11/13/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/13/2024 13:39
Simplify High Yield PLUS Credit Hedge ETF
CDX
a series of Simplify Exchange Traded Funds
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
November 1, 2024
Advised by: Simplify Asset Management Inc. 10845 Griffith Peak Drive 2/F Las Vegas, NV 89135 |
|
www.simplify.us/etfs | phone: 1 (855) 772-8488 |
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. The Fund's prospectus and statement of additional information dated November 1, 2024, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can obtain these documents and other information about the Fund online at www.simplify.us/etfs or by calling 1-855-772-8488.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.
FUND SUMMARY - SIMPLIFY HIGH YIELD PLUS CREDIT HEDGE ETF
Investment Objective: Simplify High Yield PLUS Credit Hedge ETF (the "Fund" or "CDX") seeks to maximize current income by investing primarily in high-yield bonds through swaps on exchange traded funds while mitigating credit risk.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, sell, and hold shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries on the purchase and sale of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|
Management Fees | 0.50% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.50% |
Fee Waiver(1) | (0.25)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver | 0.25% |
(1) | The Fund's adviser has contractually agreed, through at least October 31, 2025, to waive its management fees to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets. This agreement may be terminated only by the Trust's Board of Trustees on 60 days' written notice to the Fund's adviser. |
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 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. The Example further assumes that the Fund's fee waiver agreement will only be in place for the term specified above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$26 | $135 | $255 | $604 |
Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies: The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing in high yield bonds also known as "junk bonds" primarily by purchasing swaps on exchange traded funds and applying a credit hedge derivatives strategy to the Fund's investments.
1
High Yield Strategy
The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities that provide exposure to high yield securities, also known as junk bonds. The Fund defines junk bonds as those rated below Baa3 by Moody's Investors Service or below BBB- by Standard and Poor's Rating Group, or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of similar credit quality. The Adviser does not frequently trade securities but seeks to maintain consistent exposure to junk bonds through its purchase of swaps on exchange traded funds that primarily invest in high-yield securities. The Adviser determines the securities to which it seeks exposure based on factors such as price, liquidity, and track record.
The exchange traded funds underlying the swaps that the Fund will invest in may target high yield bonds with different maturities, durations, and quality requirements in connection with their investment strategies. Duration is a measure of price sensitivity of a debt security or a portfolio of debt securities to relative changes in interest rates. For instance, a duration of "five years" means that a security's or portfolio's price would be expected to decrease by approximately 5% with a 1% increase in interest rates (assuming a parallel shift in yield curve). Maturity is the period during which its owner will receive interest payments on the investment. When the bond reaches maturity, the Fund is repaid its par, or face value. A bond's quality is a reference to the grade given to a bond by a rating service that indicates its credit quality. The rating takes into consideration a bond issuer's financial strength or its ability to pay a bond's principal and interest in a timely fashion. For instance, a "AAA" high-grade rated bond offers more security and lower profit potential (lower yield) than a "B-" rated speculative bond.
Credit Hedge Strategy
The Fund may invest up to 20% of the Fund's portfolio in derivatives. The derivatives overlay consists of purchasing exchange-traded and over-the-counter ("OTC") put and call options on the equity or fixed income index or equity or fixed income ETFs and by purchasing total return swaps. When the Fund purchases a call option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock or other asset at a specified price (strike price) within a specific time period. When the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to sell a stock or other asset at a specified price (strike price) within a specific time period. The Fund will invest in total return swaps that use fixed income instruments or fixed income indexes or ETFs as reference assets, and equity indexes or equity ETFs.
The Adviser selects derivatives based upon its evaluation of relative value based on cost, strike price (price that the option can be bought or sold by the option holder) and maturity (the last date the option contract is valid) and will exercise or close the options based typically on maturity. The Adviser anticipates purchasing and selling its derivatives on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, depending upon the Fund's rebalancing requirements and expiration dates. However, the Adviser may rebalance the Fund's derivative portfolio on a more frequent basis for a number of reasons such as when market volatility renders the protection provided by the derivative strategy ineffective or a derivative position has appreciated to the point that it is prudent to decrease the Fund's exposure and realize gains for the Fund's shareholders. While the use of derivatives is intended to improve the Fund's performance, there is no guarantee that it will do so.
The Fund may invest in liquid ETFs and a combination of listed and OTC derivatives to manage cash and collateral. The Fund's cash management strategy aims to enhance yield and maintain liquidity through investments in ETFs, futures, options, and swaps that avoid direct market exposure.
Principal Investment Risks: As with all funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and price of shares and performance.
The following describes the principal risks the Fund bears with respect to its investments. As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal.
Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as "high yield" or "junk" bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. Longer maturity and longer duration bond prices will decline more in response to rising interest rates. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price.
2
Active Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that the investment management strategy may not produce the intended results and may negatively impact Fund performance. The adviser's overlay strategy will not fully protect the Fund from declines in the market.
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities.
Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses.
ETF Structure Risks: The Fund is structured as an ETF and will invest in underlying ETFs. As a result, the Fund is subject to special risks, including:
● | Not Individually Redeemable. The Fund's shares ("Shares") are not redeemable by retail investors and may be redeemed only by Authorized Participants at net asset value ("NAV") and only in Creation Units. A retail investor generally incurs brokerage costs when selling shares. |
● | Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the "Exchange") may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange which may result in the Shares being delisted. An active trading market for the Shares may not be developed or maintained. If the Shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as Authorized Participants that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Shares. |
● | Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares and will include a "bid-ask spread" charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV. |
○ | In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role market making in the Shares and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and the Fund's NAV. |
○ | The market price of the Shares may deviate from the Fund's NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for the Shares than the Fund's NAV, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for the Shares or in the closing price. |
○ | In stressed market conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund's portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and the Fund's NAV. |
3
● | Authorized Participant Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as an Authorized Participant on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes. |
Leverage Risk. The use of leverage by the Fund, such as the use of derivatives, will cause the Fund to incur additional expenses and magnify the Fund's gains or losses.
Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Funds' portfolios may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, climate change or climate related events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets.
Option Risk. As the buyer of a put or call options, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option.
Over-the-Counter Market Risk. Securities and options traded in over-the-counter markets may trade less frequently and in limited volumes and thus exhibit more volatility and liquidity risk, and the prices paid by the Fund in over-the-counter transactions may include an undisclosed dealer markup. The Fund is also exposed to default by the over-the-counter option writer who may be unwilling or unable to perform its contractual obligations to the Fund.
Swap Risk. Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund's losses.
Underlying Fund Risk. ETFs in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the ETFs and may be higher than other funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the ETFs is subject to its own specific risks, but the adviser expects the principal investments risks of such ETFs will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund.
Performance: The following performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's average annual total returns compare to those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.simplify.us/etfs or by calling 1 (855) 772-8488.
4
During the periods shown in the bar chart above, the Fund's highest quarterly return was 6.58% (quarter ended December 31, 2023) and the Fund's lowest quarterly return was 0.75% (quarter ended September 30, 2023). The calendar year-to-date total return of the Fund as of September 30, 2024 was 10.33%.
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2023
1 Year |
Since Inception (2/14/22) |
|||||||
Return Before Taxes | 12.48 | % | 1.84 | % | ||||
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 9.99 | % | -0.82 | % | ||||
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 7.29 | % | 0.22 | % | ||||
Bloomberg Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 5.53 | % | -2.65 | % |
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 shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Investment Adviser: Simplify Asset Management Inc. (the "Adviser")
Portfolio Managers: David Berns, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser; Michael Green, Managing Director and Chief Strategist of the Adviser; and Paisley Nardini, Asset Allocation Strategist of the Adviser serve as portfolio managers of the Fund. Dr. Berns and Mr. Green each served the Fund as a portfolio manager since it commenced operations in February 2022. Ms. Nardini has served the Fund as portfolio manager since November 2024. Dr. Berns, Mr. Green, and Ms. Nardini are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of the Fund.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only in large blocks of 25,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a "Creation Unit"). Creation Units are issued and redeemed primarily in-kind for securities but may include cash. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Except when aggregated in Creation Units in transactions with Authorized Participants, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
5
Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of the Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market. Recent information on the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at www.simplify.us/etfs.
Tax Information: The Fund's distributions generally will be taxable as ordinary income or long-term capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
6