
Fair Value Pricing
If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Funds’ administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, securities will be fair valued by the Adviser, as the Funds’ Valuation Designee (the “Valuation Designee”), in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments. The Board has adopted a pricing and valuation policy for use by each Fund and its Valuation Designee in calculating the Fund’s NAV. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, each Fund has designated the Adviser as its “Valuation Designee” to perform all of the fair value determinations as well as to perform all of the responsibilities that may be performed by the Valuation Designee in accordance with Rule 2a-5. The Valuation Designee is authorized to make all necessary determinations of the fair values of portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or if it is deemed that the prices obtained from brokers and dealers or independent pricing services are unreliable.
The SAI provides additional information about the purchase and redemption of creation units and the determination of NAV.
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Distribution and Service Plan
The Funds have adopted a distribution and service plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plan, the Funds are authorized to pay distribution fees to the distributor and other firms that provide distribution and shareholder services (“Service Providers”). If a Service Provider provides these services, the Funds may pay fees at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Funds and there are no current plans to impose these fees. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees were charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Funds.
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DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
It is each Fund’s policy to make annual distributions of net investment income, net realized capital gains, and net tax-exempt income, if any. Each Fund makes distributions on a per-share basis. The amount of distributions by a Fund may vary from year-to-year based on a variety of circumstances, including market conditions, the composition of the Fund’s portfolio, portfolio turnover, expenses borne by the Fund, and redemptions by shareholders.
Dividend Reinvestment Service
Brokers may make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available to their customers who own Shares. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole and fractional Shares of a Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. In order to achieve the maximum total return on their investments, investors are encouraged to use the dividend reinvestment service. Except as described below, dividends and distributions are generally taxable to investors whether they receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require a Fund’s shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.
Taxes
Each Fund intends to elect and qualify to be treated as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify, a Fund must meet certain income, diversification and distribution requirements. As a regulated investment company, a Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or excise taxes on ordinary income and capital gains distributed to shareholders within applicable time limits, although foreign-source income received by a Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes.
As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares of a Fund will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares of a Fund.
Unless your investment in shares of a Fund is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when: (i) the Fund makes distributions; (ii) you sell your shares listed on the Exchange; and (iii) you purchase or redeem Creation Units.
Taxes on Distributions
Each Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains income. In the case of the Small Cap Equity ETF, distributions of investment income generally will be taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income for federal income tax purposes. Distributions of investment income by the Core Municipal ETF will generally be subject to the tax rules described below under “--Core Municipal ETF (Municipal Fund)”. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares of the Fund. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by a Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates. Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares.
Distributions reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. The amount of a Fund’s distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities, if any. Corporate shareholders may be
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entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of a Fund’s securities lending activities, if any.
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the character of any distributions received from a Fund.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a Fund). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. Exempt-interest dividends from the Core Municipal ETF are generally not included in net investment income for purposes of this tax.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year if it is declared by a Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the shares’ NAV when you purchased your shares of the Fund).
You may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable to you even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”
Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange
For federal income tax purposes, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares of a Fund generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if those shares have been held for more than 12 months and as a short-term capital gain or loss if those shares have been held for 12 months or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such shares of a Fund. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale of shares. If disallowed, the loss will increase the basis of the shares acquired.
IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans
This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your own tax advisor for detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by a Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Each Fund may, under certain circumstances, report a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. The Funds, however, do not intend to report interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends.
Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale of shares in a Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from a Fund.
However, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income and gain from a Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.
Each Fund is generally required to withhold on certain payments to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in a Fund.
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Core Municipal ETF (Municipal Fund)
The Core Municipal ETF anticipates that most of its dividends will consist of “exempt-interest dividends,” which are excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Exempt-interest dividends are dividends paid by the Core Municipal ETF that are attributable to interest on tax-exempt obligations (reduced by certain expenses and other amounts relating to such tax-exempt income) and reported by the Core Municipal ETF as exempt-interest dividends. However, all or a portion of the exempt-interest dividends may be taken into account in determining the alternative minimum tax on shareholders who are individuals and may be subject to state and local taxes. Exempt-interest dividends are included in determining the portion, if any, of an individual’s social security and railroad retirement benefits subject to U.S. federal income taxes. Additionally, a shareholder may not deduct interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of stock in a regulated investment company, such as the Core Municipal ETF, to the extent that the regulated investment company distributes exempt-interest dividends to the shareholder during the taxable year of the shareholder.
The Core Municipal ETF may realize and distribute taxable ordinary income or capital gains from time to time because of the Core Municipal ETF’s investment activities, including its investments in tax-exempt obligations. Distributions, if any, of the Core Municipal ETF’s net capital gains are generally taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, and distributions from short-term capital gains and net investment income are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, regardless of whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares.
The Core Municipal ETF’s investments in municipal securities rely on the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued, and neither the Core Municipal ETF nor the Adviser will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. However, tax opinions are not binding on the IRS, and if any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Core Municipal ETF and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liability for the current or past years and shareholders may have to file amended tax returns and pay additional taxes, interest and penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities.
Shareholders that are generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax, such as shareholders investing through tax qualified accounts and nonresident aliens or foreign entities, will not gain additional tax benefit from the exempt-interest dividends that are expected to be paid by the Core Municipal ETF or gain any other tax benefit. Because Core Municipal ETF’s pre-tax returns generally will be lower than those of funds that own taxable debt instruments of comparable quality, an investment in the Core Municipal ETF may not be suitable investment for those kinds of investors.
The U.S. federal income tax consequences to (i) a shareholder of the sale or other disposition of shares of the Core Municipal ETF and (ii) to a foreign shareholder of the ownership and the sale or other disposition of shares of the Core Municipal ETF, in each case, are generally the same as the tax consequences applicable to a shareholder in the other Fund described above. See “--Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange” and “--U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders” above.
Backup Withholding
Each Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns shares of the Fund) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such backup withholding. The current backup withholding rate is 24%.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units by APs
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will generally be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the AP’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. Any gain or loss realized by an AP upon a creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as capital gain or loss if the AP holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held by the AP for more than 12 months, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss.
The Trust on behalf of each Fund has the right (but not the obligation) to reject an order for a purchase of Creation Units if the AP (or a group of APs) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the 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 surrendered by the AP to the Fund on the date of surrender was less than market value on such date, the Fund, upon disposition of such surrendered securities, generally would recognize more taxable gain or less taxable loss than if its basis in such surrendered securities had been equal to market value. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to an AP (or group of APs) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the AP (or group of APs) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
An AP who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the AP’s basis in the Creation Units. Any gain or loss realized by an AP upon a redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as capital gain or loss if the AP holds the shares comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held by the AP for more than 12 months, and otherwise will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable AP of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the AP as undistributed capital gains).
Each Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. A Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, a Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in a Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of shares of a Fund. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares of a Fund under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES” in the SAI.
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DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (dba ACA Group), is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101.
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ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Adviser and Sub-Adviser, out of their own resources and without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders, may pay intermediaries, including affiliates of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, for the sale of Fund Shares and related services, including participation in activities that are designed to make intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products. Payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing and related sales support, educational training or support, or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Payments may also be made to intermediaries for making Shares of a Fund available to their customers generally and in investment programs. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser may also reimburse expenses or make payments from its own resources to intermediaries in consideration of services or other activities the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser believes may facilitate investment in the Funds.
The possibility of receiving, or the receipt of, the payments described above may provide intermediaries or their salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of Shares of the Funds, and other funds whose affiliates make similar compensation available, over other investments that do not make such payments. Investors may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to the Funds and other ETFs.
Premium/Discount Information
Each Fund is new and therefore does not have any information regarding NAV, market price, how often Shares are traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of a Fund or bid/ask spreads. Once available, this information will be presented, free of charge, on the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf and on the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf.
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the Prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Transfer Agent, breaks them down into individual Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(a) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that such Fund’s Prospectus is available on the SEC’s electronic filing system.
The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 of the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
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Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
Each Fund discloses its full portfolio holdings, as of the close of business the prior day, each day before the opening of trading on the Exchange on the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf and on the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf. A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI.
Additional Information
The Funds enter into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Funds’ investment adviser and investment sub-adviser, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or “third party”) beneficiaries of, those contractual arrangements.
The Prospectus and the SAI provide information concerning the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Shares of a Fund. The Funds may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this Prospectus nor the SAI is intended to give rise to any contract rights or other rights in any shareholder, other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.
Derivative Actions Brought on Behalf of the Trust
General. Except with respect to claims arising under the federal securities laws, in addition to the requirements set forth under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if the following conditions are met: (a) the shareholder or shareholders must make a pre-suit demand upon the Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Trustees to bring such an action is not likely to succeed. For purposes of this requirement, a demand on the Trustees shall only be deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused if a majority of the Board of Trustees, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, has a personal financial interest in the transaction at issue, and a Trustee shall not be deemed interested in a transaction or otherwise disqualified from ruling on the merits of a shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration for his service on the Board of Trustees of the Trust or on the boards of one or more trusts that are under common management with or otherwise affiliated with the Trust; (b) unless a demand is not required under paragraph (a), shareholders eligible to bring such derivative action under Delaware law who hold at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust, or 10% of the outstanding shares of the series or class to which such action relates, shall join in the request for the Trustees to commence such action; and (c) unless a demand is not required under paragraph (a), the Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim. The Trustees shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the request and shall 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. The Board of Trustees may designate a committee of one Trustee to consider a shareholder demand if necessary to create a committee with a majority of Trustees who do not have a personal financial interest in the transaction at issue.
The provision requiring at least 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, applicable series or class to join in the request to bring the derivative action and the provision requiring an undertaking by the requesting shareholders to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any advisors retained by the Board of Trustees in the event that the Trustees determine not to bring such action, does not apply to claims brought under federal securities laws.
Forum and Applicable Law. The Trust’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) also places limitations on the forum in which claims against the Trust may be heard. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, unless the Trust consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of laws of the State of Delaware or the Declaration of Trust or the Trust’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, or (iv) to the maximum extent permitted by law, any other proceeding arising out of or relating to the Trust or the shareholder’s interest in the Trust, shall be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, and in all cases subject to the Delaware courts’ having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of the Trust shall be (i) deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions, and (ii) deemed to have waived any argument relating to the inconvenience of the forums referenced above in connection with any action or proceeding.
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Accordingly, shareholders may have to bring suit in what they may consider to be an inconvenient and potentially less favorable forum. While not explicitly provided for in the Declaration of Trust, the limitations described above relating to choice of forum do not apply to claims asserted under the federal securities laws, to the extent that any such federal laws, rules or regulations do not permit such application.
Powers of Trustees
The Declaration of Trust empowers the Trustees of the Trust with, among other things: (i) full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts and instruments that they may consider necessary or appropriate in connection with the management of the Trust; and (ii) subject to the 1940 Act, the power to engage in any other lawful act or activity in which a statutory trust organized under the Delaware Act may engage. Notwithstanding that the Declaration of Trust is to be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, the Declaration of Trust explicitly excludes the application of certain laws that might otherwise apply, including any provisions of laws (common or statutory) of the State of Delaware pertaining to trusts that relate to or regulate establishment of fiduciary or other standards or responsibilities or limitations on the acts or powers of trustees that are inconsistent with the limitations or liabilities or authorities and powers of the Trustees set forth or referenced in the Declaration of Trust. Nothing in the Declaration of Trust modifying, restricting or eliminating the duties or liabilities of Trustees shall apply to, or in any way limit, the duties (including state law fiduciary duties of loyalty and care) or liabilities of such persons with respect to matters arising under the federal securities laws when and to the extent such terms are deemed inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUNDS’ SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE TRUST OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE TRUST OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
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Privacy Notice for Individual Shareholders
The Trust is providing you with this privacy notice to inform you of how we process your personal information. If the Trust changes its information practices, we will provide you with notice of any material changes. This privacy notice supersedes any of our previous policies relating to the information you disclose to us.
| FACTS | WHAT DOES THE TRUST DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
| Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
| What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: ■ Social Security number, income, and assets ■ account balances, payment history, and account activity ■ credit history and credit scores ■ name, address, telephone number, occupation ■ online information, such as your IP address and data gathered from your browsing activity and location ■ information we encounter in public records in the ordinary course of business |
| How? | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Trust chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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| Reasons we can share your personal information | Does the Trust share? | Can
you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes—
such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus |
Yes | No |
| For our marketing purposes— to offer our products and services to you |
Yes | Yes |
| For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | N/A |
| For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes—
information about your transactions and experiences |
Yes | No |
| For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes—
information about your creditworthiness |
Yes | Yes |
| For our affiliates to market to you | Yes | Yes |
| For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | N/A |
| To limit | ■ Call 844.422.3367 and indicate your desire to limit our sharing
■ Visit us online: First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf or First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf
■ Mail the form below
Please note:
If you are a new customer, we can begin sharing your information 30 days from the date we sent this notice. When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.
However, you can contact us at any time to limit our sharing. |
| Questions? | Call 844.422.3367 or go to First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf or First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf |
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| Mail-in Form | |||
If you have a joint account, your choice(s) will apply to everyone on your account unless you mark below. ❑ Apply my choices only to me |
Mark any/all you want to limit: ❑ Do not share information about my creditworthiness with your affiliates for their everyday business purposes. ❑ Do not allow your affiliates to use my personal information to market to me. ❑ Do not share my personal information with nonaffiliates to market their products and services to me. | ||
Name Address
City, State, Zip Account # |
Mail to: First Eagle ETF Trust 190 Middle Street Suite 301 Portland, ME 04101 | ||

| What we do | |
| How does the Trust protect my personal information? | We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard consumer information. We permit only authorized individuals, who are trained in the proper handling of individual shareholder information and need to access this information to do their job, to have access to this information. |
| How does the Trust collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you ■ open an account, make transactions using your account, or deposit money ■ subscribe to receive information, submit an application, or otherwise submit a form containing personal information ■ use our services online We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
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| Why can’t I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only ■ sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes—information about your creditworthiness ■ affiliates from using your information to market to you ■ sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
| What happens when I limit sharing for an account I hold jointly with someone else? | Your choices will apply to everyone on your account. |
| Definitions | |
| Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. ■ Affiliated companies include First Eagle Investments; First Eagle Holdings, Inc.; First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; FEF Distributors, LLC; First Eagle Separate Account Management, LLC; First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC; Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc.; Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc.; Diamond Hill Funds; Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Napier Park Global Capital Ltd; Napier Park Global Capital GmbH, Napier Park Global Capital (US) LP; First Eagle Investment Management Ltd; First Eagle Investment Management GmbH; First Eagle Funds (Ireland) ICAV; First Eagle Amundi Sub-Funds (Luxembourg) SICAV; First Eagle Overseas Variable Fund, a portfolio of First Eagle Variable Funds, an open-end investment management company; First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund, a closed-end interval fund; First Eagle Private Credit Fund, a business development company; portfolios of First Eagle Funds, open-end investment management companies; First Eagle Global Equity ETF (FEGE) and First Eagle Overseas Equity ETF (FEOE), exchange-traded funds; First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund, a closed-end interval fund; First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund, a closed-end interval fund; First Eagle High Yield Municipal Completion Fund, a portfolio of First Eagle Completion Fund Trust, an open-end investment management company; and any other First Eagle Funds and any sub-funds, as applicable. |
| Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. ■ Nonaffiliated third parties may include service providers such as the Trust’s distributors, registrar and transfer agent for shareholder transactions, other parties providing individual shareholder servicing, accounting and recordkeeping services, attorneys, accountants, and auditors. |
Data Subject Rights
Individuals in some jurisdictions may have certain data subject rights. These rights vary, but they may include the right for individuals to: (i) request access to and rectification or erasure of their personal data; (ii) restrict or object to the processing of their personal data; and (iii) obtain a copy of their personal data in a portable format. Individuals may also have the right to lodge a complaint about the processing of personal data with a data protection authority. If you have any questions about exercising these rights call 844.422.3367 or go to First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf or First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf.
Special Notice for Residents of California
First Eagle does not sell non-public personal information or share non-public personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We will not share information we collect about you with nonaffiliates, except as required or permitted by California or other applicable law, including as described above. While the law provides California residents with data rights in some circumstances, the state protections do not apply to personal information collected about current or former investors whose information is protected by federal financial privacy law under the Gramm Leach Bliley Act and the SEC’s Reg S-P.
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Other Important Information
Sharing of Personal Information with Nonaffiliated Third Parties
We will only share your personal information collected, as described above, with nonaffiliated third parties:
| • | At your request; |
| • | When you authorize us to process or service a transaction or product (nonaffiliated third parties in this instance may include service providers such as the Trust’s distributors, registrar and transfer agent for shareholder transactions, and other parties providing individual shareholder servicing, accounting and recordkeeping services); |
| • | With companies that perform sales and marketing services on our behalf with whom we have agreements to protect the confidentiality of your information and to use the information only for the purposes for which we disclose the information to them; |
| • | With third parties as part of a corporate business transaction such as a merger, joint venture, financing, reorganizing, or sale of company assets; |
| • | As necessary to establish, defend, or otherwise manage a legal claim; or |
| • | When required by law to disclose such information to appropriate authorities. |
We do not otherwise provide information about you to outside firms, organizations or individuals except as permitted by law.
What We do with Personal Information about Our Former Customers
If you decide to discontinue doing business with us, the Trust will continue to adhere to this privacy policy with respect to the information we have in our possession about you and your account following the termination of our shareholder relationship.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Financial highlights are not yet available for the Funds as they had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
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INVESTMENT ADVISER
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120
ADMINISTRATOR AND
TRANSFER AGENT
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
4 Chase Metrotech Center, Floor 16
Brooklyn, New York, 11245
CUSTODIAN
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
4 Chase Metrotech Center, Floor 16
Brooklyn, New York, 11245
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
300 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10017-6204
DISTRIBUTOR
Quasar Distributors, LLC
190 Middle Street, Suite 301
Portland, Maine 04101
COUNSEL
Sidley Austin LLP
787 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10019
| Useful Shareholder Information |
How to Obtain Our Shareholder Reports
Once available, additional information about the Funds’ investments will be included in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. Semi-annual and annual reports are available upon request without charge by contacting First Eagle ETF Trust. The annual reports discuss the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. The Funds’ Financial Statements filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR also contain audited financial statements by the First Eagle ETF Trust’s’ independent accountants.
How to Obtain Our Statement of Additional Information
The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference in this Prospectus and includes additional information about the Funds. The SAI is available to you without charge. To obtain a copy, please contact us via mail or phone, or visit the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf or First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf. In addition, you may visit the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC’s”) website (www.sec.gov) to view the SAI and other information. Also, you can obtain copies of the SAI, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mailing: [email protected].
Distributor Quasar Distributors, LLC, 190 Middle Street, Suite 301 Portland, ME 04101 |
Investment Adviser First Eagle Investment Management, LLC 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10105 |
How to Reach First Eagle ETF Trust
Send all shareholder inquiries and requests for other information or transactions to:
First Eagle ETF Trust
190 Middle Street, Suite 301
Portland, ME 04101
You may contact us by telephone at 844.422.3367
Investment Company Act File Number: 811-24120
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First Eagle Investment Management, LLC 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105-0048 |
First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF
(NYSE Arca, Inc. – FESC)
First Eagle Core Municipal ETF
(NYSE Arca, Inc. – FECM)
Each a series of First Eagle ETF Trust
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dated June 30, 2026
The First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF (“Small Cap Equity ETF”) and First Eagle Core Municipal ETF (“Core Municipal ETF”) (each a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”) are diversified and they each are series of First Eagle ETF Trust (the “Trust”), an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 7, 2025.
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Funds and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Small Cap Equity ETF.
Information about the Funds is set forth in the prospectus dated June 30, 2026 (the “Prospectus”) and provides the basic information you should know before investing. To obtain a copy of the Prospectus and/or the Funds’ Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, once available, please write to First Eagle ETF Trust, c/o Quasar Distributors, LLC, 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101, or call (844) 422-3367. This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus but contains information in addition to and more detailed than that set forth in the Prospectus. It is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide you with additional information regarding the activities and operations of the Funds and the Trust, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FUND HISTORY
First Eagle ETF Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 7, 2025. The Trust’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series of shares of beneficial interest (each of which is a separate fund) and separate classes of such series. Upon liquidation, shareholders of a series of the Trust are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of such series available for distribution to shareholders. Expenses attributable to any series of the Trust are borne by that series.
The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of interests (or shares) with no par value. Shares of each series have equal voting rights, and are voted in the aggregate and not by the series except in matters where a separate vote is required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), or when the matter affects only the interest of a particular series. The Trust’s series may hold special meetings of shareholders to elect or remove Trustees of the Trust, change fundamental policies, approve a management contract, or for other purposes. The Trust’s series will mail proxy materials in advance of a shareholder meeting, including a proxy and information about the proposals to be voted on. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each full share owned and fractional votes for fractional shares owned. Fund shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights. The Trust does not normally hold annual meetings of shareholders. This SAI pertains to the shares representing interests in the Funds.
Each Fund offers and issues shares at its net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund also generally offers and issues shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The shares of the Funds are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and the Funds trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the shares’ NAVs. The shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of Small Cap Equity ETF consists of at least 10,000 Shares and a Creation Unit of Core Municipal ETF consists of at least 25,000 Shares.
Shares of each Fund may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption (the “Transaction Fee”). In all cases, such 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 may charge, either in lieu or in addition to the fixed creation or redemption Transaction Fee, a variable fee for creations and redemptions in order to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction, up to a maximum of 2.00% for the Small Cap Equity ETF and 3.00% for the Core Municipal ETF of the NAV per Creation Unit, inclusive of any Transaction Fees charged (if applicable).
Each Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”).
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS
Each Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The sections below describe some of the different types of investments that may be made by each Fund. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.
With respect to each Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
There can be no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Each Fund may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and limitations.
Investment Objectives and Strategies of the Funds
Small Cap Equity ETF. The Small Cap Equity ETF is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and invests, under normal circumstances, in equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what the Adviser believes are opportunistic situations for undervalued securities. Normally, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies. The Adviser defines small-cap companies as those that have at the time of investment a market capitalization not greater than that of the largest company in the Russell 2000® Index. The market
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capitalization of companies included in the Russell 2000® Index ranged from approximately $5 million to $31 billion as of December 31, 2025. The Russell 2000® Index is reconstituted annually. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market capitalization and current index membership. Indexes are unmanaged and do not incur management fees or other operating expenses, and one cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund invests primarily in domestic common stocks and may invest to a lesser extent in common stocks of non-U.S. issuers.
Core Municipal ETF. Core Municipal ETF. The Core Municipal ETF is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and seeks to provide investors with current income exempt from regular federal income tax. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective when consistent with the Fund’s primary objective. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. Such municipal bonds may include obligations issued by U.S. states and their subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well as obligations issued by U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest in all types of municipal bonds, including general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, education revenue bonds, industrial revenue bonds, special tax bonds, tax allocation revenue securities, transportation facility revenue bonds, municipal lease obligations, participation interests in municipal leases and municipal zero coupon bonds. The Fund may invest without limit in municipal securities that generate income taxable to shareholders subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. While the Fund may invest in securities with any duration or time to maturity, in pursuit of its investment objective the Fund generally will maintain, under normal market conditions, an investment portfolio with a modified duration of between 3 and 10 years. Modified duration is a measure of the sensitivity of a bond's price to changes in interest rates, expressed in years.
There can be no assurance that the Funds’ stated objectives will be realized.
Policies and Techniques Applicable to the Funds
For ease of reference, while the discussions below often refer to investments in “securities,” the Fund may invest in many types of assets that include commodities, bank loans, derivatives, etc. A discussion of the risks of particular types of “securities” therefore should be understood to refer to the risks of that type of investment more generally (e.g., foreign securities risks should be understood to describe risks of investing in non-U.S. markets generally, regardless of investment type, and illiquid securities should be understood to describe illiquid investments, as described in Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act). Moreover, while the discussions below often refer to investments in securities or debt of “a company” or “companies,” references to “a company” or “companies” should be understood, as the context requires, to also refer to other types of issuers, including municipal issuers.
Investment Policies, Techniques and Risks of the Fund
American, European and Global Depositary Receipts. As part of its principal investment strategy, Small Cap Equity ETF may invest in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs, as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities including increased market, illiquidity, currency, political, information and other risks, and even where traded in U.S. dollars are subject to currency risk if the underlying security is traded in a foreign currency. GDRs, EDRs, and other similar instruments may be issued by a U.S. or non-U.S. entity and may be traded in other currencies. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. EDRs are issued in bearer form and are designed for use in European securities markets.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject Small Cap Equity ETF to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes and other taxes, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.
Arbitrage Transactions. The Core Municipal ETF may engage in arbitrage transactions involving near contemporaneous purchase of securities on one market and sale of those securities on another market to take advantage of pricing differences between markets. The Fund will incur a gain to the extent that proceeds exceed costs and a loss to the extent that costs exceed proceeds. The risk of an arbitrage
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transaction, therefore, is that the Fund may not be able to sell securities subject to an arbitrage at prices exceeding the costs of purchasing those securities. The Fund will attempt to limit that risk by effecting arbitrage transactions only when the prices of the securities are confirmed in advance of the trade. Unanticipated delays in an arbitrage transaction could cause the Fund to lose money.
Bank Obligations. The Core Municipal ETF may invest in bank obligations, which may include bank certificates of deposit, time deposits or bankers’ acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Additionally, the Fund may invest in bank loans. These investments potentially expose the Fund to the credit risk of the underlying borrower, and in certain cases, of the financial institution. The Fund’s ability to receive payments in connection with the loan depends primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The market for bank loans may be illiquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them, especially leveraged loans, which can be difficult to value. In addition, bank loans often have contractual restrictions on resale, which can delay the sale and adversely impact the sale price. At times, the Fund may decline to receive non-public information relating to loans, which could disadvantage the Fund relative to other investors. (See “Loans” below.)
Borrowing. A Fund may from time to time increase its ownership of securities above the amounts otherwise possible by borrowing from banks (other than those affiliated with the Trust or any of its affiliates) and investing the borrowed funds. The Fund may borrow from those banks to facilitate the meeting of redemption requests or for temporary or emergency purposes and may pledge its assets to secure those borrowings. The Fund may borrow from such banks as a temporary measure in exceptional circumstances (e.g., to facilitate the meeting of redemption requests and prevent the Fund from being in an overdraft situation). In accord with the borrowing rules under the 1940 Act, any borrowings by the Fund will be made only to the extent that the value of its assets, less its liabilities other than borrowings, is equal to at least 300% of all of its borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions) computed at the time a loan is made. If the value of the Fund’s assets at any time should fail to meet this 300% asset coverage, described above, the Fund, within three days, is required to reduce its aggregate borrowings (which may include reverse repurchase agreements) to the extent necessary to meet such asset coverage and may have to sell a portion of its investments at a time when independent investment judgment would not indicate such action. Forced deleveraging during adverse market conditions may result in the sale of portfolio securities at unfavorable prices.
Call Risk. Some debt and convertible securities in which the Core Municipal ETF may invest are also subject to the risk that the issuer might repay them early (“call risk”). When market interest rates are low, issuers may call securities paying higher interest rates. For this reason, a Fund holding a callable security may not enjoy the increase in the security’s market price that usually accompanies a decline in rates. Furthermore, the Fund would have to reinvest the proceeds from the called security at the current, lower rates or in securities with less favorable characteristics. In addition, the Fund may not benefit from any increase in value in the securities that might otherwise result from declining interest rates. The likelihood of a call also may impact the price of a security.
Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is issued by a corporation, bank, municipality, or other issuer, typically for purposes such as financing current operations. Issuers generally do not register their commercial paper with the SEC. The Core Municipal ETF may invest in commercial paper that cannot be resold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”). While some unregistered commercial paper normally is deemed illiquid, the Adviser may in certain cases determine that such paper is liquid. In some cases, the ratings of commercial paper issuers have been downgraded abruptly, leaving holders with little opportunity to avoid losses. The Fund considers all municipal bond instruments, including shorter-duration commercial paper that might be considered a cash equivalent by the other Funds for this purpose, as eligible to count towards the Fund’s “80% of net assets” test, assuming in each case that the instrument pays interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. Holding commercial paper of any maturity can have a material impact on the Fund’s returns as commercial paper generally carries both lower risk and lower returns relative to equity securities and other types of debt instruments.
Covered Option Writing. The Core Municipal ETF may write “covered” call options on equity or debt securities and on stock indices in seeking to enhance investment return or to hedge against declines in the prices of portfolio securities or may write put options to hedge against increases in the prices of securities which it intends to purchase. Generally, a call option is covered if the Fund holds, on a share-for-share basis, either the underlying shares or a call on the same security as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written (or greater than the exercise price of the call written if the difference is maintained by the Fund in cash, Treasury bills or other liquid short-term obligations in an account with its custodian). Generally, a put option is “covered” if the Fund maintains cash, Treasury bills or other high grade short-term obligations with a value equal to the exercise price in an account with its custodian, or holds on a share-for-share basis a put on the same equity or debt security as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or lower than the exercise price of the put written if the difference is maintained in an account with its custodian. One reason for writing options is to attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. In the case of a securities call, the writer receives the premium, but has given up the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the
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exercise price during the option period. In the case of a stock index call, the writer receives the premium, but is obligated to deliver cash if the underlying index rises sufficiently during the option period. Conversely, the put option writer has, in the form of the premium, gained a profit as long as the price of the underlying security or stock index remains above the exercise price, but has assumed an obligation to purchase the underlying security at the exercise price from or deliver cash to the buyer of the put option during the option period. Other “coverage” arrangements also may be used as permitted by applicable law.
Another reason for writing options is to hedge against a moderate decline in the value of securities owned by the Fund in the case of a call option, or a moderate increase in the value of securities the Fund intends to purchase in the case of a put option. If a covered option written by the Fund expires unexercised, it will realize income equal to the amount of the premium it received for the option. If an increase occurs in the underlying security or stock index sufficient to result in the exercise of a call written by the Fund, it may be required to deliver securities or cash and may thereby forego some or all of the gain that otherwise may have been realized on the securities underlying the call option. This “opportunity cost” may be partially or wholly offset by the premium received for the covered call written by the Fund.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that issuers, guarantors, or insurers may fail, or become less able or unwilling, to pay interest and/or principal when due, including default risk. The value of the debt securities and other instruments held by the Core Municipal ETF fluctuates with the credit quality, or perceived credit quality, of the issuers of those instruments. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a security is unable to meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt. Failure of an issuer to make timely payments of principal and interest or a decline or perception of decline in the credit quality of a debt security can cause the price of the debt security to fall, potentially lowering the respective Fund’s share price. The credit quality of a security or instrument can deteriorate suddenly and rapidly, which may negatively impact its liquidity and value. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Ratings represent a rating agency’s opinion regarding the quality of the security and are not a guarantee of quality and do not protect against a decline of value of a security.
Cyber Security and Information Technology Risk. The Funds and their service providers depend on complex information technology and communications systems to conduct business functions, making them susceptible to operational and information security risks. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. The Fund, and its service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund or its Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate their net asset values, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund also may incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers or securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value.
The Fund and its service providers have administrative and technical safeguards in place with respect to information security. Nevertheless, the Fund and its service providers are potentially susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from a cyber attack as the Fund is highly dependent upon the effective operation of their computer systems and those of their business partners. These risks include, among other things, the theft, misuse, corruption and destruction of data maintained online or digitally, denial of service on websites and other operational disruption and unauthorized release of confidential customer information. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund’s service providers may adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of Fund transactions, including the processing of orders, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate net asset values, cause the release and possible destruction of confidential customer or business information, impede trading, subject the Fund and/or its service providers and intermediaries to regulatory fines and financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. Cyber security risks also may affect the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which may cause the Fund’s investments to lose value. The Fund also may incur additional costs for cyber security risk management in the future. Although the Fund and its service providers have adopted security procedures to minimize the risk of a cyber attack, there can be no assurance that the Fund or its service providers will avoid losses affecting the Fund due to cyber attacks or information security breaches in the future.
Recent technological advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning technologies (collectively “AI Technologies”) and their current and potential future applications including in the financial sectors, as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks within which they operate, continue to rapidly evolve, and it is not possible to predict the full extent of current or future risks related thereto. Regulations related to AI Technologies also may impose certain obligations on organizations, and the costs of monitoring and responding to such regulations, as well as the consequences of non-compliance, could have an adverse effect on organizations connected to the Fund and its investments. In addition, the Fund and its investments could be exposed to risks to the extent third-party service providers or any counterparties use AI Technologies in their business activities.
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Derivative Transactions. The Core Municipal ETF may invest, as a non-principal investment practice, in options, futures and swaps and related products which are often referred to as “derivatives.” The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques and risks different from, and in some respects greater than, those associated with investing in more traditional investments such as stocks and bonds. Derivatives may have a return that is tied to a formula based upon an interest rate, index or other measurement which may differ from the return of a simple security of the same maturity. A formula may have a cap or other limitation on the rate of interest to be paid. Derivatives may have varying degrees of volatility at different times, or under different market conditions, and may perform in unanticipated ways. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the behavior of a derivative and that of the reference instrument underlying the derivative, and the reference asset may not perform as anticipated. An abrupt change in the price of a reference instrument could render a derivative worthless. Derivatives may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument. Derivatives may involve fees, commissions, or other costs that may reduce the Fund’s gains or exacerbate losses from the derivatives. Use of derivatives or similar instruments may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying investment and may adversely affect the amount, timing and character of income distributed to shareholders. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund.
The Fund may enter into interest rate, total return, credit default, currency, equity, fixed income and index swaps and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors and collars. The Fund may enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, for investment purposes, to deploy cash or to protect against any increase in the price of securities it anticipates purchasing at a later date. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of principal. Generally, a total return swap is an agreement between two parties, pursuant to which one pays (and the other receives) an amount equal to the total return of an underlying reference asset in exchange for a regular payment, at a fixed or floating rate or the total rate of return of another financial instrument. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential between them. An index swap is an agreement to swap cash flows on a notional amount based on changes in values of the reference indices. For example, the Fund may agree to swap the return generated from one fixed income index for the return generated by a second fixed income index. Swaps may be used in conjunction with other derivative instruments to offset interest rate, currency or other underlying risks. For example, interest rate swaps may be offset with “caps,” “floors” or “collars.” A “cap” is essentially a call option which places a limit on the amount of floating rate interest that must be paid on a certain principal amount. A “floor” is essentially a put option which places a limit on the minimum amount that would be paid on a certain principal amount. A “collar” is essentially a combination of a long cap and a short floor where the limits are set at different levels.
The Fund will typically enter into swaps on a net basis; that is, the two payment streams will be netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act permits the Fund to enter into Derivatives Transactions (as defined below) and certain other transactions notwithstanding the restrictions on the issuance of “senior securities” under Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Section 18 of the 1940 Act, among other things, prohibits open-end funds, including the Fund, from issuing or selling any “senior security,” other than borrowing from a bank (subject to a requirement to maintain 300% “asset coverage”).
Under Rule 18f-4, “Derivatives Transactions” include the following: (1) any swap, security-based swap (including a contract for differences), futures contract, forward contract, option (excluding purchased options), any combination of the foregoing, or any similar instrument, under which the Fund is or may be required to make any payment or delivery of cash or other assets during the life of the instrument or at maturity or early termination, whether as margin or settlement payment or otherwise; (2) any short sale borrowing; (3) reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions (e.g., recourse and non-recourse tender option bonds, and borrowed bonds), if the Fund elects to treat these transactions as Derivatives Transactions under Rule 18f-4; and (4) when-issued or forward-settling securities (e.g., firm and standby commitments, including to-be-announced (“TBA”) commitments, and dollar rolls) and non-standard settlement cycle securities, unless the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date.
Unless the Fund is relying on the Limited Derivatives User Exception (as defined below), the Fund must comply with Rule 18f-4 with respect to its Derivatives Transactions. Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires the Fund to adopt and implement a comprehensive written derivatives risk management program (“DRMP”) and comply with a relative or absolute limit on Fund leverage risk calculated based on value-at-risk (“VaR”). The DRMP is administered by a “derivatives risk manager,” who is appointed by the Board, including a majority of Independent Trustees, and periodically reviews the DRMP and reports to the Board.
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Rule 18f-4 provides an exception from the DRMP, VaR limit and certain other requirements if the Fund’s “derivatives exposure” (as defined in Rule 18f-4) is limited to 10% of its net assets (as calculated in accordance with Rule 18f-4) and the Fund adopts and implements written policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage its derivatives risks (the “Limited Derivatives User Exception”). As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the Fund expects to rely on the Limited Derivatives User Exception.
Unfunded Lending Commitments. Certain loans made by the Core Municipal ETF represent advance commitments to extend credit as and when requested by the borrower. These commitments typically are subject to various contingencies and conditions. The Fund also must manage its available cash, cash equivalents and borrowings so as to have cash on hand to complete the loan when required. Rule 18f-4 adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the 1940 Act requires that the Fund reasonably believe, at the time it enters into an unfunded commitment agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations on these commitments when due. The Fund will consider its overall circumstances when evaluating sufficiency of its cash and cash equivalents for this purpose. For example, the Fund will consider any conditions on its commitments, its reasonable expectations as to when each commitment will be due, other obligations of the Fund and the Fund’s ability to borrow.
Direct Lending Risk. The Core Municipal ETF may engage in direct lending. Direct loans between the Fund and a borrower may not be administered by an underwriter or agent bank. The Fund may provide financing to borrowers directly or through companies affiliated with the Fund. The terms of the direct loans are negotiated with borrowers in private transactions. Furthermore, a direct loan may be secured or unsecured. The Fund will rely primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. Direct loans may subject the Fund to liquidity risk, interest rate risk, and borrower default or insolvency. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market which may have an adverse impact on the ability of the Fund to dispose of a direct loan and/or value the direct loan. The Fund’s performance may be impacted by the Fund’s ability to lend on favorable terms as the Fund may be subject to increased competition or a reduced supply of qualifying loans which could lead to lower yields and reduce performance.
As part of its lending activities, the Fund may originate loans to borrowers that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including borrowers involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to the Fund, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to borrowers experiencing significant financial difficulties is unusually high. Different types of assets may be used as collateral for the Fund’s loans and, accordingly, the valuation of and risks associated with such collateral will vary by loan. There is no assurance that the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Core Municipal ETF’s loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a borrower that the Fund is lending money to, the Fund may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by the Fund to the borrower. Furthermore, in the event of a default by a borrower, the Fund may have difficulty disposing of the assets used as collateral for a loan. To the extent the Fund seeks to engage in direct lending, the Fund will be subject to enhanced risks of litigation, regulatory actions and other proceedings. As a result, the Fund may be required to pay legal fees, settlement costs, damages, penalties or other charges, any or all of which could materially adversely affect the Fund and its holdings.
Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which Small Cap Equity ETF invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate. Small Cap Equity ETF purchases equity securities traded in the U.S. and abroad on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Specific risks are described in more detail below (See “Non-Principal Investment Policies and Risks” below for a description of Hybrid Securities, including Convertible Securities and Preferred Stock, and Warrants):
| • | Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock. |
| • | Small Capitalization Issuers. Investing in equity securities of small capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. |
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Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). Small Cap Equity ETF may invest in open-end investment companies whose shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange. Each Fund is actively managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers and does not seek to provide investment results that correspond to an index.
ETFs are subject to risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of such investment. An actively managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expect, and/or the actively managed ETF’s portfolio management practices might not work to achieve the desired result. Individual shares of an ETF are generally not redeemable at their NAV, but trade on an exchange during the day at prices that are normally close to, but not the same as, their NAV. There is no assurance that an active trading market will be maintained for the shares of an ETF or that market prices of the shares of an ETF will be close to their NAVs. The existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for an ETF’s shares could result in such shares trading at a significant premium or discount to their NAV. In addition, the purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to a fund’s own expenses.
Investments in securities of ETFs beyond the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act are subject to certain terms and conditions described below. Section 12(d)(1)(A) states that a fund may not acquire shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs, in excess of: 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company; 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company; or more than 10% of the fund’s total assets were to be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to a fund’s own expenses. In October 2020, the SEC adopted certain regulatory changes and took other actions related to the ability of an investment company to invest in another investment company. The changes include, among other things, amendments to Rule 12d1-1, the rescission of Rule 12d1-2, and the adoption of Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 12d1-4”) which allows funds to invest in other investment companies in excess of some of the limitations discussed above, subject to certain limitations and conditions. An acquiring fund relying on Rule 12d-4 must enter into a fund of funds investment agreement with the acquired fund. Rule 12d1-4 outlines the requirements for fund of funds agreements and specifies certain reporting responsibilities of the acquiring fund’s adviser. The Funds expect to rely on Rule 12d1-4 to the extent the Adviser deems such reliance necessary or appropriate.
Foreign Securities. Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with more or less foreign government regulation; less public information; less stringent investor protections; less stringent accounting, corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure standards; and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which Small Cap Equity ETF may invest. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to an underlying investment company due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the underlying investment company has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.
Settlement mechanics may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of an underlying investment company is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of an underlying investment company to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the underlying investment company to miss attractive investment opportunities.
Each Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, if Small Cap Equity ETF invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Fund’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which the Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Fund’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of Small Cap Equity ETF’s securities in its foreign
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markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, Small Cap Equity ETF is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency.
If Small Cap Equity ETF invests in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) or foreign branches of foreign banks, these investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. A Fund may also invest in debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, including Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations, but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.
European countries can be affected by the significant fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.
Recently, various countries have seen significant internal conflicts and in some cases, civil wars may have had an adverse impact on the securities markets of the countries concerned. In addition, the occurrence of new disturbances due to acts of war or terrorism or other political developments cannot be excluded. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, government regulation, political, regulatory or social instability or uncertainty or diplomatic developments, including the imposition of sanctions or other similar measures, could adversely affect a Fund’s investments.
Recent examples of the above include conflict, loss of life and disaster connected to ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East. The extent, duration and impact of these conflicts, related sanctions and retaliatory actions are difficult to ascertain, but could be significant and have severe adverse effects on the region, including significant adverse effects on the regional or global economies and the markets for certain securities and commodities. These impacts could negatively affect a Fund’s investments in securities and instruments that are economically tied to the applicable region, and include (but are not limited to) declines in value and reductions in liquidity. In addition, to the extent new sanctions are imposed or previously relaxed sanctions are reimposed (including with respect to countries undergoing transformation), complying with such restrictions may prevent a Fund from pursuing certain investments, cause delays or other impediments with respect to consummating such investments or divestments, require divestment or freezing of investments on unfavorable terms, render divestment of underperforming investments impracticable, negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, prevent the Fund from receiving payments otherwise due it, increase diligence and other similar costs to the Fund, render valuation of affected investments challenging, or require the Fund to consummate an investment on terms that are less advantageous than would be the case absent such restrictions. Any of these outcomes could adversely affect the Fund’s performance with respect to such investments, and thus the Fund’s performance as a whole.
Investment Company Shares. Each Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a Fund. A Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund’s expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined. These limits will not apply to the investment of uninvested cash balances in shares of registered or unregistered money market funds whether affiliated or unaffiliated. The foregoing exemption, however, only applies to an unregistered money market fund that (i) limits its investments to those in which a money market fund may invest under Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act, and (ii) undertakes to comply with all the other provisions of Rule 2a-7.
For hedging or other purposes, a Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as ETFs, are traded on a securities exchange. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company’s shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.
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Investments by a Fund in other investment companies, including ETFs, will be subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4 and procedures approved by the Board, a Fund may invest in other investment companies beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act, subject to certain conditions imposed by Rule 12d1-4 including limits on control and voting of acquired funds’ shares, evaluations and findings by investment advisers, fund investment agreements and limits on most three-tier fund structures.
Certain investment companies whose securities are purchased by a Fund may not be obligated to redeem such securities in an amount exceeding 1% of the investment company’s total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days. Therefore, such securities that exceed this amount may be illiquid.
If required by the 1940 Act, the Funds expect to vote the shares of other investment companies that are held by it in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such securities.
Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. Each Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders, including APs (as defined below), purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. There is no requirement that these shareholders maintain their investment in a Fund. There is a risk that such large shareholders 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 to the extent the Fund permits redemptions in cash, accelerate the realization of taxable income and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, remaining shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year.
Money Market Securities. Each Fund may invest its assets in money market instruments (the types of which are discussed below). Money market instruments include (i) short-term U.S. government securities, including custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (“NRSRO”), such as S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; (iii) short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances) of U.S. domestic banks, foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks, and commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and (iv) repurchase agreements involving such securities. Each of these types of money market securities is discussed in more detail below. For a description of ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.
Restricted Securities. Each Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the 1933 Act but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).
The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.
As consistent with each Fund’s respective investment objective, the Funds may also invest in Section 4(2) commercial paper. Section 4(2) commercial paper is issued in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act and is generally sold to institutional investors who purchase for investment. Any resale of such commercial paper must be in an exempt transaction, usually to an institutional investor through the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in such commercial paper. The Trust believes that Section 4(2) commercial paper is liquid to the extent it meets the criteria established by the Board. The Trust intends to treat such commercial paper as liquid and not subject to the investment limitations applicable to illiquid securities or restricted securities.
Special Note Regarding Market Events. Periods of unusually high financial market volatility and restrictive credit conditions, at times limited to a particular sector or geographic area, have occurred in the past and may be expected to recur in the future. Some countries, including the United States, have adopted or have signaled protectionist trade measures, relaxation of the financial industry regulations that followed the financial crisis, and/or reductions to corporate taxes. The scope of these policy changes is still developing, but the equity and debt markets may react strongly to expectations of change, which could increase volatility, particularly if a resulting policy runs counter to the market’s expectations. The outcome of such changes cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition,
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geopolitical and other risks, including events such as war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, social unrest, natural disasters, recessions, inflation, rapid interest rate changes, supply chain disruptions, sanctions, the spread of infectious illness or other public health threats could also significantly impact the Funds and their investments. As a result of increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets, the value and liquidity of a Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by events impacting a country or region, regardless of whether a Fund invests in issuers located in or with significant exposure to such country or region.
Disease outbreaks that affect local economies or the global economy may materially and adversely impact a Fund and/or the Adviser’s business. For example, uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 outbreak have resulted in serious economic disruptions across the globe. Recent events are impacting the securities markets. Governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with changes to fiscal and monetary policy, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions, new monetary programs, and interest rates changes. Such policy changes may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities.
In certain cases, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on either specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in a Fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or to accurately price its investments. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets. To the extent a Fund may overweight its investments in certain countries, companies, industries or market sectors, such position will increase a Fund’s exposure to risk of loss from adverse developments affecting those countries, companies, industries or sectors. These conditions could result in a Fund’s inability to achieve its investment objectives, cause the postponement of reconstitution or rebalance dates for benchmark indices, adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which a Fund invests, negatively impact a Fund’s performance, and cause losses on your investment in a Fund.
Additionally, U.S. and global markets recently have experienced increased volatility, including the recent failures of certain U.S. and non-U.S. banks, which could be harmful to the Funds and issuers in which they invest. Conditions in the banking sector are evolving, and the scope of any potential impacts to the Funds and issuers, both from market conditions and also potential legislative or regulatory responses, are uncertain. Continued market volatility and uncertainty and/or a downturn in market and economic and financial conditions, as a result of developments in the banking industry or otherwise (including as a result of delayed access to cash or credit facilities), could have an adverse impact on the Funds and issuers in which they invest.
Derivatives Risk. The Funds may invest in derivative products to, among other things, obtain exposure to specific asset class sectors and seek to hedge against possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased. Use of derivatives or similar instruments may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying investment and may adversely affect the amount, timing and character of income distributed to shareholders. As a result, a larger portion of a Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a Fund.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act provides for the regulation of a registered investment company’s use of derivatives and related instruments. Rule 18f-4 prescribes specific value-at-risk leverage limits for certain derivatives users and requires certain derivatives users to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program (including the appointment of a derivatives risk manager and the implementation of certain testing requirements), and prescribes reporting requirements in respect of derivatives. Subject to certain conditions, if a fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in Rule 18f-4, it is not subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, each Fund is relying on the limited derivatives user exception.
With respect to reverse repurchase agreements or other similar financing transactions in particular, including certain tender option bonds, Rule 18f-4 permits a fund to enter into such transactions if the fund either (i) complies with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act, and combines the aggregate amount of indebtedness associated with all reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the relevant asset coverage ratio, or (ii) treats all reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions as derivatives transactions for all purposes under Rule 18f-4. The Funds have adopted procedures for investing in derivatives and other transactions in compliance with Rule 18f-4. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act may require the Funds to observe more stringent asset coverage and related requirements than were previously imposed by the 1940 Act, which could adversely affect the value or performance of the Funds. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties or issuers, as applicable, with which the Funds may engage in derivative transactions could also limit or prevent the Funds from using certain instruments. The use of derivatives is also subject to operational and legal risks. Operational risks generally refer to risks related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, system failures, inadequate controls, and human error. Legal risks generally refer to risks of loss resulting from insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract.
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Currency Exchange Transactions. A Fund may engage in a currency exchange transaction through a forward currency exchange contract (or other cash management position). A currency exchange transaction may be conducted either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate for purchasing or selling currency prevailing in the foreign exchange market or through a forward currency exchange contract (“Forward Contract”) (or other cash management position). A Forward Contract is an agreement to purchase or sell a specified currency at a specified future date (or within a specified time period) at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward Contracts are usually entered into with banks and broker-dealers, are not exchange traded and are usually for less than one year.
Currency exchange transactions may involve currencies of the different countries in which the Funds may invest, and may serve as hedges against possible variations in the exchange rates between these currencies and the U.S. dollar. A Fund’s currency transactions may include transaction hedging and portfolio hedging involving either specific transactions or portfolio positions. Transaction hedging is the purchase or sale of a Forward Contract (or other cash management position) with respect to specific payables or receivables of a Fund in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Portfolio hedging is the use of a Forward Contract (or other cash management position) with respect to one or more portfolio security positions denominated or quoted in a particular currency. A Fund may engage in portfolio hedging with respect to the currency of a particular country in amounts approximating actual or anticipated positions in securities denominated in that currency. In addition to hedging transactions, a Fund’s currency transactions may include those intended to profit from anticipated currency exchange fluctuations, even if not related to any particular Fund transaction or portfolio position, which can result in losses if such fluctuations do not occur as anticipated. At the maturity of a Forward Contract to deliver a particular currency, a Fund may either sell the portfolio security related to such contract and make delivery of the currency, or it may retain the security and either acquire the currency on the spot market or terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing an offsetting contract with the same currency trader obligating it to purchase on the same maturity date the same amount of the currency.
It is impossible to forecast with absolute precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a Forward Contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary for a Fund to purchase additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of currency the Fund is obligated to deliver, and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security if its market value exceeds the amount of currency the Fund is obligated to deliver. If a Fund retains the portfolio security and engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will incur a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been movement in Forward Contract prices. If a Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it may subsequently enter into a new Forward Contract to sell the currency. Should forward prices decline during the period between the date a Fund enters into a Forward Contract for the sale of a currency and the date it enters into an offsetting contract for the purchase of the currency, the Fund will realize a gain to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to sell exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase. Should forward prices increase, the Fund will suffer a loss to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to sell. A default on the contract would deprive the Fund of unrealized profits or force the Fund to cover its commitments for purchase or sale of currency, if any, at the current market price.
Hedging against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of portfolio securities or prevent losses if the prices of such securities decline. Such transactions also preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the hedged currency should rise. Moreover, it may not be possible for a Fund to hedge against a devaluation that is so generally anticipated that the Fund is not able to contract to sell the currency at a price above the devaluation level it anticipates. The cost to a Fund of engaging in currency exchange transactions varies with such factors as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and prevailing market conditions. Since currency exchange transactions are usually conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved.
Options On Securities. The Funds may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.
A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.
Index options are put options and call options on various indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on other securities (“non-index options”). The primary difference between non-index options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of non-index options, the underlying security is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives
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an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple.
A Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Funds will have incurred a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument or liquidate the assets held in a segregated account, until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.
If an option purchased by a Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If a Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option or a loss if it is less. If an option written by a Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if a Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by a Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
Certain Risks Regarding Options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options, whether traded over-the-counter or on an exchange, may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities or currencies; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading value; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
Successful use by the Funds of options on indices will be subject to the ability of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser to correctly predict movements in the directions of the stock market. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. In addition, the Funds’ ability to effectively hedge all or a portion of the securities in its portfolio, in anticipation of or during a market decline, through transactions in put options on indices, depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index correlate with the price movements of the securities held by the Funds. In as much as the Funds’ securities will not duplicate the components of an index, the correlation will not be perfect. Consequently, the Funds bear the risk that the prices of its securities being hedged will not move in the same amount as the prices of its put options on the indices. It is also possible that there may be a negative correlation between the index and the Fund’s securities that would result in a loss on both such securities and the options on indices acquired by the Funds.
The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The purchase of index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Funds in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities comprising the index on which the option is based.
There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Funds are unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written before the option is exercised, the Funds may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Funds were unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.
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Futures and Options on Futures. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. A Fund may reduce the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures contract by only entering into futures contracts that are traded on a national futures exchange regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). The Funds may use futures contracts and related options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes. To the extent futures and/or options on futures are employed by a Fund, the Fund will limit such investments in commodity futures, commodity options contracts and swaps to below the de minimis thresholds adopted by the CFTC in its recent amendments to Rule 4.5 (see below for a description of these thresholds). For this reason, the Adviser is not required to register as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act at this time.
With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Adviser were required to register as a CPO with respect to a Fund, the disclosure and operations of the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations.
An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally, contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.
Each Fund is required to comply with Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act. See “Derivatives Risk” above for additional information.
There are significant risks associated with a Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the Adviser’s investment adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce a Fund’s exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.
Certain Investment Techniques and Derivatives Risks. When the Adviser uses investment techniques such as margin, leverage and short sales, and forms of financial derivatives, such as options and futures, an investment in the Funds may be more volatile than investments in other funds. Although the intention is to use such investment techniques and derivatives to minimize risk to the Funds, as well as for speculative purposes, there is the possibility that improper implementation of such techniques and derivative strategies or unusual market conditions could result in significant losses to the Funds. Derivatives are used to limit risk in the Funds or to enhance investment return and have a return tied to a formula based upon an interest rate, index, price of a security, or other measurement. Derivatives involve special risks, including: (1) the risk that interest rates, securities prices and currency markets will not move in the direction that a portfolio manager anticipates; (2) imperfect correlation between the price of derivative instruments and movements in the prices of the securities, interest rates or currencies being hedged; (3) the fact that skills needed to use these strategies are different than those needed to select portfolio securities; (4) the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument and possible exchange imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired; (5) the risk that adverse price movements in an instrument can result in a loss substantially greater than a Fund’s initial investment in that instrument (in some cases, the potential loss in unlimited); (6) particularly in the case of privately-negotiated instruments, the risk that the counterparty will not perform its obligations, or that penalties could be incurred for positions held less than the required minimum holding period, which could leave a Fund worse off than if it had not entered into the position; and (7) the inability to close out certain hedged positions to avoid adverse tax consequences. In addition, the use of derivatives for non-hedging purposes (that is, to seek to increase total return) is considered a speculative practice and may present an even greater risk of loss than when used for hedging purposes.
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Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Core Municipal ETF may invest in ETFs. ETFs are investment companies or special purpose trusts that often pursue investment objectives to achieve the same rate of return as a particular market index or commodity while trading throughout the day on an exchange. Most ETF shares are sold initially in the primary market in units of 50,000 or more (“creation units”). A creation unit represents a bundle of securities (or other assets) that replicates, or is a representative sample of, the ETF’s holdings and that is deposited with the ETF. Once owned, the individual shares comprising each creation unit are traded on an exchange in secondary market transactions for cash. The secondary market for ETF shares allows them to be readily converted into cash, like commonly traded stocks. The combination of primary and secondary markets permits ETF shares to be traded throughout the day close to the value of the ETF’s underlying holdings. The Fund would purchase and sell individual shares of ETFs in the secondary market. These secondary market transactions require the payment of commissions.
ETF shares are subject to the same risks as investment companies, as described above. Furthermore, there may be times when the exchange halts trading, in which case a fund owning ETF shares would be unable to sell them until trading is resumed. In addition, because ETFs often invest in a portfolio of common stocks and “track” a designated index, an overall decline in stocks comprising an ETF’s benchmark index could have a greater impact on the ETF and investors than might be the case in an investment company with a more widely diversified portfolio. Losses could also occur if the ETF is unable to replicate the performance of the chosen benchmark index. ETFs tracking the return of a particular commodity (e.g., gold or oil) are exposed to the volatility and other financial risks relating to commodities investments.
Other risks associated with ETFs include the possibility that: (i) an ETF’s distributions may decline if the issuers of the ETF’s portfolio securities fail to continue to pay dividends; and (ii) under certain circumstances, an ETF could be terminated. Should termination occur, the ETF could have to liquidate its portfolio when the prices for those assets are falling. In addition, inadequate or irregularly provided information about an ETF or its investments, because many ETFs are passively managed, could expose investors in ETFs to unknown risks.
Floating Rate and Variable Rate Demand Notes. The Core Municipal ETF generally will purchase floating rate and variable rate demand notes for short-term cash management purposes. Floating rate and variable rate demand notes are debt instruments that provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. The interest rate on these instruments may be reset daily, weekly or on some other reset period and may have a floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. The interest rate of a floating rate instrument may be based on a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate, and is reset whenever such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is reset at specified intervals at a market rate. Interest rate adjustments are designed to help stabilize the instrument’s price or maintain a fixed spread to a predetermined benchmark. While this feature may protect against a decline in the instrument’s market price when interest rates or benchmark rates rise, it may lower the Fund’s income when interest rates or benchmark rates fall. The Fund’s income from its floating rate and variable rate investments also may increase if interest rates rise. Floating rate and variable rate obligations are less effective than fixed rate instruments at locking in a particular yield. Nevertheless, such obligations may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons. The Fund’s ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans held by it will depend primarily on the financial condition of the issuer. The failure by the Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan would adversely affect the income of the Fund and may reduce the value of its assets. Floating rate and variable rate demand notes and bonds may have a stated maturity in excess of one year but may have features that permit a holder to demand payment of principal plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice. Such obligations may be secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. If these obligations are not secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the Fund’s right to demand payment will be dependent on the ability of the issuer to pay principal and interest on demand. In addition, these may not be rated by credit rating agencies and may involve heightened risk of default by the issuer. The issuer of such obligations normally has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal of the obligation plus accrued interest upon a specific number of days’ notice to the holders. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to reinvest the proceeds of any prepayment at the same interest rate or on the same terms as those of the original instrument. The absence of an active secondary market for floating rate and variable rate demand notes could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of the instruments, and the Fund could suffer a loss if the issuer defaults or during periods in which the Fund is not entitled to exercise its demand rights. When a reliable trading market for the floating rate and variable rate instruments held by the Fund does not exist and the Fund may not demand payment of the principal amount of such instruments within seven days, the instruments may be deemed illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities.
Floating Rate Securities. The Core Municipal ETF generally will invest in short-term floating rate securities issued by municipal tender option bond trusts (“TOB Trusts”) (see also the discussion under “Inverse Floaters”). Generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal securities with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option, which may vary from weekly, to monthly, to other periods of up to one year. Since the tender option feature provides a shorter term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying municipal bond deposited in the trust, the Fund, as the holder of the floating rate securities, relies upon the terms of the remarketing and liquidity agreements with the financial institution that acts as remarketing agent and/or liquidity provider as well as the credit strength of that institution. As further assurance
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of liquidity, the terms of the TOB Trust provide for a liquidation of the municipal bond deposited in the trust and the application of the proceeds to pay off the floating rate securities. TOB Trusts that are organized to issue both short-term floating rate securities and inverse floaters generally include liquidation triggers to protect the investor in the floating rate securities.
Forward-Settled, When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Securities. The Core Municipal ETF may purchase securities on a “forward-settled,” “when-issued” or “delayed-delivery” basis. Although the payment and interest terms of these securities are established at the time the Fund enters into the commitment, the securities may be delivered and paid for a month or more after the date of purchase, when their value may have changed. The Fund makes such commitments only with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell the securities before settlement date if the Adviser deems it advisable for investment reasons.
Any borrowing by the Fund, may increase net asset value fluctuation. Forward-settled, when-issued or delayed-delivery securities are subject to the risk that the security will not be issued or that a counterparty will fail to complete the sale or purchase of the security. If this occurs, the Fund may lose the opportunity to purchase or sell the security at the agreed upon price and may forgo any gain in the security’s price.
Securities purchased on a forward-settled, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis are recorded as assets on the day following the purchase and are marked-to-market daily. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its assets in forward-settled, when-issued or delayed-delivery securities, does not intend to purchase such securities for speculative purposes and will make commitments to purchase securities on a forward-settled, when-issued or delayed-delivery basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities. However, the Fund reserves the right to sell acquired forward-settled, when-issued or delayed-delivery securities before their settlement dates if deemed advisable.
Futures and Options on Futures. The Core Municipal ETF may utilize futures contracts and options on futures. These transactions may be effected on securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. When purchased over-the-counter, the Fund bears the risk that the counterparty to the contract will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations. These contracts also may be illiquid and, in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out its position. Engaging in these types of transactions is a specialized activity and involves risk of loss. In addition, engaging in these types of transactions may increase the volatility of returns, because they commonly involve significant “built in” leverage and can be entered into with relatively small “margin” commitments relative to the resulting investment exposure. Futures contracts and similar “derivative” instruments are also subject to the risk of default by the counterparties to the contracts. The Fund may engage in certain investment techniques which create market exposure, such as dollar rolls.
Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. Successful use of futures also is subject to the investment adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant market, and, to the extent the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, to determine the appropriate correlation between the transaction being hedged and the price movements of the futures contract.
Futures and related options transactions must constitute permissible transactions pursuant to regulations promulgated by the CFTC. As a general matter, the Adviser intends to conduct the operations of the Fund in compliance with CFTC Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1974, as amended (the “Commodity Exchange Act”), in order to avoid regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund. The Rule 4.5 exemption limits (i) the ability of the Fund to trade in specified “commodity interests” (generally, futures, options on futures, certain foreign exchange transactions, and many swaps) beyond levels approved by the CFTC as de minimis and (ii) the ability of the Fund to market itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The regulatory requirements could change at any time and additional regulations could also be adopted, which may adversely affect the Fund.
Hybrid Investments. Hybrid securities may include preferred stock and convertible securities. Preferred stock generally does not exhibit as great a potential for appreciation or depreciation as common stock, although it ranks above common stock in its claim on income for dividend payments. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, dividends on preferred stock are generally payable at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors. Preferred shareholders may have certain rights if dividends are not paid but generally have no legal recourse against the issuer. Shareholders may suffer a loss of value if dividends are not paid. The market prices of preferred stocks are generally more sensitive to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness than are the prices of debt securities. Preferred stock of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies.
Small Cap Equity ETF may invest in securities that can be converted into common stock. A convertible security may be a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock, or other security or debt obligation that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. Convertible securities generally have features of, and risks associated with, both equity and fixed income instruments. As such, the value of most convertible
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securities will vary with changes in the price of, and will be subject to the risks associated with, the underlying common stock. Additionally, convertible securities are also subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay principal or interest when due and the value of the convertible security may change based on the issuer’s credit rating. Because their value can be influenced by many different factors, convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than the underlying common stocks.
A convertible security entitles the holder to receive the interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, such securities ordinarily provide a stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower than the yield on non-convertible debt. Convertible securities are usually subordinated to comparable-tier non-convertible securities and other senior debt obligations of the issuer, but rank senior to common stock in a company’s capital structure. The value of a convertible security is a function of its: (1) yield in comparison to the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege; and (2) worth if converted into the underlying common stock. Securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities that are convertible only at the option of the holder.
The price of a convertible security often reflects variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that non-convertible debt may not. Convertible securities may be issued by smaller companies whose stock prices may be more volatile than larger companies. A convertible security may have a mandatory conversion feature or a call feature that subjects it to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the security’s governing instrument (see also the discussion under “Call Risk”). If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to convert it into the underlying common stock, sell it to a third party or permit the issuer to redeem the security. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives.
The market value of all securities, including equity and hybrid securities, is based upon the market’s perception of value and not necessarily the book value of an issuer or other objective measure of a company’s worth.
Illiquid Investments. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 (“Rule 22e-4” or the “Liquidity Rule”) under the 1940 Act, each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment as defined in Rule 22e-4 is an investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. These investments may include restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than 7 days. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and thus may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Subject to the adoption of guidelines by the Board, certain restricted securities that may be sold to institutional investors pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and non-exempt commercial paper may be determined to be liquid by the Adviser. Illiquid investments involve the risk that the investments will not be able to be sold at the time the Adviser desires or at prices approximating the value at which a Fund is carrying the investments. To the extent an investment held by a Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to greater liquidity risk.
The Trust has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid investments is exceeded, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.
Inflation/Deflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Core Municipal ETF’s assets and distributions may decline. This risk is more prevalent with respect to certain types of assets or investments held by the Fund. Inflation creates uncertainty over the future real value (after inflation) of an investment. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically (and often at different rates in different countries) as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy, and the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to investors. Although certain types of assets in which the Fund may invest may to a certain extent provide a measure of protection against inflation, it is possible it will not do so to the extent intended. There is no guarantee that any asset class will perform better than, for example, a broader equity portfolio during times of rising or high inflation. The Fund’s investments may be adversely affected during periods of deflation when asset prices decrease over time across the economy. Deflation may have an adverse effect on investment prices and creditworthiness and may make defaults on debt more likely. If a country’s economy slips into an inflationary or deflationary pattern, it could last for a prolonged period and may be difficult to reverse.
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Securities. The Core Municipal ETF may invest in inflation-linked fixed income securities. Inflation-linked fixed income securities are securities that have a principal value that is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If an index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed fixed income securities will typically be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. In the case of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, also known as TIPS, repayment of original bond principal upon maturity
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(as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. The market for TIPS may be less developed or liquid, and more volatile, than certain other securities markets. There can be no assurance that the inflation index used in these securities (i.e., the Consumer Price Index) will accurately measure the real rate of inflation. For inflation-linked fixed income securities that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the inflation-linked bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
Such fixed income securities also may be issued by or related to sovereign governments of developed countries, by countries deemed to be emerging markets, and inflation-linked fixed income securities issued by or related to companies or other entities not affiliated with governments. Because of their inflation adjustment feature, inflation-linked fixed income securities typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate fixed income securities. In addition, inflation-linked fixed income securities also normally decline in price when real interest rates rise. In the event of deflation, in which prices decline over time, the principal and income of inflation-linked fixed income securities would likely decline, resulting in losses to the Fund.
Interest Rate Risk. Fluctuations in interest rates will affect the values of the Core Municipal ETF. An increase in interest rates tends to reduce the market value of debt securities, while a decline in interest rates tends to increase their values. Duration is a mathematical calculation of the average life of a fixed-income or preferred security that serves as a measure of the security’s price risk to changes in interest rates (or yields). Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. Thus, the Fund’s sensitivity to interest rate risk will increase with any increase in the Fund’s overall duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers potential changes to interest rates, and a security’s coupon payments, yield, price and par value and call features, in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen the Fund’s duration. The duration of a security will be expected to change over time with changes in market factors and time to maturity. The link between interest rates and debt securities tends to be weaker with lower-rated debt securities than with investment grade debt securities.
Inverse Floaters. Inverse floating rate interests (“Inverse Floaters”) are issued in connection with municipal tender option bond (“TOB”) financing transactions to generate leverage for the Core Municipal ETF. Such instruments are created by a special purpose trust (a “TOB Trust”) that holds long-term fixed rate bonds sold to it by the Fund (the underlying security), and issues two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests (“Floaters”), which are sold to other investors, and Inverse Floaters, which are purchased by the Fund. The Fund generally will purchase Floaters issued by a TOB Trust. The Floaters have first priority on the cash flow from the underlying security held by the TOB Trust, have a tender option feature that allows holders to tender the Floaters back to the TOB Trust for their par amount and accrued interest at specified intervals and bear interest at prevailing short-term interest rates. Tendered Floaters are remarketed for sale to other investors for their par amount and accrued interest by a remarketing agent to the TOB Trust and are ultimately supported by a liquidity facility provided by a bank, upon which the TOB Trust can draw funds to pay such amount to holders of Tendered Floaters that cannot be remarketed. The Fund, as holder of the Inverse Floaters, is paid the residual cash flow from the underlying security. Accordingly, the Inverse Floaters provide the Fund with leveraged exposure to the underlying security. When short-term interest rates rise or fall, the interest payable on the Floaters issued by a TOB Trust will, respectively, rise or fall, leaving less or more, respectively, residual interest cash flow from the underlying security available for payment on the Inverse Floaters. Thus, as short-term interest rates rise, Inverse Floaters produce less income for the Fund, and as short-term interest rates decline, Inverse Floaters produce more income for the Fund. The price of Inverse Floaters is expected to decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates decline, in either case generally more so than the price of a bond with a similar maturity, because of the effect of leverage. As a result, the price of Inverse Floaters is typically more volatile than the price of bonds with similar maturities, especially if the relevant TOB Trust is structured to provide the holder of the Inverse Floaters relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying security (e.g., if the par amount of the Floaters, as a percentage of the par amount of the underlying security, is relatively greater). Upon the occurrence of certain adverse events (including a credit ratings downgrade of the underlying security or a substantial decrease in the market value of the underlying security), a TOB Trust may be collapsed by the remarketing agent or liquidity provider and the underlying security liquidated, and the Fund could lose the entire amount of its investment in the Inverse Floater and may, in some cases, be contractually required to pay the shortfall, if any, between the liquidation value of the underlying security and the principal amount of the Floaters. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, the Fund’s investments in Inverse Floaters could negatively impact the Fund’s performance and yield, especially when those Inverse Floaters provide the Fund with relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying securities held by the relevant TOB Trusts.
The Fund may invest in Inverse Floaters on a non-recourse or recourse basis. If the Fund invests in an Inverse Floater on a recourse basis, the Fund will be required to reimburse the liquidity provider of a TOB Trust for any shortfall between the liquidation value of the underlying security and the principal amount of the Floaters in the event the Floaters cannot be successfully remarketed and the Fund could suffer losses in excess of the amount of its investment in the Inverse Floater.
Final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Volcker Rule”) prohibit banking entities and their affiliates from sponsoring and/or providing certain services to TOB Trusts, which constitute “covered funds” under the Volcker Rule. As a result of the Volcker Rule, the Fund, as holder of Inverse Floaters, is required to perform certain duties in connection with TOB financing transactions previously performed by banking entities. These duties may alternatively be
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performed by a non-bank third-party service provider. The Fund’s expanded role in TOB financing transactions as a result of the Volcker Rule may increase its operational and regulatory risk.
Further, the SEC and various banking agencies have adopted rules implementing credit risk retention requirements for asset-backed securities (the “Risk Retention Rules”), which apply to TOB financing transactions and TOB Trusts. The Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor of a TOB Trust, which is deemed to be the Fund (as holder of the related Inverse Floaters), to retain at least 5% of the credit risk of the underlying security held by the TOB Trust. As applicable, the Fund will be subject to policies and procedures intended to comply with the Risk Retention Rules. The Risk Retention Rules may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to engage in TOB financing transactions or increase the costs of such transactions in certain circumstances.
There can be no assurances that TOB financing transactions will continue to be a viable or cost-effective form of leverage. The unavailability of TOB financing transactions or an increase in the cost of financing provided by TOB transactions may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value, distribution rate and ability to achieve its investment objective.
Investment in Other Investment Companies. The Funds may invest in other registered investment companies. For example, certain markets are closed in whole or in part to equity investments by foreigners and may be available for investment solely or primarily through such an investment company. The Fund generally may invest up to 10% of its total assets in shares of other investment companies and up to 5% of its total assets in any one investment company (in each case measured at the time of investment), as long as no investment represents more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of the acquired investment company at the time of investment. These restrictions do not apply to certain investment companies known as private investment companies and “qualified purchaser” investment companies (described below under “Private Investment Funds and Other Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles”), nor do these restrictions necessarily apply to affiliated fund of funds arrangements, to investments in money market funds, or to investments in certain ETFs (as described above), subject to specialized SEC “exemptive orders” applicable to certain ETFs or rules under the Investment Company Act. Subject to certain conditions, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act permits a fund relying on the rule to invest in other investment companies, including ETFs, in excess of the limits described above.
Investment in another investment company may involve the payment of a premium above the value of the issuer’s portfolio securities, and is subject to market availability. In the case of a purchase of shares of such a company in a public offering, the purchase price may include an underwriting spread. The Fund does not intend to invest in such an investment company unless, in the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser, the potential benefits of such investment justify the payment of any applicable premium or sales charge. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, including its advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own advisory fees and other expenses. To the extent the Fund invests in other registered investment companies, its performance will be affected by the performance of those other registered investment companies.
Large Redemptions; New Fund Risks; Fund Liquidations. If one or more investors in the Funds initiate significant redemptions, it may be necessary to dispose of assets to meet the redemption request. This can make ordinary portfolio management and rebalancing decisions more complicated to implement, can result in a Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, which generally results in an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio, and can accelerate the realization of taxable income and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater in highly volatile markets or less liquid markets or for smaller or newer funds or when a significant investor purchases, redeems or owns a substantial portion of a Fund’s shares. Because large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a Fund’s investment strategy, the Fund also reserves the right to redeem in-kind, subject to certain conditions. Funds that are new or that do not have considerable operating history also face greater risks that their investment strategies may not be successful, because the Fund may launch at an inopportune time or for other reasons. New funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment, trading or other efficiencies. In addition, a Fund may be subject to a “ramp-up” period, during which it may not be fully invested or able to meet its investment objective or principal investment strategies. In general, a Fund may be liquidated without shareholder approval and/or at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders, which also may result in disposition of assets and acceleration of taxable capital gains or realization of losses. From time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may invest “seed” capital in a Fund. These investments are generally intended to enable the Fund to commence investment operations and achieve sufficient scale and may be withdrawn, in whole or in part, at such time as the Adviser or its affiliates determine to be appropriate. The Adviser and its affiliates may, from time to time, hedge some or all of the investment exposure of the seed capital invested in a Fund.
Lending of Securities. The Core Municipal ETF may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions, provided outstanding loans do not exceed in the aggregate one-third the value of its total assets and provided that such loans are callable at any time by the Fund and are at all times secured by cash or equivalent collateral that is equal to at least the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. The Fund, however, may not enter into portfolio lending arrangements with the Adviser or any of its
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affiliates absent appropriate regulatory relief from applicable prohibitions contained in the 1940 Act. The advantage of portfolio lending is that the Fund continues to receive payments in lieu of the interest and dividends of the loaned securities, while at the same time earning interest either directly from the borrower or on the collateral, which may be invested in short-term obligations. As voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower, the Fund will follow the policy of calling the loan, in whole or in part as may be appropriate, to permit the exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect on their investment in the securities which are subject to the loan. The Fund will pay reasonable finders’, administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan of securities or may share the interest earned on collateral with the borrower. The Fund has no current intention of lending its portfolio securities. If the Fund were to lend its portfolio securities, payments in lieu of interest made by the borrower to the Fund will not constitute “exempt interest” excluded from taxable income, even if the actual interest would have constituted qualified exempt interest had the Fund held the securities. Such payments in lieu of interest are taxable as ordinary income and such amounts cannot be distributed by the Fund to its shareholders in the form of exempt-interest dividends. Similarly, if the Fund were to lend its portfolio securities, payments in lieu of interest made by the borrower to the Fund will not constitute qualified dividend income, even if the actual interest would have constituted qualified dividend income had the Fund held the securities, and distributions by the Fund of such substitute payments will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividends. (See “Taxes”).
Litigation and Enforcement Risk. Companies involved in significant restructuring tend to involve increased litigation risk, including for investors in these companies. This risk may be greater in the event a Fund takes a large position or is otherwise prominently involved. The expense of defending against (or asserting) claims and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments would be borne by a FUnd (directly if it were directly involved or indirectly in the case claims by or against an underlying company or settlements or judgments paid by an underlying company). Further, ownership of companies over certain threshold levels involves additional filing requirements and substantive regulation on such owners, and if a Fund fails to comply with all of these requirements, the Fund may be forced to disgorge profits, pay fines or otherwise bear losses or other costs from such failure to comply.
In addition, there have been a number of widely reported instances of violations of securities laws through the misuse of confidential information. Such violations may result in substantial liabilities for damages caused to others, for the disgorgement of profits realized and for penalties. Furthermore, if persons associated with a company in which A Fund invested engages in such violations, the Fund could be exposed to losses.
Loans. The Core Municipal ETF may purchase or sell and make, loans or other direct debt instruments, including loan participations and interests in credit facilities of various types. Investing directly in loans or other direct debt instruments exposes the Fund to various risks similar to those borne by a creditor. Such risks include the risk of default, the risk of delayed repayment, and the risk of inadequate collateral. Investments in loans are also less liquid than investments in publicly traded securities and carry less legal protections in the event of fraud or misrepresentation. Unlike debt instruments that are securities, investments in loans are not regulated by federal securities laws or the SEC. In addition, loan participations involve a risk of insolvency by the lending bank or other financial intermediary. To the extent the Fund invests in a credit facility or other loan commitment under which the lender is obligated to lend monies to the borrower over time or on demand, the Fund could be subject to continuing calls on its assets by the borrower for the duration of the commitment period.
Corporate loans in which the Fund may invest are generally made to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs and other corporate activities. A significant portion of the corporate loans purchased by the Fund may represent interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions, known as “leveraged buy-out” transactions, leveraged recapitalization loans and other types of acquisition financing. The highly leveraged capital structure of the borrowers in such transactions may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. In addition, loans generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell such participations in secondary markets. As a result, the Fund may be unable to sell loans at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at an unattractive price. The Fund may hold investments in loans for a very short period of time when opportunities to resell the investments that the Adviser believes are attractive arise.
Bank loans in which the Fund may invest include senior secured and unsecured floating rate loans of corporations, partnerships, or other entities. These investments potentially expose the Fund to the credit risk of the underlying borrower, and in certain cases, of the financial institution. The Fund’s ability to receive payments in connection with the loan depends primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. Even investments in secured loans present risk, as there is no assurance that the collateral securing the loan will be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligation. Transactions involving bank loans have significantly longer settlement periods (e.g., longer than seven days) than more traditional investments. While the Fund maintains access to a line of credit with a financial institution for short-term credit needs, the sale proceeds related to the sale of loans may not be available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund’s redemption obligations until potentially a substantial period after the sale of the loans. In some instances, other accounts managed by the Adviser or an affiliate may hold other securities issued by borrowers whose loans may be held in the Fund’s portfolio.
With respect to its management of investments in bank loans, the Adviser may seek to avoid receiving material, non-public information (“Confidential Information”) about the issuers of bank loans being considered for acquisition by the Fund or held in the Fund’s portfolio. In many instances, borrowers may offer to furnish Confidential Information to prospective investors, and to holders, of the issuer’s loans. The Adviser’s decision not to receive Confidential Information may place the Adviser at a disadvantage relative to
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other investors in loans (which could have an adverse effect on the price the Fund pays or receives when buying or selling loans). Also, in instances where holders of loans are asked to grant amendments, waivers or consent, the Adviser’s ability to assess their significance or desirability may be adversely affected. For these and other reasons, it is possible that the Adviser’s decision not to receive Confidential Information could adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance.
The Adviser may from time to time come into possession of material, non-public information about the issuers of loans that may be held in the Fund’s portfolio. Possession of such information may in some instances occur despite the Adviser’s efforts to avoid such possession, but in other instances the Adviser may choose to receive such information (for example, in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee with respect to a financially distressed issuer). As, and to the extent, required by applicable law, the Adviser’s ability to trade in these loans for the account of the Fund could potentially be limited by its possession of such information. Such limitations on the Adviser’s ability to trade could have an adverse effect on the Fund by, for example, preventing the Fund from selling a loan that is experiencing a material decline in value. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.
In some instances, other accounts managed by the Adviser or an affiliate may hold other securities issued by borrowers whose loans may be held in the Fund’s portfolio. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the loans held in the Fund’s portfolio, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the issuer deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the issuer’s loans. In such cases, the Adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The Adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the Adviser’s client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuer’s securities.
Lower-Rated Debt Instruments. The Core Municipal ETF may invest up to 15% of its net assets in below investment grade municipal bonds (commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds) rated BB+/Ba1 or lower at the time of purchase by at least one independent rating agency or, if unrated, judged by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. A Fund may invest in debt instruments, including lower-rated instruments (i.e., instruments rated BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or Ba1 or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), commonly called “junk bonds”) and instruments that are not rated. There are no restrictions as to the ratings of debt securities or other instruments acquired by a Fund or the portion of a Fund’s assets that may be invested in debt securities or other instruments in a particular rating category. The Adviser also may use internal ratings on unrated securities. A more complete description of the characteristics of bonds in each rating category is included in the appendix to this Statement of Additional Information.
Securities or other instruments rated BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody’s (the lowest investment grade ratings) are considered to be of medium grade and to have speculative characteristics. Debt securities rated below investment grade are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Although lower-rated debt and comparable unrated debt securities may offer higher yields than do higher-rated securities, they generally involve greater volatility of price and risk of principal and income, including the possibility of default by, or bankruptcy of, the issuers of the securities. In addition, the markets in which lower-rated and unrated debt securities or other instruments are traded are more limited than those in which higher-rated securities are traded. Adverse publicity and investors’ perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of lower-rated debt securities or other instruments, especially in a thinly traded market. During periods of thin trading in these markets, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly, and a Fund may have greater difficulty selling and valuing its portfolio securities. Analyses of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated debt securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-rated securities, and the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective may, to the extent of investment in lower-rated debt securities, be more dependent upon such creditworthiness analyses than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher-rated securities. Prices of these securities may be subject to extreme price fluctuations.
Lower-rated debt instruments may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than investment grade securities. The prices of lower-rated debt securities have been found in some circumstances to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but are generally more sensitive to adverse economic downturns or individual corporate developments. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in lower-rated debt securities’ prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged company to make principal and interest payments on its debt securities. These issuers may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. In the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of holders of lower rated bonds, leaving few or no assets available to repay those bond holders. Adverse changes to the issuer’s industry and general economic conditions may have a greater impact on the prices of lower rated securities than on those of other higher rated fixed-income securities. If a rating agency gives a debt instrument a lower rating, the value of the instrument may decline because investors may demand a higher rate of return. Ratings represent a rating agency’s opinion regarding the quality of the security and are
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not a guarantee of quality. In addition, rating agencies may fail to make timely changes to credit ratings in response to subsequent events and a rating may become stale in that it fails to reflect changes in an issuer’s financial condition.
Market Liquidity and Counterparty Credit Risks. While the Core Municipal ETF is subject to limitations on its holdings of illiquid securities (see “Restricted and Illiquid Securities” above), the Fund may experience periods of limited liquidity, or a complete lack of liquidity, of certain of its investments, which may cause the Fund to retain investments longer than anticipated or to dispose of assets at a value that is less than anticipated. Recent years witnessed a liquidity and credit crisis of historic proportions that had a domino effect on financial markets and participants worldwide. While instruments correlated to the residential mortgage market were affected first, ultimately market participants holding a broad range of securities, other financial instruments and commodities and commodities contracts were forced to liquidate investments, often at deeply discounted prices, in order to satisfy margin calls (i.e., repay debt), shore up their cash reserves, or for other reasons. Among other effects, the turmoil led certain brokers and other lenders to at times be unwilling or less willing to finance new investments or to only offer financing for investments on less favorable terms than had been prevailing in the recent past. Although the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, European Central Bank, and other countries’ central banks injected significant liquidity into markets and otherwise made significant funds, guarantees, and other accommodations available to certain financial institutions, elevated levels of market stress and volatility and impaired liquidity, funding, and credit persist. Market shifts of this nature may cause unexpectedly rapid losses in the value of the Fund’s positions. It is uncertain how long any liquidity or credit crisis will continue.
Credit risk includes the risk that a counterparty or an issuer of securities or other financial instruments will be unable to meet its contractual obligations and fail to deliver, pay for, or otherwise perform a transaction. Credit risk is incurred when the Fund engages in principal-to-principal transactions outside of regulated exchanges, as well as in transactions on certain exchanges that operate without a clearinghouse or similar credit risk-shifting structure. Recently, several prominent financial market participants have failed or nearly failed to perform their contractual obligations when due creating a period of great uncertainty in the financial markets, government intervention in certain markets and in certain failing institutions, severe credit and liquidity contractions, early terminations of transactions and related arrangements, and suspended and failed payments and deliveries.
Market Risk and Turmoil. The Funds are subject to market risk. Market risk includes unexpected directional price movements, deviations from historical pricing relationships, changes in the regulatory environment, changes in market volatility, panicked or forced selling of assets and contraction of available credit or other financing sources. The success of the Fund’s activities may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws and national and international political circumstances. Although globally and among developed countries there has been a relatively stable political environment for decades, there is no guarantee that such stability will be maintained in the future. International policies, relationships and trade agreements, which have generally been perceived as stable or evolving, appear to be much more in flux. Adjustments in major trade relationships have already been met by retaliatory measures from other countries and could cause potential escalation in protectionist behavior leading to a drag on growth prospects as trade and investment and productivity growth are reinforcing and linked. Other drivers of geopolitical, economic and market risk also may come from, among other things, increased political tension on the domestic and international stages, substantial slowdown and outright recessions in certain markets, pressure on oil prices, rising corporate leverage, continuous abnormally low global interest rates, structural stresses in the European Union, international terrorist activity and armed conflict and risk of armed conflict in the Middle East, East Asia, Eurasia and elsewhere. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters, pandemics or epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term. In addition, the expanded influence of social media platforms on the market, combined with the access to low cost retail brokerage, can exacerbate the volatility of particular instruments.
Any of these developments, or the perception that any of these developments are likely to occur or worsen, could have a material adverse effect on economic growth or business activity, result in the relocation of businesses, cause business interruptions, lead to economic recession or depression, and impact the stability of financial markets or financial institutions and the financial and monetary system. The Fund may be affected by these developments in ways that are not foreseeable, and there is a possibility that such developments could have a significant adverse effect on the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective.
Market turmoil may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Such factors may affect the level and volatility of security prices and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Credit markets may become illiquid, credit spreads may widen and the equity markets may lose substantial value. Such market conditions may cause the Fund to suffer substantial losses and/or implement measures that adversely affect the Fund. Changes in the value of securities may be temporary or may last for extended periods.
Municipal Bonds. The Core Municipal ETF will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. Government obligations in which the Fund may invest also include municipal securities, which are obligations, often bonds and notes, issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, the interest on which is typically exempt from federal income tax. Interest on certain municipal securities may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). To the extent a Fund invests in such securities, shareholders subject to the AMT may not receive the expected tax benefits of those investments. From time to time, proposals to restrict or eliminate
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the federal income tax exemption from interest on municipal securities are introduced before Congress. Proposals also may be introduced before state legislatures. If such proposals were enacted, the availability of municipal securities and their value would be affected.
Municipal bonds are generally considered riskier investments than Treasury securities. The prices and yields on municipal securities are subject to change from time to time and depend upon a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer (or other entities whose financial resources are supporting the municipal security), general conditions in the market for tax-exempt obligations, the size of a particular offering and the maturity of the obligation and the rating(s) of the issue. Municipal securities are subject to interest rate risk, and their market value will generally decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall, with longer-duration securities typically exhibiting greater sensitivity to interest rate changes. Contrary to historical trends, in recent years, the market has encountered downgrades, increased rates of default and lower yields on municipal bonds. This is a product of significant reductions in revenues for many states and municipalities as well as residual effects of a generally weakened economy.
The Fund’s investments in municipal securities rely on the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued, and neither the Fund nor the Adviser will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. However, tax opinions are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and if any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Fund and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liability for the current or past years and shareholders may have to file amended tax returns and pay additional taxes, interest and penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities. The Fund also may be adversely impacted by changes in tax rates and policies. Because interest income from municipal securities is normally not subject to regular federal income taxation, the attractiveness of municipal securities in relation to other investment alternatives may be affected by changes in federal and state income tax rates or changes in the tax-exempt status of interest income from municipal securities. Any proposed or actual changes in such rates or exempt status, therefore, can significantly affect the demand for and supply, liquidity and marketability of the municipal securities. This could in turn affect the Fund’s net asset value and ability to acquire and dispose of municipal securities at desirable yield and price levels.
Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal leases obligations are issued by state and local governments or authorities to finance the acquisition of land, equipment and facilities, such as state and municipal vehicles, telecommunications and computer equipment, and other capital assets. Municipal lease obligations, a type of municipal security, may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase contract or a conditional sales contract. Interest payments on qualifying municipal lease obligations are generally exempt from federal income taxes.
Municipal lease obligations are generally subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds. State laws set forth requirements that states or municipalities must meet in order to issue municipal obligations, and such obligations may contain a covenant by the issuer to budget for, appropriate, and make payments due under the obligation. However, certain municipal lease obligations may contain “non-appropriation” clauses which provide that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year. If not enough money is appropriated to make the lease payments, the leased property may be repossessed as security for holders of the municipal lease obligation. In such an event, there is no assurance that the property’s private sector or re-leasing value will be enough to make all outstanding payments on the municipal lease obligation or that the payments will continue to be tax-free. Additionally, it may be difficult to dispose of the underlying capital asset in the event of non-appropriation or other default. Direct investments by the Fund in municipal lease obligations may be deemed illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitations for illiquid investments and the risks of holding illiquid investments.
Municipal Market Data Rate Locks. A Municipal Market Data Rate Lock (“MMD Rate Lock”) permits the Fund to lock in a specified municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. MMD Rate Locks may be used for hedging purposes. An MMD Rate Lock is an agreement between two parties, the Fund and an MMD Rate Lock provider, pursuant to which the parties agree to make payments to each other on a notional amount, contingent upon whether the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above or below a specified level on the expiration date of the contract.
MMD Rate Locks involve the risk that municipal yields will move in the direction opposite than the direction anticipated by the Fund. The risk of loss with respect to MMD Rate Locks is limited to the amount of payments the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an MMD Rate Lock defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the amount of payments that the Fund contractually is entitled to receive. If there is a default by the counterparty, the Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, but they could be difficult to enforce. (See also the discussion in “Derivatives Transactions” above.)
Options on Market Indices. The Core Municipal ETF may write call options on broadly based stock and bond market indices only if at the time of writing it holds a portfolio of stocks or bonds listed on such index. When the Fund writes a call option on a broadly based market index, it will generally put into an account or in escrow with its custodian any combination of cash, cash equivalents or
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“qualified securities” with a market value at the time the option is written of not less than 100% of the current index value times the multiplier times the number of contracts. A “qualified security” is a security which is listed on a securities exchange or on the NASDAQ against which the Fund has not written a call option and which has not been hedged by the sale of market index futures. Other “coverage” arrangements also may be used as permitted by applicable law.
Index prices may be distorted if trading in certain securities included in the index is interrupted. Trading in the index options also may be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of securities included in the index. If this occurred, the Fund would not be able to close out options which it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might be unable to exercise an option it held, which could result in substantial losses to the Fund.
If the Fund were assigned an exercise notice on a call it has written, it would be required to liquidate portfolio securities in order to satisfy the exercise, unless it has other liquid assets that are sufficient to satisfy the exercise of the call. When the Fund has written a call, there is also a risk that the market may decline between the time the Fund has a call exercised against it, at a price which is fixed as of the closing level of the index on the date of exercise, and the time it is able to sell securities in its portfolio. The Fund will not learn that an index option has been exercised until the day following the exercise date but, unlike a call on a security where it would be able to deliver the underlying securities in settlement, the Fund may have to sell part of its securities portfolio in order to make settlement in cash, and the price of such securities might decline before they can be sold. For example, even if an index call which the Fund has written is “covered” by an index call held by the Fund with the same strike price, it will bear the risk that the level of the index may decline between the close of trading on the date the exercise notice is filed with the Options Clearing Corporation and the close of trading on the date the Fund exercises the call it holds or the time it sells the call, which in either case would occur no earlier than the day following the day the exercise notice was filed.
Options Transactions. Certain transactions in options on securities and on stock indices may be useful in limiting the Core Municipal ETF’s investment risk and augmenting its investment return. However, the amount (if any) of the Fund’s assets that will be involved in options transactions is anticipated to be small relative to the Fund’s total assets. Accordingly, it is expected that only a relatively small portion of the Fund’s investment return will be attributable to transactions in options on securities and on stock indices. The Fund may invest in options transactions involving options on treasuries, securities and on stock indices that are traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets.
A call option is a contract pursuant to which the purchaser, in return for a premium paid, has the right to buy the equity or debt security underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. With respect to a call option on a stock index, the purchaser is entitled to receive cash if the underlying stock index rises sufficiently above its level at the time the option was purchased. The writer of the call option, who receives the premium, has the obligation, upon exercise of the option, to deliver the underlying equity or debt security against payment of the exercise price. With respect to a call option on a stock index, the writer has the obligation to deliver cash if the underlying index rises sufficiently above its level when the option was purchased.
A put option gives the purchaser, in return for a premium, the right to sell the underlying equity or debt security at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. With respect to a put option on a stock index, the purchaser is entitled to receive cash if the underlying index falls sufficiently below its level at the time the option was purchased. The writer of the put, who receives the premium, has the obligation to buy the underlying equity or debt security upon exercise at the exercise price. With respect to a put option on a stock index, the writer has the obligation to deliver cash if the underlying index falls sufficiently below its level when the option was purchased. The price of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying financial instrument or index, the price volatility of the underlying financial instrument or index, the remaining term of the option, supply and demand of such options and interest rates.
One purpose of purchasing call options is to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that the Fund ultimately intends to buy. Hedge protection is provided during the life of the call because the Fund, as the holder of the call, is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price, and, in the case of a call on a stock index, is entitled to receive cash if the underlying index rises sufficiently. However, if the value of a security underlying a call option or the general market or a market sector does not rise sufficiently when the Fund has purchased a call option on the underlying instrument, that option may result in a loss.
Securities and options exchanges have established limitations on the maximum number of options that an investor or group of investors acting in concert may write. It is possible that the Fund, other mutual funds advised by the Adviser and other clients of the Adviser may be considered such a group. Position limits may restrict the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell options on particular securities and on stock indices.
Pandemic Risk. Disease outbreaks that affect local economies or the global economy may materially and adversely impact the Funds and/or the Adviser’s or the Sub-Adviser’s business. For example, uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in serious economic disruptions across the globe. These types of outbreaks can be expected to cause severe decreases in core business
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activities such as manufacturing, purchasing, tourism, business conferences and workplace participation, among others. These disruptions lead to instability in the market place, including stock market losses and overall volatility, as occurred in connection with COVID-19. In the face of such instability, governments may take extreme and unpredictable measures to combat the spread of disease and mitigate the resulting market disruptions and losses. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser have in place business continuity plans reasonably designed to ensure that it maintains normal business operations, and it periodically tests those plans. However, in the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, the Funds’ service providers will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. Although vaccines for COVID-19 are widely available, the full impacts of a pandemic or disease outbreaks are unknown and the pace of recovery may vary from market to market, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time.
Private Investment Funds and Other Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Core Municipal ETF may invest in private investment funds or other unregistered pooled investment vehicles. Such vehicles are not registered under the Investment Company Act and are therefore not subject to the extensive regulatory requirements it imposes. Private investment funds or other unregistered pooled investment vehicles typically do not disclose the contents of their portfolios, which may make it difficult for the Fund to independently verify the value of an investment in a private investment fund or other unregistered pooled investment vehicle. In addition, the Fund may not be able to withdraw an investment in a private investment fund or other unregistered pooled investment vehicle except at certain designated times, presenting the risk that the Fund would not be able to withdraw from a private investment fund or other unregistered pooled investment vehicle as soon as desired, especially during periods of volatility in markets in which such a private investment fund or other unregistered pooled investment vehicle invests. Investments in private investment funds or other unregistered pooled investment vehicles may be subject to the Fund’s limitations on investments in “illiquid securities,” as described above. To the extent the Fund invests in private investment funds other unregistered pooled investment vehicles, its performance will be affected by the performance of those private investment funds other unregistered pooled investment vehicles.
Private Placement Risk. Small Cap Equity ETF may invest in privately issued securities of domestic common and preferred stock and ADRs, including those which may be resold only in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Privately issued securities are restricted securities that are not publicly traded. Delay or difficulty in selling such securities may result in a loss to the Fund.
Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. Small Cap Equity ETF may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for Federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.
Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on a Fund.
The REITs in which a Fund may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. A Fund is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an
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exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.
Recent Market Conditions and Events. There have been multiple periods in recent decades of high levels of stress and volatility in financial markets. While stresses associated with the 2008 financial crisis in the United States and global economies peaked over a decade ago, periods of market volatility, restrictive credit conditions, lack of confidence in key market participants, and broadly negative sentiment, sometimes limited to a particular sector or a geography, continue to recur. Political changes, trade policies and trade disputes (including sanctions), tax and budget policies, debt disputes, geopolitical developments, environmental and public health events, and central bank actions (including withdrawals, or “tapering,” of market support and changes in interest rate targets) have all at times represented sources of stress and instability in world economies and markets. For example, Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine resulted in broad-based sanctions by the U.S. and other countries and rapid price movements in sectors (such as energy) where Russian companies are important market participants, with related impacts both globally and regionally. Also for example, the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantines and restrictions resulted in high unemployment, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, and general concern and uncertainty, with corresponding impacts on financial markets worldwide. COVID-19 remains a risk with the potential that new variants could lead to increased government restrictions and consumer caution. Additionally, COVID-19 remains a challenge for global supply chain normalization. More recently, a number of major economies, including the United States, adjusted to reduced levels of market and monetary support following periods of fiscal and monetary interventions, together with rising inflation and increases in interest rate targets by central banks. These circumstances generated significant market stress and volatility, with market sentiment changing rapidly in response to changes in inflation or interest rate expectations.
Reference Rate Transition Risk. The London Interbank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR,” which had historically been the principal floating rate benchmark in the financial markets, has been discontinued. Its discontinuation has affected and will continue to affect the financial markets generally and may also affect the Fund’s operations, finances and investments specifically. The UK Financial Conduct Authority, which is the regulator of the LIBOR administrator, has ceased publishing all LIBOR tenors. As an alternative to LIBOR, the market has generally coalesced around the use of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as a replacement for U.S. dollar LIBOR. SOFR is a risk-free overnight floating rate that is currently published in multiple formats, including as an overnight rate, as a compounded average and as an index. In addition to the SOFR rate variations, other alternative floating rates have been developed and various market participants have adopted these floating rates to various degrees, although market practice remains in flux. Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes or other reforms to alternative reference rates, or any changes announced with respect to such reforms, may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in the reported reference rates and the value of reference rate-based loans and securities. The effects of these potential changes on the Fund, issuers of instruments in which we invest and financial markets generally and the effectiveness of changes already made, remain uncertain.
The Fund’s credit facility utilizes a SOFR-based reference rate. There is no assurance that SOFR-based rates, as modified by an applicable spread adjustment, will be the economic equivalent of U.S. dollar LIBOR. SOFR-based rates will differ from U.S. dollar LIBOR, and the differences may be material. SOFR-based rates or other alternative reference rates may be an ineffective substitute for LIBOR, resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Fund. If the Fund invests in instruments that utilize an alternative reference rate that falls out of favor, the value of such instrument may decline due to a lack of liquidity or other factors.
Repurchase Agreements. The Core Municipal ETF may purchase securities and concurrently enter into “repurchase agreements.” A repurchase agreement typically involves a purchase of an investment contract from a selling financial institution such as a bank or broker-dealer, which contract is fully secured by government obligations or other debt securities. The agreement provides that the purchaser will sell the underlying securities back to the institution at a specified price and at a fixed time in the future, usually not more than seven days from the date of purchase. The difference between the purchase price and the resale price represents the interest earned by the purchase, which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the financial institution, the purchaser may be delayed in selling the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement. Further, the law is unsettled regarding the rights of the purchaser if the financial institution which is a party to the repurchase agreement petitions for bankruptcy or otherwise becomes subject to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
Restricted and Illiquid Instruments. The Core Municipal ETF may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which generally includes any security that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the security. A security may be “illiquid” for various reasons, including that it may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale (“restricted securities”). Illiquid securities may be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees. Restricted securities that are not illiquid (generally as determined under the analysis in the next paragraph) will not be subject to the 15% limit. Generally, restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less
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favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Unanticipated episodes of illiquidity, including due to market or political factors, instrument or issuer-specific factors and/or unanticipated outflows, may limit the Fund’s ability to pay redemptions. To meet redemption requests during periods of illiquidity, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or unfavorable conditions.
The Fund may purchase securities that have been privately placed but that are eligible for purchase and sale under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. That rule permits certain qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund, to trade in privately placed securities that have not been registered for sale under the 1933 Act. The Adviser, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, will consider whether securities purchased under Rule 144A are illiquid and thus subject to the Fund’s restriction on investing in illiquid securities. A determination as to whether a Rule 144A (or similarly restricted) security is liquid is a factual issue requiring an evaluation of a number of factors. In making this determination, which would be made only if consistent with the liquidity risk management program described above, the Adviser will consider the trading markets for the specific security, taking into account the unregistered nature of the security. Investing in Rule 144A (or similarly restricted) securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities if other qualified buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a debt security owned by a fund coupled with an agreement by such fund to repurchase the instrument at a stated price, date and interest payment. The Core Municipal ETF will use the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement to purchase other debt securities or to enter into repurchase agreements maturing not later than the expiration of the prior reverse repurchase agreement. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will have securities designated to repurchase its securities.
The Fund will enter into a reverse repurchase agreement only when the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction is greater than the interest expense of the transaction. Under the Investment Company Act, reverse repurchase agreements will be considered to be borrowings by the Fund and, therefore, may be subject to the same risks involved in any borrowing. The Fund may not enter into a reverse repurchase agreement if, as a result, its current obligations under such agreements would exceed one-third the value of its net assets computed at the time the reverse repurchase agreement is entered into.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Rights Offerings and Purchase Warrants. Rights offerings and purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.
Securities Issued in PIPE Transactions. The Core Municipal ETF may invest in securities that are purchased in private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) transactions. Securities acquired by the Fund in such transactions are subject to resale restrictions under securities laws. While issuers in PIPE transactions typically agree that they will register the securities for resale by the Fund after the transaction closes (thereby removing resale restrictions), there is no guarantee that the securities will in fact be registered. In addition, a PIPE issuer may require the Fund to agree to other resale restrictions as a condition to the sale of such securities. Thus, the Fund’s ability to resell securities acquired in PIPE transactions may be limited, and even though a public market may exist for such securities, the securities held by the Fund may be deemed illiquid.
Short Sales. The Core Municipal ETF may engage in short sales of derivative instruments (e.g., U.S. Treasury futures) (see also the discussion under “Futures and Options on Futures”). In doing so, the Fund may be subject to expenses related to short sales that are not typically associated with investing in securities directly, such as borrowing costs, which may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Further, short positions introduce more risk than long positions, because the maximum sustainable loss on a security purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the security, whereas there is no maximum attainable price of the shorted security (though shorting “against the box” effectively limits loss to the amount paid for the security). Thus, securities sold short may have unlimited risk. In addition, because U.S. market regulations prohibit “naked” short selling, the Fund must, at the time of the shorting transaction, be able to “locate” and have access to the security being shorted as what is referred to as “cover” for the transaction. Failure to complete or maintain a “locate” would mean that a desired shorting transaction could not be entered into or, if open, maintained. The prospect of such a forced close of the position can cause the Fund to incur expense or loss. Shorting of illiquid securities increases this risk.
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SOFR. SOFR is intended to be a broad measure of the cost of borrowing funds overnight in transactions that are collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities. SOFR is calculated based on transaction-level repo data collected from various sources. For each trading day, SOFR is calculated as a volume-weighted median rate derived from such data.
SOFR is calculated and published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“FRBNY”). If data from a given source required by the FRBNY to calculate SOFR is unavailable for any day, then the most recently available data for that segment will be used, with certain adjustments. If errors are discovered in the transaction data or the calculations underlying SOFR after its initial publication on a given day, SOFR may be republished at a later time that day. Rate revisions will be effected only on the day of initial publication and will be republished only if the change in the rate exceeds one basis point.
Because SOFR is a financing rate based on overnight secured funding transactions, it differs fundamentally from LIBOR. LIBOR was intended to be an unsecured rate that represents interbank funding costs for different short-term maturities or tenors. It was a forward-looking rate reflecting expectations regarding interest rates for the applicable tenor. Thus, LIBOR was intended to be sensitive, in certain respects, to bank credit risk and to term interest rate risk. In contrast, SOFR is a secured overnight rate reflecting the credit of U.S. Treasury securities as collateral. Thus, it is largely insensitive to credit-risk considerations and to short-term interest rate risks. SOFR is a transaction-based rate, and it has been more volatile than other benchmark or market rates, such as three-month LIBOR, during certain periods. For these reasons, among others, there is no assurance that SOFR, or rates derived from SOFR, will perform in the same or similar way as LIBOR would have performed at any time, and there is no assurance that SOFR-based rates will be a suitable substitute for LIBOR. SOFR has a limited history, having been first published in April 2018. The future performance of SOFR, and SOFR-based reference rates, cannot be predicted based on SOFR’s history or otherwise. Levels of SOFR in the future, including following the discontinuation of LIBOR, may bear little or no relation to historical levels of SOFR, LIBOR or other rates.
Special Risks of Over-the-Counter Derivative Transactions. Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) derivative transactions differ from exchange-traded derivative transactions in several respects. OTC derivatives are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, OTC derivative pricing is normally done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by the Adviser and verified in appropriate cases. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments may ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and SEC defined as “swaps” including non-deliverable foreign exchange forwards, OTC foreign exchange options and swaptions. To date, certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps are already subject to such requirements. Mandatory exchange trading and clearing requirements have been phased-in based on type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. The Adviser will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements.
As OTC derivatives are transacted directly with dealers, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of the insolvency of such dealer or otherwise. An OTC derivative may only be terminated voluntarily by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer with whom the Fund originally dealt. Any such cancellation may require the Fund to pay a premium to that dealer. In those cases in which the Fund has entered into a covered derivative transaction and cannot voluntarily terminate the derivative, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying security until the derivative expires or is exercised or different cover is substituted. There is also no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an OTC derivative at any time prior to expiration.
Structured Notes. A Fund may invest in structured notes, the value of which is linked to currencies, interest rates, other commodities, indices or other financial indicators. Structured securities differ from other types of securities in which the Funds may invest in several respects. For example, the coupon dividend and/or redemption amount at maturity may be increased or decreased depending on changes in the value of the underlying instrument.
Investment in structured securities involves certain risks. In addition to the credit risk of the security’s issuer and the normal risks of price changes in response to changes in interest rates, the redemption amount may decrease as a result of changes in the price of the underlying instrument. Further, in the case of certain structured securities, the coupon and/or dividend may be reduced to zero, and any further declines in the value of the underlying instrument may then reduce the redemption amount payable on maturity. Finally, structured securities may be more volatile than the price of the underlying instrument.
Substantial Ownership Positions. The Funds may accumulate substantial positions in the securities or even gain control of individual companies. At times, the Funds also may seek the right to designate one or more persons to serve on the boards of directors of companies in which they invest. The designation of directors and any other exercise of management or control could expose the assets of the Fund to claims by the underlying company, its security holders and its creditors. Under these circumstances, the Fund might be named as a defendant in a lawsuit or regulatory action. The outcome of such disputes, which may affect the value of the Fund’s positions, may be difficult to anticipate and the possibility of successful claims against the Fund that would require the payout of Fund assets to the claimant(s) cannot be precluded. Substantial ownership positions also may be more difficult or expensive to liquidate. At times
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regulatory or company-specific requirements may limit or block trading in a company’s securities by those deemed to be company “insiders” (officers, directors and certain large shareholders). These limitations may or may not be related to the possession of a company’s material non-public information.
Temporary Defensive Positions. In anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, each Fund may take temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.
Trade Claims. The Core Municipal ETF may invest in trade claims. Trade claims are interests in amounts owed to suppliers of goods or services and are purchased from creditors of companies in financial difficulty and often involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Trade claims offer investors the potential for profits since they are sometimes purchased at a significant discount from face value and, consequently, may generate capital appreciation in the event that the market value of the claim increases as the debtor’s financial position improves or the claim is paid. Investing in trade claims exposes the Fund to various risks similar to those borne by a creditor. Investments in trade claims are also less liquid than investments in publicly traded securities, and there is no guarantee that the debtor will be able to satisfy the obligation on the trade claim. Additionally, there can be restrictions on the purchase, sale, and/or transferability of trade claims during all or part of a bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding. Trade claims are subject to risks not generally associated with standardized securities and instruments due to the nature of the claims purchased. Trade claims may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
U.S. Government Securities. Among the types of fixed income securities in which the Core Municipal ETF may invest are United States government obligations. United States government obligations include Treasury Notes, Bonds and Bills which are direct obligations of the United States government backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States government (“government-sponsored entities”), which may be (i) guaranteed by the United States Treasury, such as the securities of the Government National Mortgage Association, or (ii) supported by the issuer’s right to borrow from the Treasury and backed by the credit of the federal agency or instrumentality itself, such as securities of the Federal Intermediate Land Banks, Federal Land Banks, Bank of Cooperatives, Federal Home Loan Banks, Tennessee Valley Authority and Farmers Home Administration. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry United States government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund itself and do not guarantee the market prices of the securities. In September of 2008, the U.S. Treasury placed under conservatorship two government-sponsored entities, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and appointed the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) to manage their daily operations. While these entities remain to date under the conservatorship of the FHFA, long-term, continued operation in government-run conservatorships is not sustainable. In addition, the U.S. Treasury entered into purchase agreements with these two entities to provide them with capital in exchange for senior preferred stock. Generally, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. In most cases, these securities are supported only by the credit of the issuing entity itself, standing alone. In recent periods, the values of U.S. government securities have been affected substantially by increased demand. Increases (or decreases) in demand of such securities may occur at any time and may result in increased volatility in the values of those securities.
Warrants. Warrants or rights to acquire common stock may be acquired by a Fund in connection with other securities or separately. Warrants are securities permitting, but not obligating, their holder to subscribe for other securities or commodities and provide a Fund with the right to purchase at a later date other securities of the issuer. Rights are similar to warrants but typically are issued by a company to existing holders of its stock and provide those holders the right to purchase additional shares of stock at a later date. Rights also normally have a shorter duration than warrants. Warrants and rights do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle their holder to purchase, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants and rights may be more speculative than certain other types of investments and entail risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional equity instrument. While warrants and rights are generally considered equity securities, because their value is derived, at least in part, from the value of the underlying securities, they may be considered hybrid instruments that have features of both equity securities and derivative instruments. However, there are characteristics of warrants and rights that differ from derivatives, including that values do not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities. The purchase of warrants and rights involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of the warrants or rights if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the warrants’ or rights’ expiration date because warrants and rights cease to have value if they are not exercised prior to their expiration date. Also, the purchase of warrants and rights involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrants and rights added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the price of the underlying security. The market for warrants or rights may be very limited and it may be difficult to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. A warrant is an option to purchase a specified quantity of equity or debt securities at a set price within a specific period of time.
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Zero Coupon Bonds. Zero Coupon and Pay-in-Kind Securities do not immediately produce cash income. These securities are issued at an original issue discount, with the full value, including accrued interest, paid at maturity. Interest income may be reportable annually, even though no annual payments are made. Market prices of zero coupon bonds tend to be more volatile than bonds that pay interest regularly. Pay-in-kind securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Zero coupon and pay-in-kind securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular interest payment periods. Prices on non-cash-paying instruments may be more sensitive to changes in the issuer’s financial condition, fluctuation in interest rates and market demand/supply imbalances than cash-paying securities with similar credit ratings, and thus may be more speculative. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in certain lower-grade securities, such as zero coupon or pay-in-kind securities.
Change of Investment Objective
The investment objectives of the Funds are not fundamental policies and, accordingly, may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified in writing a minimum of 60 days in advance of any change in investment objective. Shareholder approval also is required to change a Fund’s policy that is listed as “fundamental” below. Generally, the required shareholder vote is specified by the 1940 Act as a majority of a Fund’s outstanding voting securities, which means for purposes of the Act (A) a vote of 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting of shareholders where at least 50% of the total outstanding voting securities are present at the meeting, or (B) a vote of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less. Portions of a Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions provide the Fund with flexibility to change their limitations in connection with changes in applicable law, rules, regulations or exemptive relief. The language used in these restrictions provides the necessary flexibility to allow the Board of Trustees to respond efficiently to these kinds of developments without the delay and expense of a shareholder meeting.
Investment Restrictions of the Small Cap Equity ETF
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Small Cap Equity ETF. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Small Cap Equity ETF without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, Small Cap Equity ETF may not (except as otherwise noted):
| 1. | Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. Excepted from this restriction are unsecured borrowings from banks as a temporary measure in exceptional circumstances, and such borrowings may not exceed 10% of a Fund’s net assets at the time of the borrowing. A Fund will not purchase securities while borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 33⅓% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation; |
| 2. | Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities; |
| 3. | Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts; |
| 4. | Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time; |
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| 5. | Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; |
| 6. | Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; or |
| 7. | Change its sub-classification under the Investment Company Act from diversified to non-diversified, except as permitted by the 1940 Act laws, interpretations and exemptions. |
At this time, for purposes of the foregoing fundamental restriction regarding diversification, the Fund is classified as diversified under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.
In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Small Cap Equity ETF is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations, which may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Fund may not:
| 1. | Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or |
| 2. | Purchase securities on margin, except that a Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin. |
Bank custodians of fund assets typically provide short-term credits to settle and clear fund transactions and then can request repayment by selling fund assets as needed. The Fund does not interpret its limitation on secured borrowings (in fundamental restriction 1 above) to restrict these customary and ordinary course trade settlement practices or other borrowings from the custodian or its affiliates that may give rise to claims on Fund assets under contractual or common law terms distinct from the granting of a security interest. Nor is the customary posting of collateral in connection with a currency or derivatives transaction generally considered a form of secured borrowing for this purpose. The Funds do not consider a when-issued or delayed purchase securities transaction, or a derivatives transaction, to be a prohibited “senior security” under investment restriction 1 above provided it meets the conditions of Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act.
The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that a Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.
Securities held by the Fund generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act.
If a percentage restriction under one of the Fund’s investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).
For purposes of investment restriction 6 above, the Fund will, to the extent practicable, “look through” to the securities held by an underlying fund in which the Fund invests.
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Investment Restrictions of the Core Municipal ETF
The investment objective of the Fund is not a fundamental policy and, accordingly, may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified in writing a minimum of 60 days in advance of any change in investment objective. Shareholder approval also is required to change the Fund’s policy that is listed as “fundamental” below. Generally, the required shareholder vote is specified by the 1940 Act as a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, which means for purposes of the Act (A) a vote of 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting of shareholders where at least 50% of the total outstanding voting securities are present at the meeting, or (B) a vote of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less. Portions of the Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions provide the Fund with flexibility to change their limitations in connection with changes in applicable law, rules, regulations or exemptive relief. The language used in these restrictions provides the necessary flexibility to allow the Board of Trustees to respond efficiently to these kinds of developments without the delay and expense of a shareholder meeting.
The following investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Core Municipal ETF. The Fund may not:
| 1. | Change its sub-classification under the Investment Company Act from diversified to non-diversified, except as permitted by the 1940 Act laws, interpretations and exemptions; |
| 2. | Borrow money or issue senior securities, as defined for purposes of the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions; |
| 3. | Underwrite the securities of other issuers. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act; |
| 4. | Make investments that will result in the concentration of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in the same industry or group of industries. The term concentration generally refers to the Fund investing more than 25% of its total assets in a particular industry or group of industries. This restriction does not limit the Fund’s investments in (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) tax-exempt obligations issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments or (iii) repurchase agreements collateralized by such obligations; |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from investing in issuers that invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein; |
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments or as otherwise discussed below. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities that are secured by physical commodities in accordance with applicable law and without registering as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act. Nor does this restriction prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling precious metals directly or purchasing or selling precious metal commodity contracts or options on such contracts; |
| 7. | Make loans except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from, among other things, purchasing debt obligations, entering repurchase agreements, loaning its assets to broker-dealers or institutional investors or investing in loans, including assignments and participation interests; and |
The Fund has adopted a fundamental investment restriction pursuant to Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Names Rule Restriction”). Pursuant to the Names Rule Restriction, the Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax. The Fund will consider both direct investments and indirect investments (e.g., investments in other investment companies, derivatives and synthetic instruments with economic characteristics similar to the direct investments that meet the Names Rule Restriction) when determining compliance with the Name Rule Restriction. The Fund “counts” relevant derivative positions towards its “80% of assets” allocation and, in doing so, values each position at the price at which it is held on the Fund’s books (generally market price, but anticipates valuing each such position for purposes of assessing compliance with this test at notional value).
At this time, for purposes of the foregoing fundamental restriction regarding diversification, the Fund is classified as diversified under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.
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The following investment restrictions are non-fundamental policies, which may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. Each of these operate as explanations or interpretations of a fundamental policy of the Fund. The Fund may not:
| a. | Borrow money in an amount that exceeds 33⅓% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund may borrow as a means to incur leverage, for temporary or emergency purposes, in anticipation of or in response to adverse market conditions, or for cash management purposes; and |
| b. | Lend more than 33⅓% of its total assets. |
Except for investments in illiquid securities and borrowing under non-fundamental restriction (b), the foregoing limitations will apply at the time of the purchase of a security. Several of these fundamental investment restrictions include the defined terms “1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.” This term means the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as such statute, rules and regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the staff of the SEC and any exemptive order or similar relief granted to the Fund.
For purposes of investment restriction 4 above, an issuer shall be deemed the sole issuer of a security when its assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its securities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a nongovernmental user, such as an industrial corporation or a privately owned or operated hospital, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental user, then such nongovernmental user would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obligation of a superior or unrelated governmental entity or other entity (other than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securities owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity.
For purposes of investment restriction 4 above, to the extent that the income from a municipal bond is derived principally from the assets and revenues of non-governmental users, the securities will be deemed to be from the industry of that non-governmental user. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, it will consider the investments of the underlying investment companies when determining compliance with the limitation set forth in investment restriction 4 above, to the extent the Fund has sufficient information about such investments. For purposes of this limitation, all sovereign debt of a single country will be considered investments in a single industry.
For purposes of investment restriction 4 above, the Adviser, where applicable, may determine an “industry” by using a recognized industry classification service including, but not limited to, industry classifications established by Bloomberg, with certain modifications. The Adviser also may include additional industries as separate classifications, to the extent applicable. Because the Adviser has determined that certain categories within, or in addition to third-party classifications have unique investment characteristics, additional industries may be included as industry classifications. This policy will be interpreted to give broad authority to the Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries. The Fund may change the sources used for determining industry classifications without shareholder approval.
The foregoing limitations will apply at the time of purchase of a security. Several of these fundamental investment restrictions include the defined terms “1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.” This term means the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as such statute, rules and regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the staff of the SEC and any exemptive order or similar relief granted to the Fund.
Performance
Total Return. From time to time, the Funds advertise their average annual total returns. Returns may be calculated both on a before-tax and an after-tax basis. Returns are based on past performance and are not an indication of future performance.
Unless otherwise noted, results shown will reflect any fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements in effect during the periods presented.
As noted above, returns also may be calculated on certain after-tax bases under similar assumptions and using similar formulae as specified by the SEC. For example, returns may be calculated after taxes on distributions, which assume reinvestment of the amount of any distributions less applicable taxes on such distributions. Returns also may be calculated after taxes on distributions and the sale (redemption) of Fund shares. After-tax returns assume the highest individual federal income tax rate for each year included in the calculation. The effect of applicable tax credits, such as the foreign tax credit, is taken into account in accordance with federal tax law. Such returns do not reflect the effect of state and local taxes, nor do they reflect the phase-outs of certain federal exemptions, deductions, and credits at various income levels, or the impact of the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, actual after-tax returns depend
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on each investor’s individual tax situation, which may differ from the returns presented. For instance, after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their funds in tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”).
Historical performance results for the Funds are not yet available as they are newly organized.
Comparison of Portfolio Performance. From time to time the Trust may discuss in sales literature and advertisements, specific performance grades or rankings or other information as published by recognized mutual fund statistical services, such as Morningstar, Inc. or Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., or by publications of general interest such as Barron’s, Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money, Morningstar Mutual Funds, The Wall Street Journal or Worth. Criteria associated with the performance grades or rankings may vary widely. Any given performance grade or ranking should not be considered representative of the Fund’s performance for any future period.
Portfolio Turnover. Purchases and sales of portfolio instruments will be made whenever appropriate, in the investment adviser’s view, to achieve a Fund’s investment objective. The rate of portfolio turnover is calculated by dividing the lesser of the cost of purchases or the proceeds from sales of portfolio instruments (excluding short-term U.S. government obligations and other short-term investments) for the particular fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio instruments (excluding short-term U.S. government obligations and short-term investments) owned by a Fund during the particular fiscal year. There are transaction costs due to the bid/ask spread in the case of bonds or commissions in the case of stocks. Although higher portfolio turnover rates are likely to result in higher brokerage commissions (or wider spreads in the case of bonds) paid by a Fund, higher levels of realized capital gains and more short-term capital gain (taxable to individuals at ordinary income tax rates) than lower portfolio turnover rates, portfolio turnover is not a limiting factor when management deems portfolio changes appropriate to achieve a Fund’s stated objective.
Portfolio turnover information is not available for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations as the date of this Statement of Additional Information.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if, among other things (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Fund’s shares; (ii) the Fund’s portfolio holdings are not made available to all market participants at the same time; (iii) the Fund has failed to file any filings required by the SEC or the Exchange is aware that the Fund is not in compliance with the conditions of any exemptive order or no-action relief granted by the SEC or its staff under the 1940 Act with respect to the Fund; (iv) the Exchange’s ongoing listing requirements are not continuously maintained; (v) any of the continuous listing representations for the issue of the Fund’s shares are not continuously met; or (vi) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Fund’s shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund. The Exchange will remove the Fund’s shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of its shares in the future to help 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 Funds.
As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
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MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
The business of the Trust is managed by its Board of Trustees, which elects officers responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Funds and for the execution of the policies formulated by the Board of Trustees.
Pertinent information regarding the members of the Board of Trustees and principal officers of the Trust is set forth below. Some of the Trustees and officers are employees of the Adviser and its affiliates. At least a majority of the Trust’s Board of Trustees are not “interested persons” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act.
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES(1)
| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships/ Trusteeships Held by Trustee During Past Five (5) Years | |||||
Candace K. Beinecke* 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee (Chair) | December 2025 to present | Senior Counsel, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; prior to April 2017, Chair, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (Chair) (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund (Chair); Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund (Chair); Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund (Chair); Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (Chair) (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (Chair)(2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Lead Trustee Vornado Realty Trust; Trustee and Co-Chair, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Director, Partnership for New York City | |||||
Peter W. Davidson 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Chief Executive Officer, Aligned Climate Capital LLC; prior to January 2019, Chief Executive Officer, Aligned Intermediary; prior to June 2015, Executive Director of the Loan Program Office at the U.S. Department of Energy | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Board member, BrightNight Holding; Summit Ridge Energy; Chairman, JM Kaplan Fund; Chairman, Green-Wood Cemetery; Board member, Nyle Water Systems; Member, Aligned Climate Capital LLC |
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| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships/ Trusteeships Held by Trustee During Past Five (5) Years | |||||
Jean D. Hamilton 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Private Investor/Independent Consultant/Member, Brock Capital Group LLC | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Chairman, Investment Committee, Thomas Cole National Historic Site; Member, Investment Advisory Committee, Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation; prior to June 2012, Director, Four Nations; prior to May 2022, Director, RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd | |||||
William M. Kelly 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Private Investor | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Trustee Emeritus, St. Anselm College |
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| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships/ Trusteeships Held by Trustee During Past Five (5) Years | |||||
Paul J. Lawler 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Private Investor | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Trustee Emeritus, The American University in Cairo; Trustee, registered investment company advised by affiliates of Blackstone Inc. (1 portfolio); Director, Historic Eastfield Foundation | |||||
Mandakini Puri 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Independent Consultant and Private Investor; prior to May 2013, Managing Director and Co-Head of BlackRock Private Equity | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Trustee, Vornado Realty Trust; Director, Alexander’s Inc.; Trustee, V&A Americas Foundation; prior to June 2021, Member, Wharton School Graduate Executive Board; prior to June 2018, Director, Validus Holdings |
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| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships/ Trusteeships Held by Trustee During Past Five (5) Years | |||||
Scott Sleyster 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Retired; prior to February 2025, Executive Vice President and Head of Market Competitiveness at Prudential Financial | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Board of directors, North Star Academy; Trustee, Princeton Theological Seminary; Member of Columbia University’s Climate Board of Advisors |
| (1) | Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust as defined in the Investment Company Act. |
| (2) | The term of office of each Independent Trustee is indefinite. |
| * | Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP provides legal services to a joint venture between a Hughes Hubbard client and private investment funds advised by Napier Park Global Capital. Napier Park, which has its own counsel in respect of the joint venture, is an investment adviser affiliate of the Adviser. Ms. Beinecke, a senior counsel at the firm, has no role or economic interest in the representation. She is not a partner of the firm and will not share in the revenue from this matter, which, in any event, represents only a de minimis percentage of firm revenue. The Board believes that this matter does not impact Ms. Beinecke’s status as an Independent Trustee. |
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INTERESTED TRUSTEES(1)
| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office(2) and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships/ Trusteeships Held by Trustee During Past Five (5) Years | |||||
John P. Arnhold 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | Director, First Eagle Holdings, Inc.; Managing Member, Arnhold LLC; prior to July 2017, Director, First Eagle Investment Management LLC; President, First Eagle Funds; President, First Eagle Variable Funds; Director, FEF Distributors, LLC; prior to March 2016, Co- President and Co-CEO First Eagle Holdings, Inc.; CIO and Chairman, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; CEO and Chairman, FEF Distributors, LLC | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Chairman and Director, Arnhold Ceramics; Director, The Arnhold Foundation; Director, The Mulago Foundation; Director, WNET.org; Trustee Emeritus, Trinity Episcopal Schools Corp.; Trustee, Jazz at Lincoln Center; Life Trustee, International Tennis Hall of Fame; Advisor, Investment Committee of the USTA; Managing Member, New Eagle Holdings Management Company, LLC; Trustee, UC Santa Barbara Foundation; Director, Conservation International; prior to January 2018, Director, First Eagle Amundi; prior to June 2016, Trustee, Vassar College | |||||
Mehdi Mahmud 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Trustee | December 2025 to present | President and Chief Executive Officer, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; President, First Eagle ETF Trust, First Eagle Funds and First Eagle Variable Funds; Chief Executive Officer, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC; prior to March 2016, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jennison Associates LLC | 34 | Trustee, First Eagle Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, First Eagle Variable Funds (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust (1 portfolio); Trustee, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Trustee, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Director, First Eagle Amundi; Director, Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.; Director, GC Ferry Parent GP, LLC |
| (1) | Each of Messrs. Arnhold and Mahmud is treated as an Interested Trustee because of the professional roles each holds or has held with the Adviser. |
| (2) | The term of office of each Interested Trustee is indefinite. |
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OFFICERS
| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served(1) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five (5) Years | |||
Mehdi Mahmud 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
President | December 2025 to present | President and Chief Executive Officer, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; President, First Eagle Funds; President, First Eagle Variable Funds; President, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; President, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; President, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; President, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; President, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); President, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); President, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Director, First Eagle Amundi; Chief Executive Officer, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC | |||
Frank Riccio 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Senior Vice President | December 2025 to present | Executive Managing Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; President, FEF Distributors, LLC; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Funds; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Variable Funds; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; Senior Vice President, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios) | |||
Brandon Webster 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial Officer | December 2025 to present | Managing Director, Head of Fund Administration, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle Funds; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle Variable Funds; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; Chief Financial Officer, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial Officer, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial Officer, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; prior to July 2024, Director and Deputy Head of Fund Administration, Lord Abbett | |||
Seth Gelman 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Chief Compliance Officer | December 2025 to present | Chief Compliance Officer and Managing Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Funds; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Variable Funds; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Chief Compliance Officer, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Chief Compliance Officer, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; prior to February 2023, Chief Compliance Officer of Insight Investment North America |
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| Name, Address and Age | Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served(1) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five (5) Years | |||
David O’Connor 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
General Counsel | December 2025 to present | General Counsel and Executive Managing Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; General Counsel, First Eagle Funds; General Counsel, First Eagle Variable Funds; General Counsel, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; General Counsel, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); General Counsel, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); General Counsel, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Holdings, Inc.; Secretary and General Counsel, FEF Distributors, LLC; Director, First Eagle Amundi; Director, First Eagle Investment Management, Ltd; Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC | |||
Sheelyn Michael 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Secretary and Deputy General Counsel | December 2025 to present | Deputy General Counsel and Managing Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle Funds; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle Variable Funds; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; Secretary and Deputy General Counsel, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Deputy General Counsel, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Deputy General Counsel, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Director, First Eagle Investment Management, Ltd | |||
Shuang Wu 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Treasurer | December 2025 to present | Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; Treasurer, First Eagle Funds; Treasurer, First Eagle Variable Funds; Treasurer, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Treasurer, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Treasurer, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Treasurer, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; Assistant Treasurer, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Assistant Treasurer, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund; Treasurer, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); prior to December 2022, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, Credit Suisse; prior to December 2020, Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers | |||
Michael Luzzatto 1345 Avenue of the Americas |
Vice President | December 2025 to present | Managing Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; Vice President, FEF Distributors, LLC; Vice President, First Eagle Funds; Vice President, First Eagle Variable Funds; Vice President, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Vice President, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Senior Vice President, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Managing Director, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; Managing Director, First Eagle ETF Trust (2 portfolios); Managing Director, Diamond Hill Funds (12 portfolios); Managing Director, Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund |
| (1) | The term of office of each officer is indefinite. Length of time served represents time served as an officer of the Trust (or its predecessor entities), although various positions may have been held during the period. |
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The following table describes the standing committees of the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
| Committee Name | Members | Function(s) | Number of Committee Meetings in the Last Fiscal Year* | |||
| Audit Committee | Peter W. Davidson Jean D. Hamilton William M. Kelly Paul J. Lawler (Chair) Mandakini Puri |
Reviews the contract between the Trust and its independent registered public accounting firm (in this regard, assists the Board in selecting the independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for overseeing that firm’s compensation and performance); oversees the audit process, including audit plans; oversees the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies, procedures and internal controls and acts as liaison to the independent registered public accounting firm; reviews financial statements contained in reports to regulators and shareholders with fund management and the independent registered public accounting firm; reviews and, as appropriate, approves in advance non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust, the Adviser, and, in certain cases, other affiliates of the Trust. | 0 | |||
| Nominating and Governance Committee | Candace K. Beinecke (Chair) Peter W. Davidson |
Nominates new Independent Trustees of the Trust. (The Nominating and Governance Committee does not consider shareholder recommendations.) Considers various matters relating to the governance and operations of the Board of Trustees, including committee structure and Trustee compensation. Additionally, the Nominating and Governance Committee includes a sub-committee responsible for administering the Trustees’ deferred compensation plan. | 0 |
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| Committee Name | Members | Function(s) | Number of Committee Meetings in the Last Fiscal Year* | |||
| Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee | Candace K. Beinecke John P. Arnhold Jean D. Hamilton (Chair) William M. Kelly Scott Sleyster |
Monitors the execution of the valuation procedures, makes certain determinations in accordance with such procedures, and assists the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Fund’s securities by the Adviser; reviews and approves recommendations by the Adviser for changes to the Fund’s valuation policies for submission to the Board for its approval; reviews the Adviser’s quarterly presentations on valuation; oversees the implementation of the Fund’s valuation policies by the Adviser; and monitors various matters associated with the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. | 0 |
| * | The Trust’s Board of Trustees and Committees did not meet during the prior fiscal year as the Trust only recently commenced operations. |
The Board of Trustees considers these to be its primary working committees but also organizes additional special or ad hoc committees of the Board from time to time. There currently are two such additional committees, one (as a sub-committee of the Nominating and Governance Committee) responsible for administering the Trustees’ deferred compensation plan, the other responsible for making various determinations as to the insurance policies maintained for the Funds and their Trustees and officers. Ms. Beinecke and Ms. Hamilton are currently the sole Trustees who serve on these additional committees.
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Organization of the Board
The Chair of the Board of Trustees is an Independent Trustee, and the Trust has a separate President. The standing committees of the Board are described above.
The organization of the Board of Trustees in this manner reflects the judgment of the Trustees that it is in the interests of the Funds and their shareholders to have an independent member of the Board preside at Board meetings, supervise the Board agenda and otherwise serve as the “lead” Trustee both at meetings and in overseeing the business of the Funds between meetings. It is also the judgment of the Trustees that there are efficiencies in having working committees responsible for or to assist with specific aspects of the Board’s business.
In reaching these judgments, the Trustees considered the Board’s working experience with both its current and past Board leadership and committee structures, legal requirements under applicable law, including the Investment Company Act, the perceived expectations of shareholders, information available on industry practice generally, the number of portfolios within the Trust, the nature of the underlying investment programs, and the relationship between the Trust and its principal service providers. The Board may consider different leadership structures in the future and make changes to these arrangements over time.
Board Oversight of Risk Management
In considering risks related to the Funds, the Board consults and receives reports from officers and personnel of the Funds and the Adviser, who are charged with the day-to-day risk oversight function. Matters regularly reported to the Board include certain risks involving the Funds’ investment portfolios, trading practices, operational matters, financial and accounting controls, and legal and regulatory compliance. The Board does not maintain a specific committee solely devoted to risk management responsibilities, but various standing committees of the Board and occasionally informal working groups of Trustees are involved in oversight of the risk management process. Risk management and Board-related reporting on risk management at the Adviser is not centralized in any one person or body. However, the Adviser has an Enterprise Risk Management function, which is part of the Legal and Compliance Department and led by the Head of Risk who reports to the General Counsel. The Risk Management team is functionally and hierarchically independent from the day-to-day business and operating units and is responsible for implementing firmwide risk governance framework and providing risk oversight including thematic reviews and internal audits.
Trustee Qualifications
All Trustees are expected to demonstrate various personal characteristics appropriate to their position, such as integrity and the exercise of professional care and business judgment. All Trustees also are expected to meet the necessary time commitments for service on the Board. The Board then generally views each Trustee appointment or nomination in the context of the Board’s overall composition and diversity of backgrounds and considers each Trustee’s individual professional experience and service on other boards of directors, as well as his or her current and prior roles (such as committee service) on the Board.
The following summarizes the experience and qualifications of the Trustees:
Mr. John Arnhold. Mr. Arnhold has significant executive and investment management experience. He previously was President of the First Eagle Funds and Chief Investment Officer of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, the investment adviser to the Funds. Mr. Arnhold serves on the board of the Adviser’s holding company and also serves on the boards of various charitable and educational institutions. For the Trust, Mr. Arnhold serves on the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee and was previously the Board’s Chairman.
Ms. Candace Beinecke. Ms. Beinecke has significant executive and business advisory experience. She is Senior Counsel, and previously was the Senior Partner and the CEO and Chair, of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, an international law firm. Ms. Beinecke also serves on the board of a major public real estate investment trust, and has served as a long standing member of the boards of a public international industrial firm and a major public media company. Ms. Beinecke also serves and has served on the board of major charitable organizations. For the Trust, Ms. Beinecke serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees, as Chair of the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee, as a member of the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee and as a member of two specialized Board Committees (one of which is a sub-committee of the Nominating and Governance Committee).
Mr. Peter Davidson. Mr. Davidson has significant executive and investment management experience. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Aligned Climate Capital LLC, a U.S. registered investment adviser that focuses on investments in climate infrastructure projects. Since September 2016, Mr. Davidson has served as a director of Envision Solar International, Inc., a sustainable technology innovation company based in San Diego, California. Mr. Davidson is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Political Affairs. In May 2013, Mr. Davidson was appointed by President Obama to serve as the executive director of
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the Loan Program Office at the U.S. Department of Energy, a position he held until June 2015. For the Trust, he serves on the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee and the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee.
Ms. Jean Hamilton. Ms. Hamilton has significant professional and leadership experience in the financial services industry. Currently engaged as a private investor and consultant, she previously held a number of senior executive positions with Prudential Financial, Inc. Ms. Hamilton also serves on the boards of various charitable institutions. Prior to May 2022, Ms. Hamilton served on the board of an international reinsurance firm. For the Trust, Ms. Hamilton serves on the Board’s Audit Committee, as Chair of the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee and on two specialized Board Committees (one of which is a sub-committee of the Nominating and Governance Committee).
Mr. William Kelly. Mr. Kelly has significant professional and leadership experience in the financial services industry, with an emphasis on the asset management sector. Currently engaged as a private investor and consultant, he previously was president of the investment management firm of Lingold & Associates. Mr. Kelly has served on the boards of various academic and charitable institutions. For the Trust, Mr. Kelly serves on the Board’s Audit Committee and the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee.
Mr. Paul Lawler. Mr. Lawler has significant portfolio management experience as an institutional investment manager. Currently engaged as a private investor and consultant, he previously served as chief investment officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and in senior investment roles at other prominent not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Lawler also serves on the board of a registered investment company advised by affiliates of Blackstone Inc. and on boards of various charitable institutions. For the Trust, Mr. Lawler serves as Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee.
Mr. Mehdi Mahmud. Mr. Mahmud has significant executive and investment management experience. Currently, Mr. Mahmud serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, Chief Executive Officer of First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC and President of the Trust and other registered funds in the First Eagle/Diamond Hill fund complex. Prior to that, Mr. Mahmud was Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jennison Associates LLC. Prior to these roles, he held several senior management positions at Jennison relating to product and business strategy, investment supervision of the firm’s value, small-cap, opportunistic and income-equity capabilities, and oversight of key support areas including institutional, retail and sub-advisory client activities. He has also served in a variety of investment management roles at JP Morgan Investment Management and Credit Suisse Asset Management.
Ms. Mandakini Puri. Ms. Puri has significant executive and investment management experience. Currently an independent consultant and private investor, she serves on the boards of two NYSE-listed real estate investment trusts, and a non-profit organization. Prior to 2018, Ms. Puri served on the board of a global provider of reinsurance and asset management services. From 2011 to May 2013, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of BlackRock Private Equity. Prior to that, Ms. Puri was a Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch until July 2009, where she co-founded Merrill Lynch’s private equity business in 1994 and was its Chief Investment Officer. For the Trust, Ms. Puri serves on the Board’s Audit Committee.
Mr. Scott Sleyster. Mr. Sleyster has significant executive and investment management experience. Currently, Mr. Sleyster is retired. Prior to February 2025, Mr. Sleyster served as an Executive Vice President and Head of Market Competitiveness for Prudential Financial and serves on the board of directors of North Star Academy and as a trustee of the Princeton Theological Seminary. Mr. Sleyster also previously served as a member of Columbia University’s Climate Board of Advisors. Mr. Sleyster also previously served as Chief Investment Officer and portfolio manager at Prudential. He also served as head of the Full-Service Retirement business, and chief financial officer for the Employee Benefits Division. Additionally, he held roles in Prudential’s Treasury, Derivatives, and Investment Management units.
Each Independent Trustee also was nominated based in part on his or her status as a person who is not an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the Investment Company Act. Descriptions of Trustee experience should not be taken to suggest that any Trustee is expert in a particular subject.
Trustee Emeritus
The Board has created a position of Trustee Emeritus, whereby a Trustee, in the sole discretion of the Board, may serve as Trustee Emeritus.
A Trustee Emeritus receives compensation and will be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in connection with their service, including expenses of travel and lodging incurred in attendance at Board meetings. A Trustee Emeritus will receive relevant materials concerning the Funds, will be invited to attend regularly scheduled quarterly meetings of the Board each year and will be available to consult with the Committees or their representatives at reasonable times upon request. A Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting
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rights at Board meetings, is not considered to be a Trustee under either the 1940 Act or state law and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Funds. By establishing the position of a Trustee Emeritus, the Board does not intend to establish an “advisory board” or similar body that meets separately from the Board or that has any specific roles or responsibilities as a body. Each Trustee Emeritus is expected to serve in his or her position for approximately 18 months (so with a term ending in October 2027).
A summary of experience and qualifications of the Trustee Emeritus positions held by certain Board members is provided below. Each Emeritus Trustee previously served on the board of trustees for registered investment company trusts advised by Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. The parent of Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc., Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc., was acquired by the Adviser in a transaction in April 2026.
Tamara L. Fagely. Ms. Fagely was a business executive for a large mutual fund complex for over 20 years leading back-office operations that included administration, fund accounting, financial reporting, transfer agent, and technology. Her experience included roles as Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operations Officer. In addition, Ms. Fagely has management experience in broker/dealer operations and as an audit manager conducting audits of financial service organizations and mutual funds. Ms. Fagely currently serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Ms. Fagely brings a detailed knowledge of the mutual fund industry and financial expertise to the Board.
Jody T. Foster. Ms. Foster is the founder and has been the Chief Executive Officer of Symphony Consulting since 2010. She has overseen the development and launch of a variety of investment product offerings. Her experience includes roles as Research Analyst, International Research Manager, Director and Chief Operating Officer. In addition, Ms. Foster has management experience in finance, risk management and accounting. Ms. Foster currently serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Ms. Foster brings a detailed knowledge of investment management, mutual fund industry and financial expertise to the Board.
John T. Kelly-Jones. Mr. Kelly-Jones has more than 20 years’ experience in the investment management industry. Mr. Kelly-Jones was a founding partner, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Independent Franchise Partners, LLP (“IFP”), a registered investment adviser, overseeing all operational functions and establishing four funds of different structures. Mr. Kelly- Jones also previously served on the board of one of IFP’s Irish variable capital funds and of one U.S. private investment fund. In addition, he served in various roles and capacities at Morgan Stanley Asset Management, London from September 2002 through June 2009. His experience included working with mutual fund firms and investment advisers. Mr. Kelly-Jones exhibits excellent communication skills, as well as an ability to work effectively with others. Finally, Mr. Kelly-Jones brings a diversity of viewpoint, background and experience to the Board.
Compensation of Trustees and Officers
Trustees of the Trust who are not Interested Trustees are paid by the Trust and each of the following trusts: First Eagle Funds, First Eagle Variable Funds, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust, Diamond Hill Funds and Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund (collectively, the “Fund Complex”) an annual fee of $230,000 and a fee of $12,000 for each in-person Board meeting and $1,000 (subject to the discretion of the Chair) for each meeting (other than a regularly scheduled meeting) of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, provided that such meeting involves Trustee approval matters. Members of each of the Audit Committee and the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee are paid a fee of $10,000 for each meeting they attend. Members of other committees may be paid a fee of $3,500 for each meeting they attend. An executive session held on a separate day from a Board meeting is considered a separate in-person meeting for fee purposes. The chair of any ad hoc committee formed for the purpose of considering insurance matters is paid a fee of $10,000 per year. The Chair of the Board of Trustees receives an additional annual fee of $175,000 for serving in that position. The Chairs of the Board Valuation, Liquidity and Allocations Committee and Audit Committee receive an additional annual fee of $50,000 and the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee receives an additional annual fee of $25,000. Such fees are allocated, generally, across the Fund Complex on a pro rata basis in relationship to their relative net assets. There also will be further reviews of compensation and the allocation of the same over the course of 2026 intended in part to fully integrate Trustee compensation relating to the Diamond Hill Funds and the First Eagle fund trusts. Each Trustee is reimbursed by the Trust for any expenses they may incur by reason of attending such meetings or in connection with services they may perform for the Trust. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, an aggregate of $0 was paid, accrued or owed for Trustees’ fees and expenses by the Trust.
The following table sets forth information regarding compensation of Trustees by the Trust and by the Fund Complex of which the Trust is a part for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025. Officers of the Trust, a Trustee Emeritus and Interested Trustees do not receive any compensation from the Trust or any other fund in the Fund Complex. The Trust does not maintain a retirement plan for its Trustees.
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Trustee Compensation Table
Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2025
| Name of Person, Position | Aggregate Compensation Paid or Owed from Registrant |
Total Compensation Paid or Owed from Registrant and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees*** | |||||
| Lisa Anderson, Trustee* | $ | — | $ | 317,750 | |||
| John P. Arnhold, Trustee** | $ | — | $ | — | |||
| Candace K. Beinecke, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 528,250 | |||
| Peter W. Davidson, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 307,750 | |||
| Jean D. Hamilton, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 427,000 | |||
| William M. Kelly, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 354,250 | |||
| Paul J. Lawler, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 363,000 | |||
| Mehdi Mahmud, Trustee** | $ | — | $ | — | |||
| Mandakini Puri, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 314,250 | |||
| Scott Sleyster, Trustee | $ | — | $ | 218,500 | |||
| * Ms. Anderson retired as a trustee as of April 30, 2026. | |
| ** Interested Trustees are not compensated by the Trust for their services. | |
| *** | The fund complex consists of the Trust (4 portfolios) plus the 12 portfolios of the First Eagle Funds (First Eagle Global Fund, First Eagle Overseas Fund, First Eagle U.S. Fund, First Eagle Gold Fund, First Eagle Rising Dividend Fund, First Eagle High Yield Municipal Fund, First Eagle Global Balanced Fund, First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund, First Eagle Global Real Assets Fund, First Eagle U.S. Smid Cap Opportunity Fund, First Eagle Short Duration High Yield Municipal Fund and First Eagle Core Plus Municipal Fund), First Eagle Overseas Variable Fund, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust, Diamond Hill Funds and Diamond Hill Securitized Credit Fund. As of October 31, 2025, each Trustee served on the board of each of the following trusts: First Eagle Funds, First Eagle Overseas Variable Fund, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund and First Eagle Completion Fund Trust. |
In addition, all persons serving as officers of the Trust (including the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer) are employed by the Adviser and the Adviser seeks reimbursement from the Trust for salary and benefits paid to some of those persons to the extent they provide services eligible for such reimbursement. This reimbursement program is described in more detail under the heading “Investment Advisory and Other Services—Payments to the Adviser.” No reimbursement is sought for compensation of any amount that might be attributable and payable to such a person solely for service as an officer of the Trust. As a separate matter (though such compensation may be covered under the reimbursement program as a matter of convenience), the Trust and the Adviser agree each year as to the relative portion of the compensation of the Chief Compliance Officer to be paid by each party.
Deferred Compensation
In addition to the compensation detailed above, each eligible Trustee may elect to defer a portion of his or her compensation from the Fund Complex. Such amounts grow or decline as if invested in one or more funds, as selected by the Trustee. Currently, no Trustees have elected to defer a portion of their Trustee compensation under this program since the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Statement of Additional Information. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the value of such deferred compensation was equal to approximately:
| Name of Trustee | First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF* |
First Eagle Core Municipal ETF* | ||
| Lisa Anderson** | None | None | ||
| Candace K. Beinecke | None | None | ||
| Peter W. Davidson | None | None | ||
| Jean D. Hamilton | None | None | ||
| William M. Kelly | None | None | ||
| Paul J. Lawler | None | None | ||
| Mandakini Puri | None | None | ||
| Scott Sleyster | None | None |
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| * | As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, no compensation with regard to the Funds had been deferred since the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Statement of Additional Information. |
| ** | Ms. Anderson retired as a trustee as of April 30, 2026. |
Additional Information Regarding the Trustees
The following table sets forth information as of the date of this SAI regarding ownership by the Trustees of the Trust of equity securities of the Trust or any other fund in the same fund complex for which each is also a director or trustee. (“Fund complex” has the same meaning as in the footnote to the Trustee Compensation Table above.) Dollar ranges of ownership are indicated as follows: A = None; B = $1 to $10,000; C = $10,001 to $50,000; D = $50,001 to $100,000; E = over $100,000.
Please note that the table does not reflect the amounts Trustees invest in the Funds through their deferred compensation plan (which amounts are separately detailed in the prior table).
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
| Name | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in First Eagle Core Municipal ETF |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Funds Overseen by Trustee | |||
| Candace K. Beinecke* | A | A | E | |||
| Peter W. Davidson | A | A | A | |||
| Jean Hamilton | A | A | E | |||
| William M. Kelly | A | A | E | |||
| Paul J. Lawler | A | A | E | |||
| Mandakini Puri | A | A | A | |||
| Scott Sleyster | A | A | A |
| * | These amounts do not include holdings as to which Ms. Beinecke has disclaimed beneficial interest. |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
| Name | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in First Eagle Core Municipal ETF |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Funds Overseen by Trustee | |||
| John P. Arnhold | A | A | E | |||
| Mehdi Mahmud | A | A | E |
Since December 11, 2025 no independent Trustee who is a trustee of another investment company whose adviser and principal underwriter are the Adviser and FEF Distributors, respectively (i.e., First Eagle Variable Funds), has held any other position with (i) the Trust (other than as a Trustee), (ii) an investment company having the same adviser or principal underwriter as the Fund or an adviser or principal underwriter that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor (other than as a Trustee), (iii) the Adviser, the Distributor or other affiliate of the Trust, or (iv) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor.
Since December 11, 2025, no independent Trustee owns, beneficially or of record, securities issued by (i) the Adviser or the Distributor or (ii) any person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor. Since December 11, 2025, none of these individuals or their immediate family members has an interest in a transaction with a “related person” of the company. A “related person” is (i) an executive officer of the Trust, (ii) an investment company having the same adviser or principal underwriter as the Fund or an adviser or principal underwriter
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that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor, (iii) an executive officer of such an investment company, (iv) the Adviser or the Distributor, (v) an executive officer of the Adviser or the Distributor, (vi) a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor, or (vii) an executive officer of a person described in clause (vi) above.
The Trust and the Adviser have adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act. This code of ethics permits personnel subject to the code to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, with certain exceptions.
As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, to the knowledge of the Trust, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned beneficially less than 1% of the shares of the beneficial interest of the Trust. These percentages are based generally on ownership of the shares by the officers and Trustees, their immediate family members, and entities (such as family companies or trusts) whose investment activities they direct. Other entities in which an officer or Trustee has an interest may hold shares of the Trust, but those holdings generally are disregarded.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics (“Code of Ethics”) pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, which governs personal securities trading by their respective personnel. Each Code of Ethics permits such individuals to purchase and sell securities, including securities that are purchased, sold, or held by the Fund, but only subject to certain conditions designed to ensure that purchases and sales by such individuals do not adversely affect the Fund’s investment activities.
PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
Any person owning, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the outstanding shares of a Fund is presumed to control the Fund. Principal holders are persons who own 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund. As of the date of this SAI, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC owns 100% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.
Because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned none of the outstanding shares of each of the Funds.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Investment Advisory Agreement
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Small Cap Equity ETF and the Core Municipal ETF. The Adviser’s primary offices are located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105. The Adviser is a subsidiary of First Eagle Holdings, Inc. (“FE Holdings”) Based in New York City since 1937, FE Holdings, formerly Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder Holdings, Inc., traces its heritage to the German banking house Gebr. Arnhold, founded in Dresden in 1864. A controlling interest in FE Holdings is owned by funds managed by Genstar Capital, LLC (“Genstar”).
The Adviser provides investment advisory services to each Fund pursuant to the terms of an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust and the Adviser. After an initial two year-term, the Advisory Agreement may be continued in effect from year to year with the approval of (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority (as defined by the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, provided that in either event the continuance must also be approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Funds including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Funds, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of the securities and other investments to be purchased, retained, or sold by the Funds, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales of securities and other investments made for the Funds. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI. The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.
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Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, in consideration of the services provided by the Adviser, each Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee that is computed and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.85% and 0.40% of the average daily net assets during the month of the Small Cap Equity ETF and Core Municipal ETF, respectively. From the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays most of the expenses of each Fund, including the cost of sub-advisory fees to any investment sub-adviser, the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services. However, the Adviser is not responsible for interest expenses, brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses and other extraordinary costs such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of business.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) to 0.55% of the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s average daily net assets and 0.25% of the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s average daily net assets. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 0.55% or the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 0.25%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until June 30, 2027, and may not be terminated prior to that date without the approval of the Board of the Trust. The Adviser may not recoup waived fees or reimbursed expenses under the Expense Limitation Agreement with the Funds.
No advisory fee information is provided since the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement
The Adviser has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, subject to certain conditions, to engage or terminate a sub-adviser, and to enter into and materially amend an existing sub-advisory agreement, upon the approval of the Board of Trustees, without obtaining shareholder approval. This exemptive relief has been approved by the Funds’ initial shareholder and the Board of Trustees. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the right to hire, terminate and replace sub-advisers when the Board of Trustees and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit a Fund. The exemptive order enables the Funds to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of sub-advisory agreements.
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Small Cap Equity ETF (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Sub-Adviser is an SEC-registered investment adviser formed in 2018 and is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings LLC (“Cottonwood”), a holding vehicle with no other business activity. Cottonwood is majority owned by Richard Hogan and trusts controlled by Richard Hogan or for which Richard Hogan and family are the beneficiaries.
The Sub-Adviser provides trading and execution services to the Small Cap Equity ETF pursuant to the terms of a Sub-Advisory Agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Trust, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. As part of its responsibilities, the Sub-Adviser may make investment decisions consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, including as part of managing cash flow activity. After the initial two year-term, the Sub-Advisory Agreement may be continued in effect from year to year with the (1) approval of the Board, or (2) vote of a majority (as defined by the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, provided that in either event the continuance must also be approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
For its services, the Sub-Adviser receives a fee from the Adviser.
The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
This section includes information about each Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.
Description of Compensation. Portfolio manager compensation consists of salary and an annual bonus, with a performance bonus representing an important portion of total compensation. The bonus is awarded in the firm’s discretion and generally will reflect the investment performance of each Fund and any other account managed by each portfolio manager, the financial results of the firm as a
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whole, and the portfolio manager’s contributions to the firm both as an individual and as a member of the firm’s investment teams. The bonus may include an award under a long-term incentive plan established by the firm, or such other long-term or deferred performance-based plan that may be established by the firm. Additionally, each of the portfolio managers may receive profit interests, which make them eligible, subject to customary vesting arrangements, for a share of the profits of the Adviser. Profits for this purpose are calculated firm-wide and therefore relate to investment products and business lines beyond those managed by the particular portfolio manager. Likewise, any notional incentive plan awards that relate to the Adviser’s overall financial performance will give the recipient exposure to results that relate to products and business lines beyond those managed by the recipient.
Other Accounts. In addition to the Funds, each portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided as of May 31, 2026.
| Portfolio Manager; Other Accounts |
Total Accounts | Accounts
With Performance-Based Fees | ||||||
| Number | Assets | Number | Assets | |||||
| William A. Hench | ||||||||
| Registered Investment Companies | 3 | $2.9 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | $0.3 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Accounts | 2 | $0.0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Suzanne Franks | ||||||||
| Registered Investment Companies | 3 | $2.9 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | $0.3 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Accounts | 2 | $0.0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Adam Mielnik, CFA | ||||||||
| Registered Investment Companies | 3 | $2.9 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | $0.3 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Accounts | 2 | $0.0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| John V. Miller, CFA | ||||||||
| Registered Investment Companies | 4 | $9.3 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Accounts | 6 | $0.1 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| David J. Blair, CFA | ||||||||
| Registered Investment Companies | 2 | $0.0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
| Other Accounts | 3 | $0.0 billion | 0 | $0 | ||||
Although the portfolio managers listed above may be assisted by a team of professionals, such as Associate Portfolio Managers, research analysts and trading personnel, no other person has final responsibility for Fund investment decisions.
| Portfolio Managers | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Areas of Specialty | ||
| William A. Hench | Mr. Hench joined the Adviser in April 2021. Prior to joining First Eagle in April 2021, Mr. Hench was portfolio manager of the Small Cap Opportunistic Value strategy at Royce Investment Partners, where he worked for 18 years. Before that, he spent 10 years in the institutional equity business in Boston and New York, most recently with JP Morgan. He began his professional career as a CPA with Coopers and Lybrand. Mr. Hench earned a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University. Mr. Hench manages the Small Cap Equity ETF. | |||
| Suzanne Franks | Ms. Franks joined the Adviser in April 2021. Prior to joining First Eagle in April 2021, Ms. Franks was an assistant portfolio manager of the Small Cap Opportunistic Value strategy at Royce Investment Partners. Before that she founded Vivid Research Inc., an independent research boutique focused on companies facing opportunistic or event-driven catalysts. Previously, she was a principal and portfolio manager at Opportunity Research Group. Ms. Franks earned a BBA in finance, magna cum laude, from Texas A&M University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Ms. Franks manages the Small Cap Equity ETF. |
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| Adam Mielnik, CFA | Mr. Mielnik is an associate portfolio manager on the Small Cap team. Prior to joining First Eagle in April 2021, Mr. Mielnik was a senior analyst for the Small Cap Opportunistic Value strategy at Royce Investment Partners, where he worked for seven years. Mr. Mielnik earned a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Mr. Mielnik manages the Small Cap Equity ETF. | |||
| John V. Miller, CFA | Mr. Miller joined the Adviser in January 2024. Mr. Miller is head and chief investment officer of the Municipal Credit team. Previously, Mr. Miller was a senior managing director and head of municipal bonds at Nuveen Asset Management, where he worked for 27 years. Mr. Miller earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, his master’s degree from Northwestern University and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Mr. Miller manages the Core Municipal ETF. | |||
| David J. Blair, CFA | David Blair is head of the Municipal Core SMA business. Prior to joining First Eagle in January 2025, David was a managing director and portfolio manager at Nuveen where he managed municipal separate account portfolios. Since 1996, he has worked at PIMCO and Nuveen, primarily as a municipal credit analyst and portfolio manager. David began his career in 1991 as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor for Arthur Andersen. He earned a BA in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. David holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Orange County. Mr. Blair manages Core Municipal ETF. |
Conflicts of Interest. Personnel of the Adviser (including the Funds’ portfolio managers identified above) serve as portfolio managers to certain clients and unregistered investment companies that utilize investment programs that are substantially similar to those of one or more Funds managed by such personnel, including, in certain cases, proprietary and related accounts, and accounts that provide for incentive compensation (including performance fees). In addition, the Adviser currently serves, or may in the future serve, as investment adviser to other registered investment companies, unregistered investment companies or accounts (including proprietary accounts related to the Adviser or its affiliates), some of which may provide for incentive compensation (such as performance fees). Consequently, the Adviser’s investment management activities present conflicts between the interests of a Fund and those of the Adviser and potentially among the interests of various accounts managed by the Adviser, principally with respect to allocation of investment opportunities among similar strategies. Although the Adviser has adopted allocation procedures intended to provide for equitable treatment of all accounts over time, it is possible that circumstances may arise requiring case-by-case treatment and that each client account will not necessarily participate in the same transaction. The allocation procedures generally contemplate similar treatment for like accounts, with exceptions for certain considerations, including primary allocations based on an account’s investment objective or investments in an asset class, tax position, cash management requirements, concentration tolerance or minimum investment size policies. At times a portfolio manager may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some accounts or accounts managed by the Adviser and/or may take different positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the Adviser may execute differing or opposite transactions for one or more accounts, which may affect the market price or the execution of the transactions or both, to the detriment of one or more other accounts. Certain trading practices, such as consideration of research and brokerage services when selecting brokers, dealers or other execution parties, may give rise to conflicts of interest as discussed under the heading Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage. Conflicts also may be presented by portfolio manager compensation arrangements, in that they are not dependent on any particular level of investment performance. While the Funds are new and no shares are outstanding as of the date of this SAI, generally, the portfolio managers have significant personal investments in First Eagle products as a whole, but may not be invested in all of the funds that they manage (and are not invested in one fund or another to the same extent).
Acting for more than one account also can present other conflicts and potential limitations on activities. For example, each account may have varying short- and long-term interests or may be subject to different account requirements. When such interests or account requirements conflict, the Adviser generally seeks to balance its respective interests in good faith. There also may be instances, especially with larger portfolio positions, when the activities of one or more accounts can operate to restrict further investment decisions for the position.
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Conflicts of Interest Relating to Affiliates. The Adviser’s affiliation with Genstar requires the Adviser to manage conflicts of interest associated with dealings the Funds may have with those businesses or funds, clients or portfolio companies associated with them. For example, should the Sub-adviser wish to cause the Funds to execute portfolio transactions through broker-dealers associated with Genstar, the commercial reasonableness of the brokerage compensation associated with those trades would have to be assessed. Other dealings may be more completely restricted. For example, the Funds may not be able to buy or sell property directly to or from Genstar or their associated accounts. There also may be limits on participation in underwritings or other securities offerings by Genstar or their associated funds, accounts or portfolio companies. The breadth of these affiliations at times may require the Funds to abstain from or restructure an otherwise attractive investment opportunity.
Investments in portfolio companies associated with Genstar may be restricted by the 1940 Act. To the extent such investments are permitted and a Fund invests in such a portfolio company (a portfolio company generally referring to a company owned by private equity funds managed by Genstar), conflicts of interest may arise from the presence of Genstar representatives on the company board or the payment of compensation by the company to Genstar or an affiliate. Moreover, the Adviser could have an incentive to allocate the Funds’ assets to such a portfolio company since affiliates of the Adviser have a direct or indirect financial interest in its success. There also may be instances where Genstar could be involved in bankruptcy proceedings of current investments or of issuers in which the Funds would otherwise invest, with potentially divergent interests as between the Funds and Genstar.
Securities Ownership. The portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Funds as no shares of the Funds were outstanding prior to the date of this SAI.
VOTING OF PROXIES
The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Adviser the authority to vote proxies received by the Funds from the companies in which they invest (for this purpose, the “portfolio positions”). The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures (collectively, the “Policies”) regarding the voting of such proxies, which policies have been reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees as appropriate to their management of the Funds’ assets. It is the policy of the Adviser to vote proxies on behalf of each client (e.g., the Funds) in a manner that serves the best interest of the client and enhances the economic value of the underlying portfolio securities held in the client’s account.
The Policies provide for procedures that address conflicts of interest between the Adviser and a client with respect to voting proxies. With regard to the Adviser this may involve review of a proposed vote by their compliance personnel and, in certain circumstances, will require consultation with the Board of Trustees. The Adviser may abstain from voting from time to time when it determines that the costs associated with voting a proxy outweigh the benefits derived from exercising the right to vote or in other situations where voting may not be practical or desirable.
The Adviser utilizes Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), a third-party proxy voting service, for recommendations as to voting on particular issues, for technical assistance in tracking instances in which the Funds have the opportunity to vote and in transmitting voting instructions to the relevant corporate issuer or its proxy tabulation agents. The Adviser utilizes ISS as a resource to enable it to make better-informed proxy voting decisions and to limit the potential for conflicts in the proxy voting process. The Adviser has analyzed and determined the relevant ISS proxy guidelines to be largely consistent with the views of the Adviser on various types of proxy proposals, which typically seek to be consistent with the best interests of the client and with enhancing the economic value of the underlying portfolio securities. While other services or recommendations may be considered from time to time, including Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC, the Adviser principally employs the proxy voting services provided by ISS. As a practical matter, in most cases, the Adviser votes client proxies in a manner consistent with the voting recommendation of ISS. However, the Adviser evaluates individual proxies in accordance with the Policies and may determine to depart from the recommendation of its proxy voting service provider in voting a proxy. The proxy voting policy statement and standards of the Adviser are included in Appendix B to to this SAI and the proxy voting guidelines of ISS are included in Appendix C to this SAI.
Information regarding the proxy-voting record of the Trust for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 will be available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling the Trust at 844.422.3367; or (ii) at www.firsteagle.com/individuals-home. This information also is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101, pursuant to which the Distributor acts as each Fund’s principal underwriter and distributes shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. A Creation Unit of Small Cap Equity ETF is made up of at least 10,000 shares and a Creation Unit of Core Municipal ETF is made up of at least 25,000 shares. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
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Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will receive orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver prospectuses and, upon request, statements of additional information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Units” below) or DTC Participants.
The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect thereafter only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders or by vote of a majority of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment,” as defined in the 1940 Act.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
Purchase and Issuance of Creation Units
The Trust issues and sells shares of the Funds only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The NAV of each Fund’s shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which the Exchange is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, plus the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities (“Non-Standard Charges”) may be recoverable from the purchaser of creation units.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund’s shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component will be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which will be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
Each Fund, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”), makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for a Fund changes from time to time as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected by the Sub-Adviser. The composition of the Deposit Securities will change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the securities constituting the Fund’s portfolio.
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The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which will be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”).
Cash Purchase Method. The Trust may at its discretion permit full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units of the Funds. When full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Funds, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a full or partial cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser together with a Creation Transaction Fee and Non-Standard Charges, as may be applicable.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant. In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant” or “AP”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“Transfer Agent”) and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each AP will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees and taxes. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.
All orders to purchase shares directly from a Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement and generally by 4:00 p.m. Eastern time or such earlier time that the Exchange or bond market closes (the “Cut-Off Time”). The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An AP may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an AP that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such APs may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which a Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed on any day, a Fund will not accept orders on such day. Orders must be transmitted by an AP by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook. With respect to a Fund, the Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an AP should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the Cut-Off Time on the Business Day on which the order is placed. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent or an AP.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an AP through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian will cause the subcustodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the AP will deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the AP in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than the settlement date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination will be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely
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manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the settlement date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the settlement date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
The order will be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the Cut-Off Time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, with the Custodian on the settlement date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time on the settlement date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the AP will be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Distributor and the Adviser will be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. However, each Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The AP will be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which will be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. An additional amount of cash will be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. APs 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 Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases, unless otherwise advised by the Funds, and Non-Standard Charges may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the settlement date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful.
Creation Transaction Fee. A purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a Creation Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. A Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. In addition, a Fund may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 2% of the value of the creation transactions for cash creations, non- standard orders, or partial cash purchases for the Fund. A Fund may adjust the Non-Standard Charge from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of an AP, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the Creation Transaction Fee and Non-Standard Charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover. The standard Creation Transaction Fee for each Fund is $250.
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Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from a Fund. Because each Fund’s shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause a shareholder to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with each Fund’s shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act.
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 a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to each Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form—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 Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less any fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below and any Non-Standard Charges. If the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an AP by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an AP may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Cash Redemption Method. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Funds, when full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the AP will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer. A Fund may incur costs such as brokerage costs or taxable gains or losses that the Fund might not have incurred if the redemption had been made in-kind. These costs may decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent that the costs are not offset by a transaction fee payable by an AP. Shareholders may be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise have been subject to and/or at an earlier date than if the Fund had effected redemptions wholly on an in-kind basis.
Redemption Transaction Fees. A redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and APs will be required to pay a Redemption Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The redemption transaction fee is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request. A Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. In addition, a Fund may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 2% of the value of a redemption transaction for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for the Fund. Investors who use the services of an AP, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the Redemption Transaction Fees and Non-Standard Charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Fund Securities to the account of
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the Trust. The Non-Standard Charges are payable to each Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transactions costs. The standard Redemption Transaction Fee for each Fund is $250.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an AP has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book- entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the AP on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request will be rejected.
The AP must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an AP which has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such AP. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an AP and transfer of the shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not APs.
In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or AP acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three business days of the trade date.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, the AP must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the AP acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, 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.
If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that each Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Funds may also, in their sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An AP or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The AP may request the redeeming investor of the shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an AP that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An AP may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Funds may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are
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otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of a Fund, or to purchase or sell shares of such Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of such Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to each Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Each Fund discloses its full portfolio holdings, as of the close of business the prior day, each day before the opening of trading on the Exchange on the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf and on the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Trust reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Trust reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, the Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.
The Board has adopted a pricing and valuation policy for use by each Fund and its Valuation Designee (defined below) in calculating the Fund’s NAV. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, each Fund has designated the Adviser as its “Valuation Designee” to perform all of the fair value determinations as well as to perform all of the responsibilities that may be performed by the Valuation Designee in accordance with Rule 2a-5. The Valuation Designee is authorized to make all necessary determinations of the fair values of portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or if it is deemed that the prices obtained from brokers and dealers or independent pricing services are unreliable. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Funds may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee under the direction of the Board.
The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Trust under the general supervision of the Board.
A Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Funds do not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.
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DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
It is the policy of the Trust each fiscal year to distribute substantially all of each Fund’s net investment income (i.e., generally, the income that it earns from dividends and interest on its investments, and any short-term capital gains, net of Fund expenses) and net capital gains (i.e., the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses), if any, to its shareholders. It is each Fund’s policy to make periodic distributions of net investment income, net realized capital gains, and net tax-exempt income, if any. Each Fund makes distributions on a per-share basis. The amount of distributions by a Fund may vary from year-to-year based on a variety of circumstances, including market conditions, the composition of the Fund’s portfolio, portfolio turnover, expenses borne by the Fund, and sales or other dispositions by shareholders.
In certain circumstances, compliance with Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act, and Rule 19b-1 thereunder, could have a material adverse effect on a Fund’s investment program and the tax consequences to a Fund and its shareholders. The Funds intend to make regular, annual distributions of investment company taxable income as ordinary dividends and to make one distribution of net capital gain as a capital gain dividend each year. However, it is often difficult to determine a Fund’s expected investment company taxable income for the applicable year. If, due to late-year losses or otherwise, a Fund overdistributes its investment company taxable income for the taxable year though such regular, annual distributions, it may be more tax efficient for a Fund and its investors if the Fund were to report such overdistribution amount as capital gain dividends. Additionally, the Fund’s ability to report such overdistribution amount as capital gain dividends is subject to Rule 19b-1 under the 1940 Act, which generally limits a Fund to one long-term capital gain distribution per taxable year of the Fund, subject to certain exceptions. If the Fund is unable to obtain relief from the SEC to report such overdistribution amount as capital gain dividends, the Fund could be required to retain and pay U.S. federal income tax on a portion of its net capital gains, shareholders could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at higher tax rates on a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund, and shareholders could receive taxable dividends from the Fund prior to the time at which they otherwise would have.
Dividend Reinvestment Service
The Funds will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by beneficial owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares issued by a Fund at NAV. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of each Fund will nevertheless be taxable to beneficial owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
Taxes
The following information supplements and supersedes such discussion in the Funds’ Prospectus titled “DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES.” The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to each Fund’s qualification as a “regulated investment company” (a “RIC”) and the acquisition, ownership and disposition of shares of a Fund. This summary is based upon the Code, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department, current administrative interpretations and practices of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) (including administrative interpretations and practices expressed in private letter rulings which are binding on the IRS only with respect to the particular taxpayers who requested and received those rulings) and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary does not address any proposals to modify such tax laws. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax considerations described below. No advance ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS regarding any matter discussed in this summary. Except as otherwise discussed below, this summary does not discuss the impact that U.S. state and local taxes and taxes imposed by non-U.S. jurisdictions could have on the matters discussed in this summary. This summary does not discuss the tax consequences to APs of purchasing and redeeming Creation Units pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement. This summary is for general information only, and does not purport to discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to a particular shareholder in light of its investment or tax circumstances or to shareholders subject to special tax rules, such as U.S. expatriates; persons who mark-to-market Fund shares; subchapter S corporations; U.S. shareholders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; financial institutions; insurance companies; broker-dealers; RICs; REITs; trusts and estates; persons holding Fund shares as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or other integrated investment; persons subject to the alternative minimum tax; persons holding their Fund shares through a partnership or similar pass-through entity; tax-exempt organizations (except as otherwise discussed below); investors in tax deferred accounts such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”); persons subject to special tax rules as a result of being treated as receiving any “excess inclusion income” from a Fund (except as otherwise discussed below); shareholders subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of their use of “applicable financial statements” (within the meaning of Section 451(b)(3) of the Code); and foreign shareholders (except as otherwise discussed below). Unless otherwise noted, this discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold shares as capital assets, which generally means as property held for investment. A U.S. shareholder is an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; a U.S. corporation (including an entity treated as a corporation); a trust if it (i) is subject to the
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primary supervision of a court in the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person; or any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source. Current and prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Each Fund intends to elect and qualify annually as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify as a RIC for a taxable year, a Fund must, among other things, (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (“qualified PTPs”), gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (such as gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies; (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the market value of its assets is represented by cash, cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer qualifying only if the Fund’s investment is limited to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and not more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined, under Treasury regulations, to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more qualified PTPs; and (c) distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends and interest net of expenses and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses) and at least 90% of its tax-exempt interest income (net of certain costs allocable to such income) for the year.
Each Fund may invest in certain assets that do not constitute “securities” for purposes of the RIC qualification tests referred to in the previous paragraph and other assets, including various derivative and structured investment products the status of which as “securities” for such purposes may not be fully settled. Subject to the savings provisions described below, if a sufficient portion of a Fund’s assets were not stock or such securities or if a sufficient portion of a Fund’s gross income were not derived from stock or such securities for any taxable year, that Fund may fail to qualify as a RIC for such taxable year.
If a Fund fails to qualify for taxation as a RIC for any taxable year, the Fund’s income will be taxed at the Fund level at the regular corporate rate and the tax consequences to shareholders would be different from those described in this section (for example, all distributions to shareholders generally would be taxed as ordinary income, even if those distributions are derived from capital gains realized by the Fund). In addition, in order to requalify for taxation as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment, such Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, incur substantial taxes on such unrealized gains, and make certain substantial distributions. Each Fund intends to elect and qualify annually as a RIC under the Code.
If a Fund were otherwise to fail to satisfy the gross income test for a taxable year, it would nevertheless be considered to satisfy such test if its failure to satisfy the gross income test were due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if it were to satisfy certain procedural requirements. A Fund would be subject to an excise tax if it were to rely on this savings provision in order to meet the gross income test.
In addition, if a Fund were otherwise to fail to satisfy the asset diversification test, it would nevertheless be considered to satisfy such test if either (a) the failure to satisfy the asset test were de minimis and the Fund were to satisfy the asset test within a prescribed time period or (b) the Fund’s failure to satisfy the asset diversification test were due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, the Fund were to satisfy the test within a prescribed time period and the Fund were to satisfy certain procedural requirements. A Fund’s failure to satisfy the asset diversification test would be considered de minimis if it were due to the Fund’s ownership of assets the total value of which did not exceed the lesser of $10 million and 1 percent of the total value of the Fund’s assets at the end of the fiscal quarter in which the test was being applied. A Fund would be subject to an excise tax if it were to rely on the savings provision described in (b) of this paragraph in order to meet the asset diversification test.
As a RIC, each Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income and net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), if any, that it currently distributes to shareholders. Each Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains, if any. However, each Fund may be subject to U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income tax in certain circumstances.
For purposes of determining the amount of dividends that a Fund has distributed to its shareholders for a taxable year, each Fund may elect to treat certain dividend distributions paid in the following taxable year as having been paid in the earlier taxable year.
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, each Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount equal to or exceeding the sum of (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year,
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(2) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year, and (3) 100% of any ordinary income and capital gains for the preceding year that were not distributed during that year. A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of the current calendar year if it is declared by a Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received. To prevent application of the excise tax, each Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement.
Finally, any foreign currency transactions that are not directly related to a Fund’s investments in securities (possibly including, but not limited to, speculative currency positions or currency derivatives not used for hedging purposes) could, under future administrative guidance issued by the IRS, produce income not among the types of “qualifying income” from which the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its annual gross income.
Net capital loss carryforwards of a Fund may be applied against any net realized capital gains in each succeeding year, until they have been reduced to zero. In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the loss carryforwards and other favorable tax attributes of the Fund, if any, may be subject to limitation.
Different tax treatment is accorded to investors in tax deferred accounts such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, including a penalty on pre-retirement distributions that are not properly rolled over to other IRAs. Investors in tax deferred accounts should consult their tax advisers for more information.
Dividends paid out of a Fund’s investment company taxable income generally will be taxable to a U.S. shareholder as ordinary income. Provided that certain holding period requirements are met at the Fund and shareholder levels, certain dividends received by non-corporate shareholders (including individuals) from a Fund may be eligible for the reduced tax rates applicable in the case of long-term capital gains to the extent that the Fund receives “qualified dividend income” and reports a portion of its dividends as such in a written statement to shareholders. Substitute payments received by a Fund representing dividends paid on securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified dividend income, and distributions by the Fund of such substitute payments will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividends. Provided that certain holding period requirements are met at the Fund and shareholder levels, certain dividends received by corporate shareholders from a Fund may be eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction to the extent the Fund receives dividends paid by U.S. corporations and reports a portion of its dividends as such in a written statement to shareholders. Substitute payments received by the Fund representing dividends paid on securities loaned out by the Fund will not be treated as dividends eligible for the dividends received deduction.
Any dividends paid by a Fund that are attributable to distributions from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction. Furthermore, dividends attributable to distributions from REITs will generally not qualify for the reduced tax rates applicable to certain Fund dividends paid to non-corporate shareholders (including individuals). However, dividends attributable to distributions from REITs (other than capital gain dividends, as defined in section 857(b)(3) of the Code, and qualified dividend income) may be treated by non-corporate shareholders as “qualified REIT dividends” and such shareholders generally may deduct 20% of the amount of qualified REIT dividends they receive from their taxable income under section 199A of the Code, if such shareholders meet the holding period requirements for their Fund shares, described in the next sentence, and the Fund satisfies similar holding period requirements for the REIT shares. The shareholder holding period requirements are met if the Fund shares are held by the shareholder for more than 45 days (taking into account the principles of section 246(c)(3) and (4) of the Code) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such shares become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend, but only if and to the extent the shareholder is not under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Substitute payments received by a Fund representing qualified REIT dividends paid on REIT securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified REIT dividends, and distributions by the Fund of such substitute payments will not be eligible for the 20% deduction currently available for ordinary REIT dividends paid to non-corporate shareholders.
Certain types of income received by a Fund from its investment in mortgage REITs may cause the Fund to report some of its distributions as “excess inclusion income.” To Fund shareholders, such excess inclusion income would: (i) constitute taxable income, as “unrelated business taxable income”, for those shareholders who would otherwise be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) accounts, Keogh plans, pension plans and certain charitable entities; (ii) not be offset by current, carryforward or carryback net operating losses; (iii) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders that otherwise would be eligible for reduced treaty rates or exemptions from U.S. withholding; and (iv) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if “disqualified organizations,” as defined by the Code, own shareholders in the Fund, in which case, the Fund may reduce distributions that would otherwise be made to such disqualified organizations by the amount of the tax so imposed.
Because information about a mortgage REIT’s investments may be inadequate or inaccurate, or because a mortgage REIT may change its investment program, a Fund may not be successful in avoiding the consequences described above. Avoidance of investments in mortgage REITs that generate excess inclusion income may require the Fund to forego otherwise attractive investment opportunities.
Distributions of net capital gains derived from sales of portfolio securities by a Fund, if any, and reported as capital gains distributions, are generally taxable to non-corporate shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, regardless of whether the shareholder
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has held the Fund’s shares for more than one year, and are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. Distributions of gains realized on collectibles held for one year or less, are taxable to a U.S. shareholder as short-term gains. Distributions of gains realized on collectibles held for greater than one year, to the extent properly reported as such by the applicable Fund, are taxable to non-corporate shareholders at a maximum 28% tax rate. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s earnings and profits will first reduce the adjusted tax basis of a shareholder’s shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such shareholder (assuming the Fund shares are held as a capital asset). Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal income tax status of distributions. After the close of each calendar year, each Fund will designate the portion of its distributions paid to shareholders constituting ordinary dividends, qualified dividend income, capital gain dividends, dividends eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction, exempt-interest dividends, and returns of capital. Depending on the nature of the dividends, dividends are taxable to shareholders even if they are reinvested in additional shares of a Fund through a dividend reinvestment service, and shareholders receiving such distributions will have a cost basis in each such share equal to the net asset value of a share of the Fund on the reinvestment date and will receive a report as to the net asset value of those shares.
Certain investments by a Fund may affect the timing, character and amount of income and gain the Fund recognizes. Additionally, certain investments by a Fund may increase or accelerate a Fund’s recognition of income, including the recognition of taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such investments. Such income must be included in determining the amount of income which the Fund must distribute to maintain its status as a RIC and to avoid the imposition of U.S. federal income tax and the 4% excise tax. In such case, the Fund could be required to dispose of securities which it might otherwise have continued to hold or borrow to generate cash to satisfy its distribution requirements.
A Fund that invests in debt instruments that are at risk of or are in default may become subject to special tax issues regarding when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount, or market discount, when and to what extent it may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities, how payments received on defaulted instruments should be allocated between principal and interest, and whether exchanges or modifications of debt instruments are taxable. These and other issues related to at-risk debt instruments also may affect the amount of income that a Fund is required to distribute to preserve its status as a RIC and to avoid becoming subject to federal income or excise tax.
A Fund’s gains and losses on the sale, lapse, or termination of options that it holds will generally have the same character as gains and losses from the sale of the security to which the option relates. If options written by a Fund expire unexercised, the premiums received by the Fund give rise to short-term capital gains at the time of expiration. A Fund also may have short-term capital gains and losses associated with closing transactions with respect to options written by the Fund. If call options written by a Fund are exercised, the selling price of the security to which the option relates is increased by the amount of the premium received by the Fund, and the character of the capital gain or loss on the sale of such security as long-term or short-term depends on the security’s holding period. Upon the exercise of a put held by a Fund, the premium initially paid for the put is offset against the amount received for the security sold pursuant to the put thereby decreasing any gain (or increasing any loss) realized on the sale. Generally, such gain or loss is capital gain or loss, the character of which as long-term or short-term depends on the holding period of the security. However, the purchase of a put option may be subject to the short sale rules or straddle rules for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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 the 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 also may 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.
Certain regulated futures, nonequity options, and foreign currency contracts in which the Funds may invest are “section 1256 contracts.” Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses; however, foreign currency gains or losses arising from certain section 1256 contracts may be treated as ordinary income or loss. Also, section 1256 contracts held by a Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, generally, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on October 31 of each year) are “marked-to-market” (that is, treated as sold at fair market value), resulting in unrealized gains or losses being treated as though they were realized.
Generally, the hedging transactions undertaken by the Funds (including, for example, the ownership of stocks and the sale of options) may result in “straddles” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may cause certain gains to be treated as short-term rather than long-term and may cause certain losses to be treated as long-term rather than short-term. In addition, losses realized by the Funds on positions that are part of a straddle may be deferred under the straddle rules, rather than being taken into account in calculating the taxable income for the taxable year in which the losses are realized and certain interest expenses may be required to be capitalized. In addition, dividends, if any, on the stocks held as part of a straddle would not qualify for the lower rate generally applicable to “qualified dividend income.” The tax consequences to these Funds of engaging in hedging transactions are not entirely clear. Hedging transactions may increase the amount of short-term capital gains realized by a Fund which is taxed as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders. To the extent that the call options that a Fund writes on its portfolio securities are “qualified covered call options,” the
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holding of the call options and the underlying securities will generally not be treated as a “straddle” subject to the straddle rules except in the case of certain positions which are closed by the Fund in part at a loss in one year where gain is subsequently recognized by the Fund in a later year. In general, a “qualified covered call option” is an option that is written (sold) with respect to stock that is held or acquired by a taxpayer in connection with writing the option and that meets certain requirements, including that the option is exchange-traded or, if over-the-counter, meets certain IRS requirements, is granted more than 30 days prior to expiration, is not “deep-in-the-money” (within the meaning of section 1092 of the Code), is not granted by an options dealer (within the meaning of section 1256(g)(8) of the Code) in connection with the options dealer’s activity of dealing in options, and gain or loss with respect to such option is not ordinary income or loss. If a Fund owns stock and writes a qualified covered call option that is in-the-money (but not “deep-in-the-money”), certain losses may be treated as long-term rather than short-term and the holding period of the stock will not include any period during which the Fund is the grantor of the option thereby impacting the amount of income that can qualify for the lower rate applicable to “qualified dividend income.” Each Fund may make one or more of the elections available under the Code which are applicable to straddles. If any of these Funds makes any of such elections, the amount, character and/or timing of the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions will be determined under rules that vary according to the election(s) made. The rules applicable under certain of the elections may operate to accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions.
Because the straddle rules may affect the character of gains or losses, defer losses and/or accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions, the amount which must be distributed to shareholders in order for the Fund to satisfy the distribution requirements to qualify as a RIC and to avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes, and which will be taxed to them as ordinary income or long-term capital gains, may be increased or decreased as compared to a fund that did not engage in such hedging transactions.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, a Fund may recognize gain from a constructive sale of certain “appreciated financial positions” generally if the Fund enters into a short sale or offsetting notional principal contract with respect to, or a futures or a forward contract to deliver, the same or substantially identical property or, in the case of an appreciated financial position that is a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract, if the Fund acquires the same or substantially identical property as the underlying property for the position. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment are interests (including options, forward contracts and short sales) in stock, partnership interests, certain actively traded trust instruments and certain debt instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain transactions that are closed before the end of the 30th day after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was entered into if the taxpayer holds the appreciated financial position throughout the 60 day period beginning on the date the transaction is closed and at no time during this 60 day period is the taxpayer’s risk of loss with respect to the appreciated financial position reduced by certain circumstances.
If a Fund has long-term capital gain from a “constructive ownership transaction” with respect to any financial asset, the amount of such gain which may be treated as long-term capital gain by the Fund is limited to the amount of such gain which the Fund would have recognized if it had been holding such financial asset directly, rather than through a constructive ownership transaction, with any gain in excess of this amount being treated as ordinary income. In addition, any such gain recharacterized as ordinary income is treated as having been realized ratably over the duration of such constructive ownership transaction grossed up by an interest charge when reported in the year recognized. A constructive ownership transaction includes holding a long position under a notional principal contract with respect to, or entering into a forward or futures contract to acquire certain financial assets, or both holding a call option and granting a put option with respect to certain financial assets where such options have substantially equal strike prices and substantially contemporaneous maturity dates.
Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time a Fund accrues receivables or liabilities denominated in a foreign currency or determined with reference to one or more foreign currencies and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities, generally are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, on the disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency or determined with reference to one or more foreign currencies gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition thereof also are treated as ordinary income or loss.
Generally gains or losses with respect to forward contracts, futures contracts, options or similar financial instruments (other than section 1256 contracts) which are denominated in a foreign currency or determined by reference to the value of one or more foreign currencies are treated as ordinary gains or losses, as the case may be. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code as “section 988” gains or losses, may increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income. However, in certain circumstances, it may be possible to make an election to treat such gains or losses as capital gains or losses or as subject to the rules applicable to section 1256 contracts, rather than subject to section 988 treatment. Furthermore, if section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income generated by a Fund during a taxable year, the Fund’s distributions for the taxable year (including distributions made before such section 988 losses were recouped) would be treated as a return of capital to the Fund’s shareholders (rather than as dividends), thereby reducing the basis of each shareholder’s Fund shares and potentially resulting in a capital gain for any shareholder receiving a distribution greater than such shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in
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Fund shares (assuming such shares are held as a capital asset).
Each Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income and gains derived from its investments outside the United States. Such taxes would reduce the yield on the Funds’ investments. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.
Investments by a Fund in stock of certain foreign corporations which generate mostly passive income, or at least half of the assets of which generate such income (referred to as “passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs”), are subject to special tax rules designed to prevent deferral of U.S. taxation of the Fund’s share of the PFIC’s earnings. In the absence of certain elections to report these earnings on a current basis, a Fund would be required to report certain “excess distributions” from, and any gain from the disposition of stock of, the PFIC as ordinary income. Such ordinary income would be allocated ratably to a Fund’s holding period for the stock. Any amounts allocated to prior taxable years would be taxable to the Fund at the highest rate of tax on ordinary income applicable in that year, increased by an interest charge at the rate prescribed for underpayments of tax, and the Fund would not be able to avoid such tax and interest charge by distributing the “excess distributions” and gain to the Fund’s shareholders. Amounts allocated to the year of the distribution or disposition would be included in the Fund’s net investment income for that year and, to the extent distributed as a dividend to the Fund’s shareholders, would not be taxable to the Fund.
A Fund may elect to mark to market its PFIC stock, resulting in the stock being treated as sold at fair market value on the last business day of each taxable year. Any resulting gain and any gain from an actual disposition of the stock would be reported as ordinary income; any resulting loss and any loss from an actual disposition of the stock would be reported as ordinary loss to the extent of any net gains reported as ordinary income in prior years. Alternatively, a Fund may be able to make an election, known as a qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election, in lieu of being taxable in the manner described above, in which case the Fund will include annually in income its pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the PFIC, regardless of whether it actually received any distributions from the PFIC. These amounts would be included in the Fund’s investment company taxable income and net capital gain which, to the extent distributed by the Fund as ordinary or capital gain dividends, as the case may be, would not be taxable to the Fund (but would be taxable to shareholders). In order to make a QEF election, a Fund would be required to obtain certain information from PFICs in which it invests, which in many cases may be difficult to obtain.
Upon the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund, a shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss which may be eligible for reduced U.S. federal income tax rates, generally depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the shares. Such gain or loss generally, as subject to exceptions described below, will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss recognized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced (including shares acquired pursuant to a dividend reinvestment service) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after disposition of the shares. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. If a shareholder holds a share for six months or less, any loss recognized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends the shareholder received, except in the case of a regular dividend paid by a Fund if the Fund declares exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis in an amount equal to at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest and distributes such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. To the extent, if any, a loss is not disallowed, it generally will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions received by the shareholder with respect to such shares that are treated as long-term capital gains.
Certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Funds and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Funds. Exempt-interest dividends from the Funds are generally not included in net investment income for purposes of this tax. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Funds.
Each Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax currently at the rate of 24% from all distributions and gross sale proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or otherwise fail to comply with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules. Corporate shareholders and certain other shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be allowed as a refund or a credit against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
If a Fund invests in underlying RICs, distributions of short-term capital gains by such underlying RICs would be recognized as ordinary income by the Fund and would not be able to be offset by the Fund’s capital losses or capital loss carryforwards (if any). Losses of an underlying RIC would not offset any income or gain of the Fund. Losses realized by a Fund on the sale of shares of underlying RICs may be indefinitely or permanently deferred under the wash sale rules. Each of these effects is caused by the Fund’s investment in the underlying RICs and may result in tax distributions to Fund shareholders being of higher magnitudes.
Taxation of a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual or foreign corporation (“foreign shareholder”), depends on whether the income from a Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by such shareholder. If the income from a Fund is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder,
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dividends paid by the Fund to the foreign shareholder generally will be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax under existing provisions of the Code unless a reduced rate of withholding is provided under an applicable tax treaty and the foreign shareholder provides the Fund in a timely manner with a properly completed and valid IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or successor form) claiming an exemption from, or a reduced rate of, U.S. withholding tax under the tax treaty. However, subject to certain limitations, “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” paid by a Fund to a foreign shareholder and properly reported as such are eligible for an exemption from U.S. withholding tax. Interest-related dividends generally are dividends derived from certain interest income earned by a Fund that would not be subject to U.S. withholding tax if earned by a foreign shareholder directly. Short-term capital gain dividends generally are dividends derived from the excess of a Fund’s net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses. The Funds do not intend to report interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends. Except as described below, a foreign 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 or “capital gain dividends” paid by a Fund unless the foreign shareholder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a foreign shareholder generally will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or substitute Form). Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers concerning the applicability of U.S. withholding tax.
If the income from a Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then any dividends, and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations, and, if the foreign shareholder is a corporation, the shareholder may be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at the rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate).
In the case of foreign noncorporate shareholders, a Fund may be required to withhold backup withholding taxes at the applicable rate on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Under legislation known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), and applicable “intergovernmental agreements” entered into thereunder, distributions paid by the Funds to “foreign financial institutions” and certain other foreign entities will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% unless various certification, information reporting, due diligence and other applicable requirements (different from, and in addition to, those described above) are satisfied. In general, no such withholding will occur with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. individual that timely provides the Fund with a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable W-8, respectively. Payments that are taken into account as effectively connected income are not subject to these withholding rules. Foreign shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding FATCA and the application of these requirements to their investments in the Funds.
Special rules may apply to foreign shareholders receiving a Fund distribution if at least 50% of the Fund’s assets consist of United States real property interests (as defined in Section 897(c)(1) of the Code), including certain REITs and other United States real property holding corporations (as defined in Section 897(c)(2) of the Code), at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of the distribution. Fund distributions that are attributable to gain from the disposition of a United States real property interest will be taxable as ordinary dividends and subject to withholding at a 30% or lower treaty rate if the foreign shareholder held no more than 5% of the Fund’s shares at all times during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution. If the foreign shareholder held at least 5% of the Fund’s shares at any time during the one-year testing period, the distribution would be treated as income effectively connected with a trade or business within the U.S. and the foreign shareholder would be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 21% and would generally be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return. The distribution also may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax if the foreign shareholder is a corporation. Similar consequences would generally apply to a foreign shareholder’s gain on the sale of Fund shares unless the Fund is domestically controlled (meaning that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s shares is held by U.S. shareholders at all times during the five-year testing period ending on the date of the sale) or the foreign shareholder owns no more than 5% of the Fund’s shares at all times during the five-year testing period ending on the date of the sale. A foreign shareholder may also be subject to certain “wash sale” rules to prevent the avoidance of the tax filing and payment obligations discussed above through the sale and repurchase of Fund shares. Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
Since, at the time of an investor’s purchase of a Fund’s shares, a portion of the per share net asset value by which the purchase price is determined may be represented by realized or unrealized appreciation in the Fund’s portfolio or undistributed income of the Fund, subsequent distributions (or a portion thereof) on such shares may economically represent a return of capital. However, such a subsequent distribution may be taxable to such investor even if the net asset value of the investor’s shares is, as a result of the distributions, reduced below the investor’s cost for such shares. Prior to purchasing shares of the Fund, an investor should carefully consider such tax liability which may be incurred by reason of any subsequent distributions of net investment income and capital gains.
Fund shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions and sales or other dispositions of Fund shares. Also, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder of an investment in a Fund may be different from those described above. Shareholders are
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advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in a Fund.
Municipal Funds
This section addresses certain U.S. federal income tax considerations specific to the Core Municipal ETF (the “Municipal Fund”), a municipal fund, and shareholders of the Municipal Fund.
The Municipal Fund intends to qualify to pay “exempt-interest dividends” as defined in Section 852(b)(5) of the Code. Under such section, if, at the close of each quarter of the Municipal Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Municipal Fund’s total assets consists of obligations exempt from U.S. federal income tax (“tax-exempt obligations”) under Section 103(a) of the Code (relating generally to obligations of a state or local governmental unit), the Municipal Fund will be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders. Exempt-interest dividends are dividends or any part thereof paid by the Municipal Fund that are attributable to interest on tax-exempt obligations (reduced by certain expenses and other amounts relating to such tax-exempt income) and reported by the Municipal Fund as exempt-interest dividends.
Exempt-interest dividends will be excludable from a shareholder’s gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, as described below, all or a portion of the exempt-interest dividends may be taken into account in determining the alternative minimum tax on shareholders who are individuals, and may be subject to state and local taxes. Exempt-interest dividends are included in determining the portion, if any, of an individual’s Social Security and railroad retirement benefits subject to U.S. federal income taxes. Additionally, a shareholder may not deduct interest on indebtedness incurred or continue to purchase or carry shares of stock in a RIC, such as the Municipal Fund to the extent that the Municipal Fund distributes exempt-interest dividends to the shareholder during the taxable year of the shareholder.
The Municipal Fund may realize and distribute taxable ordinary income or capital gains from time to time because of its investment activities, including its investments in tax-exempt obligations. The Municipal Fund’s distributions of these amounts generally are taxable to shareholders whether received in cash or reinvested through a dividend reinvestment service. Dividends paid out of the Municipal Fund’s investment company taxable income generally will be taxable to a shareholder as ordinary income. For example, although “market discount” is, as an economic matter, a substitute for additional interest, the amount of any market discount on a tax-exempt obligation is not treated as tax-exempt interest because such discount is not paid by the issuer of the obligation. As a result, all or a portion of the Municipal Fund’s gains from the sale, retirement or other disposition of tax-exempt obligations purchased at a market discount will be treated as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Alternatively, the Municipal Fund may elect to accrue market discount as ordinary income during the period in which the Municipal Fund holds the bond. These market discount rules may increase the amount of taxable ordinary income dividends received by shareholders. Additionally, if the Municipal Fund sells or otherwise disposes of a tax-exempt obligation, any gain or loss is generally treated as a capital gain or loss (except to the extent the market discount rules result in ordinary income) which may be distributed by the Municipal Fund in the form of taxable ordinary income dividends or capital gain dividends. The rules applicable to the Fund’s distribution of investment company taxable income and net capital gains are described in greater detail below.
After the close of each fiscal year, the Municipal Fund will designate the portion of its distributions paid to shareholders constituting exempt-interest dividends, ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, capital gain dividends, dividends eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction, and returns of capital.
The Code subjects interest received on certain otherwise tax-exempt securities to the federal alternative minimum tax. The alternative minimum tax applies to interest received on certain private activity bonds (“PABs”) issued after August 7, 1986. PABs are bonds that, although tax-exempt, are used for purposes other than those generally performed by governmental units and that benefit non-governmental entities, such as bonds used for industrial development or housing purposes. Income received on such bonds is classified as an item of “tax preference,” which could subject certain investors in such bonds, including shareholders of the Municipal Fund, to a federal alternative minimum tax. After the close of each year, the Municipal Fund will report the portion of its distributions paid to shareholders during the previous year that constitute an item of tax preference for alternative minimum tax purposes.
The Municipal Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions. Payments in lieu of interest made by the borrower to the Municipal Fund will not constitute “exempt interest” excluded from taxable income, even if the actual interest would have constituted qualified exempt interest had the Municipal Fund held the securities. Such payments in lieu of interest are taxable as ordinary income and such amounts cannot be distributed by the Municipal Fund to its shareholders in the form of exempt-interest dividends.
The Municipal Fund generally will only purchase a tax-exempt obligation if it is accompanied by an opinion of issuer’s bond counsel or, in the case of derivative securities, sponsor’s counsel, that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued, and neither the Municipal Fund nor the Adviser will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. However, tax opinions are not binding on the IRS, and if any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Municipal Fund and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liability for the current or past years and shareholders may have to file amended tax returns and pay additional taxes, interest and penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities.
The U.S. federal income tax consequences to (i) a shareholder of the sale or other disposition of shares of the Municipal Fund and (ii) to a foreign shareholder of the ownership and the sale or other disposition of shares of the Municipal Fund, in each case, are generally the same as the tax consequences applicable to a shareholder in the other Fund described above.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
The Adviser has engaged the Sub-Adviser to perform certain responsibilities with respect to each Fund’s portfolio transactions and brokerage. On a daily basis, the Adviser provides to the Sub-Adviser a model with respect to each Fund. Using such models, the Sub-Adviser may implement changes to a Fund’s portfolio in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of a Fund, may trade portfolio securities on behalf of a Fund, and may select broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions for a Fund.
Subject to policies established by the Board, oversight by the Adviser, and applicable rules, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Funds. In executing portfolio transactions, the Sub-Adviser seeks to obtain the most favorable execution for the Funds, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Sub-Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.
The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing of a Fund, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. As part of its responsibilities, the Sub-Adviser may make investment decisions consistent with the Funds’ principal investment strategies, including as part of managing cash flow activity. For its services, the Sub-Adviser is entitled to a fee paid by the Adviser (and not the Funds) based on average daily net assets.
Brokerage Transactions
Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.
In addition, the Sub-Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts it manages, including the Funds, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account and each Fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board, that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Sub-Adviser believes that the ability of a Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.
No brokerage commission information is provided since the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Each Fund is required to identify any securities of the Trust’s regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) or their parents held by the Fund as of the end of the most recent fiscal year. Information about the Funds’ ownership of its regular broker-dealers is not provided as the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Brokerage Selection
The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Sub-Adviser may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser. The Sub-Adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.
The Sub-Adviser does not currently use Fund assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements or receive proprietary research from full service brokers. The Sub-Adviser also does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. If, in the future, the Sub-Adviser were to obtain brokerage and research services from broker-dealers, it would do so in arrangements that are consistent with Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act.
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PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Funds, their service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Funds and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.
These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Funds, the Adviser, or shareholders of the Funds through the financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary’s retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing a Fund in a financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about a Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.
Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in a Fund by financial intermediaries’ customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Anti-Money Laundering Program
The Funds have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Funds’ Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.
Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any person or legal entity and beneficial owner, if applicable, whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017-6204, is the independent registered public accounting firm of each Fund. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for conducting the annual audit of each Fund’s financial statements. The selection of the independent registered public accounting firm is approved annually by the Board.
Transfer Agent
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 4 Chase Metrotech Center, Floor 16, Brooklyn, New York, 11245, serves as the Funds’ transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent.
Custodian
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 4 Chase Metrotech Center, Floor 16, Brooklyn, New York, 11245, serves as custodian (the
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“Custodian”) of the Funds’ assets and is responsible for maintaining custody of the Funds’ cash and investments and retaining sub-custodians, including in connection with the custody of foreign securities. Cash held by the Custodian, the amount of which may at times be substantial, is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to the amount of available insurance coverage limits. The Custodian and the Transfer Agent are affiliates.
Administrator
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 4 Chase Metrotech Center, Floor 16, Brooklyn, New York, 11245, serves as the administrator (the “Administrator”) and provides various administrative and accounting services necessary for the operations of the Funds. Services provided by the Administrator include facilitating general Fund management; monitoring Fund compliance with federal and state regulations; supervising the maintenance of the Funds’ general ledger, the preparation of the Funds’ financial statements, the determination of NAV, and the payment of dividends and other distributions to shareholders; and preparing specified financial, tax, and other reports. The Transfer Agent and the Custodian are affiliates.
No administration fee information is provided since the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Counsel
Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, serves as counsel to the Trust.
Registration Statement
This SAI and the Prospectus do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement the Trust has filed with the SEC. The complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed by SEC rules and regulations. A text-only version of the Registration Statement is available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
A copy of the Prospectus and annual or semi-annual reports for the Funds (when available) may be obtained free of charge at the telephone number and address listed on the cover of this Statement of Additional Information or by visiting the First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fesc-us-small-cap-equity-etf or the First Eagle Core Municipal ETF’s website at https://www.firsteagle.com/funds/fecm-core-municipal-etf. Shareholders of the Funds will be informed of each Fund’s progress through periodic reports when those reports become available. Financial statements certified by the independent registered public accounting firm will be submitted to shareholders at least annually.
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APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
Short-Term Credit Ratings
An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:
“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer can differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.
“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.
About Credit Ratings
An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.
Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.
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“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.
“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer, obligation and/or program.
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:
“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within the next five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or the next 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Plus (+) or minus (-) - Ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.
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“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.
Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer can differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.
Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of eleven months or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:
“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations, obligation and/or program.
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APPENDIX B
FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
(“FEIM”)
PROXY VOTING POLICY STATEMENT AND STANDARDS
POLICY STATEMENT
FEIM’s proxy voting policy and procedures are designed and implemented in a manner reasonably expected to ensure that voting and consent rights are exercised in the best interest of its clients and in compliance with Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act, other applicable SEC rules and FEIM’s fiduciary responsibilities. Each proxy is voted on an individual basis taking into consideration any relevant contractual obligations as well as other relevant facts and circumstances. FEIM votes proxies when granted authority by its clients in writing together with authority to manage, acquire, and dispose of client account assets, unless the client explicitly reserves that authority for itself or a third party. FEIM seeks to make voting decisions solely in the best interests of its clients and to enhance the economic value of the underlying portfolio securities held in its clients’ accounts.
FEIM has retained an independent third-party service provider (Institutional Shareholder Services (“the Proxy Advisor”)) to provide detailed analysis and voting recommendations for each proxy matter requiring a vote. FEIM utilizes the Proxy Advisor as a resource to enable it to make better informed proxy voting decisions and to limit the potential for conflicts in the proxy voting process. FEIM has adopted, pursuant to a contract, the Proxy Advisor Proxy Voting Guidelines (“Proxy Guidelines”) to provide voting recommendations in connection with the underlying portfolio securities held by clients. When an investment team wishes to vote in a manner different from the Proxy Advisor recommendation, they must first complete and submit a Proxy Override Form to the Legal and Compliance Department for review and approval prior to voting against the Proxy Advisor’s view. Factors that FEIM will consider in determining whether to override include but are not limited to: (i) director independence initiatives, in consideration of an issuer’s long-term business strategy, use of capital, ownership structure and long-term director incentives; (ii) shareholder proposals for greater disclosure, in view of the robustness of a company’s existing disclosures and legal requirements, and any associated financial costs and competitive issues raised by the proposal; and (iii) executive compensation programs, in light of our assessment of the value created by an issuer’s management over the long term, measured in terms of market share gains and capital discipline compared to peer companies. In such event, the relevant investment team member(s) have an affirmative duty to disclose any potential conflict of interest known to them that exists between FEIM and the client on whose behalf the proxy is to be voted. If the Legal and Compliance Department determines that there is no potential material conflict, the investment team will be permitted to instruct its client accounts’ votes as set forth in the completed Form. If it is determined that a material conflict exists or may exist, the issue will be referred to the Compliance Committee for consideration by convening (in person or via telephone) an ad hoc Committee meeting.
The Proxy Guidelines and any material updates are reviewed annually and if necessary, more frequently by certain investment team members.
In certain circumstances, a client may request in writing that FEIM vote proxies for its account in accordance with a set of guidelines which differs from the Proxy Guidelines. For example, a client may wish to have proxies voted for its account in accordance with the Taft-Hartley proxy voting guidelines. In that case, FEIM will vote the shares held by such client accounts in accordance with their direction, which may be different from the vote cast for shares held on behalf of other client accounts that vote in accordance with the Proxy Guidelines.
The Proxy Guidelines set forth the general standards and guidelines for proxy voting where FEIM has the authority to vote its clients’ proxies with respect to portfolio securities held in their respective accounts in conjunction with providing such accounts with discretionary investment management services. FEIM may abstain from voting a proxy when FEIM and the client have agreed in advance to limit the conditions under which FEIM would exercise voting authority or under certain circumstances when FEIM determines that doing so would be in the best interest of the client, which might include (but are not limited to):
| • | When the economic effect on shareholders’ interests or the value of the portfolio holding would not reasonably be expected to be material; | |
| • | When the voting of proxies is subject to “share-blocking” restrictions; | |
| • | When voting the proxy would unduly impair the investment management process; | |
| • | When FEIM has not been notified of the vote, on a timely basis, by the client’s custodian; | |
| • | When client securities in a securities lending program are out on loan; | |
| • | When there are timing issues related to the opening and closing of accounts; or |
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| • | When the cost of voting the proxies otherwise outweighs the benefits or is impractical. |
POLICY STANDARDS
| • | FEIM has established and implemented a Proxy Policy that (i) is reasonably designed to ensure that FEIM votes each client’s proxies in that client’s best interest; (ii) includes procedures to identify and address material conflicts of interest that may arise between FEIM and clients; (iii) describes how proxies will be voted or the factors that will be considered; and (iv) otherwise complies with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act; | |
| • | FEIM is responsible for conducting and providing oversight of proxy voting decisions to ensure that voting is done in accordance with the Proxy Guidelines; | |
| • | FEIM has established a Compliance Committee responsible for implementing the Proxy Policy and addressing proxy voting conflicts and other issues that may arise; | |
| • | For any material conflict of interest that arises between FEIM’s interests and a client’s interests, votes will only be cast in the best interest of the client, regardless of the situation; | |
| • | FEIM will vote proxies on behalf of those clients with which it has clearly established such authority in the investment management agreement or by other written means, unless the client explicitly reserves that authority for itself or a third party; | |
| • | FEIM discloses a summary of the proxy voting policies and procedures to clients in the Form ADV and to Fund shareholders through a Statement of Additional Information (the Statement of Additional Information disclosures also address the role of any Sub-Adviser); | |
| • | FEIM informs clients1 and Fund shareholders how they can obtain information from FEIM on how their securities were voted2 and provides clients access to FEIM’s proxy voting policies and applicable voting records upon request; | |
| • | FEIM maintains the required proxy voting books and records pursuant to Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act; | |
| • | FEIM has procedures to facilitate making timely Form N-PX filings with the SEC; | |
| • | FEIM will perform periodic due diligence of the Proxy Advisor, including regarding the Proxy Advisor’s compliance with FEIM’s proxy policy and procedures; | |
| • | As part of its ongoing monitoring efforts, FEIM will determine whether the Proxy Advisor has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze the matters for which FEIM is responsible for voting. FEIM will consider in making its determination such factors as it deems appropriate and applicable, which may include, among other things: (i) the adequacy and quality of the Proxy Advisor’s staffing, personnel, and technology; (ii) the adequacy of the Proxy Advisor’s process for seeking timely input from issuers and its clients; (iii) the adequacy of the Proxy Advisor’s disclosure to FEIM of its methodologies in formulating voting recommendations; (iv) the nature of any third-party information sources that the Proxy Advisor uses as a basis for its voting recommendations; and (v) the adequacy of the Proxy Advisor’s policies and procedures regarding how it identifies and addresses conflicts of interest. Any factual errors or methodological weaknesses of the Proxy Advisor as may be identified by the FEIM investment teams whether in the course of a proxy override (see next bullet below) or otherwise also will be considered. When the Proxy Advisor also is providing proxy administration and vote tabulation and |
| 1 | Clients may obtain a copy of proxy voting policies and how their securities were voted by submitting their request in writing to FEIM’s Legal and Compliance Department or by calling (212) 698-3300. |
| 2 | Information regarding the proxy voting record of the Trust for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by calling the Trust at (844) 422-3367. This information is also available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. |
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submission services, FEIM’s monitoring will address those services in addition to the research and recommendation services detailed above;
| • | The Proxy Override Form requests information from the investment teams as to whether FEIM is aware of potential factual errors, potential incompleteness, or potential methodological weaknesses in the Proxy Advisor’s analysis that may materially affect one or more votes. The Legal and Compliance Department reviews information on such matters derived from completed Proxy Override Forms from time to time and, in conjunction with the investment teams, will assess whether further inquiry of any particular incident, or groups of incidents, is warranted; | |
| • | FEIM will regularly confirm appropriate connectivity between its (or its client) systems and those of the Proxy Advisor with the goal of ensuring Proxy Advisor has timely access to portfolio holdings data necessary to support the Proxy Advisor’s services; and | |
| • | At least annually, FEIM will conduct a review of its ongoing use of the Proxy Advisor, and the adequacy of its voting policies and procedures to determine that they have been formulated reasonably and implemented effectively, including whether the applicable policies and procedures continue to be reasonably designed to ensure that the votes FEIM casts on behalf of its clients are in their best interest. |
FEIM separately applies the following procedures where proxy voting is delegated to that Fund’s Sub-Adviser.
| • | FEIM will review the Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting procedures, at least annually, to confirm those procedures provide for diligence and care on the part of the Sub-Advisers comparable to that as applied by FEIM in respect of FEIM’s voting of proxies for clients. This is not intended to require that the Sub-Adviser’s procedures will be precisely the same as FEIM’s; rather, they should provide for generally comparable assurances that client interests will be protected, including in respect of mitigation and management of any conflicts of interest on the part of the Sub-Adviser. | |
| • | To the extent the Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting procedures provide for a similar third-party role to that of the Proxy Advisor under FEIM’s procedures, FEIM’s review of the Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting procedures will specifically consider the Sub-Adviser’s diligence and monitoring of the third party. If no such third-party role, FEIM’s review will consider the Sub-Adviser’s resources and capabilities needed to otherwise deliver the services associated with the Proxy Advisor. |
Amended: September 17, 2021; December 17, 2019, September 13, 2017; June 8, 2015; May 2013; September 2005 Adopted: March 2001
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APPENDIX C
FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC (“FEIM”)
PROXY VOTING POLICY STATEMENT AND STANDARDS
C-1
U N I T E D S T A T E S
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Benchmark Policy Recommendations
Effective for Meetings on or after February 1, 2025
Published January 9, 2025
Updated February 25, 2025
Effective for Meetings Published on or after February 25, 2025, Consideration of Certain Diversity Factors in Making Vote Recommendations Is Suspended (see pp. 12-13 for more information).
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Coverage
The U.S. research team provides proxy analyses and voting recommendations for the common shareholder meetings of U.S. - incorporated companies that are publicly-traded on U.S. exchanges, as well as certain OTC companies, if they are held in our institutional investor clients’ portfolios. Coverage generally includes corporate actions for common equity holders, such as written consents and bankruptcies. ISS’ U.S. coverage includes investment companies (including open-end funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds, and unit investment trusts), limited partnerships (“LPs”), master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), limited liability companies (“LLCs”), and business development companies. ISS reviews its universe of coverage on an annual basis, and the coverage is subject to change based on client need and industry trends.
Foreign-incorporated companies
In addition to U.S.- incorporated, U.S.- listed companies, ISS’ U.S. policies are applied to certain foreign- incorporated company analyses. Like the SEC, ISS distinguishes two types of companies that list but are not incorporated in the U.S.:
| ◾ | U.S. Domestic Issuers – which have a majority of outstanding shares held in the U.S. and meet other criteria, as determined by the SEC, and are subject to the same disclosure and listing standards as U.S. incorporated companies (e.g. they are required to file DEF14A proxy statements) – are generally covered under standard U.S. policy guidelines. |
| ◾ | Foreign Private Issuers (FPIs) – which are allowed to take exemptions from most disclosure requirements (e.g., they are allowed to file 6-K for their proxy materials) and U.S. listing standards – are generally covered under a combination of policy guidelines: |
| ◾ | FPI Guidelines (see the Americas Regional Proxy Voting Guidelines), may apply to companies incorporated in governance havens, and apply certain minimum independence and disclosure standards in the evaluation of key proxy ballot items, such as the election of directors; and/or |
| ◾ | Guidelines for the market that is responsible for, or most relevant to, the item on the ballot. |
U.S. incorporated companies listed only on non-U.S. exchanges are generally covered under the ISS guidelines for the market on which they are traded.
An FPI is generally covered under ISS’ approach to FPIs outlined above, even if such FPI voluntarily files a proxy statement and/or other filing normally required of a U.S. Domestic Issuer, so long as the company retains its FPI status.
In all cases – including with respect to other companies with cross-market features that may lead to ballot items related to multiple markets – items that are on the ballot solely due to the requirements of another market (listing, incorporation, or national code) may be evaluated under the policy of the relevant market, regardless of the “assigned” primary market coverage.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| 1. | Board of Directors |
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
Four fundamental principles apply when determining votes on director nominees:
Independence: Boards should be sufficiently independent from management (and significant shareholders) to ensure that they are able and motivated to effectively supervise management’s performance for the benefit of all shareholders, including in setting and monitoring the execution of corporate strategy, with appropriate use of shareholder capital, and in setting and monitoring executive compensation programs that support that strategy. The chair of the board should ideally be an independent director, and all boards should have an independent leadership position or a similar role in order to help provide appropriate counterbalance to executive management, as well as having sufficiently independent committees that focus on key governance concerns such as audit, compensation, and nomination of directors.
Composition: Companies should ensure that directors add value to the board through their specific skills and expertise and by having sufficient time and commitment to serve effectively. Boards should be of a size appropriate to accommodate diversity, expertise, and independence, while ensuring active and collaborative participation by all members. Boards should be sufficiently diverse to ensure consideration of a wide range of perspectives.
Responsiveness: Directors should respond to investor input, such as that expressed through significant opposition to management proposals, significant support for shareholder proposals (whether binding or non-binding), and tender offers where a majority of shares are tendered.
Accountability: Boards should be sufficiently accountable to shareholders, including through transparency of the company’s governance practices and regular board elections, by the provision of sufficient information for shareholders to be able to assess directors and board composition, and through the ability of shareholders to remove directors.
General Recommendation: Generally vote for director nominees, except under the following circumstances (with new nominees1 considered on case-by-case basis):
Independence
Vote against2 or withhold from non-independent directors (Executive Directors and Non-Independent Non- Executive Directors per ISS’ Classification of Directors) when:
| ◾ | Independent directors comprise 50 percent or less of the board; |
| ◾ | The non-independent director serves on the audit, compensation, or nominating committee; |
| ◾ | The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; or |
1 A “new nominee” is a director who is being presented for election by shareholders for the first time. Recommendations on new nominees who have served for less than one year are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the timing of their appointment and the problematic governance issue in question.
2 In general, companies with a plurality vote standard use “Withhold” as the contrary vote option in director elections; companies with a majority vote standard use “Against”. However, it will vary by company and the proxy must be checked to determine the valid contrary vote option for the particular company.
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| ◾ | The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee. |
ISS Classification of Directors – U.S.
| 1. | Executive Director |
| 1.1. | Current officer1 of the company or one of its affiliates2. |
| 2. | Non-Independent Non-Executive Director |
Board Identification
2.1. Director identified as not independent by the board.
Controlling/Significant Shareholder
| 2.2. | Beneficial owner of more than 50 percent of the company’s voting power (this may be aggregated if voting power is distributed among more than one member of a group). |
Current Employment at Company or Related Company
| 2.3. | Non-officer employee of the firm (including employee representatives). |
| 2.4. | Officer1, former officer, or general or limited partner of a joint venture or partnership with the company. |
Former Employment
| 2.5. | Former CEO of the company. 3, 4 |
| 2.6. | Former non-CEO officer1 of the company or an affiliate2 within the past five years. |
| 2.7. | Former officer1 of an acquired company within the past five years.4 |
| 2.8. | Officer1 of a former parent or predecessor firm at the time the company was sold or split off within the past five years. |
| 2.9. | Former interim officer if the service was longer than 18 months. If the service was between 12 and 18 months an assessment of the interim officer’s employment agreement will be made.5 |
Family Members
| 2.10. | Immediate family member6 of a current or former officer1 of the company or its affiliates2 within the last five years. |
| 2.11. | Immediate family member6 of a current employee of company or its affiliates2 where additional factors raise concern (which may include, but are not limited to, the following: a director related to numerous employees; the company or its affiliates employ relatives of numerous board members; or a non- Section 16 officer in a key strategic role). |
Professional, Transactional, and Charitable Relationships
| 2.12. | Director who (or whose immediate family member6) currently provides professional services7 in excess of $10,000 per year to: the company, an affiliate2, or an individual officer of the company or an affiliate; or who is (or whose immediate family member6 is) a partner, employee, or controlling shareholder of an organization which provides the services. |
| 2.13. | Director who (or whose immediate family member6) currently has any material transactional relationship8 with the company or its affiliates2; or who is (or whose immediate family member6 is) a partner in, or a controlling shareholder or an executive officer of, an organization which has the material transactional relationship8 (excluding investments in the company through a private placement). |
| 2.14. | Director who (or whose immediate family member6) is a trustee, director, or employee of a charitable or non-profit organization that receives material grants or endowments8 from the company or its affiliates2. |
Other Relationships
| 2.15. | Party to a voting agreement9 to vote in line with management on proposals being brought to shareholder vote. |
| 2.16. | Has (or an immediate family member6 has) an interlocking relationship as defined by the SEC involving members of the board of directors or its Compensation Committee.10 |
| 2.17. | Founder11 of the company but not currently an employee. |
| 2.18. | Director with pay comparable to Named Executive Officers. |
| 2.19. | Any material12 relationship with the company. |
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| 3. | Independent Director |
| 3.1. | No material12 connection to the company other than a board seat. |
Footnotes:
1. The definition of officer will generally follow that of a “Section 16 officer” (officers subject to Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934) and includes the chief executive, operating, financial, legal, technology, and accounting officers of a company (including the president, treasurer, secretary, controller, or any vice president in charge of a principal business unit, division, or policy function). Current interim officers are included in this category. For private companies, the equivalent positions are applicable. A non-employee director serving as an officer due to statutory requirements (e.g. corporate secretary) will generally be classified as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director under “Any material relationship with the company.” However, if the company provides explicit disclosure that the director is not receiving additional compensation exceeding $10,000 per year for serving in that capacity, then the director will be classified as an Independent Director.
2. “Affiliate” includes a subsidiary, sibling company, or parent company. ISS uses 50 percent control ownership by the parent company as the standard for applying its affiliate designation. The manager/advisor of an externally managed issuer (EMI) is considered an affiliate.
| 3. | Includes any former CEO of the company prior to the company’s initial public offering (IPO). |
4. When there is a former CEO of a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) serving on the board of an acquired company, ISS will generally classify such directors as independent unless determined otherwise taking into account the following factors: the applicable listing standards determination of such director’s independence; any operating ties to the firm; and the existence of any other conflicting relationships or related party transactions.
5. ISS will look at the terms of the interim officer’s employment contract to determine if it contains severance pay, long-term health and pension benefits, or other such standard provisions typically contained in contracts of permanent, non-temporary CEOs. ISS will also consider if a formal search process was under way for a full-time officer at the time.
6. “Immediate family member” follows the SEC’s definition of such and covers spouses, parents, children, step-parents, step- children, siblings, in-laws, and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the household of any director, nominee for director, executive officer, or significant shareholder of the company.
7. Professional services can be characterized as advisory in nature, generally involve access to sensitive company information or to strategic decision-making, and typically have a commission- or fee-based payment structure. Professional services generally include but are not limited to the following: investment banking/financial advisory services, commercial banking (beyond deposit services), investment services, insurance services, accounting/audit services, consulting services, marketing services, legal services, property management services, realtor services, lobbying services, executive search services, and IT consulting services. The following would generally be considered transactional relationships and not professional services: deposit services, IT tech support services, educational services, and construction services. The case of participation in a banking syndicate by a non-lead bank should be considered a transactional (and hence subject to the associated materiality test) rather than a professional relationship. “Of Counsel” relationships are only considered immaterial if the individual does not receive any form of compensation (in excess of $10,000 per year) from, or is a retired partner of, the firm providing the professional service. The case of a company providing a professional service to one of its directors or to an entity with which one of its directors is affiliated, will be considered a transactional rather than a professional relationship. Insurance services and marketing services are assumed to be professional services unless the company explains why such services are not advisory.
8. A material transactional relationship, including grants to non-profit organizations, exists if the company makes annual payments to, or receives annual payments from, another entity, exceeding the greater of: $200,000 or 5 percent of the recipient’s gross revenues, for a company that follows NASDAQ listing standards; or the greater of $1,000,000 or 2 percent of the recipient’s gross revenues, for a company that follows NYSE listing standards. For a company that follows neither of the preceding standards, ISS will apply the NASDAQ-based materiality test. (The recipient is the party receiving the financial proceeds from the transaction).
9. Dissident directors who are parties to a voting agreement pursuant to a settlement or similar arrangement may be classified as Independent Directors if an analysis of the following factors indicates that the voting agreement does not compromise their alignment with all shareholders’ interests: the terms of the agreement; the duration of the standstill provision in the agreement; the limitations and requirements of actions that are agreed upon; if the dissident director nominee(s) is subject to the standstill; and if there any conflicting relationships or related party transactions.
10. Interlocks include: executive officers serving as directors on each other’s compensation or similar committees (or, in the absence of such a committee, on the board); or executive officers sitting on each other’s boards and at least one serves on the other’s compensation or similar committees (or, in the absence of such a committee, on the board).
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11. The operating involvement of the founder with the company will be considered; if the founder was never employed by the company, ISS may deem him or her an Independent Director.
12. For purposes of ISS’s director independence classification, “material” will be defined as a standard of relationship (financial, personal, or otherwise) that a reasonable person might conclude could potentially influence one’s objectivity in the boardroom in a manner that would have a meaningful impact on an individual’s ability to satisfy requisite fiduciary standards on behalf of shareholders.
Composition
Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings: Generally vote against or withhold from directors (except nominees who served only part of the fiscal year3) who attend less than 75 percent of the aggregate of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following:
| ◾ | Medical issues/illness; |
| ◾ | Family emergencies; and |
| ◾ | Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer). |
In cases of chronic poor attendance without reasonable justification, in addition to voting against the director(s) with poor attendance, generally vote against or withhold from appropriate members of the nominating/governance committees or the full board.
If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote against or withhold from the director(s) in question.
Overboarded Directors: Generally vote against or withhold from individual directors who:
| ◾ | Sit on more than five public company boards; or |
| ◾ | Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own—withhold only at their outside boards4. |
NOTE: For shareholder meeting reports published on or after February 25th, 2025, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has indefinitely halted the consideration of the gender diversity of a company’s board when making vote recommendations with respect to the election or re-election of directors at U.S. companies covered by these guidelines under its proprietary ISS U.S. Benchmark policy.
Gender Diversity: Generally vote against or withhold from the chair of the nominating committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) at companies where there are no women on the company’s board. An exception will be made if there was at least one woman on the board at the preceding annual meeting and the board makes a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status within a year.
3 Nominees who served for only part of the fiscal year are generally exempted from the attendance policy.
4 Although all of a CEO’s subsidiary boards with publicly-traded common stock will be counted as separate boards, ISS will not recommend a withhold vote for the CEO of a parent company board or any of the controlled (>50 percent ownership) subsidiaries of that parent but may do so at subsidiaries that are less than 50 percent controlled and boards outside the parent/subsidiary relationships.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
NOTE: For shareholder meeting reports published on or after February 25th, 2025, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has indefinitely halted the consideration of the racial and/or ethnic diversity of a company’s board when making vote recommendations with respect to the election or re-election of directors at U.S. companies covered under these guidelines under its proprietary ISS U.S. Benchmark policy.
Racial and/or Ethnic Diversity: For companies in the Russell 3000 or S&P 1500 indices, generally vote against or withhold from the chair of the nominating committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) where the board has no apparent racially or ethnically diverse members5. An exception will be made if there was racial and/or ethnic diversity on the board at the preceding annual meeting and the board makes a firm commitment to appoint at least one racial and/or ethnic diverse member within a year.
Responsiveness
Vote case-by-case on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:
| ◾ | The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year or failed to act on a management proposal seeking to ratify an existing charter/bylaw provision that received opposition of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors that will be considered are: |
| ◾ | Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote; |
| ◾ | Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation; |
| ◾ | The subject matter of the proposal; |
| ◾ | The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings; |
| ◾ | Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders; |
| ◾ | The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and |
| ◾ | Other factors as appropriate. |
| ◾ | The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered; or |
| ◾ | At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote. |
Vote case-by-case on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Say on Pay proposal if:
| ◾ | The company’s previous say-on-pay received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast. Factors that will be considered are: |
| ◾ | The company’s response, including: |
| ◾ | Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors, including the frequency and timing of engagements and the company participants (including whether independent directors participated); |
| ◾ | Disclosure of the specific concerns voiced by dissenting shareholders that led to the say-on-pay opposition; and |
| ◾ | Disclosure of specific and meaningful actions taken to address shareholders’ concerns; |
| ◾ | Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
| ◾ | Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure; and |
| ◾ | Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
5 Aggregate diversity statistics provided by the board will only be considered if specific to racial and/or ethnic diversity.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| ◾ | The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the plurality of votes cast. |
Accountability
Problematic Takeover Defenses, Capital Structure, and Governance Structure
Poison Pills: Generally vote against or withhold from all nominees (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if:
| ◾ | The company has a poison pill with a deadhand or slowhand feature6; |
| ◾ | The board makes a material adverse modification to an existing pill, including, but not limited to, extension, renewal, or lowering the trigger, without shareholder approval; or |
| ◾ | The company has a long-term poison pill (with a term of over one year) that was not approved by the public shareholders7. |
Vote case-by-case on nominees if the board adopts an initial short-term pill6 (with a term of one year or less) without shareholder approval, taking into consideration:
| ◾ | The trigger threshold and other terms of the pill; |
| ◾ | The disclosed rationale for the adoption; |
| ◾ | The context in which the pill was adopted, (e.g., factors such as the company’s size and stage of development, sudden changes in its market capitalization, and extraordinary industry-wide or macroeconomic events); |
| ◾ | A commitment to put any renewal to a shareholder vote; |
| ◾ | The company’s overall track record on corporate governance and responsiveness to shareholders; and |
| ◾ | Other factors as relevant. |
Unequal Voting Rights: Generally vote withhold or against directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case), if the company employs a common stock structure with unequal voting rights8.
Exceptions to this policy will generally be limited to:
| ◾ | Newly-public companies9 with a sunset provision of no more than seven years from the date of going public; |
| ◾ | Limited Partnerships and the Operating Partnership (OP) unit structure of REITs; |
| ◾ | Situations where the super-voting shares represent less than 5% of total voting power and therefore considered to be de minimis; or |
6 If a short-term pill with a deadhand or slowhand feature is enacted but expires before the next shareholder vote, ISS will generally still recommend withhold/against nominees at the next shareholder meeting following its adoption.
7 Approval prior to, or in connection, with a company’s becoming publicly-traded, or in connection with a de-SPAC transaction, is insufficient.
8 This generally includes classes of common stock that have additional votes per share than other shares; classes of shares that are not entitled to vote on all the same ballot items or nominees; or stock with time-phased voting rights (“loyalty shares”).
9 Includes companies that emerge from bankruptcy, SPAC transactions, spin-offs, direct listings, and those who complete a traditional initial public offering.
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| ◾ | The company provides sufficient protections for minority shareholders, such as allowing minority shareholders a regular binding vote on whether the capital structure should be maintained. |
Classified Board Structure: The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote recommendation is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable.
Removal of Shareholder Discretion on Classified Boards : The company has opted into, or failed to opt out of, state laws requiring a classified board structure.
Problematic Governance Structure : For companies that hold or held their first annual meeting9 of public shareholders after Feb. 1, 2015, generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if, prior to or in connection with the company’s public offering, the company or its board adopted the following bylaw or charter provisions that are considered to be materially adverse to shareholder rights:
| ◾ | Supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter; |
| ◾ | A classified board structure; or |
| ◾ | Other egregious provisions. |
A provision which specifies that the problematic structure(s) will be sunset within seven years of the date of going public will be considered a mitigating factor.
Unless the adverse provision is reversed or removed, vote case-by-case on director nominees in subsequent years.
Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments: Generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if the board amends the company’s bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders’ rights or that could adversely impact shareholders, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | The board’s rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification; |
| ◾ | Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment; |
| ◾ | The level of impairment of shareholders’ rights caused by the board’s unilateral amendment to the bylaws/charter; |
| ◾ | The board’s track record with regard to unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions; |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure; |
| ◾ | The company’s existing governance provisions; |
| ◾ | The timing of the board’s amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development; and |
| ◾ | Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders. |
Unless the adverse amendment is reversed or submitted to a binding shareholder vote, in subsequent years vote case-by-case on director nominees. Generally vote against (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if the directors:
| ◾ | Classified the board; |
| ◾ | Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter; |
| ◾ | Eliminated shareholders’ ability to amend bylaws; |
| ◾ | Adopted a fee-shifting provision; or |
| ◾ | Adopted another provision deemed egregious. |
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Restricting Binding Shareholder Proposals: Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the governance committee if:
| ◾ | The company’s governing documents impose undue restrictions on shareholders’ ability to amend the bylaws. Such restrictions include but are not limited to: outright prohibition on the submission of binding shareholder proposals or share ownership requirements, subject matter restrictions, or time holding requirements in excess of SEC Rule 14a-8. Vote against or withhold on an ongoing basis. |
Submission of management proposals to approve or ratify requirements in excess of SEC Rule 14a-8 for the submission of binding bylaw amendments will generally be viewed as an insufficient restoration of shareholders’ rights. Generally continue to vote against or withhold on an ongoing basis until shareholders are provided with an unfettered ability to amend the bylaws or a proposal providing for such unfettered right is submitted for shareholder approval.
Director Performance Evaluation: The board lacks mechanisms to promote accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one-, three-, and five-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a company’s four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the company’s operational metrics and other factors as warranted. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to:
| ◾ | A classified board structure; |
| ◾ | A supermajority vote requirement; |
| ◾ | Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections, or a majority vote standard in contested elections; |
| ◾ | The inability of shareholders to call special meetings; |
| ◾ | The inability of shareholders to act by written consent; |
| ◾ | A multi-class capital structure; and/or |
| ◾ | A non-shareholder-approved poison pill. |
Management Proposals to Ratify Existing Charter or Bylaw Provisions: Vote against/withhold from individual directors, members of the governance committee, or the full board, where boards ask shareholders to ratify existing charter or bylaw provisions considering the following factors:
| ◾ | The presence of a shareholder proposal addressing the same issue on the same ballot; |
| ◾ | The board’s rationale for seeking ratification; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of actions to be taken by the board should the ratification proposal fail; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of shareholder engagement regarding the board’s ratification request; |
| ◾ | The level of impairment to shareholders’ rights caused by the existing provision; |
| ◾ | The history of management and shareholder proposals on the provision at the company’s past meetings; |
| ◾ | Whether the current provision was adopted in response to the shareholder proposal; |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure; and |
| ◾ | Previous use of ratification proposals to exclude shareholder proposals. |
Problematic Audit-Related Practices
Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the Audit Committee if:
| ◾ | The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive; |
| ◾ | The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor; or |
| ◾ | There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm. |
Vote case-by-case on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if:
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| ◾ | Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether withhold/against votes are warranted. |
Problematic Compensation Practices
In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay) ballot item or in egregious situations, vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
| ◾ | There is an unmitigated misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance); |
| ◾ | The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or |
| ◾ | The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders. |
Generally vote against or withhold from the Compensation Committee chair, other committee members, or potentially the full board if:
| ◾ | The company fails to include a Say on Pay ballot item when required under SEC provisions, or under the company’s declared frequency of say on pay; or |
| ◾ | The company fails to include a Frequency of Say on Pay ballot item when required under SEC provisions. |
Generally vote against members of the board committee responsible for approving/setting non-employee director compensation if there is a pattern (i.e. two or more years) of awarding excessive non-employee director compensation without disclosing a compelling rationale or other mitigating factors.
Problematic Pledging of Company Stock : Vote against the members of the committee that oversees risks related to pledging, or the full board, where a significant level of pledged company stock by executives or directors raises concerns. The following factors will be considered:
| ◾ | The presence of an anti-pledging policy, disclosed in the proxy statement, that prohibits future pledging activity; |
| ◾ | The magnitude of aggregate pledged shares in terms of total common shares outstanding, market value, and trading volume; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of progress or lack thereof in reducing the magnitude of aggregate pledged shares over time; |
| ◾ | Disclosure in the proxy statement that shares subject to stock ownership and holding requirements do not include pledged company stock; and |
| ◾ | Any other relevant factors. |
Climate Accountability
For companies that are significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, through their operations or value chain10, generally vote against or withhold from the incumbent chair of the responsible committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) in cases where ISS determines that the company is not taking the minimum steps needed to understand, assess, and mitigate risks related to climate change to the company and the larger economy.
Minimum steps to understand and mitigate those risks are considered to be the following. Both minimum criteria will be required to be in alignment with the policy :
| ◾ | Detailed disclosure of climate-related risks, such as according to the framework established by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), including: |
10 Companies defined as “significant GHG emitters” will be those on the current Climate Action 100+ Focus Group list.
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| ◾ | Board governance measures; |
| ◾ | Corporate strategy; |
| ◾ | Risk management analyses; and |
| ◾ | Metrics and targets. |
| ◾ | Appropriate GHG emissions reduction targets. |
At this time, “appropriate GHG emissions reductions targets” will be medium-term GHG reduction targets or Net Zero-by-2050 GHG reduction targets for a company’s operations (Scope 1) and electricity use (Scope 2). Targets should cover the vast majority of the company’s direct emissions.
Governance Failures
Under extraordinary circumstances, vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to:
| ◾ | Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight11, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company; |
| ◾ | Failure to replace management as appropriate; or |
| ◾ | Egregious actions related to a director’s service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company. |
Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections
Vote-No Campaigns
General Recommendation: In cases where companies are targeted in connection with public “vote-no” campaigns, evaluate director nominees under the existing governance policies for voting on director nominees in uncontested elections. Take into consideration the arguments submitted by shareholders and other publicly available information.
Proxy Contests/Proxy Access
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry; |
| ◾ | Management’s track record; |
| ◾ | Background to the contested election; |
| ◾ | Nominee qualifications and any compensatory arrangements; |
| ◾ | Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of the critique against management; |
| ◾ | Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and |
| ◾ | Stock ownership positions. |
11 Examples of failure of risk oversight include but are not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; demonstrably poor risk oversight of environmental and social issues, including climate change; significant adverse legal judgments or settlement; or hedging of company stock.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
In the case of candidates nominated pursuant to proxy access, vote case-by-case considering any applicable factors listed above or additional factors which may be relevant, including those that are specific to the company, to the nominee(s) and/or to the nature of the election (such as whether there are more candidates than board seats).
Other Board-Related Proposals
Adopt Anti-Hedging/Pledging/Speculative Investments Policy
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals seeking a policy that prohibits named executive officers from engaging in derivative or speculative transactions involving company stock, including hedging, holding stock in a margin account, or pledging stock as collateral for a loan. However, the company’s existing policies regarding responsible use of company stock will be considered.
Board Refreshment
Board refreshment is best implemented through an ongoing program of individual director evaluations, conducted annually, to ensure the evolving needs of the board are met and to bring in fresh perspectives, skills, and diversity as needed.
Term/Tenure Limits
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on management proposals regarding director term/tenure limits, considering:
| ◾ | The rationale provided for adoption of the term/tenure limit; |
| ◾ | The robustness of the company’s board evaluation process; |
| ◾ | Whether the limit is of sufficient length to allow for a broad range of director tenures; |
| ◾ | Whether the limit would disadvantage independent directors compared to non-independent directors; and |
| ◾ | Whether the board will impose the limit evenly, and not have the ability to waive it in a discriminatory manner. |
Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals asking for the company to adopt director term/tenure limits, considering:
| ◾ | The scope of the shareholder proposal; and |
| ◾ | Evidence of problematic issues at the company combined with, or exacerbated by, a lack of board refreshment. |
Age Limits
General Recommendation: Generally vote against management and shareholder proposals to limit the tenure of independent directors through mandatory retirement ages. Vote for proposals to remove mandatory age limits.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Board Size
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals seeking to fix the board size or designate a range for the board size.
Vote against proposals that give management the ability to alter the size of the board outside of a specified range without shareholder approval.
Classification/Declassification of the Board
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals to classify (stagger) the board.
Vote for proposals to repeal classified boards and to elect all directors annually.
CEO Succession Planning
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals seeking disclosure on a CEO succession planning policy, considering, at a minimum, the following factors:
| ◾ | The reasonableness/scope of the request; and |
| ◾ | The company’s existing disclosure on its current CEO succession planning process. |
Cumulative Voting
General Recommendation: Generally vote against management proposals to eliminate cumulate voting, and for shareholder proposals to restore or provide for cumulative voting, unless:
| ◾ | The company has proxy access12, thereby allowing shareholders to nominate directors to the company’s ballot; and |
| ◾ | The company has adopted a majority vote standard, with a carve-out for plurality voting in situations where there are more nominees than seats, and a director resignation policy to address failed elections. |
Vote for proposals for cumulative voting at controlled companies (insider voting power > 50%).
12 A proxy access right that meets the recommended guidelines.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Director and Officer Indemnification, Liability Protection, and Exculpation
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals on director and officer indemnification, liability protection, and exculpation13.
Consider the stated rationale for the proposed change. Also consider, among other factors, the extent to which the proposal would:
| ◾ | Eliminate directors’ and officers’ liability for monetary damages for violating the duty of care; |
| ◾ | Eliminate directors’ and officers’ liability for monetary damages for violating the duty of loyalt; |
| ◾ | Expand coverage beyond just legal expenses to liability for acts that are more serious violations of fiduciary obligation than mere carelessness; and |
| ◾ | Expand the scope of indemnification to provide for mandatory indemnification of company officials in connection with acts that previously the company was permitted to provide indemnification for, at the discretion of the company’s board (i.e., “permissive indemnification”), but that previously the company was not required to indemnify. |
Vote for those proposals providing such expanded coverage in cases when a director’s or officer’s legal defense was unsuccessful if both of the following apply:
| ◾ | If the individual was found to have acted in good faith and in a manner that the individual reasonably believed was in the best interests of the company; and |
| ◾ | If only the individual’s legal expenses would be covered. |
Establish/Amend Nominee Qualifications
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals that establish or amend director qualifications. Votes should be based on the reasonableness of the criteria and the degree to which they may preclude dissident nominees from joining the board.
Vote case-by-case on shareholder resolutions seeking a director nominee who possesses a particular subject matter expertise, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s board committee structure, existing subject matter expertise, and board nomination provisions relative to that of its peers; |
| ◾ | The company’s existing board and management oversight mechanisms regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought; |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure and performance relating to the issue for which board oversight is sought and any significant related controversies; and |
| ◾ | The scope and structure of the proposal. |
13 Indemnification: the condition of being secured against loss or damage.
Limited liability: a person’s financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, or personal financial assets are not at risk if the individual loses a lawsuit that results in financial award/damages to the plaintiff.
Exculpation: to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director or officer to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Establish Other Board Committee Proposals
General Recommendation: Generally vote against shareholder proposals to establish a new board committee, as such proposals seek a specific oversight mechanism/structure that potentially limits a company’s flexibility to determine an appropriate oversight mechanism for itself. However, the following factors will be considered:
| ◾ | Existing oversight mechanisms (including current committee structure) regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought; |
| ◾ | Level of disclosure regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought; |
| ◾ | Company performance related to the issue for which board oversight is sought; |
| ◾ | Board committee structure compared to that of other companies in its industry sector; and |
| ◾ | The scope and structure of the proposal. |
Filling Vacancies/Removal of Directors
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals that provide that directors may be removed only for cause. Vote for proposals to restore shareholders’ ability to remove directors with or without cause.
Vote against proposals that provide that only continuing directors may elect replacements to fill board vacancies.
Vote for proposals that permit shareholders to elect directors to fill board vacancies.
Independent Board Chair
General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requiring that the board chair position be filled by an independent director, taking into consideration the following:
| ◾ | The scope and rationale of the proposal; |
| ◾ | The company’s current board leadership structure; |
| ◾ | The company’s governance structure and practices; |
| ◾ | Company performance; and |
| ◾ | Any other relevant factors that may be applicable. |
The following factors will increase the likelihood of a “for” recommendation:
| ◾ | A majority non-independent board and/or the presence of non-independent directors on key board committees; |
| ◾ | A weak or poorly-defined lead independent director role that fails to serve as an appropriate counterbalance to a combined CEO/chair role; |
| ◾ | The presence of an executive or non-independent chair in addition to the CEO, a recent recombination of the role of CEO and chair, and/or departure from a structure with an independent chair; |
| ◾ | Evidence that the board has failed to oversee and address material risks facing the company; |
| ◾ | A material governance failure, particularly if the board has failed to adequately respond to shareholder concerns or if the board has materially diminished shareholder rights; or |
| ◾ | Evidence that the board has failed to intervene when management’s interests are contrary to shareholders’ interests. |
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Majority of Independent Directors/Establishment of Independent Committees
General Recommendation: Vote for shareholder proposals asking that a majority or more of directors be independent unless the board composition already meets the proposed threshold by ISS’ definition of Independent Director (See ISS’ Classification of Directors.)
Vote for shareholder proposals asking that board audit, compensation, and/or nominating committees be composed exclusively of independent directors unless they currently meet that standard.
Majority Vote Standard for the Election of Directors
General Recommendation: Generally vote for management proposals to adopt a majority of votes cast standard for directors in uncontested elections. Vote against if no carve-out for a plurality vote standard in contested elections is included.
Generally vote for precatory and binding shareholder resolutions requesting that the board change the company’s bylaws to stipulate that directors need to be elected with an affirmative majority of votes cast, provided it does not conflict with the state law where the company is incorporated. Binding resolutions need to allow for a carve- out for a plurality vote standard when there are more nominees than board seats.
Companies are strongly encouraged to also adopt a post-election policy (also known as a director resignation policy) that will provide guidelines so that the company will promptly address the situation of a holdover director.
Proxy Access
General Recommendation: Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals for proxy access with the following provisions:
| ◾ | Ownership threshold: maximum requirement not more than three percent (3%) of the voting power; |
| ◾ | Ownership duration: maximum requirement not longer than three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group; |
| ◾ | Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of shareholders permitted to form a nominating group; and |
| ◾ | Cap: cap on nominees of generally twenty-five percent (25%) of the board. |
Review for reasonableness any other restrictions on the right of proxy access. Generally vote against proposals that are more restrictive than these guidelines.
Require More Nominees than Open Seats
General Recommendation: Vote against shareholder proposals that would require a company to nominate more candidates than the number of open board seats.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Shareholder Engagement Policy (Shareholder Advisory Committee)
General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requesting that the board establish an internal mechanism/process, which may include a committee, in order to improve communications between directors and shareholders, unless the company has the following features, as appropriate:
| ◾ | Established a communication structure that goes beyond the exchange requirements to facilitate the exchange of information between shareholders and members of the board; |
| ◾ | Effectively disclosed information with respect to this structure to its shareholders; |
| ◾ | Company has not ignored majority-supported shareholder proposals, or a majority withhold vote on a director nominee; and |
| ◾ | The company has an independent chair or a lead director, according to ISS’ definition. This individual must be made available for periodic consultation and direct communication with major shareholders. |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| 2. | Audit-Related |
Auditor Indemnification and Limitation of Liability
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the issue of auditor indemnification and limitation of liability. Factors to be assessed include, but are not limited to:
| ◾ | The terms of the auditor agreement—the degree to which these agreements impact shareholders’ rights; |
| ◾ | The motivation and rationale for establishing the agreements; |
| ◾ | The quality of the company’s disclosure; and |
| ◾ | The company’s historical practices in the audit area. |
Vote against or withhold from members of an audit committee in situations where there is persuasive evidence that the audit committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm.
Auditor Ratification
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to ratify auditors unless any of the following apply:
| ◾ | An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent; |
| ◾ | There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position; |
| ◾ | Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of concern, such as fraud or misapplication of GAAP; or |
| ◾ | Fees for non-audit services (“Other” fees) are excessive. |
Non-audit fees are excessive if:
| ◾ | Non-audit (“other”) fees > audit fees + audit-related fees + tax compliance/preparation fees |
Tax compliance and preparation include the preparation of original and amended tax returns and refund claims, and tax payment planning. All other services in the tax category, such as tax advice, planning, or consulting, should be added to “Other” fees. If the breakout of tax fees cannot be determined, add all tax fees to “Other” fees.
In circumstances where “Other” fees include fees related to significant one-time capital structure events (such as initial public offerings, bankruptcy emergence, and spin-offs) and the company makes public disclosure of the amount and nature of those fees that are an exception to the standard “non-audit fee” category, then such fees may be excluded from the non-audit fees considered in determining the ratio of non-audit to audit/audit-related fees/tax compliance and preparation for purposes of determining whether non-audit fees are excessive.
Shareholder Proposals Limiting Non-Audit Services
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals asking companies to prohibit or limit their auditors from engaging in non-audit services.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Shareholder Proposals on Audit Firm Rotation
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals asking for audit firm rotation, taking into account:
| ◾ | The tenure of the audit firm; |
| ◾ | The length of rotation specified in the proposal; |
| ◾ | Any significant audit-related issues at the company; |
| ◾ | The number of Audit Committee meetings held each year; |
| ◾ | The number of financial experts serving on the committee; and |
| ◾ | Whether the company has a periodic renewal process where the auditor is evaluated for both audit quality and competitive price. |
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
| 3. | Shareholder Rights & Defenses |
Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals/Nominations
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on advance notice proposals, giving support to those proposals which allow shareholders to submit proposals/nominations as close to the meeting date as reasonably possible and within the broadest window possible, recognizing the need to allow sufficient notice for company, regulatory, and shareholder review.
To be reasonable, the company’s deadline for shareholder notice of a proposal/nominations must be no earlier than 120 days prior to the anniversary of the previous year’s meeting and have a submittal window of no shorter than 30 days from the beginning of the notice period (also known as a 90-120-day window). The submittal window is the period under which shareholders must file their proposals/nominations prior to the deadline.
In general, support additional efforts by companies to ensure full disclosure in regard to a proponent’s economic and voting position in the company so long as the informational requirements are reasonable and aimed at providing shareholders with the necessary information to review such proposals.
Amend Bylaws without Shareholder Consent
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals giving the board exclusive authority to amend the bylaws.
Vote case-by-case on proposals giving the board the ability to amend the bylaws in addition to shareholders, taking into account the following:
| ◾ | Any impediments to shareholders’ ability to amend the bylaws (i.e. supermajority voting requirements); |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure and historical voting turnout; |
| ◾ | Whether the board could amend bylaws adopted by shareholders; and |
| ◾ | Whether shareholders would retain the ability to ratify any board-initiated amendments. |
Control Share Acquisition Provisions
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes unless doing so would enable the completion of a takeover that would be detrimental to shareholders.
Vote against proposals to amend the charter to include control share acquisition provisions.
Vote for proposals to restore voting rights to the control shares.
Control share acquisition statutes function by denying shares their voting rights when they contribute to ownership in excess of certain thresholds. Voting rights for those shares exceeding ownership limits may only be restored by approval of either a majority or supermajority of disinterested shares. Thus, control share acquisition statutes effectively require a hostile bidder to put its offer to a shareholder vote or risk voting disenfranchisement if the bidder continues buying up a large block of shares.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Control Share Cash-Out Provisions
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to opt out of control share cash-out statutes.
Control share cash-out statutes give dissident shareholders the right to “cash-out” of their position in a company at the expense of the shareholder who has taken a control position. In other words, when an investor crosses a preset threshold level, remaining shareholders are given the right to sell their shares to the acquirer, who must buy them at the highest acquiring price.
Disgorgement Provisions
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to opt out of state disgorgement provisions.
Disgorgement provisions require an acquirer or potential acquirer of more than a certain percentage of a company’s stock to disgorge, or pay back, to the company any profits realized from the sale of that company’s stock purchased 24 months before achieving control status. All sales of company stock by the acquirer occurring within a certain period of time (between 18 months and 24 months) prior to the investor’s gaining control status are subject to these recapture-of-profits provisions.
Fair Price Provisions
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to adopt fair price provisions (provisions that stipulate that an acquirer must pay the same price to acquire all shares as it paid to acquire the control shares), evaluating factors such as the vote required to approve the proposed acquisition, the vote required to repeal the fair price provision, and the mechanism for determining the fair price.
Generally vote against fair price provisions with shareholder vote requirements greater than a majority of disinterested shares.
Freeze-Out Provisions
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to opt out of state freeze-out provisions. Freeze-out provisions force an investor who surpasses a certain ownership threshold in a company to wait a specified period of time before gaining control of the company.
Greenmail
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to adopt anti-greenmail charter or bylaw amendments or otherwise restrict a company’s ability to make greenmail payments.
Vote case-by-case on anti-greenmail proposals when they are bundled with other charter or bylaw amendments.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Greenmail payments are targeted share repurchases by management of company stock from individuals or groups seeking control of the company. Since only the hostile party receives payment, usually at a substantial premium over the market value of its shares, the practice discriminates against all other shareholders.
Shareholder Litigation Rights
Federal Forum Selection Provisions
Federal forum selection provisions require that U.S. federal courts be the sole forum for shareholders to litigate claims arising under federal securities law.
General Recommendation: Generally vote for federal forum selection provisions in the charter or bylaws that specify “the district courts of the United States” as the exclusive forum for federal securities law matters, in the absence of serious concerns about corporate governance or board responsiveness to shareholders.
Vote against provisions that restrict the forum to a particular federal district court; unilateral adoption (without a shareholder vote) of such a provision will generally be considered a one-time failure under the Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments policy.
Exclusive Forum Provisions for State Law Matters
Exclusive forum provisions in the charter or bylaws restrict shareholders’ ability to bring derivative lawsuits against the company, for claims arising out of state corporate law, to the courts of a particular state (generally the state of incorporation).
General Recommendation: Generally vote for charter or bylaw provisions that specify courts located within the state of Delaware as the exclusive forum for corporate law matters for Delaware corporations, in the absence of serious concerns about corporate governance or board responsiveness to shareholders.
For states other than Delaware, vote case-by-case on exclusive forum provisions, taking into consideration:
| ◾ | The company’s stated rationale for adopting such a provision; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of past harm from duplicative shareholder lawsuits in more than one forum; |
| ◾ | The breadth of application of the charter or bylaw provision, including the types of lawsuits to which it would apply and the definition of key terms; and |
| ◾ | Governance features such as shareholders’ ability to repeal the provision at a later date (including the vote standard applied when shareholders attempt to amend the charter or bylaws) and their ability to hold directors accountable through annual director elections and a majority vote standard in uncontested elections. |
Generally vote against provisions that specify a state other than the state of incorporation as the exclusive forum for corporate law matters, or that specify a particular local court within the state; unilateral adoption of such a provision will generally be considered a one-time failure under the Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments policy.
Fee shifting
Fee-shifting provisions in the charter or bylaws require that a shareholder who sues a company unsuccessfully pay all litigation expenses of the defendant corporation and its directors and officers.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
General Recommendation: Generally vote against provisions that mandate fee-shifting whenever plaintiffs are not completely successful on the merits (i.e., including cases where the plaintiffs are partially successful).
Unilateral adoption of a fee-shifting provision will generally be considered an ongoing failure under the Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments policy.
Net Operating Loss (NOL) Protective Amendments
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals to adopt a protective amendment for the stated purpose of protecting a company’s net operating losses (NOL) if the effective term of the protective amendment would exceed the shorter of three years and the exhaustion of the NOL.
Vote case-by-case, considering the following factors, for management proposals to adopt an NOL protective amendment that would remain in effect for the shorter of three years (or less) and the exhaustion of the NOL:
| ◾ | The ownership threshold (NOL protective amendments generally prohibit stock ownership transfers that would result in a new 5-percent holder or increase the stock ownership percentage of an existing 5-percent holder); |
| ◾ | The value of the NOLs; |
| ◾ | Shareholder protection mechanisms (sunset provision or commitment to cause expiration of the protective amendment upon exhaustion or expiration of the NOL); |
| ◾ | The company’s existing governance structure including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, track record of responsiveness to shareholders, and any other problematic governance concerns; and |
| ◾ | Any other factors that may be applicable. |
Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)
Shareholder Proposals to Put Pill to a Vote and/or Adopt a Pill Policy
General Recommendation: Vote for shareholder proposals requesting that the company submit its poison pill to a shareholder vote or redeem it unless the company has: (1) A shareholder-approved poison pill in place; or (2) The company has adopted a policy concerning the adoption of a pill in the future specifying that the board will only adopt a shareholder rights plan if either:
| ◾ | Shareholders have approved the adoption of the plan; or |
| ◾ | The board, in its exercise of its fiduciary responsibilities, determines that it is in the best interest of shareholders under the circumstances to adopt a pill without the delay in adoption that would result from seeking stockholder approval (i.e., the “fiduciary out” provision). A poison pill adopted under this fiduciary out will be put to a shareholder ratification vote within 12 months of adoption or expire. If the pill is not approved by a majority of the votes cast on this issue, the plan will immediately terminate. |
If the shareholder proposal calls for a time period of less than 12 months for shareholder ratification after adoption, vote for the proposal, but add the caveat that a vote within 12 months would be considered sufficient implementation.
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Management Proposals to Ratify a Poison Pill
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of the shareholder rights plan. Rights plans should contain the following attributes:
| ◾ | No lower than a 20 percent trigger, flip-in or flip-over; |
| ◾ | A term of no more than three years; |
| ◾ | No deadhand, slowhand, no-hand, or similar feature that limits the ability of a future board to redeem the pill; and |
| ◾ | Shareholder redemption feature (qualifying offer clause); if the board refuses to redeem the pill 90 days after a qualifying offer is announced, 10 percent of the shares may call a special meeting or seek a written consent to vote on rescinding the pill. |
In addition, the rationale for adopting the pill should be thoroughly explained by the company. In examining the request for the pill, take into consideration the company’s existing governance structure, including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, and any problematic governance concerns.
Management Proposals to Ratify a Pill to Preserve Net Operating Losses (NOLs)
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals to adopt a poison pill for the stated purpose of protecting a company’s net operating losses (NOL) if the term of the pill would exceed the shorter of three years and the exhaustion of the NOL.
Vote case-by-case on management proposals for poison pill ratification, considering the following factors, if the term of the pill would be the shorter of three years (or less) and the exhaustion of the NOL:
| ◾ | The ownership threshold to transfer (NOL pills generally have a trigger slightly below 5 percent); |
| ◾ | The value of the NOLs; |
| ◾ | Shareholder protection mechanisms (sunset provision, or commitment to cause expiration of the pill upon exhaustion or expiration of NOLs); |
| ◾ | The company’s existing governance structure, including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, track record of responsiveness to shareholders, and any other problematic governance concerns; and |
| ◾ | Any other factors that may be applicable. |
Proxy Voting Disclosure, Confidentiality, and Tabulation
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals regarding proxy voting mechanics, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder rights. Specific issues covered under the policy include, but are not limited to, confidential voting of individual proxies and ballots, confidentiality of running vote tallies, and the treatment of abstentions and/or broker non-votes in the company’s vote-counting methodology.
While a variety of factors may be considered in each analysis, the guiding principles are: transparency, consistency, and fairness in the proxy voting process. The factors considered, as applicable to the proposal, may include:
| ◾ | The scope and structure of the proposal; |
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
| ◾ | The company’s stated confidential voting policy (or other relevant policies) and whether it ensures a “level playing field” by providing shareholder proponents with equal access to vote information prior to the annual meeting; |
| ◾ | The company’s vote standard for management and shareholder proposals and whether it ensures consistency and fairness in the proxy voting process and maintains the integrity of vote results; |
| ◾ | Whether the company’s disclosure regarding its vote counting method and other relevant voting policies with respect to management and shareholder proposals are consistent and clear; |
| ◾ | Any recent controversies or concerns related to the company’s proxy voting mechanics; |
| ◾ | Any unintended consequences resulting from implementation of the proposal; and |
| ◾ | Any other factors that may be relevant. |
Ratification Proposals: Management Proposals to Ratify Existing Charter or Bylaw Provisions
General Recommendation: Generally vote against management proposals to ratify provisions of the company’s existing charter or bylaws, unless these governance provisions align with best practice.
In addition, voting against/withhold from individual directors, members of the governance committee, or the full board may be warranted, considering:
| ◾ | The presence of a shareholder proposal addressing the same issue on the same ballot; |
| ◾ | The board’s rationale for seeking ratification; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of actions to be taken by the board should the ratification proposal fail; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of shareholder engagement regarding the board’s ratification request; |
| ◾ | The level of impairment to shareholders’ rights caused by the existing provision; |
| ◾ | The history of management and shareholder proposals on the provision at the company’s past meetings; |
| ◾ | Whether the current provision was adopted in response to the shareholder proposal; |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure; and |
| ◾ | Previous use of ratification proposals to exclude shareholder proposals. |
Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses.
When voting in conjunction with support of a dissident slate, vote for the reimbursement of all appropriate proxy solicitation expenses associated with the election.
Generally vote for shareholder proposals calling for the reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred in connection with nominating one or more candidates in a contested election where the following apply:
| ◾ | The election of fewer than 50 percent of the directors to be elected is contested in the election; |
| ◾ | One or more of the dissident’s candidates is elected; |
| ◾ | Shareholders are not permitted to cumulate their votes for directors; and |
| ◾ | The election occurred, and the expenses were incurred, after the adoption of this bylaw. |
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UNITED STATES
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Reincorporation Proposals
General Recommendation: Management or shareholder proposals to change a company’s state of incorporation should be evaluated case-by-case, giving consideration to both financial and corporate governance concerns including the following:
| ◾ | Reasons for reincorporation; |
| ◾ | Comparison of company’s governance practices and provisions prior to and following the reincorporation; and |
| ◾ | Comparison of corporation laws of original state and destination state. |
Vote for reincorporation when the economic factors outweigh any neutral or negative governance changes.
Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent
General Recommendation: Generally vote against management and shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders’ ability to act by written consent.
Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to act by written consent, taking into account the following factors:
| ◾ | Shareholders’ current right to act by written consent; |
| ◾ | The consent threshold; |
| ◾ | The inclusion of exclusionary or prohibitive language; |
| ◾ | Investor ownership structure; and |
| ◾ | Shareholder support of, and management’s response to, previous shareholder proposals. |
Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals if, in addition to the considerations above, the company has the following governance and antitakeover provisions:
| ◾ | An unfettered14 right for shareholders to call special meetings at a 10 percent threshold; |
| ◾ | A majority vote standard in uncontested director elections; |
| ◾ | No non-shareholder-approved pill; and |
| ◾ | An annually elected board. |
Shareholder Ability to Call Special Meetings
General Recommendation: Vote against management or shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders’ ability to call special meetings.
Generally vote for management or shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings taking into account the following factors:
| ◾ | Shareholders’ current right to call special meetings; |
14 “Unfettered” means no restrictions on agenda items, no restrictions on the number of shareholders who can group together to reach the 10 percent threshold, and only reasonable limits on when a meeting can be called: no greater than 30 days after the last annual meeting and no greater than 90 prior to the next annual meeting.
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| ◾ | Minimum ownership threshold necessary to call special meetings (10 percent preferred); |
| ◾ | The inclusion of exclusionary or prohibitive language; |
| ◾ | Investor ownership structure; and |
| ◾ | Shareholder support of, and management’s response to, previous shareholder proposals. |
Stakeholder Provisions
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals that ask the board to consider non-shareholder constituencies or other non-financial effects when evaluating a merger or business combination.
State Antitakeover Statutes
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to opt in or out of state takeover statutes (including fair price provisions, stakeholder laws, poison pill endorsements, severance pay and labor contract provisions, and anti-greenmail provisions).
Supermajority Vote Requirements
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote.
Vote for management or shareholder proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements. However, for companies with shareholder(s) who have significant ownership levels, vote case-by-case, taking into account:
| ◾ | Ownership structure; |
| ◾ | Quorum requirements; and |
| ◾ | Vote requirements. |
Virtual Shareholder Meetings
General Recommendation: Generally vote for management proposals allowing for the convening of shareholder meetings by electronic means, so long as they do not preclude in-person meetings. Companies are encouraged to disclose the circumstances under which virtual-only15 meetings would be held, and to allow for comparable rights and opportunities for shareholders to participate electronically as they would have during an in-person meeting.
Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals concerning virtual-only meetings, considering:
| ◾ | Scope and rationale of the proposal; and |
| ◾ | Concerns identified with the company’s prior meeting practices. |
15 Virtual-only shareholder meeting” refers to a meeting of shareholders that is held exclusively using technology without a corresponding in-person meeting.
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| 4. | Capital/Restructuring |
Capital
Adjustments to Par Value of Common Stock
General Recommendation: Vote for management proposals to reduce the par value of common stock unless the action is being taken to facilitate an anti-takeover device or some other negative corporate governance action.
Vote for management proposals to eliminate par value.
Common Stock Authorization
General Authorization Requests
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock that are to be used for general corporate purposes:
| ◾ | If share usage (outstanding plus reserved) is less than 50% of the current authorized shares, vote for an increase of up to 50% of current authorized share; |
| ◾ | If share usage is 50% to 100% of the current authorized, vote for an increase of up to 100% of current authorized shares; |
| ◾ | If share usage is greater than current authorized shares, vote for an increase of up to the current share usage; or |
| ◾ | In the case of a stock split, the allowable increase is calculated (per above) based on the post-split adjusted authorization. |
Generally vote against proposed increases, even if within the above ratios, if the proposal or the company’s prior
or ongoing use of authorized shares is problematic, including, but not limited to:
| ◾ | The proposal seeks to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights to other share classes; |
| ◾ | On the same ballot is a proposal for a reverse split for which support is warranted despite the fact that it would result in an excessive increase in the share authorization; |
| ◾ | The company has a non-shareholder approved poison pill (including an NOL pill); or |
| ◾ | The company has previous sizeable placements (within the past 3 years) of stock with insiders at prices substantially below market value, or with problematic voting rights, without shareholder approval. |
However, generally vote for proposed increases beyond the above ratios or problematic situations when there is disclosure of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request, such as:
| ◾ | In, or subsequent to, the company’s most recent 10-K filing, the company discloses that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern; |
| ◾ | The company states that there is a risk of imminent bankruptcy or imminent liquidation if shareholders do not approve the increase in authorized capital; or |
| ◾ | A government body has in the past year required the company to increase its capital ratios. |
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For companies incorporated in states that allow increases in authorized capital without shareholder approval, generally vote withhold or against all nominees if a unilateral capital authorization increase does not conform to the above policies.
Specific Authorization Requests
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with transaction(s) (such as acquisitions, SPAC transactions, private placements, or similar transactions) on the same ballot, or disclosed in the proxy statement, that warrant support. For such transactions, the allowable increase will be the greater of:
| ◾ | twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and |
| ◾ | the allowable increase as calculated for general issuances above. |
Dual Class Structure
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals to create a new class of common stock unless:
| ◾ | The company discloses a compelling rationale for the dual-class capital structure, such as: |
| ◾ | The company’s auditor has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern; or |
| ◾ | The new class of shares will be transitory; |
| ◾ | The new class is intended for financing purposes with minimal or no dilution to current shareholders in both the short term and long term; and |
| ◾ | The new class is not designed to preserve or increase the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder. |
Issue Stock for Use with Rights Plan
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals that increase authorized common stock for the explicit purpose of implementing a non-shareholder-approved shareholder rights plan (poison pill).
Preemptive Rights
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals that seek preemptive rights, taking into consideration:
| ◾ | The size of the company; |
| ◾ | The shareholder base; and |
| ◾ | The liquidity of the stock. |
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Preferred Stock Authorization
General Authorization Requests
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to increase the number of authorized shares of preferred stock that are to be used for general corporate purposes:
| ◾ | If share usage (outstanding plus reserved) is less than 50% of the current authorized shares, vote for an increase of up to 50% of current authorized shares; |
| ◾ | If share usage is 50% to 100% of the current authorized, vote for an increase of up to 100% of current authorized shares; |
| ◾ | If share usage is greater than current authorized shares, vote for an increase of up to the current share usage. |
| ◾ | In the case of a stock split, the allowable increase is calculated (per above) based on the post-split adjusted authorization; or |
| ◾ | If no preferred shares are currently issued and outstanding, vote against the request, unless the company discloses a specific use for the shares. |
Generally vote against proposed increases, even if within the above ratios, if the proposal or the company’s prior or ongoing use of authorized shares is problematic, including, but not limited to:
| ◾ | If the shares requested are blank check preferred shares that can be used for antitakeover purposes;16 |
| ◾ | The company seeks to increase a class of non-convertible preferred shares entitled to more than one vote per share on matters that do not solely affect the rights of preferred stockholders “supervoting shares”); |
| ◾ | The company seeks to increase a class of convertible preferred shares entitled to a number of votes greater than the number of common shares into which they are convertible (“supervoting shares”) on matters that do not solely affect the rights of preferred stockholders; |
| ◾ | The stated intent of the increase in the general authorization is to allow the company to increase an existing designated class of supervoting preferred shares; |
| ◾ | On the same ballot is a proposal for a reverse split for which support is warranted despite the fact that it would result in an excessive increase in the share authorization; |
| ◾ | The company has a non-shareholder approved poison pill (including an NOL pill); and |
| ◾ | The company has previous sizeable placements (within the past 3 years) of stock with insiders at prices substantially below market value, or with problematic voting rights, without shareholder approval. |
However, generally vote for proposed increases beyond the above ratios or problematic situations when there is disclosure of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request, such as:
| ◾ | In, or subsequent to, the company’s most recent 10-K filing, the company discloses that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern; |
| ◾ | The company states that there is a risk of imminent bankruptcy or imminent liquidation if shareholders do not approve the increase in authorized capital; or |
| ◾ | A government body has in the past year required the company to increase its capital ratios. |
For companies incorporated in states that allow increases in authorized capital without shareholder approval, generally vote withhold or against all nominees if a unilateral capital authorization increase does not conform to the above policies.
16 To be acceptable, appropriate disclosure would be needed that the shares are “declawed”: i.e., representation by the board that it will not, without prior stockholder approval, issue or use the preferred stock for any defensive or anti-takeover purpose or for the purpose of implementing any stockholder rights plan.
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Specific Authorization Requests
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized preferred shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with transaction(s) (such as acquisitions, SPAC transactions, private placements, or similar transactions) on the same ballot, or disclosed in the proxy statement, that warrant support. For such transactions, the allowable increase will be the greater of:
| ◾ | twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and |
| ◾ | the allowable increase as calculated for general issuances above. |
Recapitalization Plans
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on recapitalizations (reclassifications of securities), taking into account the following:
| ◾ | More simplified capital structure; |
| ◾ | Enhanced liquidity; |
| ◾ | Fairness of conversion terms; |
| ◾ | Impact on voting power and dividends; |
| ◾ | Reasons for the reclassification; |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest; and |
| ◾ | Other alternatives considered. |
Reverse Stock Splits
General Recommendation: Vote for management proposals to implement a reverse stock split if:
| ◾ | The number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced; or |
| ◾ | The effective increase in authorized shares is equal to or less than the allowable increase calculated in accordance with ISS’ Common Stock Authorization policy. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals that do not meet either of the above conditions, taking into consideration the following factors:
| ◾ | Stock exchange notification to the company of a potential delisting; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern without additional financing; |
| ◾ | The company’s rationale; or |
| ◾ | Other factors as applicable. |
Share Issuance Mandates at U.S. Domestic Issuers Incorporated Outside the U.S.
General Recommendation: For U.S. domestic issuers incorporated outside the U.S. and listed solely on a U.S. exchange, generally vote for resolutions to authorize the issuance of common shares up to 20 percent of currently issued common share capital, where not tied to a specific transaction or financing proposal.
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For pre-revenue or other early-stage companies that are heavily reliant on periodic equity financing, generally vote for resolutions to authorize the issuance of common shares up to 50 percent of currently issued common share capital. The burden of proof will be on the company to establish that it has a need for the higher limit.
Renewal of such mandates should be sought at each year’s annual meeting.
Vote case-by-case on share issuances for a specific transaction or financing proposal.
Share Repurchase Programs
General Recommendation: For U.S.-incorporated companies, and foreign-incorporated U.S. Domestic Issuers that are traded solely on U.S. exchanges, vote for management proposals to institute open-market share repurchase plans in which all shareholders may participate on equal terms, or to grant the board authority to conduct open- market repurchases, in the absence of company-specific concerns regarding:
| ◾ | Greenmail; |
| ◾ | The use of buybacks to inappropriately manipulate incentive compensation metrics; |
| ◾ | Threats to the company’s long-term viability; or |
| ◾ | Other company-specific factors as warranted. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals to repurchase shares directly from specified shareholders, balancing the stated rationale against the possibility for the repurchase authority to be misused, such as to repurchase shares from insiders at a premium to market price.
Share Repurchase Programs Shareholder Proposals
General Recommendation: Generally vote against shareholder proposals prohibiting executives from selling shares of company stock during periods in which the company has announced that it may or will be repurchasing shares of its stock. Vote for the proposal when there is a pattern of abuse by executives exercising options or selling shares during periods of share buybacks.
Stock Distributions: Splits and Dividends
General Recommendation: Generally vote for management proposals to increase the common share authorization for stock split or stock dividend, provided that the effective increase in authorized shares is equal to or is less than the allowable increase calculated in accordance with ISS’ Common Stock Authorization policy.
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Tracking Stock
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the creation of tracking stock, weighing the strategic value of the transaction against such factors as:
| ◾ | Adverse governance changes; |
| ◾ | Excessive increases in authorized capital stock; |
| ◾ | Unfair method of distribution; |
| ◾ | Diminution of voting rights; |
| ◾ | Adverse conversion features; |
| ◾ | Negative impact on stock option plans; and |
| ◾ | Alternatives such as spin-off. |
Restructuring
Appraisal Rights
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to restore or provide shareholders with rights of appraisal.
Asset Purchases
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on asset purchase proposals, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Purchase price; |
| ◾ | Fairness opinion; |
| ◾ | Financial and strategic benefits; |
| ◾ | How the deal was negotiated; |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest; |
| ◾ | Other alternatives for the business; and |
| ◾ | Non-completion risk. |
Asset Sales
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on asset sales, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Impact on the balance sheet/working capital; |
| ◾ | Potential elimination of diseconomies; |
| ◾ | Anticipated financial and operating benefits; |
| ◾ | Anticipated use of funds; |
| ◾ | Value received for the asset; |
| ◾ | Fairness opinion; |
| ◾ | How the deal was negotiated; and |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest. |
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Bundled Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on bundled or “conditional” proxy proposals. In the case of items that are conditioned upon each other, examine the benefits and costs of the packaged items. In instances when the joint effect of the conditioned items is not in shareholders’ best interests, vote against the proposals. If the combined effect is positive, support such proposals.
Conversion of Securities
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals regarding conversion of securities. When evaluating these proposals, the investor should review the dilution to existing shareholders, the conversion price relative to market value, financial issues, control issues, termination penalties, and conflicts of interest.
Vote for the conversion if it is expected that the company will be subject to onerous penalties or will be forced to file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved.
Corporate Reorganization/Debt Restructuring/Prepackaged Bankruptcy Plans/Reverse Leveraged Buyouts/Wrap Plans
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to increase common and/or preferred shares and to issue shares as part of a debt restructuring plan, after evaluating:
| ◾ | Dilution to existing shareholders’ positions; |
| ◾ | Terms of the offer - discount/premium in purchase price to investor, including any fairness opinion; termination penalties; exit strategy; |
| ◾ | Financial issues - company’s financial situation; degree of need for capital; use of proceeds; effect of the financing on the company’s cost of capital; |
| ◾ | Management’s efforts to pursue other alternatives; |
| ◾ | Control issues - change in management; change in control, guaranteed board and committee seats; standstill provisions; voting agreements; veto power over certain corporate actions; and |
| ◾ | Conflict of interest - arm’s length transaction, managerial incentives. |
Vote for the debt restructuring if it is expected that the company will file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved.
Formation of Holding Company
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals regarding the formation of a holding company, taking into consideration the following:
| ◾ | The reasons for the change; |
| ◾ | Any financial or tax benefits; |
| ◾ | Regulatory benefits; |
| ◾ | Increases in capital structure; and |
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| ◾ | Changes to the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the company. |
Absent compelling financial reasons to recommend for the transaction, vote against the formation of a holding company if the transaction would include either of the following:
| ◾ | Increases in common or preferred stock in excess of the allowable maximum (see discussion under “Capital”); or |
| ◾ | Adverse changes in shareholder rights. |
Going Private and Going Dark Transactions (LBOs and Minority Squeeze- outs)
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on going private transactions, taking into account the following:
| ◾ | Offer price/premium; |
| ◾ | Fairness opinion; |
| ◾ | How the deal was negotiated; |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest; |
| ◾ | Other alternatives/offers considered; and |
| ◾ | Non-completion risk. |
Vote case-by-case on going dark transactions, determining whether the transaction enhances shareholder value by taking into consideration:
| ◾ | Whether the company has attained benefits from being publicly-traded (examination of trading volume, liquidity, and market research of the stock); and | |
| ◾ | Balanced interests of continuing vs. cashed-out shareholders, taking into account the following: |
| ◾ | Are all shareholders able to participate in the transaction? |
| ◾ | Will there be a liquid market for remaining shareholders following the transaction? |
| ◾ | Does the company have strong corporate governance? |
| ◾ | Will insiders reap the gains of control following the proposed transaction? and |
| ◾ | Does the state of incorporation have laws requiring continued reporting that may benefit shareholders? |
Joint Ventures
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to form joint ventures, taking into account the following:
| ◾ | Percentage of assets/business contributed; |
| ◾ | Percentage ownership; |
| ◾ | Financial and strategic benefits; |
| ◾ | Governance structure; |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest; |
| ◾ | Other alternatives; and |
| ◾ | Non-completion risk. |
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Liquidations
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on liquidations, taking into account the following:
| ◾ | Management’s efforts to pursue other alternatives; |
| ◾ | Appraisal value of assets; and |
| ◾ | The compensation plan for executives managing the liquidation. |
Vote for the liquidation if the company will file for bankruptcy if the proposal is not approved.
Mergers and Acquisitions
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including:
| ◾ | Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction, and strategic rationale. |
| ◾ | Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal. |
| ◾ | Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions. |
| ◾ | Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm’s-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation “wins” can also signify the deal makers’ competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process (e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value. |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the “ISS Transaction Summary” section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists. |
| ◾ | Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance. |
Private Placements/Warrants/Convertible Debentures
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals regarding private placements, warrants, and convertible debentures taking into consideration:
| ◾ | Dilution to existing shareholders’ position: The amount and timing of shareholder ownership dilution should be weighed against the needs and proposed shareholder benefits of the capital infusion. Although newly issued common stock, absent preemptive rights, is typically dilutive to existing shareholders, share price |
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appreciation is often the necessary event to trigger the exercise of “out of the money” warrants and convertible debt. In these instances from a value standpoint, the negative impact of dilution is mitigated by the increase in the company’s stock price that must occur to trigger the dilutive event.
| ◾ | Terms of the offer (discount/premium in purchase price to investor, including any fairness opinion, conversion features, termination penalties, exit strategy): |
| ◾ | The terms of the offer should be weighed against the alternatives of the company and in light of company’s financial condition. Ideally, the conversion price for convertible debt and the exercise price for warrants should be at a premium to the then prevailing stock price at the time of private placement. |
| ◾ | When evaluating the magnitude of a private placement discount or premium, consider factors that influence the discount or premium, such as, liquidity, due diligence costs, control and monitoring costs, capital scarcity, information asymmetry, and anticipation of future performance. |
| ◾ | Financial issues: |
| ◾ | The company’s financial condition; |
| ◾ | Degree of need for capital; |
| ◾ | Use of proceeds; |
| ◾ | Effect of the financing on the company’s cost of capital; |
| ◾ | Current and proposed cash burn rate; and |
| ◾ | Going concern viability and the state of the capital and credit markets. |
| ◾ | Management’s efforts to pursue alternatives and whether the company engaged in a process to evaluate alternatives: A fair, unconstrained process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Financing alternatives can include joint ventures, partnership, merger, or sale of part or all of the company. |
| ◾ | Control issues: |
| ◾ | Change in management; |
| ◾ | Change in control; |
| ◾ | Guaranteed board and committee seats; |
| ◾ | Standstill provisions; |
| ◾ | Voting agreements; |
| ◾ | Veto power over certain corporate actions; and |
| ◾ | Minority versus majority ownership and corresponding minority discount or majority control premium. |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest: |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest should be viewed from the perspective of the company and the investor; and |
| ◾ | Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm’s length? Are managerial incentives aligned with shareholder interests? |
| ◾ | Market reaction: |
| ◾ | The market’s response to the proposed deal. A negative market reaction is a cause for concern. Market reaction may be addressed by analyzing the one-day impact on the unaffected stock price. |
Vote for the private placement, or for the issuance of warrants and/or convertible debentures in a private placement, if it is expected that the company will file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved.
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Reorganization/Restructuring Plan (Bankruptcy)
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to common shareholders on bankruptcy plans of reorganization, considering the following factors including, but not limited to:
| ◾ | Estimated value and financial prospects of the reorganized company; |
| ◾ | Percentage ownership of current shareholders in the reorganized company; |
| ◾ | Whether shareholders are adequately represented in the reorganization process (particularly through the existence of an Official Equity Committee); |
| ◾ | The cause(s) of the bankruptcy filing, and the extent to which the plan of reorganization addresses the cause(s); |
| ◾ | Existence of a superior alternative to the plan of reorganization; and |
| ◾ | Governance of the reorganized company. |
Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations (SPACs)
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on SPAC mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following:
| ◾ | Valuation - Is the value being paid by the SPAC reasonable? SPACs generally lack an independent fairness opinion and the financials on the target may be limited. Compare the conversion price with the intrinsic value of the target company provided in the fairness opinion. Also, evaluate the proportionate value of the combined entity attributable to the SPAC IPO shareholders versus the pre-merger value of SPAC. Additionally, a private company discount may be applied to the target if it is a private entity. |
| ◾ | Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction may be a cause for concern. Market reaction may be addressed by analyzing the one-day impact on the unaffected stock price. |
| ◾ | Deal timing - A main driver for most transactions is that the SPAC charter typically requires the deal to be complete within 18 to 24 months, or the SPAC is to be liquidated. Evaluate the valuation, market reaction, and potential conflicts of interest for deals that are announced close to the liquidation date. |
| ◾ | Negotiations and process - What was the process undertaken to identify potential target companies within specified industry or location specified in charter? Consider the background of the sponsors. |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest - How are sponsors benefiting from the transaction compared to IPO shareholders? Potential conflicts could arise if a fairness opinion is issued by the insiders to qualify the deal rather than a third party or if management is encouraged to pay a higher price for the target because of an 80 percent rule (the charter requires that the fair market value of the target is at least equal to 80 percent of net assets of the SPAC). Also, there may be sense of urgency by the management team of the SPAC to close the deal since its charter typically requires a transaction to be completed within the 18-24-month timeframe. |
| ◾ | Voting agreements - Are the sponsors entering into enter into any voting agreements/tender offers with shareholders who are likely to vote against the proposed merger or exercise conversion rights? |
| ◾ | Governance - What is the impact of having the SPAC CEO or founder on key committees following the proposed merger? |
Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations (SPACs) - Proposals for Extensions
The main purpose of SPACs is to identify and acquire a viable target within a specified timeframe, and failure to achieve this objective within the allotted time calls into question management’s ability to execute its primary objective. The end of that timeframe is generally referred to as the termination date.
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General Recommendation: Generally support requests to extend the termination date by up to one year from the SPAC’s original termination date (inclusive of any built-in extension options, and accounting for prior extension requests).
Other factors that may be considered include: any added incentives, business combination status, other amendment terms, and, if applicable, use of money in the trust fund to pay excise taxes on redeemed shares.
Spin-offs
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on spin-offs, considering:
| ◾ | Tax and regulatory advantages; |
| ◾ | Planned use of the sale proceeds; |
| ◾ | Valuation of spinoff; |
| ◾ | Fairness opinion; |
| ◾ | Benefits to the parent company; |
| ◾ | Conflicts of interest; |
| ◾ | Managerial incentives; |
| ◾ | Corporate governance changes; and |
| ◾ | Changes in the capital structure. |
Value Maximization Shareholder Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals seeking to maximize shareholder value by:
| ◾ | Hiring a financial advisor to explore strategic alternatives; |
| ◾ | Selling the company; or |
| ◾ | Liquidating the company and distributing the proceeds to shareholders. |
These proposals should be evaluated based on the following factors:
| ◾ | Prolonged poor performance with no turnaround in sight; |
| ◾ | Signs of entrenched board and management (such as the adoption of takeover defenses); |
| ◾ | Strategic plan in place for improving value; |
| ◾ | Likelihood of receiving reasonable value in a sale or dissolution; and |
| ◾ | The company actively exploring its strategic options, including retaining a financial advisor. |
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| 5. | Compensation |
Executive Pay Evaluation
Underlying all evaluations are five global principles that most investors expect corporations to adhere to in designing and administering executive and director compensation programs:
| 1. | Maintain appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, with emphasis on long-term shareholder value: This principle encompasses overall executive pay practices, which must be designed to attract, retain, and appropriately motivate the key employees who drive shareholder value creation over the long term. It will take into consideration, among other factors, the link between pay and performance; the mix between fixed and variable pay; performance goals; and equity-based plan costs; |
| 2. | Avoid arrangements that risk “pay for failure”: This principle addresses the appropriateness of long or indefinite contracts, excessive severance packages, and guaranteed compensation; |
| 3. | Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee: This principle promotes oversight of executive pay programs by directors with appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and a sound process for compensation decision-making (e.g., including access to independent expertise and advice when needed); |
| 4. | Provide shareholders with clear, comprehensive compensation disclosures: This principle underscores the importance of informative and timely disclosures that enable shareholders to evaluate executive pay practices fully and fairly; and |
| 5. | Avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors: This principle recognizes the interests of shareholders in ensuring that compensation to outside directors is reasonable and does not compromise their independence and ability to make appropriate judgments in overseeing managers’ pay and performance. At the market level, it may incorporate a variety of generally accepted best practices. |
Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation—Management Proposals (Say- on-Pay)
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation.
Vote against Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay or “SOP”) if:
| ◾ | There is an unmitigated misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance); |
| ◾ | The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or |
| ◾ | The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders. |
Vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:
| ◾ | There is no SOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an SOP would otherwise be warranted due to pay-for- performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof; |
| ◾ | The board fails to respond adequately to a previous SOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast; |
| ◾ | The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, such as option repricing or option backdating; or |
| ◾ | The situation is egregious. |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay
Pay-for-Performance Evaluation
ISS annually conducts a pay-for-performance analysis to identify strong or satisfactory alignment between pay and performance over a sustained period. With respect to companies in the S&P1500, Russell 3000, or Russell 3000E Indices17, this analysis considers the following:
| 1. | Peer Group18 Alignment: |
| ◾ | The degree of alignment between the company’s annualized TSR rank and the CEO’s annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period. |
| ◾ | The rankings of CEO total pay and company financial performance within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period. |
| ◾ | The multiple of the CEO’s total pay relative to the peer group median in the most recent fiscal year. |
| 2. | Absolute Alignment19 – the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years – i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period. |
If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of companies outside the Russell indices, a misalignment between pay and performance is otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, as relevant to an evaluation of how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests:
| ◾ | The ratio of performance- to time-based incentive awards; |
| ◾ | The overall ratio of performance-based compensation to fixed or discretionary pay; |
| ◾ | The rigor of performance goals; |
| ◾ | The complexity and risks around pay program design; |
| ◾ | The transparency and clarity of disclosure; |
| ◾ | The company’s peer group benchmarking practices; |
| ◾ | Financial/operational results, both absolute and relative to peers; |
| ◾ | Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards); |
| ◾ | Realizable pay20 compared to grant pay; and |
| ◾ | Any other factors deemed relevant. |
17 The Russell 3000E Index includes approximately 4,000 of the largest U.S. equity securities.
18 The revised peer group is generally comprised of 14-24 companies that are selected using market cap, revenue (or assets for certain financial firms), GICS industry group, and company’s selected peers’ GICS industry group, with size constraints, via a process designed to select peers that are comparable to the subject company in terms of revenue/assets and industry, and also within a market-cap bucket that is reflective of the company’s market cap. For Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels companies, market cap is the only size determinant.
19 Only Russell 3000 Index companies are subject to the Absolute Alignment analysis.
20 ISS research reports include realizable pay for S&P1500 companies.
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Problematic Pay Practices
Problematic pay elements are generally evaluated case-by-case considering the context of a company’s overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including:
| ◾ | Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements; |
| ◾ | Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking or present a windfall risk; and |
| ◾ | Pay decisions that circumvent pay-for-performance, such as options backdating or waiving performance requirements. |
The list of examples below highlights certain problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in adverse vote recommendations:
| ◾ | Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARs without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options); |
| ◾ | Extraordinary perquisites or tax gross-ups; |
| ◾ | New or materially amended agreements that provide for: |
| ◾ | Excessive termination or CIC severance payments (generally exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus); |
| ◾ | CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties (“single” or “modified single” triggers) or in connection with a problematic Good Reason definition; |
| ◾ | CIC excise tax gross-up entitlements (including “modified” gross-ups); and/or |
| ◾ | Multi-year guaranteed awards that are not at risk due to rigorous performance conditions; |
| ◾ | Liberal CIC definition combined with any single-trigger CIC benefits; |
| ◾ | Insufficient executive compensation disclosure by externally-managed issuers (EMIs) such that a reasonable assessment of pay programs and practices applicable to the EMI’s executives is not possible; |
| ◾ | Severance payments made when the termination is not clearly disclosed as involuntary (for example, a termination without cause or resignation for good reason); and/or |
| ◾ | Any other provision or practice deemed to be egregious and present a significant risk to investors. |
The above examples are not an exhaustive list. Please refer to ISS’ U.S. Compensation Policies FAQ document for additional detail on specific pay practices that have been identified as problematic and may lead to negative vote recommendations.
Options Backdating
The following factors should be examined case-by-case to allow for distinctions to be made between “sloppy” plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud:
| ◾ | Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes; |
| ◾ | Duration of options backdating; |
| ◾ | Size of restatement due to options backdating; |
| ◾ | Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and |
| ◾ | Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future. |
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Compensation Committee Communications and Responsiveness
Consider the following factors case-by-case when evaluating ballot items related to executive pay on the board’s responsiveness to investor input and engagement on compensation issues:
| ◾ | Failure to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics; or |
| ◾ | Failure to adequately respond to the company’s previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: |
| ◾ | Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors, including the frequency and timing of engagements and the company participants (including whether independent directors participated); |
| ◾ | Disclosure of the specific concerns voiced by dissenting shareholders that led to the say-on-pay opposition; |
| ◾ | Disclosure of specific and meaningful actions taken to address shareholders’ concerns; |
| ◾ | Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; |
| ◾ | Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure; and |
| ◾ | Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. |
Frequency of Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (“Say When on Pay”)
General Recommendation: Vote for annual advisory votes on compensation, which provide the most consistent and clear communication channel for shareholder concerns about companies’ executive pay programs.
Voting on Golden Parachutes in an Acquisition, Merger, Consolidation, or Proposed Sale
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on say on Golden Parachute proposals, including consideration of existing change-in-control arrangements maintained with named executive officers but also considering new or extended arrangements.
Features that may result in an “against” recommendation include one or more of the following, depending on the number, magnitude, and/or timing of issue(s):
| ◾ | Single- or modified-single-trigger cash severance; |
| ◾ | Single-trigger acceleration of unvested equity awards; |
| ◾ | Full acceleration of equity awards granted shortly before the change in control; |
| ◾ | Acceleration of performance awards above the target level of performance without compelling rationale; |
| ◾ | Excessive cash severance (generally >3x base salary and bonus); |
| ◾ | Excise tax gross-ups triggered and payable; |
| ◾ | Excessive golden parachute payments (on an absolute basis or as a percentage of transaction equity value); or |
| ◾ | Recent amendments that incorporate any problematic features (such as those above) or recent actions (such as extraordinary equity grants) that may make packages so attractive as to influence merger agreements that may not be in the best interests of shareholders; or |
| ◾ | The company’s assertion that a proposed transaction is conditioned on shareholder approval of the golden parachute advisory vote. |
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Recent amendment(s) that incorporate problematic features will tend to carry more weight on the overall analysis. However, the presence of multiple legacy problematic features will also be closely scrutinized.
In cases where the golden parachute vote is incorporated into a company’s advisory vote on compensation (management say-on-pay), ISS will evaluate the say-on-pay proposal in accordance with these guidelines, which may give higher weight to that component of the overall evaluation.
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans
Please refer to ISS’ U.S. Equity Compensation Plans FAQ document for additional details on the Equity Plan Scorecard policy.
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on certain equity-based compensation plans21 depending on a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an “Equity Plan Scorecard” (EPSC) approach with three pillars:
| ◾ | Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the company’s equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the company’s estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both: |
| ◾ | SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and |
| ◾ | SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants. |
| ◾ | Plan Features: |
| ◾ | Quality of disclosure around vesting upon a change in control (CIC); |
| ◾ | Discretionary vesting authority; |
| ◾ | Liberal share recycling on various award types; |
| ◾ | Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan; and |
| ◾ | Dividends payable prior to award vesting. |
| ◾ | Grant Practices: |
| ◾ | The company’s three-year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers; |
| ◾ | Vesting requirements in CEO’s recent equity grants (3-year look-back); |
| ◾ | The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years); |
| ◾ | The proportion of the CEO’s most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions; |
| ◾ | Whether the company maintains a sufficient claw-back policy; and |
| ◾ | Whether the company maintains sufficient post-exercise/vesting share-holding requirements. |
Generally vote against the plan proposal if the combination of above factors indicates that the plan is not, overall, in shareholders’ interests, or if any of the following egregious factors (“overriding factors”) apply:
| ◾ | Awards may vest in connection with a liberal change-of-control definition; |
| ◾ | The plan would permit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval (either by expressly permitting it – for NYSE and Nasdaq listed companies – or by not prohibiting it when the company has a history of repricing – for non-listed companies); |
21 Proposals evaluated under the EPSC policy generally include those to approve or amend (1) stock option plans for employees and/or employees and directors, (2) restricted stock plans for employees and/or employees and directors, and (3) omnibus stock incentive plans for employees and/or employees and directors; amended plans will be further evaluated case-by-case.
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| ◾ | The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances; |
| ◾ | The plan is excessively dilutive to shareholders’ holdings; |
| ◾ | The plan contains an evergreen (automatic share replenishment) feature; or |
| ◾ | Any other plan features are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests. |
Further Information on certain EPSC Factors:
Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT)
The cost of the equity plans is expressed as Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT), which is measured using a binomial option pricing model that assesses the amount of shareholders’ equity flowing out of the company to employees and directors. SVT is expressed as both a dollar amount and as a percentage of market value, and includes the new shares proposed, shares available under existing plans, and shares granted but unexercised (using two measures, in the case of plans subject to the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation, as noted above). All award types are valued. For omnibus plans, unless limitations are placed on the most expensive types of awards (for example, full-value awards), the assumption is made that all awards to be granted will be the most expensive types.
For proposals that are not subject to the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation, Shareholder Value Transfer is reasonable if it falls below a company-specific benchmark. The benchmark is determined as follows: The top quartile performers in each industry group (using the Global Industry Classification Standard: GICS) are identified. Benchmark SVT levels for each industry are established based on these top performers’ historic SVT. Regression analyses are run on each industry group to identify the variables most strongly correlated to SVT. The benchmark industry SVT level is then adjusted upwards or downwards for the specific company by plugging the company- specific performance measures, size, and cash compensation into the industry cap equations to arrive at the company’s benchmark.22
Three-Year Value-Adjusted Burn Rate
A “Value-Adjusted Burn Rate” is used for stock plan evaluations. Value-Adjusted Burn Rate benchmarks are calculated as the greater of: (1) an industry-specific threshold based on three-year burn rates within the company’s GICS group segmented by S&P 500, Russell 3000 index (less the S&P 500) and non-Russell 3000 index; and (2) a de minimis threshold established separately for each of the S&P 500, the Russell 3000 index less the S&P 500, and the non-Russell 3000 index. Year-over-year burn-rate benchmark changes will be limited to a predetermined range above or below the prior year’s burn-rate benchmark.
The Value-Adjusted Burn Rate is calculated as follows:
Value-Adjusted Burn Rate = ((# of options * option’s dollar value using a Black-Scholes model) + (# of full-value awards * stock price)) / (Weighted average common shares * stock price).
22 For plans evaluated under the Equity Plan Scorecard policy, the company’s SVT benchmark is considered along with other factors.
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Egregious Factors
Liberal Change in Control Definition
Generally vote against equity plans if the plan has a liberal definition of change in control and the equity awards could vest upon such liberal definition of change in control, even though an actual change in control may not occur. Examples of such a definition include, but are not limited to, announcement or commencement of a tender offer, provisions for acceleration upon a “potential” takeover, shareholder approval of a merger or other transactions, or similar language.
Repricing Provisions
Vote against plans that expressly permit the repricing or exchange of underwater stock options/stock appreciate rights (SARs) without prior shareholder approval. “Repricing” typically includes the ability to do any of the following:
| ◾ | Amend the terms of outstanding options or SARs to reduce the exercise price of such outstanding options or SARs; | |
| ◾ | Cancel outstanding options or SARs in exchange for options or SARs with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original options or SARs; | |
| ◾ | Cancel underwater options in exchange for stock awards; or | |
| ◾ | Provide cash buyouts of underwater options. |
While the above cover most types of repricing, ISS may view other provisions as akin to repricing depending on the facts and circumstances.
Also, vote against or withhold from members of the Compensation Committee who approved repricing (as defined above or otherwise determined by ISS), without prior shareholder approval, even if such repricings are allowed in their equity plan.
Vote against plans that do not expressly prohibit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval if the company has a history of repricing/buyouts without shareholder approval, and the applicable listing standards would not preclude them from doing so.
Problematic Pay Practices or Significant Pay-for-Performance Disconnect
If the equity plan on the ballot is a vehicle for problematic pay practices, vote against the plan.
ISS may recommend a vote against the equity plan if the plan is determined to be a vehicle for pay-for-performance misalignment. Considerations in voting against the equity plan may include, but are not limited to:
| ◾ | Severity of the pay-for-performance misalignment; | |
| ◾ | Whether problematic equity grant practices are driving the misalignment; and/or | |
| ◾ | Whether equity plan awards have been heavily concentrated to the CEO and/or the other NEOs. |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Amending Cash and Equity Plans (including Approval for Tax Deductibility (162(m))
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on amendments to cash and equity incentive plans.
Generally vote for proposals to amend executive cash, stock, or cash and stock incentive plans if the proposal:
| ◾ | Addresses administrative features only; or | |
| ◾ | Seeks approval for Section 162(m) purposes only, and the plan administering committee consists entirely of independent directors, per ISS’ Classification of Directors. Note that if the company is presenting the plan to shareholders for the first time for any reason (including after the company’s initial public offering), or if the proposal is bundled with other material plan amendments, then the recommendation will be case-by-case (see below). |
Vote against proposals to amend executive cash, stock, or cash and stock incentive plans if the proposal:
| ◾ | Seeks approval for Section 162(m) purposes only, and the plan administering committee does not consist entirely of independent directors, per ISS’ Classification of Directors. |
Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to amend cash incentive plans. This includes plans presented to shareholders for the first time after the company’s IPO and/or proposals that bundle material amendment(s) other than those for Section 162(m) purposes.
Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to amend equity incentive plans, considering the following:
| ◾ | If the proposal requests additional shares and/or the amendments include a term extension or addition of full value awards as an award type, the recommendation will be based on the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation as well as an analysis of the overall impact of the amendments; | |
| ◾ | If the plan is being presented to shareholders for the first time (including after the company’s IPO), whether or not additional shares are being requested, the recommendation will be based on the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation as well as an analysis of the overall impact of any amendments; and | |
| ◾ | If there is no request for additional shares and the amendments do not include a term extension or addition of full value awards as an award type, then the recommendation will be based entirely on an analysis of the overall impact of the amendments, and the EPSC evaluation will be shown only for informational purposes. |
In the first two case-by-case evaluation scenarios, the EPSC evaluation/score is the more heavily weighted consideration.
Specific Treatment of Certain Award Types in Equity Plan Evaluations
Dividend Equivalent Rights
Options that have Dividend Equivalent Rights (DERs) associated with them will have a higher calculated award value than those without DERs under the binomial model, based on the value of these dividend streams. The higher value will be applied to new shares, shares available under existing plans, and shares awarded but not exercised per the plan specifications. DERS transfer more shareholder equity to employees and non-employee directors and this cost should be captured.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Operating Partnership (OP) Units in Equity Plan Analysis of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
For Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS), include the common shares issuable upon conversion of outstanding Operating Partnership (OP) units in the share count for the purposes of determining: (1) market capitalization in the Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) analysis and (2) shares outstanding in the burn rate analysis.
Other Compensation Plans
401(k) Employee Benefit Plans
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to implement a 401(k) savings plan for employees.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to implement an ESOP or increase authorized shares for existing ESOPs, unless the number of shares allocated to the ESOP is excessive (more than five percent of outstanding shares).
Employee Stock Purchase Plans—Qualified Plans
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on qualified employee stock purchase plans. Vote for employee stock purchase plans where all of the following apply:
| ◾ | Purchase price is at least 85 percent of fair market value; | |
| ◾ | Offering period is 27 months or less; and | |
| ◾ | The number of shares allocated to the plan is 10 percent or less of the outstanding shares. |
Vote against qualified employee stock purchase plans where when the plan features do not meet all of the above criteria.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans—Non-Qualified Plans
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on nonqualified employee stock purchase plans. Vote for nonqualified employee stock purchase plans with all the following features:
| ◾ | Broad-based participation; | |
| ◾ | Limits on employee contribution, which may be a fixed dollar amount or expressed as a percent of base salary; | |
| ◾ | Company matching contribution up to 25 percent of employee’s contribution, which is effectively a discount of 20 percent from market value; and | |
| ◾ | No discount on the stock price on the date of purchase when there is a company matching contribution. |
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Vote against nonqualified employee stock purchase plans when the plan features do not meet all of the above criteria. If the matching contribution or effective discount exceeds the above, ISS may evaluate the SVT cost of the plan as part of the assessment.
Option Exchange Programs/Repricing Options
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on management proposals seeking approval to exchange/reprice options taking into consideration:
| ◾ | Historic trading patterns--the stock price should not be so volatile that the options are likely to be back “in- the-money” over the near term; | |
| ◾ | Rationale for the re-pricing--was the stock price decline beyond management’s control?; | |
| ◾ | Is this a value-for-value exchange?; | |
| ◾ | Are surrendered stock options added back to the plan reserve?; | |
| ◾ | Timing--repricing should occur at least one year out from any precipitous drop in company’s stock price; | |
| ◾ | Option vesting--does the new option vest immediately or is there a black-out period?; | |
| ◾ | Term of the option--the term should remain the same as that of the replaced option; | |
| ◾ | Exercise price--should be set at fair market or a premium to market; and | |
| ◾ | Participants--executive officers and directors must be excluded. |
If the surrendered options are added back to the equity plans for re-issuance, then also take into consideration the company’s total cost of equity plans and its three-year average burn rate.
In addition to the above considerations, evaluate the intent, rationale, and timing of the repricing proposal. The proposal should clearly articulate why the board is choosing to conduct an exchange program at this point in time. Repricing underwater options after a recent precipitous drop in the company’s stock price demonstrates poor timing and warrants additional scrutiny. Also, consider the terms of the surrendered options, such as the grant date, exercise price and vesting schedule. Grant dates of surrendered options should be far enough back (two to three years) so as not to suggest that repricings are being done to take advantage of short-term downward price movements. Similarly, the exercise price of surrendered options should be above the 52-week high for the stock price.
Vote for shareholder proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote.
Stock Plans in Lieu of Cash
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on plans that provide participants with the option of taking all or a portion of their cash compensation in the form of stock.
Vote for non-employee director-only equity plans that provide a dollar-for-dollar cash-for-stock exchange.
Vote case-by-case on plans which do not provide a dollar-for-dollar cash for stock exchange. In cases where the exchange is not dollar-for-dollar, the request for new or additional shares for such equity program will be considered using the binomial option pricing model. In an effort to capture the total cost of total compensation, ISS will not make any adjustments to carve out the in-lieu-of cash compensation.
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Transfer Stock Option (TSO) Programs
General Recommendation: One-time Transfers: Vote against or withhold from compensation committee members if they fail to submit one-time transfers to shareholders for approval.
Vote case-by-case on one-time transfers. Vote for if:
| ◾ | Executive officers and non-employee directors are excluded from participating; | |
| ◾ | Stock options are purchased by third-party financial institutions at a discount to their fair value using option pricing models such as Black-Scholes or a Binomial Option Valuation or other appropriate financial models; and | |
| ◾ | There is a two-year minimum holding period for sale proceeds (cash or stock) for all participants. |
Additionally, management should provide a clear explanation of why options are being transferred to a third-party institution and whether the events leading up to a decline in stock price were beyond management’s control. A review of the company’s historic stock price volatility should indicate if the options are likely to be back “in-the- money” over the near term.
Ongoing TSO program: Vote against equity plan proposals if the details of ongoing TSO programs are not provided to shareholders. Since TSOs will be one of the award types under a stock plan, the ongoing TSO program, structure, and mechanics must be disclosed to shareholders. The specific criteria to be considered in evaluating these proposals include, but not limited, to the following:
| ◾ | Eligibility; | |
| ◾ | Vesting; | |
| ◾ | Bid-price; | |
| ◾ | Term of options; | |
| ◾ | Cost of the program and impact of the TSOs on company’s total option expense; and | |
| ◾ | Option repricing policy. |
Amendments to existing plans that allow for introduction of transferability of stock options should make clear that only options granted post-amendment shall be transferable.
Director Compensation
Shareholder Ratification of Director Pay Programs
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on management proposals seeking ratification of non-employee director compensation, based on the following factors:
| ◾ | If the equity plan under which non-employee director grants are made is on the ballot, whether or not it warrants support; and | |
| ◾ | An assessment of the following qualitative factors: |
| ◾ | The relative magnitude of director compensation as compared to companies of a similar profile; | |
| ◾ | The presence of problematic pay practices relating to director compensation; | |
| ◾ | Director stock ownership guidelines and holding requirements; | |
| ◾ | Equity award vesting schedules; | |
| ◾ | The mix of cash and equity-based compensation; | |
| ◾ | Meaningful limits on director compensation; |
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| ◾ | The availability of retirement benefits or perquisites; and | |
| ◾ | The quality of disclosure surrounding director compensation. |
Equity Plans for Non-Employee Directors
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on compensation plans for non-employee directors, based on:
| ◾ | The total estimated cost of the company’s equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the company’s estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; | |
| ◾ | The company’s three-year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers (in certain circumstances); and | |
| ◾ | The presence of any egregious plan features (such as an option repricing provision or liberal CIC vesting risk). |
On occasion, non-employee director stock plans will exceed the plan cost or burn-rate benchmarks when combined with employee or executive stock plans. In such cases, vote case-by-case on the plan taking into consideration the following qualitative factors:
| ◾ | The relative magnitude of director compensation as compared to companies of a similar profile; | |
| ◾ | The presence of problematic pay practices relating to director compensation; | |
| ◾ | Director stock ownership guidelines and holding requirements; | |
| ◾ | Equity award vesting schedules; | |
| ◾ | The mix of cash and equity-based compensation; | |
| ◾ | Meaningful limits on director compensation; | |
| ◾ | The availability of retirement benefits or perquisites; and | |
| ◾ | The quality of disclosure surrounding director compensation. |
Non-Employee Director Retirement Plans
General Recommendation: Vote against retirement plans for non-employee directors. Vote for shareholder proposals to eliminate retirement plans for non-employee directors.
Shareholder Proposals on Compensation
Bonus Banking/Bonus Banking “Plus”
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals seeking deferral of a portion of annual bonus pay, with ultimate payout linked to sustained results for the performance metrics on which the bonus was earned (whether for the named executive officers or a wider group of employees), taking into account the following factors:
| ◾ | The company’s past practices regarding equity and cash compensation; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has a holding period or stock ownership requirements in place, such as a meaningful retention ratio (at least 50 percent for full tenure); and | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has a rigorous claw-back policy in place. |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Compensation Consultants—Disclosure of Board or Company’s Utilization
General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals seeking disclosure regarding the company, board, or compensation committee’s use of compensation consultants, such as company name, business relationship(s), and fees paid.
Disclosure/Setting Levels or Types of Compensation for Executives and Directors
General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals seeking additional disclosure of executive and director pay information, provided the information requested is relevant to shareholders’ needs, would not put the company at a competitive disadvantage relative to its industry, and is not unduly burdensome to the company.
Generally vote against shareholder proposals seeking to set absolute levels on compensation or otherwise dictate the amount or form of compensation (such as types of compensation elements or specific metrics) to be used for executive or directors.
Generally vote against shareholder proposals that mandate a minimum amount of stock that directors must own in order to qualify as a director or to remain on the board.
Vote case-by-case on all other shareholder proposals regarding executive and director pay, taking into account relevant factors, including but not limited to: company performance, pay level and design versus peers, history of compensation concerns or pay-for-performance disconnect, and/or the scope and prescriptive nature of the proposal.
Golden Coffins/Executive Death Benefits
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals calling for companies to adopt a policy of obtaining shareholder approval for any future agreements and corporate policies that could oblige the company to make payments or awards following the death of a senior executive in the form of unearned salary or bonuses, accelerated vesting or the continuation in force of unvested equity grants, perquisites and other payments or awards made in lieu of compensation. This would not apply to any benefit programs or equity plan proposals for which the broad-based employee population is eligible.
Hold Equity Past Retirement or for a Significant Period of Time
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals asking companies to adopt policies requiring senior executive officers to retain a portion of net shares acquired through compensation plans. The following factors will be taken into account:
| ◾ | The percentage/ratio of net shares required to be retained; | |
| ◾ | The time period required to retain the shares; |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| ◾ | Whether the company has equity retention, holding period, and/or stock ownership requirements in place and the robustness of such requirements; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has any other policies aimed at mitigating risk taking by executives; | |
| ◾ | Executives’ actual stock ownership and the degree to which it meets or exceeds the proponent’s suggested holding period/retention ratio or the company’s existing requirements; and | |
| ◾ | Problematic pay practices, current and past, which may demonstrate a short-term versus long-term focus. |
Pay Disparity
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals calling for an analysis of the pay disparity between corporate executives and other non-executive employees. The following factors will be considered:
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure of its executive compensation setting process, including how the company considers pay disparity; | |
| ◾ | If any problematic pay practices or pay-for-performance concerns have been identified at the company; and | |
| ◾ | The level of shareholder support for the company’s pay programs. |
Generally vote against proposals calling for the company to use the pay disparity analysis or pay ratio in a specific way to set or limit executive pay.
Pay for Performance/Performance-Based Awards
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals requesting that a significant amount of future long-term incentive compensation awarded to senior executives shall be performance-based and requesting that the board adopt and disclose challenging performance metrics to shareholders, based on the following analytical steps:
| ◾ | First, vote for shareholder proposals advocating the use of performance-based equity awards, such as performance contingent options or restricted stock, indexed options, or premium-priced options, unless the proposal is overly restrictive or if the company has demonstrated that it is using a “substantial” portion of performance-based awards for its top executives. Standard stock options and performance-accelerated awards do not meet the criteria to be considered as performance-based awards. Further, premium-priced options should have a meaningful premium to be considered performance-based awards; and |
| ◾ | Second, assess the rigor of the company’s performance-based equity program. If the bar set for the performance-based program is too low based on the company’s historical or peer group comparison, generally vote for the proposal. Furthermore, if target performance results in an above target payout, vote for the shareholder proposal due to program’s poor design. If the company does not disclose the performance metric of the performance-based equity program, vote for the shareholder proposal regardless of the outcome of the first step to the test. |
In general, vote for the shareholder proposal if the company does not meet both of the above two steps.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Pay for Superior Performance
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals that request the board establish a pay-for- superior performance standard in the company’s executive compensation plan for senior executives. These proposals generally include the following principles:
| ◾ | Set compensation targets for the plan’s annual and long-term incentive pay components at or below the peer group median; | |
| ◾ | Deliver a majority of the plan’s target long-term compensation through performance-vested, not simply time- vested, equity awards; | |
| ◾ | Provide the strategic rationale and relative weightings of the financial and non-financial performance metrics or criteria used in the annual and performance-vested long-term incentive components of the plan; | |
| ◾ | Establish performance targets for each plan financial metric relative to the performance of the company’s peer companies; and | |
| ◾ | Limit payment under the annual and performance-vested long-term incentive components of the plan to when the company’s performance on its selected financial performance metrics exceeds peer group median performance. |
Consider the following factors in evaluating this proposal:
| ◾ | What aspects of the company’s annual and long-term equity incentive programs are performance driven? | |
| ◾ | If the annual and long-term equity incentive programs are performance driven, are the performance criteria and hurdle rates disclosed to shareholders or are they benchmarked against a disclosed peer group? | |
| ◾ | Can shareholders assess the correlation between pay and performance based on the current disclosure? and | |
| ◾ | What type of industry and stage of business cycle does the company belong to? |
Pre-Arranged Trading Plans (10b5-1 Plans)
General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals calling for the addition of certain safeguards in prearranged trading plans (10b5-1 plans) for executives. Safeguards may include:
| ◾ | Adoption, amendment, or termination of a 10b5-1 Plan must be disclosed in a Form 8-K; | |
| ◾ | Amendment or early termination of a 10b5-1 Plan allowed only under extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the board; | |
| ◾ | Request that a certain number of days that must elapse between adoption or amendment of a 10b5-1 Plan and initial trading under the plan; | |
| ◾ | Reports on Form 4 must identify transactions made pursuant to a 10b5-1 Plan; | |
| ◾ | An executive may not trade in company stock outside the 10b5-1 Plan; and | |
| ◾ | Trades under a 10b5-1 Plan must be handled by a broker who does not handle other securities transactions for the executive. |
Prohibit Outside CEOs from Serving on Compensation Committees
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals seeking a policy to prohibit any outside CEO from serving on a company’s compensation committee, unless the company has demonstrated problematic pay practices that raise concerns about the performance and composition of the committee.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Recoupment of Incentive or Stock Compensation in Specified Circumstances
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to recoup incentive cash or stock compensation made to senior executives if it is later determined that the figures upon which incentive compensation is earned turn out to have been in error, or if the senior executive has breached company policy or has engaged in misconduct that may be significantly detrimental to the company’s financial position or reputation, or if the senior executive failed to manage or monitor risks that subsequently led to significant financial or reputational harm to the company. Many companies have adopted policies that permit recoupment in cases where an executive’s fraud, misconduct, or negligence significantly contributed to a restatement of financial results that led to the awarding of unearned incentive compensation. However, such policies may be narrow given that not all misconduct or negligence may result in significant financial restatements. Misconduct, negligence, or lack of sufficient oversight by senior executives may lead to significant financial loss or reputational damage that may have long-lasting impact.
In considering whether to support such shareholder proposals, ISS will take into consideration the following factors:
| ◾ | If the company has adopted a formal recoupment policy; | |
| ◾ | The rigor of the recoupment policy focusing on how and under what circumstances the company may recoup incentive or stock compensation; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has chronic restatement history or material financial problems; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company’s policy substantially addresses the concerns raised by the proponent; | |
| ◾ | Disclosure of recoupment of incentive or stock compensation from senior executives or lack thereof; and | |
| ◾ | Any other relevant factors. |
Severance and Golden Parachute Agreements
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals requiring that executive severance (including change-in-control related) arrangements or payments be submitted for shareholder ratification.
Factors that will be considered include, but are not limited to:
| ◾ | The company’s severance or change-in-control agreements in place, and the presence of problematic features (such as excessive severance entitlements, single triggers, excise tax gross-ups, etc.); | |
| ◾ | Any existing limits on cash severance payouts or policies which require shareholder ratification of severance payments exceeding a certain level; | |
| ◾ | Any recent severance-related controversies; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the proposal is overly prescriptive, such as requiring shareholder approval of severance that does not exceed market norms. |
Share Buyback Impact on Incentive Program Metrics
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting the company exclude the impact of share buybacks from the calculation of incentive program metrics, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | The frequency and timing of the company’s share buybacks; | |
| ◾ | The use of per-share metrics in incentive plans; | |
| ◾ | The effect of recent buybacks on incentive metric results and payouts; and | |
| ◾ | Whether there is any indication of metric result manipulation. |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs)
General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requesting to put extraordinary benefits contained in SERP agreements to a shareholder vote unless the company’s executive pension plans do not contain excessive benefits beyond what is offered under employee-wide plans.
Generally vote for shareholder proposals requesting to limit the executive benefits provided under the company’s supplemental executive retirement plan (SERP) by limiting covered compensation to a senior executive’s annual salary or those pay elements covered for the general employee population.
Tax Gross-Up Proposals
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals calling for companies to adopt a policy of not providing tax gross-up payments to executives, except in situations where gross-ups are provided pursuant to a plan, policy, or arrangement applicable to management employees of the company, such as a relocation or expatriate tax equalization policy.
Termination of Employment Prior to Severance Payment/Eliminating Accelerated Vesting of Unvested Equity
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals seeking a policy requiring termination of employment prior to severance payment and/or eliminating accelerated vesting of unvested equity.
The following factors will be considered:
| ◾ | The company’s current treatment of equity upon employment termination and/or in change-in-control situations (i.e., vesting is double triggered and/or pro rata, does it allow for the assumption of equity by acquiring company, the treatment of performance shares, etc.); and | |
| ◾ | Current employment agreements, including potential poor pay practices such as gross-ups embedded in those agreements. |
Generally vote for proposals seeking a policy that prohibits automatic acceleration of the vesting of equity awards to senior executives upon a voluntary termination of employment or in the event of a change in control (except for pro rata vesting considering the time elapsed and attainment of any related performance goals between the award date and the change in control).
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| 6. | Routine/Miscellaneous |
Adjourn Meeting
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals to provide management with the authority to adjourn an annual or special meeting absent compelling reasons to support the proposal.
Vote for proposals that relate specifically to soliciting votes for a merger or transaction if supporting that merger or transaction. Vote against proposals if the wording is too vague or if the proposal includes “other business.”
Amend Quorum Requirements
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to reduce quorum requirements for shareholder meetings below a majority of the shares outstanding, taking into consideration:
| ◾ | The new quorum threshold requested; | |
| ◾ | The rationale presented for the reduction; | |
| ◾ | The market capitalization of the company (size, inclusion in indices); | |
| ◾ | The company’s ownership structure; | |
| ◾ | Previous voter turnout or attempts to achieve quorum; | |
| ◾ | Any provisions or commitments to restore quorum to a majority of shares outstanding, should voter turnout improve sufficiently; and | |
| ◾ | Other factors as appropriate. |
In general, a quorum threshold kept as close to a majority of shares outstanding as is achievable is preferred.
Vote case-by-case on directors who unilaterally lower the quorum requirements below a majority of the shares outstanding, taking into consideration the factors listed above.
Amend Minor Bylaws
General Recommendation: Vote for bylaw or charter changes that are of a housekeeping nature (updates or corrections).
Change Company Name
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals to change the corporate name unless there is compelling evidence that the change would adversely impact shareholder value.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Change Date, Time, or Location of Annual Meeting
General Recommendation: Vote for management proposals to change the date, time, or location of the annual meeting unless the proposed change is unreasonable.
Vote against shareholder proposals to change the date, time, or location of the annual meeting unless the current scheduling or location is unreasonable.
Other Business
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals to approve other business when it appears as a voting item.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| 7. | Social and Environmental Issues |
Global Approach – E&S Shareholder Proposals
ISS applies a common approach globally to evaluating social and environmental proposals which cover a wide range of topics, including consumer and product safety, environment and energy, labor standards and human rights, workplace and board diversity, and corporate political issues. While a variety of factors goes into each analysis, the overall principle guiding all vote recommendations focuses on how the proposal may enhance or protect shareholder value in either the short or long term.
General Recommendation: Generally vote case-by-case, examining primarily whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value. The following factors will be considered:
| ◾ | If the issues presented in the proposal are being appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation; | |
| ◾ | If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal; | |
| ◾ | Whether the proposal’s request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive; | |
| ◾ | The company’s approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal; | |
| ◾ | Whether there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s practices related to the issue(s) raised in the proposal; | |
| ◾ | If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and | |
| ◾ | If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage. |
Endorsement of Principles
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals seeking a company’s endorsement of principles that support a particular public policy position. Endorsing a set of principles may require a company to take a stand on an issue that is beyond its own control and may limit its flexibility with respect to future developments. Management and the board should be afforded the flexibility to make decisions on specific public policy positions based on their own assessment of the most beneficial strategies for the company.
Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare Policies
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals seeking a report on a company’s animal welfare standards, or animal welfare-related risks, unless:
| ◾ | The company has already published a set of animal welfare standards and monitors compliance; | |
| ◾ | The company’s standards are comparable to industry peers; and |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| ◾ | There are no recent significant fines, litigation, or controversies related to the company’s and/or its suppliers’ treatment of animals. |
Animal Testing
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals to phase out the use of animals in product testing, unless:
| ◾ | The company is conducting animal testing programs that are unnecessary or not required by regulation; | |
| ◾ | The company is conducting animal testing when suitable alternatives are commonly accepted and used by industry peers; or | |
| ◾ | There are recent, significant fines or litigation related to the company’s treatment of animals. |
Animal Slaughter
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals requesting the implementation of Controlled Atmosphere Killing (CAK) methods at company and/or supplier operations unless such methods are required by legislation or generally accepted as the industry standard.
Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting a report on the feasibility of implementing CAK methods at company and/or supplier operations considering the availability of existing research conducted by the company or industry groups on this topic and any fines or litigation related to current animal processing procedures at the company.
Consumer Issues
Genetically Modified Ingredients
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals requesting that a company voluntarily label genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in its products. The labeling of products with GE ingredients is best left to the appropriate regulatory authorities.
Vote case-by-case on proposals asking for a report on the feasibility of labeling products containing GE ingredients, taking into account:
| ◾ | The potential impact of such labeling on the company’s business; | |
| ◾ | The quality of the company’s disclosure on GE product labeling, related voluntary initiatives, and how this disclosure compares with industry peer disclosure; and | |
| ◾ | Company’s current disclosure on the feasibility of GE product labeling. |
Generally vote against proposals seeking a report on the social, health, and environmental effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Studies of this sort are better undertaken by regulators and the scientific community.
Generally vote against proposals to eliminate GE ingredients from the company’s products, or proposals asking for reports outlining the steps necessary to eliminate GE ingredients from the company’s products. Such decisions are more appropriately made by management with consideration of current regulations.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Reports on Potentially Controversial Business/Financial Practices
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for reports on a company’s potentially controversial business or financial practices or products, taking into account:
| ◾ | Whether the company has adequately disclosed mechanisms in place to prevent abuses; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has adequately disclosed the financial risks of the products/practices in question; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been subject to violations of related laws or serious controversies; and | |
| ◾ | Peer companies’ policies/practices in this area. |
Pharmaceutical Pricing, Access to Medicines, and Prescription Drug Reimportation
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals requesting that companies implement specific price restraints on pharmaceutical products unless the company fails to adhere to legislative guidelines or industry norms in its product pricing practices.
Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting that a company report on its product pricing or access to medicine policies, considering:
| ◾ | The potential for reputational, market, and regulatory risk exposure; | |
| ◾ | Existing disclosure of relevant policies; | |
| ◾ | Deviation from established industry norms; | |
| ◾ | Relevant company initiatives to provide research and/or products to disadvantaged consumers; | |
| ◾ | Whether the proposal focuses on specific products or geographic regions; | |
| ◾ | The potential burden and scope of the requested report; and | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies, litigation, or fines at the company. |
Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on the financial and legal impact of its prescription drug reimportation policies unless such information is already publicly disclosed.
Generally vote against proposals requesting that companies adopt specific policies to encourage or constrain prescription drug reimportation. Such matters are more appropriately the province of legislative activity and may place the company at a competitive disadvantage relative to its peers.
Product Safety and Toxic/Hazardous Materials
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives/procedures, and oversight mechanisms related to toxic/hazardous materials or product safety in its supply chain, unless:
| ◾ | The company already discloses similar information through existing reports such as a supplier code of conduct and/or a sustainability report; | |
| ◾ | The company has formally committed to the implementation of a toxic/hazardous materials and/or product safety and supply chain reporting and monitoring program based on industry norms or similar standards within a specified time frame; or | |
| ◾ | The company has not been recently involved in relevant significant controversies, fines, or litigation. |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Vote case-by-case on resolutions requesting that companies develop a feasibility assessment to phase-out of certain toxic/hazardous materials, or evaluate and disclose the potential financial and legal risks associated with utilizing certain materials, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure regarding its product safety policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms; | |
| ◾ | Current regulations in the markets in which the company operates; and | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies, litigation, or fines stemming from toxic/hazardous materials at the company. |
Generally vote against resolutions requiring that a company reformulate its products.
Tobacco-Related Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on resolutions regarding the advertisement of tobacco products, considering:
| ◾ | Recent related fines, controversies, or significant litigation; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company complies with relevant laws and regulations on the marketing of tobacco; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company’s advertising restrictions deviate from those of industry peers; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company entered into the Master Settlement Agreement, which restricts marketing of tobacco to youth; and | |
| ◾ | Whether restrictions on marketing to youth extend to foreign countries. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals regarding second-hand smoke, considering;
| ◾ | Whether the company complies with all laws and regulations; | |
| ◾ | The degree that voluntary restrictions beyond those mandated by law might hurt the company’s competitiveness; and | |
| ◾ | The risk of any health-related liabilities. |
Generally vote against resolutions to cease production of tobacco-related products, to avoid selling products to tobacco companies, to spin-off tobacco-related businesses, or prohibit investment in tobacco equities. Such business decisions are better left to company management or portfolio managers.
Generally vote against proposals regarding tobacco product warnings. Such decisions are better left to public health authorities.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Climate Change
Say on Climate (SoC) Management Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on management proposals that request shareholders to approve the company’s climate transition action plan23, taking into account the completeness and rigor of the plan. Information that will be considered where available includes the following:
| ◾ | The extent to which the company’s climate related disclosures are in line with TCFD recommendations and meet other market standards; | |
| ◾ | Disclosure of its operational and supply chain GHG emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3); | |
| ◾ | The completeness and rigor of company’s short-, medium-, and long-term targets for reducing operational and supply chain GHG emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3 if relevant); | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has sought and received third-party approval that its targets are science-based; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has made a commitment to be “net zero” for operational and supply chain emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2050; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company discloses a commitment to report on the implementation of its plan in subsequent years; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company’s climate data has received third-party assurance; | |
| ◾ | Disclosure of how the company’s lobbying activities and its capital expenditures align with company strategy; | |
| ◾ | Whether there are specific industry decarbonization challenges; and | |
| ◾ | The company’s related commitment, disclosure, and performance compared to its industry peers. |
Say on Climate (SoC) Shareholder Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals that request the company to disclose a report providing its GHG emissions levels and reduction targets and/or its upcoming/approved climate transition action plan and provide shareholders the opportunity to express approval or disapproval of its GHG emissions reduction plan, taking into account information such as the following:
| ◾ | The completeness and rigor of the company’s climate-related disclosure; | |
| ◾ | The company’s actual GHG emissions performance; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to its GHG emissions; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the proposal’s request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive. |
Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
General Recommendation: Generally vote for resolutions requesting that a company disclose information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks it faces related to climate change on its operations and investments or on how the company identifies, measures, and manages such risks, considering:
| ◾ | Whether the company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impact that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; |
23 Variations of this request also include climate transition related ambitions, or commitment to reporting on the implementation of a climate plan.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| ◾ | The company’s level of disclosure compared to industry peers; and | |
| ◾ | Whether there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s climate change-related performance. |
Generally vote for proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations and/or products and operations, unless:
| ◾ | The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities; | |
| ◾ | The company’s level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; or | |
| ◾ | There are no significant, controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s GHG emissions. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals that call for the adoption of GHG reduction goals from products and operations, taking into account:
| ◾ | Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data; | |
| ◾ | Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers; | |
| ◾ | The company’s actual GHG emissions performance; | |
| ◾ | The company’s current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to GHG emissions. |
Energy Efficiency
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on its energy efficiency policies, unless:
| ◾ | The company complies with applicable energy efficiency regulations and laws, and discloses its participation in energy efficiency policies and programs, including disclosure of benchmark data, targets, and performance measures; or | |
| ◾ | The proponent requests adoption of specific energy efficiency goals within specific timelines. |
Renewable Energy
General Recommendation: Generally vote for requests for reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources unless the report would be duplicative of existing disclosure or irrelevant to the company’s line of business.
Generally vote against proposals requesting that the company invest in renewable energy resources. Such decisions are best left to management’s evaluation of the feasibility and financial impact that such programs may have on the company.
Generally vote against proposals that call for the adoption of renewable energy goals, taking into account:
| ◾ | The scope and structure of the proposal; | |
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure on renewable energy use and GHG emissions; and |
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure of policies, practices, and oversight implemented to manage GHG emissions and mitigate climate change risks. |
Diversity
Board Diversity
General Recommendation: Generally vote for requests for reports on a company’s efforts to diversify the board, unless:
| ◾ | The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; or | |
| ◾ | The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board and within the company. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals asking a company to increase the gender and racial minority representation on its board, taking into account:
| ◾ | The degree of existing gender and racial minority diversity on the company’s board and among its executive officers; | |
| ◾ | The level of gender and racial minority representation that exists at the company’s industry peers; | |
| ◾ | The company’s established process for addressing gender and racial minority board representation; | |
| ◾ | Whether the proposal includes an overly prescriptive request to amend nominating committee charter language; | |
| ◾ | The independence of the company’s nominating committee; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company uses an outside search firm to identify potential director nominees; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has had recent controversies, fines, or litigation regarding equal employment practices. |
Equality of Opportunity
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting a company disclose its diversity policies or initiatives, or proposals requesting disclosure of a company’s comprehensive workforce diversity data, including requests for EEO-1 data, unless:
| ◾ | The company publicly discloses equal opportunity policies and initiatives in a comprehensive manner; | |
| ◾ | The company already publicly discloses comprehensive workforce diversity data; or | |
| ◾ | The company has no recent significant EEO-related violations or litigation. |
Generally vote against proposals seeking information on the diversity efforts of suppliers and service providers. Such requests may pose a significant burden on the company.
Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Domestic Partner Benefits
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, unless the change would be unduly burdensome.
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Proxy Voting Guidelines
Generally vote against proposals to extend company benefits to, or eliminate benefits from, domestic partners. Decisions regarding benefits should be left to the discretion of the company.
Gender, Race/Ethnicity Pay Gap
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for reports on a company’s pay data by gender or race/ ethnicity, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender or race/ethnicity pay gaps, taking into account:
| ◾ | The company’s current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy on fair and equitable compensation practices; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation, or regulatory actions related to gender, race, or ethnicity pay gap issues; | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure regarding gender, race, or ethnicity pay gap policies or initiatives compared to its industry peers; and | |
| ◾ | Local laws regarding categorization of race and/or ethnicity and definitions of ethnic and/or racial minorities. |
Racial Equity and/or Civil Rights Audit Guidelines
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals asking a company to conduct an independent racial equity and/or civil rights audit, taking into account:
| ◾ | The company’s established process or framework for addressing racial inequity and discrimination internally; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company adequately discloses workforce diversity and inclusion metrics and goals; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has issued a public statement related to its racial justice efforts in recent years, or has committed to internal policy review; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has engaged with impacted communities, stakeholders, and civil rights experts; | |
| ◾ | The company’s track record in recent years of racial justice measures and outreach externally; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation, or regulatory actions related to racial inequity or discrimination. |
Environment and Sustainability
Facility and Workplace Safety
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for workplace safety reports, including reports on accident risk reduction efforts, taking into account:
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure of its workplace health and safety performance data, health and safety management policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms; | |
| ◾ | The nature of the company’s business, specifically regarding company and employee exposure to health and safety risks; | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies, fines, or violations related to workplace health and safety; and | |
| ◾ | The company’s workplace health and safety performance relative to industry peers. |
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Vote case-by-case on resolutions requesting that a company report on safety and/or security risks associated with its operations and/or facilities, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines; | |
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure regarding its security and safety policies, procedures, and compliance monitoring; and | |
| ◾ | The existence of recent, significant violations, fines, or controversy regarding the safety and security of the company’s operations and/or facilities. |
Natural Capital- Related and/or Community Impact Assessment Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for reports on policies and/or the potential (community) social and/or environmental impact of company operations, considering:
| ◾ | Alignment of current disclosure of applicable company policies, metrics, risk assessment report(s) and risk management procedures with any relevant, broadly accepted reporting frameworks; | |
| ◾ | The impact of regulatory non-compliance, litigation, remediation, or reputational loss that may be associated with failure to manage the company’s operations in question, including the management of relevant community and stakeholder relations; | |
| ◾ | The nature, purpose, and scope of the company’s operations in the specific region(s); | |
| ◾ | The degree to which company policies and procedures are consistent with industry norms; and | |
| ◾ | The scope of the resolution. |
Hydraulic Fracturing
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting greater disclosure of a company’s (natural gas) hydraulic fracturing operations, including measures the company has taken to manage and mitigate the potential community and environmental impacts of those operations, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure of relevant policies and oversight mechanisms; | |
| ◾ | The company’s current level of such disclosure relative to its industry peers; | |
| ◾ | Potential relevant local, state, or national regulatory developments; and | |
| ◾ | Controversies, fines, or litigation related to the company’s hydraulic fracturing operations. |
Operations in Protected Areas
General Recommendation: Generally vote for requests for reports on potential environmental damage as a result of company operations in protected regions, unless:
| ◾ | Operations in the specified regions are not permitted by current laws or regulations; | |
| ◾ | The company does not currently have operations or plans to develop operations in these protected regions; or | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure of its operations and environmental policies in these regions is comparable to industry peers. |
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Recycling
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to report on an existing recycling program, or adopt a new recycling program, taking into account:
| ◾ | The nature of the company’s business; | |
| ◾ | The current level of disclosure of the company’s existing related programs; | |
| ◾ | The timetable and methods of program implementation prescribed by the proposal; | |
| ◾ | The company’s ability to address the issues raised in the proposal; and | |
| ◾ | How the company’s recycling programs compare to similar programs of its industry peers. |
Sustainability Reporting
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability, unless:
| ◾ | The company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies such as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) report; a comprehensive code of corporate conduct; and/or a diversity report; or | |
| ◾ | The company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines or a similar standard within a specified time frame. |
Water Issues
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting a company report on, or adopt a new policy on, water-related risks and concerns, taking into account:
| ◾ | The company’s current disclosure of relevant policies, initiatives, oversight mechanisms, and water usage metrics; | |
| ◾ | Whether or not the company’s existing water-related policies and practices are consistent with relevant internationally recognized standards and national/local regulations; | |
| ◾ | The potential financial impact or risk to the company associated with water-related concerns or issues; and | |
| ◾ | Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding water use by the company and its suppliers. |
General Corporate Issues
Charitable Contributions
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals restricting a company from making charitable contributions. Charitable contributions are generally useful for assisting worthwhile causes and for creating goodwill in the community. In the absence of bad faith, self-dealing, or gross negligence, management should determine which, and if, contributions are in the best interests of the company.
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Data Security, Privacy, and Internet Issues
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting the disclosure or implementation of data security, privacy, or information access and management policies and procedures, considering:
| ◾ | The level of disclosure of company policies and procedures relating to data security, privacy, freedom of speech, information access and management, and Internet censorship; | |
| ◾ | Engagement in dialogue with governments or relevant groups with respect to data security, privacy, or the free flow of information on the Internet; | |
| ◾ | The scope of business involvement and of investment in countries whose governments censor or monitor the Internet and other telecommunications; | |
| ◾ | Applicable market-specific laws or regulations that may be imposed on the company; and | |
| ◾ | Controversies, fines, or litigation related to data security, privacy, freedom of speech, or Internet censorship. |
ESG Compensation-Related Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals seeking a report or additional disclosure on the company’s approach, policies, and practices on incorporating environmental and social criteria into its executive compensation strategy, considering:
| ◾ | The scope and prescriptive nature of the proposal; | |
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance and governance; | |
| ◾ | The degree to which the board or compensation committee already discloses information on whether it has considered related E&S criteria; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has significant controversies or regulatory violations regarding social or environmental issues. |
Human Rights, Human Capital Management, and International Operations
Human Rights Proposals
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor and/or human rights standards and policies unless such information is already publicly disclosed.
Vote case-by-case on proposals to implement company or company supplier labor and/or human rights standards and policies, considering:
| ◾ | The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed; | |
| ◾ | Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards; | |
| ◾ | Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how; | |
| ◾ | Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives; | |
| ◾ | Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse; |
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| ◾ | Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers; | |
| ◾ | The scope of the request; and | |
| ◾ | Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices. |
Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting that a company conduct an assessment of the human rights risks in its operations or in its supply chain, or report on its human rights risk assessment process, considering:
| ◾ | The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed, including information on the implementation of these policies and any related oversight mechanisms; | |
| ◾ | The company’s industry and whether the company or its suppliers operate in countries or areas where there is a history of human rights concerns; | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights involving the company or its suppliers, and whether the company has taken remedial steps; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the proposal is unduly burdensome or overly prescriptive. |
Mandatory Arbitration
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for a report on a company’s use of mandatory arbitration on employment-related claims, taking into account:
| ◾ | The company’s current policies and practices related to the use of mandatory arbitration agreements on workplace claims; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation, or regulatory actions related to the use of mandatory arbitration agreements on workplace claims; and | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure of its policies and practices related to the use of mandatory arbitration agreements compared to its peers. |
Operations in High-Risk Markets
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for a report on a company’s potential financial and reputational risks associated with operations in “high-risk” markets, such as a terrorism-sponsoring state or politically/socially unstable region, taking into account:
| ◾ | The nature, purpose, and scope of the operations and business involved that could be affected by social or political disruption; | |
| ◾ | Current disclosure of applicable risk assessment(s) and risk management procedures; | |
| ◾ | Compliance with U.S. sanctions and laws; | |
| ◾ | Consideration of other international policies, standards, and laws; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been recently involved in recent, significant controversies, fines, or litigation related to its operations in “high-risk” markets. |
Outsourcing/Offshoring
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals calling for companies to report on the risks associated with outsourcing/plant closures, considering:
| ◾ | Controversies surrounding operations in the relevant market(s); |
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| ◾ | The value of the requested report to shareholders; | |
| ◾ | The company’s current level of disclosure of relevant information on outsourcing and plant closure procedures; and | |
| ◾ | The company’s existing human rights standards relative to industry peers. |
Sexual Harassment
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on requests for a report on company actions taken to strengthen policies and oversight to prevent workplace sexual harassment, or a report on risks posed by a company’s failure to prevent workplace sexual harassment, taking into account:
| ◾ | The company’s current policies, practices, oversight mechanisms related to preventing workplace sexual harassment; | |
| ◾ | Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation, or regulatory actions related to workplace sexual harassment issues; and | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure regarding workplace sexual harassment policies or initiatives compared to its industry peers. |
Weapons and Military Sales
General Recommendation: Vote against reports on foreign military sales or offsets. Such disclosures may involve sensitive and confidential information. Moreover, companies must comply with government controls and reporting on foreign military sales.
Generally vote against proposals asking a company to cease production or report on the risks associated with the use of depleted uranium munitions or nuclear weapons components and delivery systems, including disengaging from current and proposed contracts. Such contracts are monitored by government agencies, serve multiple military and non-military uses, and withdrawal from these contracts could have a negative impact on the company’s business.
Political Activities
Lobbying
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting information on a company’s lobbying (including direct, indirect, and grassroots lobbying) activities, policies, or procedures, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s current disclosure of relevant lobbying policies, and management and board oversight; | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure regarding trade associations or other groups that it supports, or is a member of, that engage in lobbying activities; and | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding the company’s lobbying-related activities. |
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Political Contributions
General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals requesting greater disclosure of a company’s political contributions and trade association spending policies and activities, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s policies, and management and board oversight related to its direct political contributions and payments to trade associations or other groups that may be used for political purposes; | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure regarding its support of, and participation in, trade associations or other groups that may make political contributions; and | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation related to the company’s political contributions or political activities. |
Vote against proposals barring a company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level; barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.
Vote against proposals to publish in newspapers and other media a company’s political contributions. Such publications could present significant cost to the company without providing commensurate value to shareholders.
Political Expenditures and Lobbying Congruency
General Recommendation: Generally vote case-by-case on proposals requesting greater disclosure of a company’s alignment of political contributions, lobbying, and electioneering spending with a company’s publicly stated values and policies, considering:
| ◾ | The company’s policies, management, board oversight, governance processes, and level of disclosure related to direct political contributions, lobbying activities, and payments to trade associations, political action committees, or other groups that may be used for political purposes; | |
| ◾ | The company’s disclosure regarding: the reasons for its support of candidates for public offices; the reasons for support of and participation in trade associations or other groups that may make political contributions; and other political activities; | |
| ◾ | Any incongruencies identified between a company’s direct and indirect political expenditures and its publicly stated values and priorities; and | |
| ◾ | Recent significant controversies related to the company’s direct and indirect lobbying, political contributions, or political activities. |
Generally vote case-by-case on proposals requesting comparison of a company’s political spending to objectives that can mitigate material risks for the company, such as limiting global warming.
Political Ties
General Recommendation: Generally vote against proposals asking a company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace, so long as:
| ◾ | There are no recent, significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and |
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| ◾ | The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibit coercion. |
Vote against proposals asking for a list of company executives, directors, consultants, legal counsels, lobbyists, or investment bankers that have prior government service and whether such service had a bearing on the business of the company. Such a list would be burdensome to prepare without providing any meaningful information to shareholders.
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| 8. | Mutual Fund Proxies |
Election of Directors
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the election of directors and trustees, following the same guidelines for uncontested directors for public company shareholder meetings. However, mutual fund boards do not usually have compensation committees, so do not withhold for the lack of this committee.
Closed End Funds- Unilateral Opt-In to Control Share Acquisition Statutes
General Recommendation: For closed-end management investment companies (CEFs), vote against or withhold from nominating/governance committee members (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) at CEFs that have not provided a compelling rationale for opting-in to a Control Share Acquisition statute, nor submitted a by-law amendment to a shareholder vote.
Converting Closed-end Fund to Open-end Fund
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on conversion proposals, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Past performance as a closed-end fund; | |
| ◾ | Market in which the fund invests; | |
| ◾ | Measures taken by the board to address the discount; and | |
| ◾ | Past shareholder activism, board activity, and votes on related proposals. |
Proxy Contests
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proxy contests, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Past performance relative to its peers; | |
| ◾ | Market in which the fund invests; | |
| ◾ | Measures taken by the board to address the issues; | |
| ◾ | Past shareholder activism, board activity, and votes on related proposals; | |
| ◾ | Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents; | |
| ◾ | Independence of directors; | |
| ◾ | Experience and skills of director candidates; | |
| ◾ | Governance profile of the company; and | |
| ◾ | Evidence of management entrenchment. |
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Investment Advisory Agreements
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on investment advisory agreements, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Proposed and current fee schedules; | |
| ◾ | Fund category/investment objective; | |
| ◾ | Performance benchmarks; | |
| ◾ | Share price performance as compared with peers; | |
| ◾ | Resulting fees relative to peers; and | |
| ◾ | Assignments (where the advisor undergoes a change of control). |
Approving New Classes or Series of Shares
General Recommendation: Vote for the establishment of new classes or series of shares.
Preferred Stock Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the authorization for or increase in preferred shares, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Stated specific financing purpose; | |
| ◾ | Possible dilution for common shares; and | |
| ◾ | Whether the shares can be used for antitakeover purposes. |
1940 Act Policies
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on policies under the Investment Advisor Act of 1940, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Potential competitiveness; | |
| ◾ | Regulatory developments; | |
| ◾ | Current and potential returns; and | |
| ◾ | Current and potential risk. |
Generally vote for these amendments as long as the proposed changes do not fundamentally alter the investment focus of the fund and do comply with the current SEC interpretation.
Changing a Fundamental Restriction to a Nonfundamental Restriction
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to change a fundamental restriction to a non- fundamental restriction, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | The fund’s target investments; |
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| ◾ | The reasons given by the fund for the change; and | |
| ◾ | The projected impact of the change on the portfolio. |
Change Fundamental Investment Objective to Nonfundamental
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals to change a fund’s fundamental investment objective to non-fundamental.
Name Change Proposals
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on name change proposals, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Political/economic changes in the target market; | |
| ◾ | Consolidation in the target market; and | |
| ◾ | Current asset composition. |
Change in Fund’s Subclassification
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on changes in a fund’s sub-classification, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Potential competitiveness; | |
| ◾ | Current and potential returns; | |
| ◾ | Risk of concentration; and | |
| ◾ | Consolidation in target industry. |
Business Development Companies—Authorization to Sell Shares of Common Stock at a Price below Net Asset Value
General Recommendation: Vote for proposals authorizing the board to issue shares below Net Asset Value (NAV) if:
| ◾ | The proposal to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date no more than one year from the date shareholders approve the underlying proposal, as required under the Investment Company Act of 1940; | |
| ◾ | The sale is deemed to be in the best interests of shareholders by (1) a majority of the company’s independent directors and (2) a majority of the company’s directors who have no financial interest in the issuance; and | |
| ◾ | The company has demonstrated responsible past use of share issuances by either: | |
| ◾ | Outperforming peers in its 8-digit GICS group as measured by one- and three-year median TSRs; or | |
| ◾ | Providing disclosure that its past share issuances were priced at levels that resulted in only small or moderate discounts to NAV and economic dilution to existing non-participating shareholders. |
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Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to dispose of assets, to terminate or liquidate, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Strategies employed to salvage the company; | |
| ◾ | The fund’s past performance; and | |
| ◾ | The terms of the liquidation. |
Changes to the Charter Document
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on changes to the charter document, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | The degree of change implied by the proposal; | |
| ◾ | The efficiencies that could result; | |
| ◾ | The state of incorporation; and | |
| ◾ | Regulatory standards and implications. |
Vote against any of the following changes:
| ◾ | Removal of shareholder approval requirement to reorganize or terminate the trust or any of its series; | |
| ◾ | Removal of shareholder approval requirement for amendments to the new declaration of trust; | |
| ◾ | Removal of shareholder approval requirement to amend the fund’s management contract, allowing the contract to be modified by the investment manager and the trust management, as permitted by the 1940 Act; | |
| ◾ | Allow the trustees to impose other fees in addition to sales charges on investment in a fund, such as deferred sales charges and redemption fees that may be imposed upon redemption of a fund’s shares; | |
| ◾ | Removal of shareholder approval requirement to engage in and terminate subadvisory arrangements; or | |
| ◾ | Removal of shareholder approval requirement to change the domicile of the fund. |
Changing the Domicile of a Fund
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on re-incorporations, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Regulations of both states; | |
| ◾ | Required fundamental policies of both states; and | |
| ◾ | The increased flexibility available. |
Authorizing the Board to Hire and Terminate Subadvisers Without Shareholder Approval
General Recommendation: Vote against proposals authorizing the board to hire or terminate subadvisers without shareholder approval if the investment adviser currently employs only one subadviser.
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Distribution Agreements
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on distribution agreement proposals, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Fees charged to comparably sized funds with similar objectives; | |
| ◾ | The proposed distributor’s reputation and past performance; | |
| ◾ | The competitiveness of the fund in the industry; and | |
| ◾ | The terms of the agreement. |
Master-Feeder Structure
General Recommendation: Vote for the establishment of a master-feeder structure.
Mergers
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on merger proposals, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Resulting fee structure; | |
| ◾ | Performance of both funds; | |
| ◾ | Continuity of management personnel; and | |
| ◾ | Changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights. |
Shareholder Proposals for Mutual Funds
Establish Director Ownership Requirement
General Recommendation: Generally vote against shareholder proposals that mandate a specific minimum amount of stock that directors must own in order to qualify as a director or to remain on the board.
Reimburse Shareholder for Expenses Incurred
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses. When supporting the dissidents, vote for the reimbursement of the proxy solicitation expenses.
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Terminate the Investment Advisor
General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to terminate the investment advisor, considering the following factors:
| ◾ | Performance of the fund’s Net Asset Value (NAV); | |
| ◾ | The fund’s history of shareholder relations; and | |
| ◾ | The performance of other funds under the advisor’s management. |
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G E T S T A R T E D W I T H I S S S O L U T I O N S
Email [email protected] or visit www.issgovernance.com for more information.
Founded in 1985, Institutional Shareholder Services group of companies (ISS) empowers investors and companies to build for long-term and sustainable growth by providing high-quality data, analytics and insight. ISS, which is majority owned by Deutsche Bourse Group, along with Genstar Capital and ISS management, is a leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment solutions, market intelligence, fund services, and events and editorial content for institutional investors and corporations, globally. ISS’ 2,600 employees operate worldwide across 29 global locations in 15 countries. Its approximately 3,400 clients include many of the world’s leading institutional investors who rely on ISS’ objective and impartial offerings, as well as public companies focused on ESG and governance risk mitigation as a shareholder value enhancing measure. Clients rely on ISS’ expertise to help them make informed investment decisions. This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, and charts (collectively, the “Information”) is the property of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), its subsidiaries, or, in some cases third party suppliers.
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FIRST EAGLE ETF TRUST
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
EXHIBIT
(1) Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on or about April 16, 2026.
(2) Incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 filed on or about January 9, 2026.
(3) Incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on or about September 15, 2025.
Item 29. Person Controlled or Under Common Control With Registrant
None.
Item 30. Indemnification
Reference is made to the provisions of Article Three, Section Seven and Article Seven, Section Two of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust referenced in Exhibit (a)(2) above, together with the entirety of Article Six of the Registrant’s Bylaws referenced in Exhibit (b) above.
The general effect of these provisions, and related statutory indemnification benefits as may be available under Delaware or other applicable state or federal laws, is to protect trustees, officers, employees and agents of Registrant against legal liability and expenses incurred by reason of their service to Registrant. In accord with the foregoing, Registrant shall indemnify its trustees, officers, employees and agents against judgments, fines, penalties, settlements and expenses to the fullest extent authorized, and in the manner permitted, by applicable state and federal law.
In addition, the Registrant will maintain a trustees’ and officers’ errors and omissions liability insurance policy protecting directors and officers against liability for claims made by reason of any acts, errors or omissions committed in their capacity as trustees or officers. The policy will contain certain exclusions, among which is exclusion from coverage for active or deliberate dishonest or fraudulent acts and exclusion for fines or penalties imposed by law or other matters deemed uninsurable.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “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 such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. In no event will the Registrant maintain insurance to indemnify any such person for any act for which the Registrant itself is not permitted to indemnify him/her.
The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the indemnification provisions of its Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Bylaws in a manner consistent with Release 11330 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, so long as the interpretation of Sections 17(h) and 17(i) of such Act remains in effect and are consistently applied. The Registrant will not indemnify any trustee, officer, employee or agent against any liability to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC is the Registrant’s investment adviser. Its primary office is located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York, 10105. In addition to the Registrant, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC acts as investment adviser to First Eagle Funds, First Eagle Variable Funds, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust and to certain investment vehicles and accounts not subject to registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC is a subsidiary of First Eagle Holdings, Inc. (“First Eagle Holdings”), a privately-owned holding company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, which has a substantial amount of assets under management in the form of non-collective vehicle accounts, and, through the Adviser, Fund accounts, other pooled investment vehicles, and clients including corporations and major retirement plans. In connection with another subsidiary, FEF Distributors, LLC, a registered broker-dealer, First Eagle Holdings is substantially involved in the distribution of mutual fund shares. The business and other connections of the Adviser’s officers are as follows:
| Name | Position with the Adviser |
Business and Other Connections | ||
| Mehdi Mahmud | President and Chief Executive Officer | Trustee and President, First Eagle Funds and First Variable Funds; Director, First Eagle Amundi; Chief Executive Officer, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC; Trustee and President, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Trustee and President, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Trustee and President, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Trustee and President, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust | ||
| Melanie Dow | Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Managing Director | Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Managing Director, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC | ||
| David O’Connor | General Counsel, Executive Managing Director | General Counsel, First Eagle Funds and First Eagle Variable Funds; General Counsel, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; General Counsel, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; General Counsel, First Eagle Holdings, Inc.; Secretary and General Counsel and Manager, FEF Distributors, LLC; Director, First Eagle Amundi; Director, First Eagle Investment Management, Ltd; Head of Legal and Compliance & Chief Legal Officer, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC | ||
| Michael Constantino | Chief Financial Officer, Executive Managing Director | Head of Finance and Executive Managing Director, First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC | ||
| Seth Gelman | Chief Compliance Officer, Managing Director | Chief Compliance Officer and Managing Director, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Funds and First Eagle Variable Funds; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Real Estate Debt Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Tactical Municipal Opportunities Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, First Eagle Completion Fund Trust; prior to February 2023, Chief Compliance Officer of Insight Investment North America |
Additional information regarding First Eagle Investment Management, LLC is provided in the body of this Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the heading “Investment Advisory and Other Services.”
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, serves as the investment sub-adviser to First Eagle US Equity ETF, First Eagle Mid Cap Equity ETF and First Eagle Small Cap Equity ETF (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Sub-Adviser is an SEC-registered investment adviser formed in 2018 and is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings LLC (“Cottonwood”), a holding vehicle with no other business activity. Cottonwood is majority owned by Richard Hogan and trusts controlled by Richard Hogan or for which Richard Hogan and family are the beneficiaries. The business and other connections of the Adviser’s officers are as follows:
| Name and Position with Sub-Adviser* |
Name of Other Company* | Connection with Other Company* |
| J. Garrett Stevens, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer | T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc.** Phillips Capital Advisors, Inc.** From The Horses Mouth Media, LLC*** |
Vice President Vice President Co-Owner |
| Richard Malinowski, Co-Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel | N/A | N/A |
| Andrew Serowik, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager | N/A | N/A |
* Information provided is as of December 12, 2025.
** Principal Business Address: 3401 NW 63rd St #500, Oklahoma City, OK 73116
*** Principal Business Address: 7503 NW 210th Street, Edmond, OK 73012
Additional information regarding the Sub-Adviser
is provided in the body of this Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the heading “Investment Advisory Agreement and Investment
Sub-Advisory Agreement.”
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
| (a) | Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: |
| 1. | Abacus FCF ETF Trust |
| 2. | Advisor Managed Portfolios |
| 3. | Antares Private Credit Fund |
| 4. | Capital Advisors Growth Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 5. | Chase Growth Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 6. | Davidson Multi Cap Equity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 7. | Edgar Lomax Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 8. | Huber Large Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 9. | Huber Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 10. | Huber Select Large Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 11. | Huber Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 12. | Logan Capital Broad Innovative Growth ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 13. | Medalist Partners MBS Total Return Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 14. | Medalist Partners Short Duration Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 15. | O’Shaughnessy Market Leaders Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 16. | PIA BBB Bond Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 17. | PIA High Yield (MACS) Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 18. | PIA High Yield Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 19. | PIA MBS Bond Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 20. | PIA Short-Term Securities Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 21. | Poplar Forest Cornerstone Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 22. | Poplar Forest Partners Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 23. | Pzena Emerging Markets Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 24. | Pzena International Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 25. | Pzena International Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 26. | Pzena Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 27. | Pzena Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 28. | Reverb ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 29. | Scharf ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 30. | Scharf Global Opportunity ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 31. | Scharf Multi-Asset Opportunity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 32. | Shenkman Capital Floating Rate High Income Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 33. | Shenkman Capital Short Duration High Income Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust |
| 34. | The Aegis Funds |
| 35. | Allied Asset Advisors Funds |
| 36. | Angel Oak Funds Trust |
| 37. | Angel Oak Strategic Credit Fund |
| 38. | Brookfield Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. |
| 39. | Brookfield Investment Funds |
| 40. | Buffalo Funds |
| 41. | RJ Eagle GCM Dividend Select Income ETF, Series of Carillon Series Trust |
| 42. | RJ Eagle Municipal Income ETF, Series of Carillon Series Trust |
| 43. | RJ Eagle Vertical Income ETF, Series of Carillon Series Trust |
| 44. | DoubleLine Funds Trust |
| 45. | AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 46. | AAM Brentview Dividend Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 47. | AAM Crescent CLO ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 48. | AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 49. | AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 50. | AAM Sawgrass U.S. Large Cap Quality Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 51. | AAM Sawgrass U.S. Small Cap Quality Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 52. | AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 53. | AAM Todd International Intrinsic Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 54. | AAM Transformers ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 55. | Acquirers Deep Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 56. | Aptus April Buffer, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 57. | Aptus Collared Investment Opportunity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 58. | Aptus Deferred Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 59. | Aptus Defined Risk ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 60. | Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 61. | Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 62. | Aptus International Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 63. | Aptus January Buffer ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 64. | Aptus July Buffer ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 65. | Aptus Large Cap Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 66. | Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 67. | Aptus October Buffer ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 68. | Bahl & Gaynor Dividend ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 69. | Bahl & Gaynor Income Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 70. | Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Dividend ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 71. | BTD Capital Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 72. | Carbon Strategy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 73. | ClearShares OCIO ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 74. | ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 75. | ClearShares Ultra-Short Maturity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 76. | Colterpoint Net Lease Real Estate ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 77. | Distillate International Fundamental Stability & Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 78. | Distillate Small/Mid Cash Flow ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 79. | Distillate U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 80. | ETFB Green SRI REITs ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 81. | Hoya Capital High Dividend Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 82. | Hoya Capital Housing ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 83. | LHA Market State Tactical Beta ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 84. | LHA Market State Tactical Q ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 85. | LHA Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 86. | McElhenny Sheffield Managed Risk ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 87. | Opus Small Cap Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 88. | The Acquirers Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 89. | The Brinsmere Fund - Conservative ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 90. | The Brinsmere Fund - Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 91. | U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 92. | U.S. Global JETS ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 93. | U.S. Global Sea to Sky Cargo ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 94. | U.S. Global Technology and Aerospace & Defense ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 95. | US Vegan Climate ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 96. | Vest 10 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 97. | Vest 2 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
| 98. | First American Funds Trust |
| 99. | FundX Investment Trust |
| 100. | The Glenmede Fund, Inc. |
| 101. | The GoodHaven Funds Trust |
| 102. | Harding, Loevner Funds, Inc. |
| 103. | Hennessy Funds Trust |
| 104. | Horizon Funds |
| 105. | Hotchkis & Wiley Funds |
| 106. | Intrepid Capital Management Funds Trust |
| 107. | Jacob Funds Inc. |
| 108. | The Jensen Quality Growth Fund Inc. |
| 109. | Kirr, Marbach Partners Funds, Inc. |
| 110. | Core Alternative ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
| 111. | Optimized Equity Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
| 112. | Wahed Dow Jones Islamic World ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
| 113. | Wahed FTSE USA Shariah ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
| 114. | LKCM Funds |
| 115. | LoCorr Investment Trust |
| 116. | MainGate Trust |
| 117. | ATAC Rotation Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 118. | Cove Street Capital Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 119. | Kensington Active Advantage Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 120. | Kensington Defender Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 121. | Kensington Dynamic Allocation Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 122. | Kensington Hedged Premium Income ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 123. | Kensington Managed Income Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 124. | LK Balanced Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 125. | Leuthold Core ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 126. | Leuthold Core Investment Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 127. | Leuthold Global Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 128. | Leuthold Grizzly Short Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 129. | Leuthold Select Industries ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 130. | Muhlenkamp Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 131. | Nuance Concentrated Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 132. | Nuance Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 133. | Olstein All Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 134. | Olstein Strategic Opportunities Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 135. | Port Street Quality Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 136. | Prospector Capital Appreciation Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 137. | Prospector Opportunity Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 138. | Reinhart Genesis PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 139. | Reinhart International PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 140. | Reinhart Mid Cap PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 141. | Tremblant Global ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
| 142. | Greenspring Income Opportunities Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 143. | Hood River International Opportunity Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 144. | Hood River New Opportunities Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 145. | Hood River Small-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 146. | SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 147. | SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 148. | SWP Growth & Income ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 149. | Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios |
| 150. | Mason Capital Fund Trust |
| 151. | Matrix Advisors Funds Trust |
| 152. | Monetta Trust |
| 153. | Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc. |
| 154. | Nicholas Fund, Inc. |
| 155. | Nicholas II, Inc. |
| 156. | Nicholas Limited Edition, Inc. |
| 157. | Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. |
| 158. | Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds |
| 159. | Perritt Funds, Inc. |
| 160. | Procure ETF Trust II |
| 161. | Professionally Managed Portfolios |
| 162. | Provident Mutual Funds, Inc. |
| 163. | Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 164. | Abbey Capital Multi-Asset Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 165. | Adara Smaller Companies Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 166. | Aquarius International Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 167. | Boston Partners All Cap Value Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 168. | Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 169. | Boston Partners Global Sustainability Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 170. | Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 171. | Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 172. | Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 173. | Campbell Systematic Macro Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 174. | F/m 10-Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 175. | F/m 2-Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 176. | F/m 3-Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 177. | F/m Callable Tax-Free Municipal ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 178. | F/m Compoundr High Yield Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 179. | F/m Compoundr U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 180. | F/m Emerald Life Sciences Innovation ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 181. | F/m Emerald Special Situations ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 182. | F/m High Yield 100 ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 183. | F/m Investments Large Cap Focused Fund Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 184. | F/m Opportunistic Income ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 185. | F/m Ultrashort Treasury Inflation-Protected Security (TIPS) ETF Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 186. | F/m US Treasury 10 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 187. | F/m US Treasury 12 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 188. | F/m US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 189. | F/m US Treasury 20 Year Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 190. | F/m US Treasury 3 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 191. | F/m US Treasury 3 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 192. | F/m US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 193. | F/m US Treasury 5 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 194. | F/m US Treasury 6 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 195. | F/m US Treasury 7 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 196. | Motley Fool 100 Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 197. | Motley Fool Capital Efficiency 100 Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 198. | Motley Fool Global Opportunities ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 199. | Motley Fool Innovative Growth Factor ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 200. | Motley Fool Mid-Cap Growth ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 201. | Motley Fool Momentum Factor ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 202. | Motley Fool Next Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 203. | Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 204. | Motley Fool Value Factor ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 205. | MUFG Japan Small Cap Active ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 206. | Oakhurst Fixed Income Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 207. | Optima Strategic Credit Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 208. | SGI Dynamic Tactical ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 209. | SGI Enhanced Core ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 210. | SGI Enhanced Global Income ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 211. | SGI Enhanced Market Leaders ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 212. | SGI Global Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 213. | SGI Peak Growth Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 214. | SGI Prudent Growth Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 215. | SGI Small Cap Core Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 216. | SGI U.S. Large Cap Core ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 217. | SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 218. | WPG Partners Select Small Cap Value Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 219. | WPG Partners Small Cap Value Diversified Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc. |
| 220. | The RBB Fund Trust |
| 221. | RBC Funds Trust |
| 222. | Rockefeller Municipal Opportunities Fund |
| 223. | SEG Partners Long/Short Equity Fund |
| 224. | Series Portfolios Trust |
| 225. | Tax-Exempt Private Credit Fund, Inc. |
| 226. | Thompson IM Funds, Inc. |
| 227. | Tortoise Capital Series Trust |
| 228. | Bright Rock Mid Cap Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 229. | Bright Rock Quality Large Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 230. | CrossingBridge Low Duration High Income Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 231. | CrossingBridge Nordic High Income Bond Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 232. | CrossingBridge Responsible Credit Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 233. | CrossingBridge Ultra-Short Duration Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 234. | RiverPark Strategic Income Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 235. | Dearborn Partners Rising Dividend Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 236. | Jensen Global Quality Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 237. | Jensen Quality MidCap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 238. | Rockefeller Climate Solutions Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 239. | Rockefeller US Small Cap Core Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
| 240. | Wall Street EWM Funds Trust |
| (b) |
The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101. |
| Name | Address | Position with Underwriter | Position with Registrant | |||
| Teresa Cowan | 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 | President/Manager | None | |||
| Chris Lanza Kate Macchia |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President Vice President |
None None | |||
| Susan L. LaFond | 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 | Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer and Treasurer | None | |||
| Gabriel E. Edelman | 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 | Secretary | None | |||
| Weston Sommers | 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, ME 04101 | Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer | None |
| (c) | Not applicable. |
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are maintained at the following locations:
| Records Relating to: | Are Located at: |
| Registrant | First Eagle ETF Trust 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10105 |
| Investment Adviser | First Eagle Investment Management, LLC 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10105 |
| Investment Adviser | Exchange Traded Concepts 333 Brannan Street San Francisco, CA 94107 |
| Custodian | JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. 4 Chase Metrotech Center, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, New York 11245 |
| Underwriter/Distributor | Quasar Distributors, LLC 190 Middle Street, Suite 301 Portland, ME 04101 |
Item 34. Management Services Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
The Registrant undertakes to call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a director, if requested to do so by the holders of at least 10% of a Fund’s outstanding shares, and that it will assist communication with other shareholders as required by Section 16(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all the requirements for the effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and the State of New York, on June 30, 2026.
| FIRST EAGLE ETF TRUST | ||
| (A Delaware statutory trust) | ||
| By: | /s/ MEHDI MAHMUD | |
| Name: | MEHDI MAHMUD | |
| Title: | PRESIDENT (AND IN THE CAPACITY OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER) | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| SIGNATURE | CAPACITY | DATE | ||
| /s/ JOHN P. ARNHOLD* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (JOHN P. ARNHOLD) | ||||
| /s/ CANDACE K. BEINECKE* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (CANDACE K. BEINECKE) | ||||
| /s/ PETER W. DAVIDSON* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (PETER W. DAVIDSON) | ||||
| /s/ JEAN D. HAMILTON* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (JEAN D. HAMILTON) | ||||
| /s/ WILLIAM M. KELLY* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (WILLIAM M. KELLY) | ||||
| /s/ PAUL J. LAWLER* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (PAUL J. LAWLER) | ||||
| /s/ MANDAKINI PURI* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (MANDAKINI PURI) | ||||
| /s/ SCOTT SLEYSTER* | Trustee | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (SCOTT SLEYSTER) | ||||
| /s/ MEHDI MAHMUD | Trustee (and in the capacity of Principal Executive Officer) | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (MEHDI MAHMUD) | ||||
| /s/ BRANDON WEBSTER | Chief Financial Officer (and in the capacity of Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | June 30, 2026 | ||
| (BRANDON WEBSTER) | ||||
| *By: | /s/ SHEELYN MICHAEL | |
| Sheelyn Michael | ||
| Power-of-Attorney |
Exhibit Index
EXHIBIT
ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS
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