Document
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Aptus Defined Risk ETF
Trading Symbol: DRSK
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
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Summary Prospectus
August 31, 2024
www.aptusetfs.com
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Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), which contain more information about the Fund and its risks. The current Prospectus and SAI, each dated August 31, 2024, as supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. You can find the Fund's Prospectus, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at www.aptusetfs.com/drsk/. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-617-0004 or by sending an e-mail request to
[email protected].
Investment Objective
The Aptus Defined Risk ETF (the "Fund") seeks current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses 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.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management Fees
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0.69%
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Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
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0.00%
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Other Expenses
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0.00%
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Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1
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0.09%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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0.78%
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1Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund's Financial Highlights because the Financial Highlights include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund and exclude Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
Expense Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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1 Year
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3 Years
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5 Years
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10 Years
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$80
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$249
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$433
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$966
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when 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. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 48% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its objective through a hybrid fixed income and equity strategy. The Fund typically invests approximately 75% to 95% of its assets to obtain exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds (the "Fixed Income Strategy") and invests the remainder of its assets to obtain exposure to U.S. stocks, while limiting downside risk (the "Equity Strategy").
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Fixed Income Strategy
The Fund's Fixed Income Strategy seeks exposure to U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers with maturities between one and eight years (also known as a "bond ladder"). The Fund will primarily obtain this exposure through investments in ETFs ("Underlying Bond ETFs") that each track the investment results of an index composed of such bonds maturing in a specified year during that period (e.g., bonds maturing in 2025) (each, a "reference asset"). The Underlying Bond ETFs are generally expected to make monthly distributions of principal and interest received from their underlying holdings, and each Underlying Bond ETF is expected to make a liquidating distribution at the end of the calendar year in which its holdings mature. The Fund generally reinvests the proceeds of such liquidating distributions into the Underlying Bond ETF with the furthest away maturity date in the bond ladder.
While the Fund's Fixed Income Strategy is expected to obtain exposure to a diversified array of corporate bonds regardless of the size of the Fund, a significant portion of the Underlying Bond ETFs is generally expected to be represented by bonds issued by companies in the financial sector. The Fund will typically rebalance its investments in Underlying Bond ETFs on a quarterly basis. The Adviser may also decide to reallocate assets among the Equity Strategy and Fixed Income Strategy outside of the normal rebalance activity if the Fund's balance of equity and fixed income exposure has shifted significantly during the quarter.
Equity Strategy
The Fund's Equity Strategy seeks exposure to small-, mid-, and large-capitalization U.S. stocks by purchasing exchange-listed call options on individual stocks or depositary receipts (the "Underlying Individual Equities"), on one or more equity indexes, or on one or more other ETFs that principally invest in U.S. equity securities (the "Underlying Equity ETFs") (each, also, a "reference asset"). A call option gives the purchaser the right to purchase shares of the underlying security at a specified price ("strike price") prior to a specified date ("expiration date"). The purchaser pays a cost (premium) to purchase the call option. In the event the underlying security appreciates in value, the value of the call option will generally increase, and in the event the underlying security declines in value, the call option may end up worthless and the premium may be lost.
Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC, the Fund's investment adviser ("Aptus" or the "Adviser"), selects the Underlying Individual Equities based primarily on the Adviser's proprietary analysis built from a "yield plus growth" framework, which takes into account fundamental characteristics such as yield, growth, valuation, and momentum. Stocks selected as Underlying Individual Equities by the Adviser must also have call options available for purchase that meet the Fund's minimum liquidity threshold for investibility. The Adviser seeks to select Underlying Individual Equities to diversify exposure across a variety of industries and to maximize the Fund's equity exposure given the amount allocated to the applicable options, as described below. Underlying Equity ETFs or equity indexes may be selected in lieu of or in addition to Underlying Individual Equities to adjust the balance of the Fund's exposure across industries or to maintain the Fund's equity exposure when the Adviser believes they present a better risk profile than Underlying Individual Equities.
The Fund may utilize a combination of purchased and written (sold) call options (known as a "spread"). A written (sold) call option gives the seller the obligation to sell shares of the reference asset at the strike price until the expiration date. The writer (seller) of the call option receives an amount (premium) for writing (selling) the option. In the event the reference asset appreciates above the strike price and the holder exercises the call option, the writer (seller) of the call option will have to pay the difference between the value of the reference asset and the strike price or deliver the reference asset (which loss is offset by the premium initially received), and in the event the reference asset declines in value, the call option may end up worthless and the writer (seller) of the call option retains the premium.
Call options purchased by the Fund typically have a time-to-expiration of one week to six months at the time of purchase and a strike price at or near the current market price of the applicable reference asset. The Fund will generally turn over its options holdings to rebalance its Equity Strategy investments on a monthly basis, at which time the Fund allocates approximately 0.25% to 1.00% of its net assets to options on each of the Underlying Individual Equities and may allocate up to approximately 5.00% to options on each of the equity indexes, Underlying Equity ETFs, or Underlying Bond ETFs selected. Each time the Fund rebalances its Equity Strategy, the Fund will typically sell the options it holds and purchase new ones as described above. To the extent the Fund sells options tied to one individual stock or ETF and purchases new options tied to the same individual stock or ETF, the rebalance will generally result in the Fund owning options with a later expiration date than the previous set of options. The Adviser will actively manage the Fund's options as markets move or events occur (e.g., earnings announcements) to roll forward expiration dates or to increase or decrease market exposure to attempt to reduce the potential volatility inherent in options where the price of the reference asset is significantly higher or lower than the strike price.
Additionally, the Adviser seeks to limit the Fund's exposure to equity market declines by utilizing a combination of purchased and written (sold) exchange-listed put options (known as a "spread") on Underlying Individual Equities, on one or more equity indexes, on one or more Underlying Equity ETFs, or on one or more Underlying Bond ETFs. A purchased put option gives the purchaser the right to sell shares of the underlying security at a strike price prior to its expiration date. The purchaser of the put option pays a cost (premium) to purchase the put option. In the event the underlying security depreciates in value, the value of the put option will
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generally increase, and in the event the underlying security appreciates in value, the put option may end up worthless and the premium may be lost. The put options written by the Fund are considered "covered" when the Fund owns at least an equivalent number of put options on the same reference asset with the same expiration date and a higher strike price at the time it sells the options.
Put options purchased by the Fund typically have a time-to-expiration of one week to six months at the time of purchase and a strike price at or near the current market price of the applicable reference asset. Generally, each time the Fund rebalances its Equity Strategy, the Fund allocates approximately 0.25% to 1.50% of its net assets to put options and will sell the options it holds and purchase new ones as described above.
In addition, the Adviser may utilize a combination of purchased and written (sold) put or call options on the Cboe Volatility Index® (the "VIX® Index"). The VIX Index reflects a calculation designed to produce a measure of constant, 30-day expected volatility of the U.S. stock market, derived from real-time, mid-quote prices of S&P 500® Index call and put options. The Fund may use VIX call or put options as a hedge when the market is experiencing a rapid change in volatility, and the Adviser generally expects to invest less than 1% of the Fund's net assets in VIX Index call and put options at the time of investment.
Because the premiums for call and put options purchased by the Fund will typically be a fraction of the value of the underlying reference assets, the options enable the Fund to gain greater exposure to the underlying reference assets than the amount invested in such options. Consequently, the Fund seeks to have greater participation in the appreciation (for call options) or depreciation (for put options) of the applicable underlying reference assets than it would have by investing the same amounts directly in such underlying reference assets, while limiting the maximum loss from such options to the premiums paid.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a "principal risk" of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value per share ("NAV"), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund's Prospectus titled "Additional Information About the Funds."
•Depositary Receipt Risk.Depositary Receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies. Depositary Receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by banks or trust companies and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares ("Underlying Shares"). When the Fund invests in Depositary Receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the Depositary Receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the Underlying Shares.
•Derivative Securities Risk. The Fund invests in options that derive their performance from the performance of an underlying reference asset. Derivatives, such as the options in which the Fund invests, can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risks, depending upon the characteristics of a particular derivative. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in a derivative could have a substantial impact on the performance of the Fund. The Fund could experience a loss if its derivatives do not perform as anticipated, the derivatives are not correlated with the performance of their reference asset, or if the Fund is unable to purchase or liquidate a position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives.
•Equity Market Risk.The equity securities held in the Fund's portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues (such as the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus), recessions, rising inflation, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund's portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•ETF Risks.The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that 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 NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become
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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.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and 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.
◦Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the 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) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading.Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the "Exchange") and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
•Fixed Income Securities Risk. The Fund invests indirectly in fixed income securities through investments in Underlying Bond ETFs, which involve certain risks, including:
◦Credit Risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of an investment in that issuer.
◦Event Risk. Event risk is the risk that corporate issuers may undergo restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers, or similar events financed by increased debt. As a result of the added debt, the credit quality and market value of a company's bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.
◦Extension Risk. When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall.
◦Interest Rate Risk. Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities tends to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities tends to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. Changes in government intervention may have adverse effects on investments, volatility, and illiquidity in debt markets.
◦Prepayment Risk. When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and the proceeds may have to be invested in securities with lower yields.
•Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund invests in Underlying Bond ETFs that may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds of non-U.S. issuers. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss due to differences in accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability, regulatory and economic differences, and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital. Investments in foreign securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
•Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
•Market Risk.The trading prices of equity and debt securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund's NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
•Options Risk. Purchasing and selling (writing) options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. Options enable the Fund to gain exposure that is significantly greater than the premium paid or received. Consequently,
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the value of such options can be volatile, and a small investment in options can have a large impact on the performance of the Fund. The Fund's use of call and put options can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the reference asset, which may be magnified by certain features of the options. Purchasing put or call options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund's performance. Purchased put or call options may expire worthless resulting in the Fund's loss of the premium it paid for the option. When selling a put or call option, the Fund will receive a premium; however, this premium may not be enough to offset a loss incurred by the Fund if the price of the underlying asset is below the strike price (for a put) or above the strike price (for a call) by an amount equal to or greater than the premium. In addition, to the extent a written option that is part of an option spread strategy is exercised, the corresponding option purchased by the Fund to mitigate losses as part of an option spread strategy is not expected to offset all losses from the written option. Even a small decline in the value of a reference asset underlying call options or a small increase in the value of a reference asset underlying put options can result in the entire investment in such options being lost.
•Other Investment Companies Risk. The risks of investing in investment companies, such as the Underlying Bond ETFs, typically reflect the risks of the types of instruments in which the investment companies invest. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company and bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the other investment company. The Fund may be subject to statutory limits with respect to the amount it can invest in other ETFs, which may adversely affect the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the "ETF Risks" described above.
•Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
◦Financials Sector Risk. This sector, which includes banks, insurance companies, and financial service firms, can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. Banks, in particular, are subject to volatile interest rates, severe price competition, and extensive government oversight and regulation, which may limit certain economic activities available to banks, impact their fees and overall profitability, and establish capital maintenance requirements. In addition, banks may have concentrated portfolios of loans or investments that make them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry. Insurance companies are subject to similar risks as banks, including adverse economic conditions, changes in interest rates, increased competition and government regulation, but insurance companies are more at risk from changes in tax law, government imposed premium rate caps, and catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and terrorist acts. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of higher interest rates, more stringent capital requirements, and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company, or on the sector as a whole, cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in the financial sector and have caused significant losses.
•Tax Risk. The use of derivatives strategies, such as writing (selling) and purchasing options, involves complex rules that will determine for income tax purposes the amount, character and timing of recognition of the gains and losses the Fund realizes in connection therewith. The Fund expects to generate premiums from its sale of options. These premiums typically will result in short-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. In addition, equity securities that are hedged with put options may not be eligible for long-term capital gains tax treatment. The Fund is not designed for investors seeking a tax efficient investment.
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Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund's performance for the calendar years ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund's average annual returns for the 1-year, 5-year, and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund's website at www.aptusetfs.com/drsk/.
Calendar Year Total Returns
For the year-to-date period ended June 30, 2024, the Fund's total return was 8.78%. During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund's highest quarterly return was 9.41% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, and the lowest quarterly return was -5.57% for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Average Annual Total Returns for the Period Ended December 31, 2023
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Aptus Defined Risk ETF
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1 Year
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5 Years
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Since Inception
(8/7/2018)
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Return Before Taxes
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2.00%
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3.67%
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3.80%
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Return After Taxes on Distributions
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0.50%
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2.30%
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2.33%
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Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares
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1.15%
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2.29%
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2.34%
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Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
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5.53%
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1.10%
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1.32%
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After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or other tax-advantaged accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing "Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares" may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.
Management
Investment Adviser
Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
John D. ("JD") Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in August 2018.
John Luke Tyner, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since August 2020.
Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since August 2020.
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Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers 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).
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 generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors 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"). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund's website at www.aptusetfs.com/drsk/.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an "Intermediary"), the 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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