10/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2024 11:44
AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON October 31, 2024
File No. 333-192858
File No. 811-22920
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE | ||
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ||
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 365 | /X/ | |
AND | ||
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE | ||
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ||
AMENDMENT NO. 369 | /X/ |
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)
(800) 932-7781
(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Michael Beattie
c/o SEI Investments
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
David W. Freese |
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP |
2222 Market Street |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 |
It is proposed that this filing become effective (check appropriate box)
/ / | Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) | ||
/ / | On [date] pursuant to paragraph (b) | ||
/X/ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | ||
/ / | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) | ||
/ / | On [date] pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485 |
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
Preliminary Prospectus Dated October 31, 2024
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
PROSPECTUS
[Date]
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
U.S. ALL CAP INDEX FUND
(Class S Shares: KCXSX)
(I Shares: KCXIX)
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ASSET ADVISORS LLC
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus.
Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
About This Prospectus
This prospectus has been arranged into different sections so that you can easily review this important information. For detailed information about the Fund, please see:
Page | |
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS U.S. ALL CAP INDEX FUND | XX |
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE | XX |
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES | XX |
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES | XX |
PRINCIPAL RISKS | XX |
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION | XX |
INVESTMENT ADVISERS | XX |
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS | XX |
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES | XX |
TAX INFORMATION | XX |
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES | XX |
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES | XX |
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK | XX |
INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS | XX |
INVESTMENT ADVISER | XX |
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER | XX |
DORMANT MULTI-MANAGER ARRANGEMENT | XX |
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS | XX |
PURCHASING, SELLING AND EXCHANGING FUND SHARES | XX |
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES | XX |
OTHER POLICIES | XX |
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS | XX |
TAXES | XX |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | XX |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS | XX |
HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND | Back Cover |
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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS U.S. ALL CAP INDEX FUND
Investment Objective
The Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index Fund (the "U.S. All Cap Index Fund" or the "Fund") seeks investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the performance of an index that measures the investment return of the broad U.S. stock market, excluding companies whose policies and practices are inconsistent with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Socially Responsible Investing Guidelines (the "USCCB Guidelines").
Fund Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in I Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if shares redeemed have been held for less than 30 days) | 2.00% |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
I Shares | Class S Shares | |||
Management Fees | 0.20% | 0.20% | ||
Other Expenses | 0.40% | 0.60% | ||
Shareholder Servicing Fees |
None | 0.20% | ||
Other Operating Expenses |
0.40% | 0.40% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.60% | 0.80% | ||
Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements1 | (0.35)% | (0.35)% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements | 0.25% | 0.45% |
1 | Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC ("Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors" or the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, non-routine expenses and any class-specific expenses (including Shareholder Servicing Fees) (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each of the Fund's share classes until February 28, 2026 (the "contractual expense limit"). In addition, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the recoupment if at any point Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust"), for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on February 28, 2026. |
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Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual 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 (including capped expenses for the period described in the fee table) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
I Shares | $26 | $116 | $221 | $530 |
Class S Shares | $46 | $188 | $352 | $828 |
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 total annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. During its most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities included in the Bloomberg U.S. 3000 Catholic Values Index (the "Index") and other instruments with economic characteristics similar to such securities. This investment policy can be changed by the Fund upon 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders.
The Index consists of all common stocks and real estate investment trusts ("REITs") in the Bloomberg U.S. 3000 Index (the "Parent Index"), excluding companies that are determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited ("Bloomberg" or "BISL") and Morningstar Sustainalytics ("Sustainalytics") to be involved with abortion, contraception, pornography, stem cell research/human cloning, weapons of mass destruction, or other enterprises that conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. The Parent Index includes the 3,000 U.S. companies with the largest free-float market capitalizations. The Index is the exclusive property of BISL. The Index is calculated and administered by BISL. Neither BISL nor Sustainalytics is affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser or L2 Asset Management, LLC ("L2 Asset Management" or the "Sub-Adviser"), the Fund's sub-adviser. Bloomberg and Sustainalytics will deem a company to be a U.S. company if its securities are primarily listed in the United States or country of risk is the United States. A company's "country of risk" is a proprietary Bloomberg value primarily driven by four factors: country of domicile, country of listing, country of largest revenue, and reporting currency. The Index is reconstituted and rebalanced on a quarterly basis in March, June, September and December to reflect changes in the constituents of the Parent Index and changes in policies and practices related to USCCB Guidelines and screening considerations, as determined by BISL and Sustainalytics.
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The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the companies that make up the Index, holding each company in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.
The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index is so concentrated.
Principal Risks
As with all mutual funds, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. A Fund share is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.
Equity Risk - Since it purchases equity securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the 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. In addition, the impact of any epidemic, pandemic or natural disaster, or widespread fear that such events may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund.
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Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk - The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. While the Sub-Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, generally as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions.
Catholic Values Investing Risk - The Fund considers the USCCB Guidelines in its investment process and may choose not to purchase, or may sell, including at inopportune times which would result in losses to the Fund, otherwise profitable investments in companies which have been identified as being in conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. This means that the Fund may underperform other similar mutual funds that do not consider the USCCB Guidelines when making investment decisions. In addition, there can be no guarantee that the activities of the companies identified by the Fund's investment process will align (or be perceived to align) fully with all of the principles contained in the USCCB Guidelines. The process of screening out companies and maintaining the Restricted Securities List that is based on criteria set forth in the USCCB Guidelines relies in part on third-party information or data that may be inaccurate, unavailable or outdated, which could cause the Fund to inadvertently hold securities of companies that conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. For example, to the extent there are changes to the USCCB Guidelines, there could be a significant delay before the changes are fully incorporated into the screening process and reflected in the Restricted Securities List. This may cause the Fund to be invested for a period of time in companies that conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. Although the Fund's investment approach seeks to identify and screen out companies that are inconsistent with the USCCB Guidelines, investors may differ in their views of what companies fit within this category of investments. As a result, to the extent an investor intends to invest in a manner consistent with the investor's interpretation of the USCCB Guidelines, an investment in the Fund may fail to achieve such objective.
Small- and Mid- Capitalization Company Risk - The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, investments in these small- and mid-sized companies may pose additional risks, including liquidity risk, because these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, small- and mid-capitalization stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. These securities may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange.
Large-Capitalization Company Risk - The large-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may not respond as quickly as smaller companies to competitive challenges, and their growth rates may lag the growth rates of well-managed smaller companies during strong economic periods.
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Real Estate Investment Trusts Risk - REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income-producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as the following: declines in property values; increases in property taxes, operating expenses, interest rates or competition; overbuilding; zoning changes; and losses from casualty or condemnation. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investments in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. REIT operating expenses are not reflected in the fee table and example in this prospectus.
Industry Concentration Risk - The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index is so concentrated. Concentrating Fund investments in companies conducting business in the same industry will subject the Fund to a greater risk of loss as a result of adverse economic, business or other developments affecting that industry than if its investments were not so concentrated.
Large Purchase and Redemption Risk - Large purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares may force the Fund to purchase or sell securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, and may cause the Fund's portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs to rise, which may negatively affect the Fund's performance and have adverse tax consequences for Fund shareholders.
Performance Information
The bar chart and the performance table below illustrate the risks and volatility of an investment in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's I Shares' performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns for 1 year and since inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Of course, the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Class S Shares had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus. Therefore, performance information for Class S Shares is not presented. Class S Shares would have substantially similar performance as I Shares because the shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities and the returns would generally differ only to the extent that expenses of Class S Shares are higher than the expenses of I Shares, in which case the returns for Class S Shares would be lower than those of I Shares.
Updated performance information is available on the Fund's website at www.kofcassetadvisors.org or by calling toll-free to 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637).
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BEST QUARTER | WORST QUARTER |
22.57% | (21.38)% |
(06/30/2020) | (03/31/2020) |
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2023
This table compares the Fund's average annual total returns for the periods ended December 31, 2023 to those of an appropriate broad-based index and a more narrowly based index with characteristics relevant to the Fund's investment strategies.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will 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 Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts ("IRAs").
Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 1 Year |
Since Inception (12/31/2019) |
Fund Returns Before Taxes | ||
I Shares | 29.04% | 11.98% |
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions | ||
I Shares | 28.36% | 11.51% |
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | ||
I Shares | 17.50% | 9.37% |
Bloomberg U.S. 3000 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)1 | [XX]% | [XX]% |
Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index® (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)1 | 29.14% | 12.32% |
Bloomberg U.S. 3000 Catholic Values Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | [XX]% | [XX]% |
1 | Pursuant to new regulatory requirements, the Fund's broad-based securities market index has changed from the Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index® to the Bloomberg U.S. 3000 Total Return Index. |
Investment Advisers
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund. L2 Asset Management, LLC serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Dr. Sanjeev Bhojraj, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager at L2 Asset Management, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2019.
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Mr. Matthew Malgari, Co-Founder, Managing Member and Portfolio Manager at L2 Asset Management, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2019.
Mr. Nathan Przybylo, Partner, Head of Quantitative Programming and Portfolio Manager at L2 Asset Management, has managed the Fund since 2021.
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may generally purchase or redeem shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business.
To purchase I Shares of the Fund for the first time, you must invest, in the aggregate, at least $25,000 in one or more Knights of Columbus Funds. If you hold I Shares of a Knights of Columbus Fund, you may purchase I Shares of the same Fund, or purchase I Shares of any other Knights of Columbus Fund, in amounts of at least $250. However, these minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for I Shares do not apply to clients of the Adviser who participate in, and purchase I Shares through, a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser currently sponsors a fee-based investment advisory program through which I Shares is the only class of shares of the Fund available for purchase by participating clients. For additional information about this program, please contact the Adviser.
There is no minimum initial or subsequent investment amount for Class S Shares of the Fund.
The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in their sole discretion.
If you own your shares directly, you may redeem your shares by contacting the Fund directly by mail at Knights of Columbus Funds, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Knights of Columbus Funds, c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or telephone at 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637).
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other financial intermediary, contact that broker or financial intermediary to redeem your shares. Your broker or financial intermediary may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as qualified dividend income, ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA, in which case your distributions will be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), 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 web site for more information.
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More Information about the Fund's Investment Objectives and Strategies
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the performance of an index that measures the investment return of the broad U.S. stock market, excluding companies whose policies and practices are inconsistent with the USCCB Guidelines.
The investment objective of the Fund is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
The investments and strategies described in this prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, the Fund may, but is not obligated to, invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments and other cash equivalents that would not ordinarily be consistent with its investment objective. If the Fund invests in this manner, it may cause the Fund to forgo greater investment returns for the safety of principal and the Fund may therefore not achieve its investment objective. The Fund will only do so if the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser (as defined below) believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity for capital appreciation or current income.
This prospectus describes the Fund's principal investment strategies, and the Fund will normally invest in the types of securities and other investments described in this prospectus. In addition to the securities and other investments and strategies described in this prospectus, the Fund also may invest to a lesser extent in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and strategies, as well as those described in this prospectus, are described in detail in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (the "SAI") (for information on how to obtain a copy of the SAI see the back cover of this prospectus). Of course, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goals.
More Information about Risk
Investing in the Fund involves risk and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goals. The Adviser's and the Sub-Adviser's judgments about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these judgments may affect the return on your investment. In fact, no matter how good of a job the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser does, you could lose money on your investment in the Fund, just as you could with similar investments.
The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the value of the securities the Fund holds. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect particular companies and other issuers. These price movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or lesser depending on the types of securities the Fund owns and the markets in which it trades. The effect on the Fund of a change in the value of a single security will depend on how widely the Fund diversifies its holdings.
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Catholic Values Investing Risk - The Fund considers the USCCB Guidelines in its investment process and may choose not to purchase, or may sell, including at inopportune times which would result in losses to the Fund, otherwise profitable investments in companies which have been identified as being in conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. This means that the Fund may underperform other similar mutual funds that do not consider the USCCB Guidelines when making investment decisions. In addition, there can be no guarantee that the activities of the companies identified by the Fund's investment process will align (or be perceived to align) fully with all of the principles contained in the USCCB Guidelines. The process of screening out companies and maintaining the Restricted Securities List that is based on criteria set forth in the USCCB Guidelines relies in part on third-party information or data that may be inaccurate, unavailable or outdated, which could cause the Fund to inadvertently hold securities of companies that conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. For example, to the extent there are changes to the USCCB Guidelines, there could be a significant delay before the changes are fully incorporated into the screening process and reflected in the Restricted Securities List. This may cause the Fund to be invested for a period of time in companies that conflict with the USCCB Guidelines. Although the Fund's investment approach seeks to identify and screen out companies that are inconsistent with the USCCB Guidelines, investors may differ in their views of what companies fit within this category of investments. As a result, to the extent an investor intends to invest in a manner consistent with the investor's interpretation of the USCCB Guidelines, an investment in the Fund may fail to achieve such objective.
Equity Risk - Equity securities include public and privately issued equity securities, common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights to subscribe to common stock, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares of real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Preferred stock provides a fixed dividend that is paid before any dividends are paid to common stockholders, and which takes precedence over common stock in the event of a liquidation. Like common stock, preferred stocks represent partial ownership in a company, although preferred stock shareholders do not enjoy any of the voting rights of common stockholders. Also, unlike common stock, a preferred stock pays a fixed dividend that does not fluctuate, although the company does not have to pay this dividend if it lacks the financial ability to do so. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time, sometimes rapidly or unpredictability. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") to fluctuate. An investment in a portfolio of equity securities may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these share price fluctuations. Depositary receipts and REITs are discussed elsewhere in this section.
Indexing Strategy/Index Tracking Risk - The Fund is managed with an indexing investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. The Fund will seek to replicate the Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index® (the "Index") returns, regardless of the current or projected performance of the Index or of the actual securities comprising the Index. This differs from an actively-managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. The Fund generally will buy and will not sell a security included in the Index as long as the security is part of the Index regardless of any sudden or material decline in value or foreseeable material decline in value of the security, even though the Sub-Adviser may make a different investment decision for other actively managed accounts or portfolios that hold the security. As a result, the Fund's performance may be less favorable than that of a portfolio managed using an active investment strategy. The structure and composition of the Index will affect the performance, volatility, and risk of the Index (in absolute terms and by comparison with other indices) and, consequently, the performance, volatility, and risk of the Fund. While the Sub-Adviser seeks to track the performance of the Index (i.e., achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index), the Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into or out of the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions. Changes in the composition of the Index and regulatory requirements also may impact the Fund's ability to match the return of the Index. Index tracking risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions.
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Large Purchase and Redemption Risk - Large purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares may affect the Fund, since the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities if it experiences redemptions, and the Fund will need to invest additional cash that it receives. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects on Fund management or performance to the extent the Fund may be required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so. These transactions could also have tax consequences if sales of securities result in gains, and could also increase transaction costs or portfolio turnover. The investment managers are committed to minimizing the impact of such transactions on the Fund, and may seek to effect the transactions in-kind, to the extent consistent with pursuing the investment objective of the Fund.
Market Risk - The risk that the market value of an investment may move up and down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The Fund's NAV per share will fluctuate with the market prices of its portfolio securities. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector or the equity or bond market as a whole. Markets for securities in which the Fund invests may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, social, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Similarly, the impact of any public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, epidemics, and pandemics), natural disasters and other similar events, or widespread fear that such events may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund. Recent examples include pandemic risks related to COVID-19 and aggressive measures taken worldwide in response by governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines of large populations, and by businesses, including changes to operations and reducing staff.
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Real Estate Investment Trusts Risk - REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income-producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, as discussed elsewhere in this section. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investments in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. REIT operating expenses are not reflected in the fee table and example in this prospectus.
Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions, and may be subject to defaults by borrowers and to self-liquidations. In addition, a U.S. REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.
Information about Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the circumstances under which the Fund discloses their portfolio holdings is available in the SAI. The Fund publishes a list of its ten largest portfolio holdings, and the percentage of the Fund's assets that each of these holdings represents, on a monthly basis, within thirty (30) days after the end of the month. For example, the Fund's investments as of the end of January would ordinarily be published at the end of February. The portfolio information described above can be found on the internet at www.kofcassetadvisors.org. The Adviser may exclude any portion of the Fund's portfolio holdings from such publication when deemed in the best interest of the Fund. The portfolio holdings information placed on the Fund's website generally will remain there until such information is included in a filing with the SEC.
Investment Adviser
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC, a Delaware limited liability company organized in 2014, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser's principal place of business is located at One Columbus Plaza, New Haven, Connecticut 06510. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Knights of Columbus, a fraternal benefit society organized under the laws of the State of Connecticut. As of December 31, 2023, the Adviser had $27 billion in assets under management.
The Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Fund's investment program. In addition, the Adviser oversees L2 Asset Management, LLC ("L2 Asset Management" or the "Sub-Adviser") to ensure its compliance with the investment policies and guidelines of the Fund and monitors the Sub-Adviser's adherence to its investment style. The Board oversees the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser must follow in their management activities. The Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser out of the advisory fees it receives from the Fund.
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For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.
Fund | Advisory Fee Rate |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 0.20% |
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, non-routine expenses and any class-specific expenses (including shareholder servicing fees) (collectively, "excluded expenses")) for I Shares and Class S Shares from exceeding certain levels as set forth below until February 28, 2026 (each, a "contractual expense limit"). This agreement may be terminated by: (i) the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on February 28, 2026.
Fund | Contractual Expense Limit |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 0.25% |
In addition, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the recoupment if at any point total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment.
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, the Adviser received advisory fees (after fee reductions or recoveries) as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:
Fund | Advisory Fees Paid |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 0% |
Investment Sub-Adviser
L2 Asset Management, LLC
L2 Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund. L2 Asset Management is 100% employee-owned. L2 Asset Management's principal place of business is located at 66 Glezen Lane, Wayland, Massachusetts 01778. As of December 31, 2023, L2 Asset Management had approximately $449 million in regulatory assets under management.
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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreement and investment sub-advisory agreement is available in the Fund's Form N-CSR filing with the SEC, which covers the period from November 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.
Dormant Multi-Manager Arrangement
The Board has approved a "multi-manager" arrangement for the Fund. Under this arrangement, the Fund and the Adviser may engage one or more sub-advisers to make day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund's assets. The Adviser retains ultimate responsibility (subject to the oversight of the Board) for overseeing the sub-advisers and may, at times, recommend to the Board that the Fund: (1) change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisers; (2) continue to retain a sub-adviser even though the sub-adviser's ownership or corporate structure has changed; or (3) materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-adviser.
Applicable law generally requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval for most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board approves the proposed action. Under the "multi-manager" arrangement approved by the Board, the Fund may seek exemptive relief, if necessary, from the SEC to (i) permit the Adviser (subject to the Board's oversight and approval) to make decisions about the Fund's sub-advisory arrangements without obtaining shareholder approval, and (ii) permit the Fund to not disclose the fees paid to individual sub-advisers. There is no guarantee the SEC would grant such exemptive relief. The Fund will continue to submit matters to shareholders for their approval and disclose sub-advisory fees to the extent required by applicable law. Meanwhile, this multi-manager arrangement will remain dormant and will not be implemented until shareholders are further notified.
Portfolio Managers
Dr. Sanjeev Bhojraj is a Portfolio Manager at L2 Asset Management, which he co-founded in 2014. Dr. Bhojraj is also a Chaired Professor in Asset Management and the Co-Director of the Parker Center for Investment Research at Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. Since 2010, he also has served as Managing Member of Kailash Capital, LLC. Dr. Bhojraj has a Ph.D. from the University of Florida, a B.Com. from the University of Madras, an ACA designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and an ACMA designation from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
Mr. Matthew Malgari is a Managing Member and Portfolio Manager at L2 Asset Management, which he co-founded in 2014. Since 2013, he also has served as Managing Member of Kailash Capital, LLC. Previously, Mr. Malgari was a portfolio manager of the Baird LargeCap Fund from 2013 to 2017. He also spent 14 years at Fidelity Management & Research Company working as an assistant portfolio manager, sector analyst, diversified analyst and trader, before becoming a Managing Director of Equity Research for Knight Capital Group in 2010. Mr. Malgari received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University.
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Mr. Nathan Przybylo is a Portfolio Manager and the Head of Quantitative Programming at L2 Asset Management. Prior to joining L2 Asset Management in 2014, he worked as an associate at Beghou Consulting, a healthcare consulting company, and as an intern at O'Shaughnessy Asset Management. He received a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University.
The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Fund shares.
Purchasing, Selling and Exchanging Fund Shares
This section tells you how to purchase, sell (sometimes called "redeem") and exchange shares of the Fund.
For information regarding the federal income tax consequences of transactions in shares of the Fund, including information about cost basis reporting, see "Taxes."
How to Choose a Share Class
The Fund offers two classes of shares to investors, I Shares and Class S Shares. Each share class has its own shareholder eligibility criteria, investment minimums, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of I Shares and Class S Shares. Contact your financial intermediary or the Fund for more information about the Fund's share classes and how to choose between them.
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Class Name | Eligible Investors | Investment Minimums | Fees |
I Shares |
Investors who: •meet the initial minimum investment; or •are clients of the Adviser who participate in, and purchase I Shares through, a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by the Adviser or its affiliates. |
Initial: $25,000 Subsequent: $250 However, these minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for I Shares of the Fund do not apply to clients of the Adviser who participate in, and purchase I Shares through, a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by the Adviser or its affiliates. |
No Rule 12b-1 fee No Shareholder Servicing Fee |
Class S Shares |
Generally available through qualified employer-sponsored retirement plans and other types of retirement accounts held through platforms maintained by selling agents approved by SEI Investments Distribution Co., the Fund's distributor |
Initial: None Subsequent: None |
No Rule 12b-1 fee Shareholder Servicing Fee of up to 0.20% |
I Shares and Class S Shares are offered to investors who purchase shares directly from the Fund or through certain financial intermediaries such as financial planners, investment advisors, broker-dealers or other financial institutions. An investor may be eligible to purchase more than one share class. However, if you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, you may only purchase that class of shares which your financial intermediary sells or services. As such, the share class you or your intermediary select may have higher fees than other classes of shares available directly from the Fund or through other financial intermediaries. Your financial intermediary can tell you which class of shares is available through the intermediary.
The Fund reserves the right to change the criteria for eligible investors and, as disclosed in the "Minimum Purchases" section of the prospectus, accept investments of smaller amounts in their sole discretion.
How to Purchase Fund Shares
To purchase shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, complete and send in the application. If you need an application or have questions, please call 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637).
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All investments must be made by check, Automated Clearing House ("ACH"), or wire. All checks must be made payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. The Fund does not accept purchases made by third-party checks, credit cards, credit card checks, cash, traveler's checks, money orders or cashier's checks.
The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. The Fund is not intended for short-term trading by shareholders in response to short-term market fluctuations. For more information about the Fund's policy on short-term trading, see "Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures."
The Fund does not generally accept investments by non-U.S. persons. Non-U.S. persons may be permitted to invest in the Fund subject to the satisfaction of enhanced due diligence. Please contact the Fund for more information.
By Mail
You can open an account with the Fund by sending a check and your account application to the address below. You can add to an existing account by sending the Fund a check and, if possible, the "Invest by Mail" stub that accompanies your confirmation statement. Be sure your check identifies clearly your name, your account number, the Fund name and the share class.
Regular Mail Address
Knights of Columbus Funds
P.O. Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
Express Mail Address
Knights of Columbus Funds
c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services of purchase orders does not constitute receipt by the Fund's transfer agent. The share price used to fill the purchase order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives and accepts the order in good order at the P.O. Box provided for regular mail delivery or the office address provided for express mail delivery.
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By Wire
To open an account by wire, call 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637) for details. To add to an existing account by wire, wire your money using the wiring instructions set forth below (be sure to include the Fund name, the share class and your account number). The share price used to fill the purchase order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives and accepts the wire in good order.
Wiring Instructions
UMB Bank, N.A.
ABA # 101000695
Knights of Columbus Funds
DDA # 9872013085
Ref: Fund name/share class/account number/account name
By Systematic Investment Plan (via ACH)
You may not open an account via ACH. However, once you have established a direct account with the Fund, you can set up an automatic investment plan via ACH by mailing a completed application to the Fund. These purchases can be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually in amounts of at least $250. To cancel or change a plan, contact the Fund by mail at: Knights of Columbus Funds, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Knights of Columbus Funds, c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105). Please allow up to 15 days to create the plan and 3 days to cancel or change it.
Purchases In-Kind
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase shares of the Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the valuation procedures used by the Fund. These transactions will be effected only if the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by the Fund in such transactions will be valued in accordance with the valuation procedures used by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
Minimum Purchases
To purchase I Shares of the Fund for the first time, you must invest, in the aggregate, at least $25,000 in one or more Knights of Columbus Funds. If you hold I Shares of a Knights of Columbus Fund, you may purchase I Shares of the same Fund, or purchase I Shares of any other Knights of Columbus Fund, in amounts of at least $250. However, these minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for I Shares of the Fund do not apply to clients of the Adviser who participate in, and purchase I Shares through, a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser currently sponsors a fee-based investment advisory program through which I Shares is the only class of shares of the Fund available for purchase by participating clients. For additional information about this program, please contact the Adviser.
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There is no minimum initial or subsequent investment amount for Class S Shares of the Fund.
The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in their sole discretion.
Fund Codes
The Fund's reference information, which is listed below, will be helpful to you when you contact the Fund to purchase or exchange shares, check daily NAV, or obtain additional information.
Fund Name | Share Class | Ticker Symbol | CUSIP | Fund Code |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund |
I Shares | KCXIX | 00774Q544 | 6407 |
Class S Shares | KCXSX | 00774Q536 | 6417 |
General Information
You may generally purchase shares on any day that the NYSE is open for business (a "Business Day"). Shares cannot be purchased by Federal Reserve wire on days that either the NYSE or the Federal Reserve is closed.
The Fund's price per share will be the next determined NAV per share after the Fund or an authorized institution (as defined below) receives and accepts your purchase order in good order. "Good order" means that the Fund was provided with a complete and signed account application, including the investor's social security number or tax identification number, and other identification required by law or regulation, as well as sufficient purchase proceeds. Purchase orders that are not in good order cannot be accepted and processed even if money to purchase shares has been submitted by wire, check or ACH.
The Fund calculates its NAV once each Business Day as of the close of normal trading on the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). To receive the current Business Day's NAV, the Fund or an authorized institution must receive and accept your purchase order in good order before the close of normal trading on the NYSE. If your purchase order is not received and accepted in good order before the close of normal trading on the NYSE, you will receive the NAV calculated on the subsequent Business Day on which your order is received and accepted in good order. If the NYSE closes early, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled suspensions of trading, the Fund reserves the right to calculate NAV as of the earlier closing time. The Fund will not accept orders that request a particular day or price for the transaction or any other special conditions. Shares will only be priced on Business Days. Since securities that are traded on foreign exchanges may trade on days that are not Business Days, the value of the Fund's assets may change on days when you are unable to purchase or redeem shares.
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Buying or Selling Shares through a Financial Intermediary
In addition to being able to buy and sell Fund shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, you may also buy or sell shares of the Fund through accounts with financial intermediaries, such as brokers and other institutions that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. When you purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary (rather than directly from the Fund), you may have to transmit your purchase and sale requests to the financial intermediary at an earlier time for your transaction to become effective that day. This allows the financial intermediary time to process your requests and transmit them to the Fund prior to the time the Fund calculates its NAV that day. Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting all purchase and redemption requests, investment information, documentation and money to the Fund on time. If your financial intermediary fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses. Unless your financial intermediary is an authorized institution, orders transmitted by the financial intermediary and received by the Fund after the time NAV is calculated for a particular day will receive the following day's NAV.
Certain financial intermediaries, including certain broker-dealers and shareholder organizations, are authorized to act as agent on behalf of the Fund with respect to the receipt of purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares ("authorized institutions"). Authorized institutions are also authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized institution or, if applicable, an authorized institution's designee, receives the order. Orders will be priced at the Fund's next computed NAV after they are received by an authorized institution or an authorized institution's designee. To determine whether your financial intermediary is an authorized institution or an authorized institution's designee such that it may act as agent on behalf of the Fund with respect to purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares, you should contact your financial intermediary directly.
If you deal directly with a financial intermediary, you will have to follow its policies and procedures for transacting with the Fund. Your financial intermediary may charge a fee for your purchase and/or redemption transactions. Your financial intermediary also may have its own rules about minimum initial investment amounts, minimum account balances, share transactions and limits on the number of share transactions you are permitted to make in a given time period. When purchasing shares through a financial intermediary, you may not benefit from certain policies and procedures of the Fund as your eligibility may be dependent upon the policies and procedures of your financial intermediary. For more information about how to purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary, you should contact your financial intermediary directly and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation.
How the Fund Calculates NAV
The NAV of a class of the Fund's shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets attributable to the class, less any liabilities attributable to the class, by the total number of shares outstanding of the class.
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In calculating NAV, the Fund generally values its investment portfolio at market price. If market prices are not readily available or they are unreliable, such as in the case of a security value that has been materially affected by events occurring after the relevant market closes, securities are valued at fair value. The Board has designated the Adviser as the Fund's valuation designee to make all fair value determinations with respect to the Fund's portfolio investments, subject to the Board's oversight. The Adviser has adopted and implemented policies and procedures to be followed when making fair value determinations, and it has established a Valuation Committee through which the Adviser makes fair value determinations. The Adviser's determination of a security's fair value price often involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors, and is therefore subject to the unavoidable risk that the value that is assigned to a security may be higher or lower than the security's value would be if a reliable market quotation for the security was readily available. The respective prospectuses for the open-end investment companies in which the Fund invests explain the circumstances in which the advisers to those investment companies will use fair value pricing and the effect of fair value pricing.
There may be limited circumstances in which the Adviser would price securities at fair value for stocks of U.S. companies that are traded on U.S. exchanges - for example, if the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded closed early or if trading in a particular security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the time the Fund calculated its NAV.
With respect to non-U.S. securities held by the Fund, the Adviser may take factors influencing specific markets or issuers into consideration in determining the fair value of a non-U.S. security. International securities markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases, the value of any international securities owned by the Fund may be significantly affected on days when investors cannot buy or sell shares. In addition, due to the difference in times between the close of the international markets and the time as of which the Fund prices its shares, the value the Adviser assigns to securities may not be the same as the quoted or published prices of those securities on their primary markets or exchanges. In determining fair value prices, the Adviser may consider the performance of securities on their primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation/depreciation, securities market movements in the United States, or other relevant information related to the securities.
When valuing fixed income securities with remaining maturities of more than 60 days, the Adviser may use the value of the security provided by pricing services. The values provided by a pricing service may be based upon market quotations for the same security, securities expected to trade in a similar manner or a pricing matrix. When valuing fixed income securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less, the Adviser may use the security's amortized cost. Amortized cost and the use of a pricing matrix in valuing fixed income securities are forms of fair value pricing.
Redeemable securities issued by open-end investment companies in which the Fund invests are valued at the investment company's applicable NAV.
Other assets for which market quotations are not readily available will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.
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How to Sell Your Fund Shares
If you own your shares directly, you may sell your shares on any Business Day by contacting the Fund directly by mail or telephone at 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637).
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution, contact that broker or institution to sell your shares. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
If you would like to have your redemption proceeds, including proceeds generated as a result of closing your account, sent to a third party or an address other than your own, please notify the Fund in writing.
Certain redemption requests will require a signature guarantee by an eligible guarantor institution. Eligible guarantors include commercial banks, savings and loans, savings banks, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any other member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. For example, signature guarantees may be required if your address of record has changed in the last 30 days, if you want the proceeds sent to a bank other than the bank of record on your account, or if you ask that the proceeds be sent to a different person or address. Please note that a notary public is not an acceptable provider of a signature guarantee and that the Fund must be provided with the original guarantee. Signature guarantees are for the protection of Fund shareholders. Before granting a redemption request, the Fund may require a shareholder to furnish additional legal documents to ensure proper authorization.
Accounts held by a corporation, trust, fiduciary or partnership, may require additional documentation along with a signature guaranteed letter of instruction. The Fund participates in the Paperless Legal Program (the "Program"), which eliminates the need for accompanying paper documentation on legal securities transfers. Requests received with a Medallion Signature Guarantee will be reviewed for the proper criteria to meet the guidelines of the Program and may not require additional documentation. Please contact Shareholder Services at 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637) for more information.
The sale price of each share will be the next determined NAV after the Fund (or an authorized institution) receives and accepts your request in good order.
By Mail
To redeem shares by mail, please send a letter to the Fund signed by all registered parties on the account specifying:
• | The Fund name; |
• | The share class; |
• | The account number; |
• | The dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem; |
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• | The account name(s); and |
• | The address to which redemption (sale) proceeds should be sent. |
All registered shareholders must sign the letter in the exact name(s) and must designate any special capacity in which they are registered.
Regular Mail Address
Knights of Columbus Funds
P.O. Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
Express Mail Address
Knights of Columbus Funds
c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services of sell orders does not constitute receipt by the Fund's transfer agent. The share price used to fill the sell order is the next price calculated by the Fund after the Fund's transfer agent receives and accepts the order in good order at the P.O. Box provided for regular mail delivery or the office address provided for express mail delivery.
By Telephone
To redeem shares by telephone, you must first establish the telephone redemption privilege (and, if desired, the wire and/or ACH redemption privilege) by completing the appropriate sections of the account application. Call 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637) to redeem your shares. Based on your instructions, the Fund will mail your proceeds to you, or send them to your bank via wire or ACH.
By Systematic Withdrawal Plan (via ACH)
If you have a direct account with the Fund and your account balance is at least $50,000 for I Shares or $100,000 for Class S Shares, you may transfer as little as $250 per month from your account to another financial institution through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (via ACH). The minimum balance requirements may be modified by the Fund in its sole discretion. To participate in this service, you must complete the appropriate sections of the account application and mail it to the Fund.
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Receiving Your Money
Normally, the Fund will send your sale proceeds within two Business Days after it receives your redemption request. The Fund, however, may take up to seven days to pay redemption proceeds. Your proceeds can be wired to your bank account (may be subject to a $10 fee), sent to you by check or sent via ACH to your bank account if you have established banking instructions on your account. If you purchase shares using a check or via ACH, and soon after request a redemption, if the check has not cleared the Fund will not consider the request to be in "good order" and will not honor the redemption request.
The Fund typically expects to sell portfolio assets and/or hold cash or cash equivalents to meet redemption requests. On a less regular basis, the Fund may also meet redemption requests by using short-term borrowings from its custodian and/or redeeming shares in-kind (as described below). These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
Redemptions In-Kind
The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. However, under unusual conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and for the protection of the Fund's remaining shareholders, the Fund might pay all or part of your redemption proceeds in securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (redemption in-kind). It is highly unlikely that your shares would ever be redeemed in-kind, but if they were, you would have to pay transaction costs to sell the securities distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital gains from the sale as with any redemption. In addition, you would continue to be subject to the risks of any market fluctuation in the value of the securities you receive in-kind until they are sold.
Involuntary Redemptions of Your Shares
If your aggregate Knights of Columbus Fund holdings drop below $25,000 for I Shares (unless you are a client of the Adviser who participates in, and purchases I Shares through, a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by the Adviser or its affiliates), you may be required to sell your shares. The Fund generally will provide you at least 30 days' written notice to give you time to add to your account and avoid the involuntary redemption of your shares. The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum account value requirement in their sole discretion. If your Fund shares are redeemed for this reason within 30 days of their purchase, the redemption fee will not be applied.
Suspension of Your Right to Sell Your Shares
The Fund may suspend your right to sell your shares or delay payment of redemption proceeds for more than seven days during times when the NYSE is closed, other than during customary weekends or holidays, or as otherwise permitted by the SEC. More information about this is in the SAI.
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How to Exchange Your Fund Shares
At no charge, you or your financial intermediary may exchange I Shares or Class S Shares of the Fund for I Shares or Class S Shares, respectively, of another Knights of Columbus Fund by writing to or calling the Fund. Exchanges are subject to the eligibility requirements and the fees and expenses of the Knights of Columbus Fund you exchange into.
The exchange privilege is not intended as a vehicle for short-term or excessive trading. The Fund may suspend or terminate your exchange privilege if you engage in a pattern of exchanges that is excessive, as determined in the sole discretion of the Fund. For more information about the Fund's policy on excessive trading, see "Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures."
From time to time, the Fund may authorize or permit the conversion of shares of one class of shares for another class of shares of the Fund, provided that certain conditions are met (such as the shareholder is eligible for the new share class or such other terms and conditions as the Fund may determine). The Fund reserves the right to modify, suspend or eliminate any share class conversion feature at any time, including to permit conversions to occur without requiring any investment minimum to be met. Following a share class conversion (or other similar shareholder transaction event), the ongoing fees and expenses of the new share class will differ from and may be higher or lower than those of the share class that you previously held.
Although the Fund expects that a conversion between share classes of the Fund should ordinarily not result in the recognition of a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes, you should consult with your own tax adviser with respect to the federal, state and local tax treatment of your investment in the Fund and any share class conversions.
You may only exchange or convert shares between accounts with identical registrations (i.e., the same names and addresses). If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, you may only exchange or convert into a Knights of Columbus Fund or share class which your financial intermediary sells or services. Your financial intermediary can tell you which Knights of Columbus Funds and share classes are available through the intermediary.
Telephone Transactions
Purchasing, selling and exchanging Fund shares over the telephone is extremely convenient, but not without risk. Although the Fund has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers and the authenticity of instructions, the Fund is not responsible for any losses or costs incurred by following telephone instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine. If you or your financial institution transact with the Fund over the telephone, you will generally bear the risk of any loss.
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Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and/or the Adviser may compensate financial intermediaries for providing a variety of services to the Fund and/or its shareholders. Financial intermediaries include affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates. This section briefly describes how financial intermediaries may be paid for providing these services. For more information, please see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" in the SAI.
Shareholder Servicing Plan
The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.20% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund's Class S Shares. The services for which financial intermediaries are compensated may include record-keeping, transaction processing for shareholders' accounts and other shareholder services.
Payments by the Adviser
From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments to certain affiliated or unaffiliated financial intermediaries to compensate them for the costs associated with distribution, marketing, administration and shareholder servicing support for the Fund. These payments are sometimes characterized as "revenue sharing" payments and are made out of the Adviser's and/or its affiliates' own legitimate profits or other resources, and may be in addition to any payments made to financial intermediaries by the Fund. A financial intermediary may provide these services with respect to Fund shares sold or held through programs such as retirement plans, qualified tuition programs, fund supermarkets, fee-based advisory or wrap fee programs, bank trust programs, and insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. In addition, financial intermediaries may receive payments for making shares of the Fund available to their customers or registered representatives, including providing the Fund with "shelf space," placing it on a preferred or recommended fund list, or promoting the Fund in certain sales programs that are sponsored by financial intermediaries. To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries.
The level of payments made by the Adviser and/or its affiliates to individual financial intermediaries varies in any given year and may be negotiated on the basis of sales of Fund shares, the amount of Fund assets serviced by the financial intermediary or the quality of the financial intermediary's relationship with the Adviser and/or its affiliates. These payments may be more or less than the payments received by the financial intermediaries from other mutual funds and may influence a financial intermediary to favor the sales of certain funds or share classes over others. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your financial intermediary. Any such payments will not change the NAV or price of the Fund's shares. Please contact your financial intermediary for information about any payments it may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to Fund shareholders.
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In addition to these payments, your financial intermediary may charge you account fees, commissions or transaction fees for buying or redeeming shares of the Fund, or other fees for servicing your account. Your financial intermediary should provide a schedule of its fees and services to you upon request.
Other Policies
Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures
The Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and discourage shareholders from engaging in "market timing" or other types of excessive short-term trading. This frequent trading into and out of the Fund may present risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and could adversely affect shareholder returns. The risks posed by frequent trading include interfering with the efficient implementation of a Fund's investment strategies, triggering the recognition of taxable gains and losses on the sale of Fund investments, requiring the Fund to maintain higher cash balances to meet redemption requests, and experiencing increased transaction costs.
In addition, because the Fund invests in small- and mid-cap securities, which often trade in lower volumes and may be less liquid, the Fund may be more susceptible to the risks posed by frequent trading because frequent transactions in the Fund's shares may have a greater impact on the market prices of these types of securities.
The Fund's service providers will take steps reasonably designed to detect and deter frequent trading by shareholders pursuant to the Fund's policies and procedures described in this prospectus and approved by the Board. For purposes of applying these policies, the Fund's service providers may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control. The Fund's policies and procedures include:
• | Shareholders are restricted from making more than 4 "round trips," into or out of the Fund within any rolling 12 month period. The Fund defines a "round trip" as a purchase or exchange into the Fund by a shareholder, followed by a subsequent redemption out of the Fund, of an amount the Adviser reasonably believes would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund. |
• | A redemption fee of 2.00% of the value of the shares sold will be imposed on shares redeemed within 30 days or less after their date of purchase (subject to certain exceptions as discussed below in "Redemption Fees"). |
• | The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase or exchange request by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in particular, if the Fund or the Adviser reasonably believes that the trading activity would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund. |
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The Fund and/or its service providers seek to apply these policies to the best of their abilities uniformly and in a manner they believe is consistent with the interests of the Fund's long-term shareholders. The Fund does not knowingly accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Fund shareholders. Although these policies are designed to deter frequent trading, none of these measures alone nor all of them taken together eliminate the possibility that frequent trading in the Fund will occur. Systematic purchases and redemptions are exempt from these policies.
Financial intermediaries (such as investment advisers and broker-dealers) often establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for its customers through which transactions are placed. The Fund has entered into "information sharing agreements" with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the intermediary's customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund or its service providers identify omnibus account level trading patterns that have the potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the Fund or its service providers may, in their sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information concerning the trading activity of its customers. Based upon a review of that information, if the Fund or its service providers determine that the trading activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, they may, in their sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit further trading in the Fund by that customer. If the Fund is not satisfied that the intermediary has taken appropriate action, the Fund may terminate the intermediary's ability to transact in Fund shares. When information regarding transactions in the Fund's shares is requested by the Fund and such information is in the possession of a person that is itself a financial intermediary to a financial intermediary (an "indirect intermediary"), any financial intermediary with whom the Fund has an information sharing agreement is obligated to obtain transaction information from the indirect intermediary or, if directed by the Fund, to restrict or prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares of the Fund on behalf of other persons.
The Fund and its service providers will use reasonable efforts to work with financial intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in omnibus accounts that may be detrimental to the Fund. However, there can be no assurance that the monitoring of omnibus account level trading will enable the Fund to identify or prevent all such trading by a financial intermediary's customers. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information.
Redemption Fee
In an effort to discourage short-term trading and defray costs incurred by shareholders as a result of short-term trading, the Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on redemptions (including exchanges) of shares that have been held for less than 30 days. The redemption fee is deducted from the Fund's sale proceeds and cannot be paid separately, and any proceeds of the fee are credited to the assets of the Fund from which the redemption was made. The fee does not apply to shares purchased with reinvested dividends or distributions. In determining how long shares of the Fund have been held, the Fund assumes that shares held by the investor the longest period of time will be sold first.
The redemption fee is applicable to Fund shares purchased either directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the Fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. The Fund requests that financial intermediaries assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and collect and remit the proceeds to the Fund. However, the Fund recognizes that due to operational and systems limitations, intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the Fund's. Therefore, to the extent that financial intermediaries are unable to collect the redemption fee, the Fund may not be able to defray the expenses associated with those short-term trades made by that financial intermediary's customers.
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The Fund reserves the right to waive its redemption fee at its discretion when it believes such waiver is in the best interests of the Fund, including with respect to certain categories of redemptions that the Fund reasonably believes may not raise frequent trading or market timing concerns. These categories currently include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) participants in certain group retirement plans whose processing systems are incapable of properly applying the redemption fee to underlying shareholders; (ii) redemptions resulting from certain transfers upon the death of a shareholder; (iii) redemptions by certain pension plans as required by law or by regulatory authorities; (iv) systematic withdrawals; and (v) retirement loans and withdrawals.
Customer Identification and Verification
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means to you: When you open an account, the Fund will ask your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow the Fund to identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the identity of all persons opening a mutual fund account.
The Fund is required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
In certain instances, the Fund is required to collect documents to fulfill their legal obligation. Documents provided in connection with your application will be used solely to establish and verify your identity.
Attempts to collect the missing information required on the application will be performed by either contacting you or, if applicable, your broker or financial intermediary. If this information cannot be obtained within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund, your application will be rejected.
Upon receipt of your application in good order (or upon receipt of all identifying information required on the application), your investment will be accepted and your order will be processed at the next-determined NAV per share.
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The Fund reserves the right to close or liquidate your account at the next-determined NAV and remit proceeds to you via check if they are unable to verify your identity. Attempts to verify your identity will be performed within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund. Further, the Fund reserves the right to hold your proceeds until your original check clears the bank, which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase. In such an instance, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax implications.
Anti-Money Laundering Program
Customer identification and verification is part of the Fund's overall obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Fund has adopted an anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of illegal activities. In this regard, the Fund reserves the right to: (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of Fund management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
Unclaimed Property
Each state has unclaimed property rules that generally provide for escheatment (or transfer) to the state of unclaimed property under various circumstances. Such circumstances include inactivity (e.g., no owner-initiated contact for a certain period), returned mail (e.g., when mail sent to a shareholder is returned by the post office, or "RPO," as undeliverable), or a combination of both inactivity and returned mail. Once it flags property as unclaimed, the Fund will attempt to contact the shareholder, but if that attempt is unsuccessful, the account may be considered abandoned and escheated to the state.
Shareholders that reside in the state of Texas may designate a representative to receive escheatment notifications by completing and submitting a designation form that can be found on the website of the Texas Comptroller. While the designated representative does not have any rights to claim or access the shareholder's account or assets, the escheatment period will cease if the representative communicates knowledge of the shareholder's location and confirms that the shareholder has not abandoned his or her property. A completed designation form may be mailed to the Fund (if shares are held directly with the Fund) or to the shareholder's financial intermediary (if shares are not held directly with the Fund).
More information on unclaimed property and how to maintain an active account is available through your state or by calling 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637).
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Dividends and Distributions
Generally, the Fund distributes its net investment income quarterly and make distributions of their net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If you own Fund shares on the Fund's record date, you will be entitled to receive the distribution.
You will receive dividends and distributions in the form of additional Fund shares unless you elect to receive payment in cash. To elect cash payment, you must notify the Fund in writing prior to the date of the distribution. Your election will be effective for dividends and distributions paid after the Fund receives your written notice. To cancel your election, simply send the Fund written notice.
[Taxes]
Please consult your tax advisor regarding your specific questions about the U.S. federal, state and local tax effects of your investment in the Funds. Below is a summary of certain important U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Funds. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change. This summary does not apply to shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are generally not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future.
Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company ("RIC") within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Code. If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund's failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any. The dividends and distributions you receive may be subject to federal, state, and local taxation, depending upon your tax situation. Distributions you receive from each Fund may be taxable whether you receive them in cash or you reinvest them in additional shares of the Funds. Income distributions, including distributions of net short-term capital gains but excluding distributions of qualified dividend income, are generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions that are reported by the Funds as long term capital gains and as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains currently set at a maximum tax rate for individuals at 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). It is not anticipated that any distributions by the Core Bond Fund or Limited Duration Fund will be eligible for the reduced tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income. In addition, certain of the Funds' investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions eligible for the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income. Once a year the Funds (or their administrative agent) will send you a statement showing the types and total amount of distributions you received during the previous year.
The Core Bond Fund and Limited Duration Fund may invest in certain municipal securities. Certain municipal securities may generate interest exempt from U.S. federal income tax. If at least 50% of the value of a Fund's total assets at the close of each quarter of its taxable years consists of debt obligations that generate interest exempt from U.S. federal income tax, then such Fund may qualify to pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of its income from such debt obligations by paying tax-exempt interest dividends. The Core Bond Fund and Limited Duration Fund are not expected to qualify to invest in sufficient tax-exempt municipal securities to pass through the tax-exempt character, if any, of its income from such securities.
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A RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC's total "Section 163(j) Interest Dividend" for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC's business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder's interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j) of the Code. This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder's interest expense deductible under Section 163(j) of the Code. In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in a Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by a Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS").
You should note that if you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price would reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution. In this case, you would be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of your investment. This is known as "buying a dividend" and generally should be avoided by taxable investors.
Each sale of Fund shares may be a taxable event. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. Assuming a shareholder holds a Fund's shares as capital assets, the gain or loss on the sale of such Fund shares generally will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder held the shares for 12 months or less or as long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder held the shares for longer. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of a Fund's shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to such Fund's shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if you purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% tax on their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of a Fund).
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The Funds (or their administrative agent) must report to the IRS and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information for Fund shares. In addition to reporting the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Funds (or their administrative agent) are also required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares, the Funds will permit shareholders to elect from among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including the average cost basis method. In the absence of an election, the Funds will use the average cost basis method as the default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by a Fund's shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund shares. Fund shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how cost basis reporting applies to them. Shareholders also should carefully review the cost basis information provided to them and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns.
To the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund receives from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund consists of foreign securities, such Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. A Fund (or its administrative agent) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.
The Real Estate Fund and the U.S. All Cap Index Fund may each invest in U.S. REITs. "Qualified REIT dividends" (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by the Real Estate Fund or the U.S. All Cap Index Fund to their shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received by the Real Estate Fund or the U.S. All Cap Index Fund and which the Real Estate Fund or the U.S. All Cap Index Fund properly report as "section 199A dividends," are treated as "qualified REIT dividends" in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. A section 199A dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. The Real Estate Fund and the U.S. All Cap Index Fund are permitted to report such part of their dividends as section 199A dividends as are eligible, but they are not required to do so. Unless later extended or made permanent, this 20% deduction will no longer be available for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
REITs in which the Real Estate Fund or the U.S. All Cap Index Fund invest often do not provide complete and final tax information to the Real Estate Fund and the U.S. All Cap Index Fund until after the time that the Real Estate Fund and the U.S. All Cap Index Fund issue a tax reporting statement. As a result, the Real Estate Fund and the U.S. All Cap Index Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of their distributions to you after they issue your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the Real Estate Fund and the U.S. All Cap Index Fund (or their administrative agents) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
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Certain of the Funds' investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect a Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to a Fund and defer losses and, in limited cases, subject a Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of its foreign securities.
The Real Estate Fund may write covered call options. Covered call options are subject to complex federal tax rules that: (1) limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions by the Real Estate Fund; (2) convert the Real Estate Fund's long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains or ordinary income taxed at higher rates; (3) convert the Real Estate Fund's ordinary losses or deductions into capital losses, the deductibility of which are more limited; and/or (4) cause the Real Estate Fund to recognize income or gains without a corresponding receipt of cash.
Because each shareholder's tax situation is different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Funds.
More information about taxes is included in the SAI.
Additional Information
The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Fund's investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, accountants, administrator and distributor, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or "third-party") beneficiaries of, any of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right to enforce the terms of the contractual arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy under the contractual arrangements against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.
This prospectus and the SAI provide information concerning the Trust and the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. The Fund may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this prospectus, the SAI or any document filed as an exhibit to the Trust's registration statement, is intended to, nor does it, give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any shareholder, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.
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The Fund reserves the right to discontinue offering shares at any time or to cease operations and liquidate at any time.
The Fund is not authorized or sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church or the USCCB.
"Bloomberg®" and the Bloomberg indices referenced herein (the "Indices") are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited ("BISL"), the administrator of the Indices (collectively, "Bloomberg") and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors as the investment adviser to the Fund. Bloomberg is not affiliated with Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, and Bloomberg does not approve, endorse, review or recommend the Fund. Bloomberg does not guarantee the timeliness, accurateness, or completeness of any data or information relating to the Indices or the Fund.
36
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the past five fiscal years or the period of the Fund's operations, as applicable. Some of this information reflects financial information for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information provided below has been audited by [_______], independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund. The financial statements and the unqualified opinion of [______] are included in the Fund's Form N-CSR filing for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, and are available upon request by calling the Fund at 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637). The information for the six-month period ended on April 30, 2024 has not been audited.
Because Class S Shares of the Fund had not commenced operations during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, financial highlights are not available.
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Selected Per Share Data & Ratios For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period |
||||||||||||||||
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
Net Investment Income (Loss)* |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments |
Total from Operations |
Distributions from Net Investment Income |
Distributions from Net Realized Capital Gains |
Return of Capital |
Total Distributions |
Redemption Fees |
Net Asset Value, End of Period |
Total Return † |
Net Assets End of Period (000) |
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (including waivers and reimbursements) |
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (excluding waivers and reimbursements) |
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets |
Portfolio Turnover Rate † |
|
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | ||||||||||||||||
I Shares | ||||||||||||||||
2024@ | $ 12.80 | $ 0.09 | $ 2.74 | $ 2.83 | $ (0.10) | $ (0.09) | $ - | $ (0.19) | $ - | $ 15.44 | 22.12 % | $147,398 | 0.25 % | 0.44 % | 1.24 % | 1 % |
2023 | $ 11.84 | $ 0.18 | $ 0.97 | $ 1.15 | $ (0.18) | $ (0.01) | $ - | $ (0.19) | $ -# | $ 12.80 | 9.68 % | $ 104,049 | 0.25 % | 0.60 % | 1.42 % | 8 % |
2022 | $ 14.76 | $ 0.16 | $ (2.85) | $ (2.69) | $ (0.15) | $ (0.08) | $ - | $ (0.23) | $ -# | $ 11.84 | (18.39) % | $ 64,355 | 0.25 % | 0.60 % | 1.24 % | 4 % |
2021 | $ 10.18 | $ 0.15 | $ 4.57 | $ 4.72 | $ (0.14) | $ - | $ - | $ (0.14) | $ - | $ 14.76 | 46.61 % | $ 40,493 | 0.25 % | 0.96 % | 1.12 % | 5 % |
2020(1) | $ 10.00 | $ 0.12 | $ 0.17 | $ 0.29 | $ (0.11) | $ - | $ - | $ (0.11) | $ - | $ 10.18 | 3.08 % | $ 15,989 | 0.25 % | 1.78 % | 1.52 % | 8 % |
@ | For the six-months or period ended April 30, 2024, (Unaudited). All ratios for the period have been annualized. |
* | Per share data calculated using the average shares method. |
† | Total return and portfolio turnover rate are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Total return would have been lower had the Adviser not waived a portion of its fee. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. |
# | Amount is less than $0.005. |
(1) | Commenced operations on December 31, 2019. All ratios for the period have been annualized. |
Amounts designated as "-" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.
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THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS U.S. ALL CAP INDEX FUND
Investment Adviser
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC
One Columbus Plaza
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
Sub-Adviser
L2 Asset Management, LLC
66 Glezen Lane
Wayland, Massachusetts 01778
Distributor
SEI Investments Distribution Co.
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
Legal Counsel
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
2222 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
More information about the Fund is available, without charge, through the following:
Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"): The SAI, dated [Date], as it may be amended from time to time, includes detailed information about the Fund and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III. The SAI is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the SAI, for legal purposes, is a part of this prospectus.
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR filed with the SEC. In the Fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund's annual and semi-annual financial statements.
39
To Obtain an SAI, Annual or Semi-Annual Report, Fund Financial Statements, or More Information:
By Telephone: |
1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637) |
|
By Mail: |
Knights of Columbus Funds |
|
By Internet: |
www.kofcassetadvisors.org |
From the SEC: You can also obtain the SAI or the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, as well as other information about The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III, from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at: https://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain this information, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by e-mailing the SEC at the following address: [email protected].
The Trust's Investment Company Act registration number is 811-22920.
[INVENTORY CODE]
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT
COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN
OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE
SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DATED October 31, 2024
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS U.S. ALL CAP INDEX FUND
(Class S Shares: KCXSX)
(I Shares: KCXIX)
a series of
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III
[Date]
Investment Adviser:
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust") and the Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index Fund (the "Fund"). This SAI is incorporated by reference into and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated [Date], as it may be amended from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Prospectus. The most recent Annual Report for the Fund, which includes the Fund's audited financial statements dated October 31, 2023 are included in the most recent Form N-CSR for the Fund, and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Prospectus, Annual Report or Semi-Annual Report, and other information such as the Fund's financial statements, free of charge by writing to the Fund at Knights of Columbus Funds, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Knights of Columbus Funds, c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or calling the Funds toll-free at 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST | XX |
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS | XX |
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS | XX |
THE ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER | XX |
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS | XX |
THE ADMINISTRATOR | XX |
THE DISTRIBUTOR | XX |
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES | XX |
THE TRANSFER AGENT | XX |
THE CUSTODIAN | XX |
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | XX |
LEGAL COUNSEL | XX |
SECURITIES LENDING | XX |
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST | XX |
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES | XX |
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE | XX |
TAXES | XX |
FUND TRANSACTIONS | XX |
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS | XX |
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES | XX |
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY | XX |
PROXY VOTING | XX |
CODES OF ETHICS | XX |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS | XX |
APPENDIX A - DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS | A-1 |
APPENDIX B - PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES | B-1 |
[Date] | [Inventory Code] |
THE TRUST
General. Each Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust is an open-end investment management company established under Delaware law as a Delaware statutory trust under a Declaration of Trust dated December 4, 2013, as amended September 10, 2020 (the "Declaration of Trust"). The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series ("funds") of shares of beneficial interest ("shares"). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund or exchange-traded fund ("ETF"), and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund, and all assets of such fund, belong solely to that fund and would be subject to any liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing and insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization expenses and (ii) pro rata share of the fund's other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate statements of additional information.
Description of Multiple Classes of Shares. The Trust is authorized to offer shares of the Funds in I Shares and Class S Shares. The different classes provide for variations in shareholder servicing fees and minimum investment requirements. Minimum investment requirements and investor eligibility are described in the Prospectus. For more information on shareholder servicing expenses, see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" in this SAI. The Trust reserves the right to create and issue additional classes of shares.
Voting Rights. Each shareholder of record is entitled to one vote for each share held on the record date for the meeting. Each Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to it. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of members of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (each, a "Trustee" and collectively, the "Trustees" or the "Board") under certain circumstances. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate each Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if any Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
In addition, a Trustee may be removed by the remaining Trustees or by shareholders at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or of another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the Trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office and, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Declaration of Trust, without the approval of shareholders of any series.
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DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
Each Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. Each Fund is diversified, as that term is defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). This means that with respect to 75% of its total assets, each Fund may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by the Fund. Under applicable federal securities laws, the diversification of a mutual fund's holdings is measured at the time a fund purchases a security. If a Fund holds securities that perform well on a relative basis, the value of those securities could appreciate such that the value of the Fund's securities that constitute more than 5% of the Fund's total assets, in the aggregate, might exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets. In these circumstances, the Adviser might determine that it is in the best interests of the Fund's shareholders not to reduce one or more of the Fund's holdings in securities that constitute more than 5% of the Fund's total assets. If the Adviser makes such a determination, the Fund's holdings in such securities would continue to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets, and the Fund would not purchase any additional shares of securities that constituted more than 5% of the Fund's total assets. The Fund would continue to qualify as a diversified fund under applicable federal securities laws. If more than 25% of a Fund's assets were invested, in the aggregate, in securities of issuers that individually represented more than 5% of the Fund's total assets, the Fund would be subject to the risk that its performance could be disproportionately affected by the performance of such securities.
The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices of the Funds and the associated risk factors. The Funds may invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices unless such investment or activity is inconsistent with or is not permitted by a Fund's stated investment policies, including those stated below.
American Depositary 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. Depositary receipts are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a "depository" and may be sponsored or unsponsored. 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.
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For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other depositary receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars, and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. Other depositary receipts, such as GDRs and EDRs, may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S. While the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services.
Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholders meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is 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.
For purposes of a Fund's investment policies, investments in depositary receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject a Fund 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 on income, 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.
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Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and rights to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships ("MLPs"). 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 a Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate. The Funds may purchase equity securities traded on global securities exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:
• | 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. |
• | Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock. |
• | Alternative Entity Securities. Alternative entity securities are the securities of entities that are formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts or other non-corporate entities that are similar to common or preferred stock of corporations. |
• | Exchange-Traded Funds. An ETF is a fund whose shares are bought and sold on a securities exchange as if it were a single security. An ETF holds a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market segment or index. Some examples of ETFs are SPDRs®, DIAMONDSSM, NASDAQ 100 Index Tracking StockSM ("QQQsSM"), and iShares®. A Fund could purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign market while awaiting an opportunity to purchase securities directly. Similarly, a Fund may establish a short position in an ETF to gain inverse exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign markets. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the securities in which the ETF invests, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile than the underlying holdings, and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs versus the costs of owning the underlying holdings directly. See also "Securities of Other Investment Companies" below. |
• | Rights and Warrants. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. |
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An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
• | Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, that Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party. |
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, 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 convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
General Risks of Investing in Stocks. While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company's earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company's stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.
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Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company's stock may fall because of:
▪ | Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services; |
▪ | Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and |
▪ | Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates. |
Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
Moreover, changing economic, political, social or financial market conditions in one country or geographic region could adversely affect the market value of the securities held by a Fund in a different country or geographic region because of the increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. The investment managers potentially will be prevented from executing investment decisions at an advantageous time or price as a result of any domestic or global market disruptions, particularly disruptions causing heightened market volatility and reduced market liquidity. The current domestic political environment, as well as political and diplomatic events within the United States and abroad, such as the U.S. budget and deficit reduction plan and trade tensions with foreign nations, has in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in developments that present additional risks to a Fund's investments and operations. For example, additional and/or prolonged U.S. federal government shutdowns or global trade tensions may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. Any such market, economic and other disruptions could also prevent a Fund from executing its investment strategies and processes in a timely manner.
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). A U.S. REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax. 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), 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 annually 90% or more of its otherwise taxable income to shareholders. Although the REIT structure originated in the U.S., a number of countries around the world have adopted, or are considering adopting, similar REIT and REIT-like structures.
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REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings; a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.
REITs in which a Fund invests may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which the Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.
In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
Real Estate Operating Companies ("REOCs"). REOCs are real estate companies that engage in the development, management or financing of real estate. Typically, they provide services such as property management, property development, facilities management and real estate financing. REOCs are publicly traded corporations that have not elected to be taxed as REITs. The three primary reasons for such an election are (i) availability of tax-loss carryforwards, (ii) operation in non-REIT-qualifying lines of business and (iii) the ability to retain earnings.
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Micro, Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers. Investing in equity securities of micro, small and medium 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 micro and 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 micro and 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 growth companies or the market averages in general.
Initial Public Offerings ("IPOs"). A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities of companies offering shares in IPOs. IPOs may have a magnified performance impact on a fund with a small asset base. A Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time, which may increase the turnover of a Fund's portfolio and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling IPO shares, a Fund may realize taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for a Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Holders of IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.
A Fund's investment in IPO shares may include the securities of unseasoned companies (companies with less than three years of continuous operations), which presents risks considerably greater than common stocks of more established companies. These companies may have limited operating histories and their prospects for profitability may be uncertain. These companies may be involved in new and evolving businesses and may be vulnerable to competition and changes in technology, markets and economic conditions. They may be more dependent on key managers and third parties and may have limited product lines.
Master Limited Partnerships. MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Code. These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. To the extent that an MLP's interests are concentrated in a particular industry or sector, such as the energy sector, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry or sector. MLPs that are formed as limited partnerships generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners, while MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members.
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The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests are not publicly traded and generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.
Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management. Common units are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges, with their value fluctuating predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability annually to elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.
MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount ("minimum quarterly distributions" or "MQD"). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of the MLP.
Foreign Securities. Foreign securities include equity securities of foreign entities, obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and of foreign banks, including, without limitation, European Certificates of Deposit, European Time Deposits, European Bankers' Acceptances, Canadian Time Deposits, Europaper and Yankee Certificates of Deposit, and investments in Canadian Commercial Paper and foreign securities. These instruments have investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest or other income, possible seizure, nationalization, or expropriation of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source, greater fluctuations in value due to changes in exchange rates, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such obligations. Such investments may also entail higher custodial fees and sales commissions than domestic investments. Foreign issuers of securities or obligations are often subject to accounting treatment and engage in business practices different from those respecting domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. Foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks.
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Investment Funds. Some emerging countries currently prohibit direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. Certain emerging countries, however, permit indirect foreign investment in the securities of companies listed and traded on their stock exchanges through investment funds that they have specifically authorized. Investments in these investment funds are subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act. If a Fund invests in such investment funds, shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the expenses (including operating expenses and the fees of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC ("Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors" or the "Adviser")), but also will indirectly bear similar expenses of the underlying investment funds. In addition, these investment funds may trade at a premium over their net asset value.
Risks of Foreign Securities:
Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Political and Economic Factors. Local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments may affect the value of foreign investments. Listed below are some of the more important political and economic factors that could negatively affect an investment in foreign securities:
▪ | The economies of foreign countries may differ from the economy of the United States in such areas as growth of gross national product ("GNP"), rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, budget deficits and national debt; |
▪ | Foreign governments sometimes participate to a significant degree, through ownership interests or regulation, in their respective economies. Actions by these governments could significantly influence the market prices of securities and payment of dividends; |
▪ | The economies of many foreign countries are dependent on international trade and their trading partners and they could be severely affected if their trading partners were to enact protective trade barriers and economic conditions; |
▪ | The internal policies of a particular foreign country may be less stable than in the United States. Other countries face significant external political risks, such as possible claims of sovereignty by other countries or tense and sometimes hostile border clashes; |
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▪ | A foreign government may act adversely to the interests of U.S. investors, including expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation and other restrictions on U.S. investment. A country may restrict or control foreign investments in its securities markets. These restrictions could limit a Fund's ability to invest in a particular country or make it very expensive for the Fund to invest in that country. Some countries require prior governmental approval or limit the types or amount of securities or companies in which a foreigner can invest. Other countries may restrict the ability of foreign investors to repatriate their investment income and capital gains; and |
▪ | Periodic U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may result in a Fund having to sell such prohibited securities at inopportune times. Such prohibited securities may have less liquidity as a result of such U.S. Government designation and the market price of such prohibited securities may decline, which may cause the Fund to incur losses. |
Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, region or market might adversely affect financial conditions or issuers in other countries, regions or markets. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (the "UK") formally withdrew from the European Union (the "EU") (commonly referred to as "Brexit"). Following a transition period, the UK and the EU signed a post-Brexit trade agreement governing their future economic relationship on December 30, 2020. This agreement became effective on a provisional basis on January 1, 2021 and formally entered into force on May 1, 2021. While the full impact of Brexit is unknown, Brexit has already resulted in volatility in European and global markets. The effects of Brexit on the UK and EU economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as business and trade disruptions, increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth of markets in the UK, EU and globally, which could negatively impact the value of a Fund's investments. Brexit could also lead to legal uncertainty and politically divergent national laws and regulations while the new relationship between the UK and EU is further defined and the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. Additionally, depreciation of the British pound sterling and/or the euro in relation to the U.S. dollar following Brexit could adversely affect Fund investments denominated in the British pound sterling and/or the euro, regardless of the performance of the investment.
In addition, on February 24, 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions among Russia, Ukraine, Europe, NATO, and the West. Following Russia's actions, various countries, including the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany, and France, as well as the EU, issued broad-ranging economic sanctions against Russia. The sanctions consist of the prohibition of trading in certain Russian securities and engaging in certain private transactions, the prohibition of doing business with certain Russian corporate entities, large financial institutions, officials and oligarchs, and the freezing of Russian assets. The extent and duration of the war in Ukraine and the longevity and severity of sanctions remain unknown, but they could have a significant adverse impact on the European economy as well as the price and availability of certain commodities, including oil and natural gas, throughout the world. These sanctions, and the resulting disruption of the Russian economy, may cause volatility in other regional and global markets and may negatively impact the performance of various sectors and industries, as well as companies in other countries, which could have a negative effect on the performance of a Fund, even if a Fund does not have direct exposure to securities of Russian issuers.
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Whether or not a Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments due to the interconnected nature of the global economy and capital markets.
Information and Supervision. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than companies based in the United States. For example, there are often no reports and ratings published about foreign companies comparable to the ones written about U.S. companies. Foreign companies are typically not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. The lack of comparable information makes investment decisions concerning foreign companies more difficult and less reliable than those concerning domestic companies.
Stock Exchange and Market Risk. The investment managers anticipate that in most cases an exchange or over-the-counter market located outside of the United States will be the best available market for foreign securities. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as the markets in the United States. Foreign stock markets tend to differ from those in the United States in a number of ways.
Foreign stock markets:
▪ | are generally more volatile than, and not as developed or efficient as, those in the United States; |
▪ | have substantially less volume; |
▪ | trade securities that tend to be less liquid and experience rapid and erratic price movements; |
▪ | have generally higher commissions and are subject to set minimum rates, as opposed to negotiated rates; |
▪ | employ trading, settlement and custodial practices less developed than those in U.S. markets; and |
▪ | may have different settlement practices, which may cause delays and increase the potential for failed settlements. |
Foreign markets may offer less protection to shareholders than U.S. markets because:
▪ | foreign accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements may render a foreign corporate balance sheet more difficult to understand and interpret than one subject to U.S. law and standards; |
▪ | adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis; |
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▪ | in general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States; |
▪ | over-the-counter markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated; |
▪ | economic or political concerns may influence regulatory enforcement and may make it difficult for shareholders to enforce their legal rights; and |
▪ | restrictions on transferring securities within the United States or to U.S. persons may make a particular security less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions. |
Foreign Currency Risk. While the Funds denominate their net asset value in U.S. dollars, the securities of foreign companies are frequently denominated in foreign currencies. Thus, a change in the value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in value of securities denominated in that currency. Some of the factors that may impair the investments denominated in a foreign currency are:
▪ | It may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa; |
▪ | Complex political and economic factors may significantly affect the values of various currencies, including the U.S. dollar, and their exchange rates; |
▪ | Government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate in response to other market forces; |
▪ | There may be no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis; |
▪ | Available quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in the inter-bank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable; and |
▪ | The inter-bank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that a market is closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, certain markets may not always reflect significant price and rate movements. |
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Taxes. Certain foreign governments levy withholding taxes on dividend and interest income. Although in some countries it is possible for the Funds to recover a portion of these taxes, the portion that cannot be recovered will reduce the income the Funds receive from their investments.
Emerging Markets. An "emerging market country" is generally a country that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("World Bank") and the International Finance Corporation would consider to be an emerging or developing country. Typically, emerging markets are in countries that are in the process of industrialization, with lower GNP than more developed countries. Investing in emerging markets may magnify the risks of foreign investing. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may:
▪ | Have relatively unstable governments; |
▪ | Present greater risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets; |
▪ | Offer less protection of property rights than more developed countries; and |
▪ | Have economies that are based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. |
Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
Investments in China. China is an emerging market, and as a result, investments in securities of companies organized and listed in China may be subject to liquidity constraints and significantly higher volatility, from time to time, than investments in securities of more developed markets. China may be subject to considerable government intervention and varying degrees of economic, political and social instability. These factors may result in, among other things, a greater risk of stock market, interest rate, and currency fluctuations, as well as inflation. Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards in China are different from U.S. standards and, therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, may be less available, or may be less reliable. It may also be difficult or impossible for a Fund to obtain or enforce a judgment in a Chinese court. In addition, periodically there may be restrictions on investments in Chinese companies. For example, on November 12, 2020, the President of the United States signed an Executive Order (the "November 2020 Executive Order") prohibiting U.S. persons from purchasing or investing in publicly-traded securities of companies identified by the U.S. Government as "Communist Chinese military companies" or in instruments that are derivative of, or are designed to provide investment exposure to, those companies. In addition, on August 9, 2023, the President of the United States signed an Executive Order (the "August 2023 Executive Order" and, together with the November 2020 Executive Order, the "Executive Orders") directing the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the "Treasury") to promulgate regulations requiring notification of, or restricting, investments in China in certain categories of national security technologies, including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information, and certain artificial intelligence technologies. Concurrent with the August 2023 Executive Order, the Treasury issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which contemplates the possibility that the regulations adopted would not apply to investments made by collectively offered funds such as the Funds. These regulations have not yet been proposed or adopted by the Treasury and their scope and impact therefore are unclear, but if they were adopted in a way that applies to a Fund, the regulations could adversely affect the Fund's ability to make certain outbound investments.
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The universe of securities affected by the Executive Orders can change from time to time. As a result of an increase in the number of investors looking to sell such securities, or because of an inability to participate in an investment that the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser otherwise believes is attractive, a Fund may incur losses. Certain securities that are or become designated as prohibited securities may have less liquidity as a result of such designation and the market price of such prohibited securities may decline, potentially causing losses to a Fund. In addition, the market for securities of other Chinese-based issuers may also be negatively impacted, resulting in reduced liquidity and price declines.
Money Market Securities. Money market securities include short-term U.S. government securities; custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; 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 Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), or determined by the investment managers to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances) of U.S. commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and repurchase agreements involving such securities. Each of these money market securities are described in this section. For a description of ratings, see "Appendix A - Description of Ratings" to this SAI.
U.S. Government Securities. The Funds may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac").
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Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency. Additionally, some obligations are issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, which are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. Guarantees of principal by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Funds' shares.
On September 7, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") placed Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") in conservatorship. At the same time, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the "Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement" or "Agreement"). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury's funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth through the end of 2012. The unlimited support the U.S. Treasury extended to the two companies expired at the beginning of 2013 - Fannie Mae's support is now capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac has a limit of $149 billion.
On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% annual dividend. Instead, the companies will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount. The capital reserve amount was $3 billion in 2013, and decreased by $600 million in each subsequent year through 2017. It is believed that this amendment put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt because it eliminated the need for the companies to have to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to make fixed dividend payments. As part of the new terms, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also will be required to reduce their investment portfolios over time. On December 21, 2017, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to reinstate the $3 billion capital reserve amount. On September 30, 2019, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was further amending the Agreement, now permitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to retain earnings beyond the $3 billion capital reserves previously allowed through the 2017 amendment. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now permitted to maintain capital reserves of $25 billion and $20 billion, respectively.
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the subject of several continuing class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. government reportedly is considering multiple options, ranging from nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.
Under the direction of the FHFA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac developed a common securitization platform that in June 2019 began issuing a uniform mortgage-backed security ("UMBS") (the "Single Security Initiative") that aligned the characteristics of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates. The effects that the Single Security Initiative may have on the market for mortgage-backed securities are uncertain.
The FHFA has announced plans to consider taking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship. Should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear whether the U.S. Treasury would continue to enforce its rights or perform its obligations under the Agreement. It also unclear how the capital structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be constructed post-conservatorship, and what effects, if any, the privatization of the enterprises will have on their creditworthiness and guarantees of certain mortgage-backed securities. Accordingly, should the FHFA take the enterprises out of conservatorship, there could be an adverse impact on the value of their securities which could cause a Fund to lose value.
U.S. Treasury Obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, notes and bonds, and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations, including those transferable through the Federal book-entry system known as Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities ("STRIPS"). The STRIPS program lets investors hold and trade the individual interest and principal components of eligible Treasury notes and bonds as separate securities. Under the STRIPS program, the principal and interest components are separately issued by the U.S. Treasury at the request of depository financial institutions, which then trade the component parts separately.
Municipal Securities. Municipal securities, including municipal bonds and municipal notes, consist of: (i) debt obligations issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to be used for various public facilities, for refunding outstanding obligations, for general operating expenses and for lending such funds to other public institutions and facilities, and (ii) certain private activity and industrial development bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated facilities.
Municipal bonds are debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. Municipal bonds include general obligation bonds, revenue or special obligation bonds, private activity and industrial development bonds, moral obligation bonds and participation interests in municipal bonds. General obligation bonds are backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality. Revenue or special obligation bonds are backed by the revenues of a project or facility, such as tolls from a toll bridge. Private activity or industrial development bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money to finance various privately-owned or -operated facilities for business and manufacturing, housing, sports and pollution control. These bonds are also used to finance public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports, parking or sewage or solid waste disposal facilities and certain other facilities. The payment of the principal and interest on such bonds is dependent solely on the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and personal property financed as security for such payment. Moral obligation bonds are normally issued by special purpose authorities. Moral obligation bonds are not backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing municipality, but are generally backed by the agreement of the issuing authority to request appropriations from the municipality's legislative body. Certificates of participation represent an interest in an underlying obligation or commitment, such as an obligation issued in connection with a leasing arrangement.
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Municipal notes consist of general obligation notes, tax anticipation notes (notes sold to finance working capital needs of the issuer in anticipation of receiving taxes on a future date), revenue anticipation notes (notes sold to provide needed cash prior to receipt of expected non-tax revenues from a specific source), bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, certificates of indebtedness, demand notes and construction loan notes. The maturities of the instruments at the time of issue will generally range from three months to one year.
Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.
Investment Grade Fixed Income Securities. Fixed income securities are considered investment grade if they are rated in one of the four highest rating categories by an NRSRO, or, if not rated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the investment managers. See "Appendix A - Description of Ratings" for a description of the bond rating categories of several NRSROs. Ratings of each NRSRO represent its opinion of the safety of principal and interest payments (and not the market risk) of bonds and other fixed income securities it undertakes to rate at the time of issuance. Ratings are not absolute standards of quality and may not reflect changes in an issuer's creditworthiness. Fixed income securities rated BBB- or Baa3 lack outstanding investment characteristics, and have speculative characteristics as well. Securities rated Baa3 by Moody's or BBB- by S&P or higher are considered by those rating agencies to be "investment grade" securities, although Moody's considers securities rated in the Baa category to have speculative characteristics. While issuers of bonds rated BBB by S&P are considered to have adequate capacity to meet their financial commitments, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and principal for debt in this category than debt in higher rated categories. In the event a security owned by a Fund is downgraded below investment grade, the investment managers will review the situation and take appropriate action with regard to the security, including the actions discussed below.
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Debt Securities. Corporations and governments use debt securities to borrow money from investors. Most debt securities promise a variable or fixed rate of return and repayment of the amount borrowed at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest and are purchased at a discount from their face value.
Types of Debt Securities:
• | Corporate Bonds. Corporations issue bonds and notes to raise money for working capital or for capital expenditures such as plant construction, equipment purchases and expansion. In return for the money loaned to the corporation by investors, the corporation promises to pay investors interest, and repay the principal amount of the bond or note. |
• | Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities are interests in pools of mortgage loans that various governmental, government-related and private organizations assemble as securities for sale to investors. Unlike most debt securities, which pay interest periodically and repay principal at maturity or on specified call dates, mortgage-backed securities make monthly payments that consist of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through" of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Since homeowners usually have the option of paying either part or all of the loan balance before maturity, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed security is often shorter than is stated. |
Governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers may insure or guarantee the timely payment of interest and principal of these pools through various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The investment managers will consider such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets its investment quality standards. It is possible that the private insurers or guarantors will not meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements.
Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
Commercial Banks, Savings and Loan Institutions, Private Mortgage Insurance Companies, Mortgage Bankers and other Secondary Market Issuers. Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional mortgage loans. In addition to guaranteeing the mortgage-related security, such issuers may service and/or have originated the underlying mortgage loans. Pools created by these issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than pools created by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because they are not guaranteed by a government agency.
Risks of Mortgage-Backed Securities. Yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional debt securities in a variety of ways. The most significant differences of mortgage-backed securities are: 1) payments of interest and principal are more frequent (usually monthly) and 2) falling interest rates generally cause individual borrowers to pay off their mortgage earlier than expected, which results in prepayments of principal on the securities, thus forcing a Fund to reinvest the money at a lower interest rate. In addition to risks associated with changes in interest rates described in "Factors Affecting the Value of Debt Securities," a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors, such as the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, can cause investors to repay the loans underlying a mortgage-backed security sooner than expected. When prepayment occurs, the Fund may have to reinvest its principal at a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing mortgage-backed securities.
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Other Asset-Backed Securities. These securities are interests in pools of a broad range of assets other than mortgages, such as automobile loans, computer leases and credit card receivables. Like mortgage-backed securities, these securities are pass-through. In general, the collateral supporting these securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans and is less likely to experience substantial prepayments with interest rate fluctuations, but may still be subject to prepayment risk.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in the related assets, which raises the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to support payments on these securities. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which allow debtors to reduce their balances by offsetting certain amounts owed on the credit cards. Most issuers of asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables permit the servicers of such receivables to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the related asset-backed securities. Due to the quantity of vehicles involved and requirements under state laws, asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in all of the obligations backing such receivables.
To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, the entity administering the pool of assets may agree to ensure the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion ("liquidity protection"). In addition, asset-backed securities may obtain insurance, such as guarantees, policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, for some or all of the assets in the pool ("credit support"). Delinquency or loss more than that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in such a security.
The Funds may also invest in residual interests in asset-backed securities, which consist of the excess cash flow remaining after making required payments on the securities and paying related administrative expenses. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a particular issue of asset-backed securities depends in part on the characteristics of the underlying assets, the coupon rates on the securities, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the actual prepayment experience on the underlying assets.
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Senior Loans and Bank Loans. Senior loans and bank loans typically are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions or a group of lenders which are represented by one or more lenders acting as agent. The agent is often a commercial bank that originates the loan and invites other parties to join the lending syndicate. The agent will be primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement and will have responsibility for the documentation and ongoing administration of the loan on behalf of the lenders after completion of the loan transaction. A Fund can invest in a senior loan or bank loan either as a direct lender or through an assignment or participation.
When a Fund acts as a direct lender, it will have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and may participate in structuring the loan, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may have voting, consent and set-off rights under the loan agreement.
Loan assignments are investments in all or a portion of certain senior loans or bank loans purchased from the lenders or from other third parties. The purchaser of an assignment typically will acquire direct rights against the borrower under the loan. While the purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning lender under the loan agreement, because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and assignors, or other third parties whose interests are being assigned, the rights and obligations acquired by a Fund may differ from and be more limited than those held by the assigning lender.
A holder of a loan participation typically has only a contractual right with the seller of the participation and not with the borrower or any other entities interpositioned between the seller of the participation and the borrower. As such, the purchaser of a loan participation assumes the credit risk of the seller of the participation, and any intermediary entities between the seller and the borrower, in addition to the credit risk of the borrower. When a Fund holds a loan participation, it will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees to which it may be entitled only from the seller of the participation and only upon receipt of the seller of such payments from the borrower or from any intermediary parties between the seller and the borrower. Additionally, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, will have no voting, consent or set-off rights under the loan agreement and may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan although lenders that sell participations generally are required to distribute liquidation proceeds received by them pro rata among the holders of such participations. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, a loan participation may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of improper conduct by the seller or intermediary. If the borrower fails to pay principal and interest when due, the Fund may be subject to greater delays, expenses and risks than those that would have been involved if the Fund had purchased a direct obligation of such borrower.
Direct loans, assignments and loan participations may be considered liquid, as determined by the investment managers based on criteria approved by the Board.
A Fund may have difficulty disposing of bank loans because, in certain cases, the market for such instruments is not highly liquid. The lack of a highly liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such instruments and on the Fund's ability to dispose of the bank loan in response to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. Furthermore, transactions in many loans settle on a delayed basis, and the Fund may not receive the proceeds from the sale of a loan for a substantial period of time after the sale. As a result, those proceeds will not be available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund's redemption obligations. To the extent that extended settlement creates short-term liquidity needs, a Fund may satisfy these needs by holding additional cash or selling other investments (potentially at an inopportune time, which could result in losses to a Fund).
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Bank loans may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as a Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
The investment managers may from time to time have the opportunity to receive material, non-public information ("Confidential Information") about the borrower, including financial information and related documentation regarding the borrower that is not publicly available. Pursuant to applicable policies and procedures, the investment managers may (but are not required to) seek to avoid receipt of Confidential Information from the borrower so as to avoid possible restrictions on their ability to purchase and sell investments on behalf of a Fund and other clients to which such Confidential Information relates (e.g., publicly traded securities issued by the borrower). In such circumstances, the Fund (and other clients of the investment managers) may be disadvantaged in comparison to other investors, including with respect to the price the Fund pays or receives when it buys or sells a bank loan. Further, the investment managers' abilities to assess the desirability of proposed consents, waivers or amendments with respect to certain bank loans may be compromised if they are not privy to available Confidential Information. The investment managers may also determine to receive such Confidential Information in certain circumstances under their applicable policies and procedures. If the investment managers intentionally or unintentionally come into possession of Confidential Information, they may be unable, potentially for a substantial period of time, to purchase or sell publicly traded securities to which such Confidential Information relates.
Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance, or a certificate of deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day). Because the security purchased constitutes collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the securities is collateralized fully. The Funds follow certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the investment managers. The repurchase agreements entered into by the Funds will provide that the underlying collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the investment managers monitor compliance with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by the Funds, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, a Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of a Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss. The Funds may also enter into "tri-party" repurchase agreements. In "tri-party" repurchase agreements, an unaffiliated third party custodian maintains accounts to hold collateral for a Fund and its counterparties and, therefore, the Fund may be subject to the credit risk of those custodians. The investments of the Funds in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the investment managers, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Funds sell portfolio securities to financial institutions, such as banks and broker-dealers, and agree to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price that is higher than the original sale price. Reverse repurchase agreements are similar to a fully collateralized borrowing by the Funds.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve risks. Reverse repurchase agreements are a form of leverage, and the use of reverse repurchase agreements by a Fund may increase the Fund's volatility. Reverse repurchase agreements are also subject to the risk that the other party to the reverse repurchase agreement will be unable or unwilling to complete the transaction as scheduled, which may result in losses to a Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price at which it is obligated to repurchase the securities. In addition, when a Fund invests the proceeds it receives in a reverse repurchase transaction, there is a risk that those investments may decline in value. In this circumstance, the Fund could be required to sell other investments in order to meet its obligations to repurchase the securities.
The Derivatives Rule (as defined below) permits the Funds to enter into reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, notwithstanding the limitation on the issuance of senior securities in Section 18 of the 1940 Act. The Derivatives Rule permits the Funds to elect whether to treat a reverse repurchase agreement as a borrowing, subject to the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act, or as a derivatives transaction under the Derivatives Rule.
Securities of Other Investment Companies. The Funds may invest in shares of other investment companies, to the extent permitted by applicable law, 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.
Generally, the federal securities laws limit the extent to which a Fund can invest in securities of other investment companies, subject to certain exceptions. For example, 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, including its ETF investments.
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The Funds may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act, which provides an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows a Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions, the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund. The Funds may also rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12d1-4 permits the Funds to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions specified in the Rule including, among other conditions, that a Fund and its advisory group will not control (individually or in the aggregate) an acquired fund (e.g., hold more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of an acquired fund that is a registered open-end management investment company). In addition, the Funds may be able to rely on certain other rules under the 1940 Act to invest in shares of money market funds or other investment companies beyond the statutory limits noted above, but subject to certain conditions.
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. (See "Exchange-Traded Funds" above). 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.
Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is based on an underlying asset (such as a stock or a bond), an underlying economic factor (such as an interest rate) or a market benchmark. Unless otherwise stated in the Prospectus, the Funds may use derivatives for a number of purposes including managing risk, gaining exposure to various markets in a cost-efficient manner, reducing transaction costs, remaining fully invested and speculating. The Funds may also invest in derivatives with the goal of protecting themselves from broad fluctuations in market prices, interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates (a practice known as "hedging"). When hedging is successful, a Fund will have offset any depreciation in the value of its portfolio securities by the appreciation in the value of the derivative position. Although techniques other than the sale and purchase of derivatives could be used to control the exposure of the Funds to market fluctuations, the use of derivatives may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. In the future, to the extent such use is consistent with the Funds' investment objectives and is legally permissible, the Funds may use instruments and techniques that are not presently contemplated, but that may be subsequently developed.
There can be no assurance that a derivative strategy, if employed, will be successful. Because many derivatives have a leverage or borrowing component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Derivatives Rule") provides a comprehensive framework for the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. The Derivatives Rule permits a registered investment company, subject to various conditions described below, to enter into derivatives transactions 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 Funds, from issuing or selling any "senior security," other than borrowing from a bank (subject to a requirement to maintain 300% "asset coverage").
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Registered investment companies that don't qualify as "limited derivatives users" as defined below, are required by the Derivatives Rule to, among other things, (i) adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program ("DRMP") and new testing requirements; (ii) comply with a relative or absolute limit on fund leverage risk calculated based on value-at-risk ("VaR"); and (iii) comply with new requirements related to Board and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") reporting. The DRMP is administered by a "derivatives risk manager," who is appointed by the Board and periodically reviews the DRMP and reports to the Board.
The Derivatives Rule provides an exception from the DRMP, VaR limit and certain other requirements for a registered investment company that limits its "derivatives exposure" to no more than 10% of its net assets (as calculated in accordance with the Derivatives Rule) (a "limited derivatives user"), provided that the registered investment company establishes appropriate policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage derivatives risks, including the risk of exceeding the 10% "derivatives exposure" threshold.
The requirements of the Derivatives Rule may limit a Fund's ability to engage in derivatives transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may also increase the cost of a Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments and/or the performance of the Fund. The rule also may not be effective to limit a Fund's risk of loss. In particular, measurements of VaR rely on historical data and may not accurately measure the degree of risk reflected in a Fund's derivatives or other investments. There may be additional regulation of the use of derivatives transactions by registered investment companies, which could significantly affect their use. The ultimate impact of the regulations remains unclear. Additional regulation of derivatives transactions may make them more costly, limit their availability or utility, otherwise adversely affect their performance or disrupt markets.
CFTC Regulations. Pursuant to rules adopted under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), a Fund must either operate within certain guidelines and restrictions with respect to the Fund's use of futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps, or the Adviser will be subject to registration with the CFTC as a "commodity pool operator" ("CPO").
Consistent with the CFTC's regulations, the Adviser, on behalf of the Funds, has filed a notice of exclusion from the definition of the term CPO under the CEA pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to each Fund's operation. Therefore, the Funds are not subject to regulation as commodity pools under the CEA and the Adviser is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA with respect to the Funds. As a result, the Funds will be limited in their ability to use futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps. Complying with the limitations may restrict the investment managers' ability to implement the Funds' investment strategies and may adversely affect the Funds' performance.
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Types of Derivatives:
Futures. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties whereby one party agrees to sell and the other party agrees to buy a specified amount of a financial instrument at an agreed upon price and time. The financial instrument underlying the contract may be a stock, stock index, bond, bond index, interest rate, foreign exchange rate or other similar instrument. Agreeing to buy the underlying financial instrument is called buying a futures contract or taking a long position in the contract. Likewise, agreeing to sell the underlying financial instrument is called selling a futures contract or taking a short position in the contract.
Futures contracts are traded in the United States on commodity exchanges or boards of trade (known as "contract markets") approved for such trading and regulated by the CFTC. These contract markets standardize the terms, including the maturity date and underlying financial instrument, of all futures contracts.
Unlike other securities, the parties to a futures contract do not have to pay for or deliver the underlying financial instrument until some future date (the "delivery date"). Contract markets require both the purchaser and seller to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant or custodian bank, when they enter into the contract. Initial margin deposits are typically equal to a percentage of the contract's value. Initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit on a contract and is returned to the depositing party upon termination of the futures contract if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. After they open a futures contract, the parties to the transaction must compare the purchase price of the contract to its daily market value. If the value of the futures contract changes in such a way that a party's position declines, that party must make additional "variation margin" payments so that the margin payment is adequate. On the other hand, the value of the contract may change in such a way that there is excess margin on deposit, possibly entitling the party that has a gain to receive all or a portion of this amount. This process is known as "marking to the market." Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a party but is instead a settlement between the party and the futures broker of the amount one party would owe the other if the futures contract terminated. In computing daily net asset value, each party marks to market its open futures positions.
Although the terms of a futures contract call for the actual delivery of and payment for the underlying security, in many cases the parties may close the contract early by taking an opposite position in an identical contract. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is less than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is more than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain. Conversely, if the purchase price upon closing out the contract is more than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the purchase price upon closing out the contract is less than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain.
A Fund may incur commission expenses when it opens or closes a futures position.
Options. An option is a contract between two parties for the purchase and sale of a financial instrument for a specified price (known as the "strike price" or "exercise price") at any time during the option period. Unlike a futures contract, an option grants a right (not an obligation) to buy or sell a financial instrument. Generally, a seller of an option can grant a buyer two kinds of rights: a "call" (the right to buy the security) or a "put" (the right to sell the security). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific securities, indices of securities prices, foreign currencies, interest rates and futures contracts. Options may be traded on an exchange (exchange-traded options) or may be customized agreements between the parties (over-the-counter or "OTC" options). Like futures, a financial intermediary, known as a clearing corporation, financially backs exchange-traded options. However, OTC options have no such intermediary and are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligations under the contract. The principal factors affecting the market value of an option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market value of the underlying instrument relative to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until the option expires.
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▪ | Purchasing Put and Call Options |
When a Fund purchases a put option, it buys the right to sell the instrument underlying the option at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the Fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the "option premium"). A Fund may purchase put options to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of its securities ("protective puts") or to benefit from a decline in the price of securities that it does not own. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs. However, if the price of the underlying instrument does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer would lose the premium and related transaction costs.
Call options are similar to put options, except that a Fund obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities it owns or wants to buy. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying instrument exceeded the exercise price plus the premium paid and related transaction costs. Otherwise, the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.
The purchaser of an option may terminate its position by:
▪ | Allowing it to expire and losing its entire premium; |
▪ | Exercising the option and either selling (in the case of a put option) or buying (in the case of a call option) the underlying instrument at the strike price; or |
▪ | Closing it out in the secondary market at its current price. |
▪ | Selling (Writing) Put and Call Options |
When a Fund writes a call option it assumes an obligation to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a fixed strike price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. Similarly, when a Fund writes a put option it assumes an obligation to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a fixed strike price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. The Fund may terminate its position in an exchange-traded put option before exercise by buying an option identical to the one it has written. Similarly, the Fund may cancel an OTC option by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to the option.
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A Fund could try to hedge against an increase in the value of securities it would like to acquire by writing a put option on those securities. If security prices rise, the Fund would expect the put option to expire and the premium it received to offset the increase in the security's value. If security prices remain the same over time, the Fund would hope to profit by closing out the put option at a lower price. If security prices fall, the Fund may lose an amount of money equal to the difference between the value of the security and the premium it received. Writing covered put options may deprive a Fund of the opportunity to profit from a decrease in the market price of the securities it would like to acquire.
The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that call writers expect to profit if prices remain the same or fall. A Fund could try to hedge against a decline in the value of securities it already owns by writing a call option. If the price of that security falls as expected, the Fund would expect the option to expire and the premium it received to offset the decline of the security's value. However, the Fund must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike price, which may deprive it of the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the securities it holds.
The Funds are permitted to write only "covered" options. At the time of selling a call option, a Fund may cover the option by owning, among other things:
▪ | The underlying security (or securities convertible into the underlying security without additional consideration), index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract; |
▪ | A call option on the same security or index with the same or lesser exercise price; |
▪ | Cash or liquid securities equal to at least the market value of the optioned securities, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract; or |
▪ | In the case of an index, the portfolio of securities that corresponds to the index. |
At the time of selling a put option, a Fund may cover the option by, among other things:
▪ | Entering into a short position in the underlying security; |
▪ | Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract with the same or greater exercise price; or |
▪ | Maintaining the entire exercise price in liquid securities. |
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▪ | Options on Securities Indices |
Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.
▪ | Options on Credit Default Swaps |
An option on a credit default swap gives the holder the right to enter into a credit default swap at a specified future date and under specified terms in exchange for a purchase price or premium. The writer of the option bears the risk of any unfavorable move in the value of the credit default swap relative to the market value on the exercise date, while the purchaser may allow the option to expire unexercised.
▪ | Options on Futures |
An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to buy a futures contract (in the case of a call option) or sell a futures contract (in the case of a put option) at a fixed time and price. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option (in the case of a call option) or a corresponding long position (in the case of a put option). If the option is exercised, the parties will be subject to the futures contracts. In addition, the writer of an option on a futures contract is subject to initial and variation margin requirements on the option position. Options on futures contracts are traded on the same contract market as the underlying futures contract.
The buyer or seller of an option on a futures contract may terminate the option early by purchasing or selling an option of the same series (i.e., the same exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously purchased or sold. The difference between the premiums paid and received represents the trader's profit or loss on the transaction.
A Fund may purchase put and call options on futures contracts instead of selling or buying futures contracts. The Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract for the same reasons it would sell a futures contract. It also may purchase such a put option in order to hedge a long position in the underlying futures contract. A Fund may buy a call option on a futures contract for the same purpose as the actual purchase of a futures contract, such as in anticipation of favorable market conditions.
A Fund may write a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a decline in the prices of the instrument underlying the futures contracts. If the price of the futures contract at expiration were below the exercise price, the Fund would retain the option premium, which would offset, in part, any decline in the value of its portfolio securities.
The writing of a put option on a futures contract is similar to the purchase of the futures contracts, except that, if the market price declines, a Fund would pay more than the market price for the underlying instrument. The premium received on the sale of the put option, less any transaction costs, would reduce the net cost to the Fund.
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▪ | Options on Foreign Currencies |
A put option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option expires. The Funds may purchase or write put and call options on foreign currencies for the purpose of hedging against changes in future currency exchange rates.
The Funds may use foreign currency options given the same circumstances under which they could use forward foreign currency exchange contracts. For example, a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a foreign currency in which a Fund's securities are denominated would reduce the U.S. dollar value of the securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remained constant. In order to hedge against such a risk, the Fund may purchase a put option on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency then declined, the Fund could sell the currency for a fixed amount in U.S. dollars and thereby offset, at least partially, the negative effect on its securities that otherwise would have resulted. Conversely, if a Fund anticipates a rise in the U.S. dollar value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated, the Fund may purchase call options on the currency in order to offset, at least partially, the effects of negative movements in exchange rates. If currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, the Funds could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency options.
▪ | Combined Positions |
The Funds may purchase and write options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts or swap agreements, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, a Fund could construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract by purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument. Alternatively, a Fund could write a call option at one strike price and buy a call option at a lower price to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. A forward foreign currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific amount of currency at a future date or date range at a specific price. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. Unlike futures contracts, forward contracts:
▪ | Do not have standard maturity dates or amounts (i.e., the parties to the contract may fix the maturity date and the amount); |
▪ | Are typically traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers in the inter-bank markets, as opposed to on exchanges regulated by the CFTC (note, however, that under definitions adopted by the CFTC and SEC, many non-deliverable foreign currency forwards will be considered swaps for certain purposes, including determination of whether such instruments must be traded on exchanges and centrally cleared); |
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▪ | Do not require an initial margin deposit; and |
▪ | May be closed by entering into a closing transaction with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract, as opposed to with a commodities exchange. |
▪ | Foreign Currency Hedging Strategies |
A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a Fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. A Fund may also use forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency when it anticipates purchasing or selling securities denominated in foreign currency, even if it has not yet selected the specific investments.
A Fund may use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in foreign currency. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. The Fund could also hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency in which the Fund's investment is denominated. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.
Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities that a Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange that one can achieve at some future point in time. Additionally, these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency and to limit any potential gain that might result from the increase in value of such currency.
A Fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. Such transactions may call for the delivery of one foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency, including currencies in which its securities are not then denominated. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased. Cross-hedges may protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency but will cause the Fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases. Cross-hedging transactions also involve the risk of imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies involved.
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It is difficult to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, a Fund may have to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot (cash) market if the market value of a security it is hedging is less than the amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver. Conversely, the Fund may have to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency it received upon the sale of a security if the market value of such security exceeds the amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver.
Equity-Linked Securities. The Funds may invest in privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single stock (referred to as "equity-linked securities"). These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks.
Swap Agreements. A swap agreement is a financial instrument that typically involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties on specified dates (settlement dates), where the cash flows are based on agreed-upon prices, rates, indices, etc. The nominal amount on which the cash flows are calculated is called the notional amount. Swap agreements are individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors, such as interest rates, foreign currency rates, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, security prices or inflation rates.
Swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the investments of a Fund and its share price. The performance of swap agreements may be affected by a change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by the Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterparty's creditworthiness declined, the value of a swap agreement would be likely to decline, potentially resulting in losses.
Generally, swap agreements have a fixed maturity date that will be agreed upon by the parties. The agreement can be terminated before the maturity date under certain circumstances, such as default by one of the parties or insolvency, among others, and can be transferred by a party only with the prior written consent of the other party. A Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or by other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. If the counterparty is unable to meet its obligations under the contract, declares bankruptcy, defaults or becomes insolvent, a Fund may not be able to recover the money it expected to receive under the swap agreement. The Funds will not enter into any swap agreement unless the investment managers believe that the counterparty to the transaction is creditworthy.
A swap agreement can be a form of leverage, which can magnify the Funds' gains or losses.
▪ | Equity Swaps |
In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index or basket of stocks in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the return on the interest rate that a Fund will be committed to pay.
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▪ | Total Return Swaps |
Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from a reference instrument-which may be a single asset, a pool of assets or an index of assets-during a specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another underlying reference instrument. The total return includes appreciation or depreciation on the underlying asset, plus any interest or dividend payments. Payments under the swap are based upon an agreed upon principal amount but, since the principal amount is not exchanged, it represents neither an asset nor a liability to either counterparty, and is referred to as notional. Total return swaps are marked to market daily using different sources, including quotations from counterparties, pricing services, brokers or market makers. The unrealized appreciation or depreciation related to the change in the valuation of the notional amount of the swap is combined with the amount due to a Fund at termination or settlement. The primary risks associated with total return swaps are credit risks (if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations) and market risk (if there is no liquid market for the swap or unfavorable changes occur to the underlying reference instrument).
▪ | Interest Rate Swaps |
Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are "fixed-for-floating rate swaps," "termed basis swaps" and "index amortizing swaps." Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for-floating rate swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met.
As with a traditional investment in a debt security, a Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely. For example, if a Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Fund may have to pay more money than it receives. Similarly, if a Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, the Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.
▪ | Currency Swaps |
A currency swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make interest rate payments in one currency and the other promises to make interest rate payments in another currency. A Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has one currency and desires a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the agreement and returned at the end of the agreement. Changes in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.
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▪ | Inflation Swaps |
Inflation swaps are fixed-maturity, over-the-counter derivatives where one party pays a fixed rate in exchange for payments tied to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. The fixed rate, which is set by the parties at the initiation of the swap, is often referred to as the "breakeven inflation" rate and generally represents the current difference between treasury yields and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities yields of similar maturities at the initiation of the swap agreement. Inflation swaps are typically designated as "zero coupon," where all cash flows are exchanged at maturity. The value of an inflation swap is expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. An inflation swap can lose value if the realized rate of inflation over the life of the swap is less than the fixed market implied inflation rate (the breakeven inflation rate) the investor agreed to pay at the initiation of the swap.
▪ | Credit Default Swaps |
A credit default swap is an agreement between a "buyer" and a "seller" for credit protection. The credit default swap agreement may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not then held by a Fund. The protection buyer is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront payment and/or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement until a credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If no default occurs, the seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the full notional amount (the "par value") of the swap.
▪ | Caps, Collars and Floors |
Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor.
Risks of Derivatives:
While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. For example, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Funds than if they had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify the Funds' gains or losses, causing them to make or lose substantially more than they invested.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities a Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
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Use of derivatives involves transaction costs, which may be significant, and may also increase the amount of taxable income to shareholders.
Correlation of Prices. The Funds' ability to hedge their securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities a Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The investment managers will try to minimize this risk by investing in only those contracts whose behavior they expect to correlate with the behavior of the portfolio securities they are trying to hedge. However, if the investment managers' prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility or other economic factors is incorrect, a Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
▪ | Current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract; |
▪ | A difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or discontinued trading of an instrument; and |
▪ | Differences between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets. |
Derivatives based upon a narrower index of securities, such as those of a particular industry group, may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad market index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
While currency futures and options values are expected to correlate with exchange rates, they may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the investments of the Funds. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a yen-denominated security from a decline in the yen, but will not protect the Funds against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of the Funds' foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the Funds' investments precisely over time.
Lack of Liquidity. Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, a Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. Moreover, a Fund may close out a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded. Although the Funds intend to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, a Fund may not be able to close out its position. In an illiquid market, a Fund may:
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▪ | Have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so; |
▪ | Have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract; |
▪ | Not be able to hedge its investments; and/or |
▪ | Not be able to realize profits or limit its losses. |
Derivatives may become difficult to sell at a desired time and price under a variety of market conditions. For example:
▪ | An exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility; |
▪ | Unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange; |
▪ | The facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume; |
▪ | Equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or |
▪ | Investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives. |
Management Risk. Successful use of derivatives by the Funds is subject to the ability of the investment managers to forecast stock market and interest rate trends. If the investment managers incorrectly predict stock market and interest rate trends, the Funds may lose money by investing in derivatives. For example, if a Fund were to write a call option based on the investment managers' expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if a Fund were to write a put option based on the investment managers' expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.
Pricing Risk. At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments. For example, if a Fund has valued its securities too high, shareholders may end up paying too much for Fund shares when they buy into the Fund. If the Fund underestimates its price, shareholders may not receive the full market value for their Fund shares when they sell.
Margin. Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to a Fund and it may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
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If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, a Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement. A Fund may lose its margin deposits if a broker-dealer with whom it has an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.
Volatility and Leverage. The Funds' use of derivatives may have a leveraging effect. Leverage generally magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in value of an underlying asset and results in increased volatility, which means the Funds will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Funds do not use derivative instruments that have a leveraging effect. The prices of derivatives are volatile (i.e., they may change rapidly, substantially and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:
▪ | Actual and anticipated changes in interest rates; |
▪ | Fiscal and monetary policies; and |
▪ | National and international political events. |
Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day. Daily trading limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day. Once the price of a derivative reaches that value, the Funds may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses. Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.
Government Regulation. The regulation of derivatives markets in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. For example, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law in 2010, granted significant new authority to the SEC and the CFTC to impose comprehensive regulations on the over-the-counter and cleared derivatives markets. These regulations include, but are not limited to, mandatory clearing of certain derivatives and requirements relating to disclosure, margin and trade reporting. The law and regulations may negatively impact the Funds by increasing transaction and/or regulatory compliance costs, limiting the availability of certain derivatives or otherwise adversely affecting the value or performance of the derivatives the Funds trade.
In addition, the SEC adopted the Derivatives Rule on October 28, 2020. Since its compliance date of August 19, 2022, the Derivatives Rule has replaced prior SEC and staff guidance with an updated, comprehensive framework for registered funds' use of derivatives. See "Derivatives - Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act" above for additional information on the requirements imposed on registered funds by the Derivatives Rule. Complying with the Derivatives Rule may increase the cost of the Funds' investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. Other potentially adverse regulatory obligations can develop suddenly and without notice.
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Illiquid Investments. A Fund may not acquire an illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in "illiquid investments" that are assets. Illiquid investments are investments that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. For each Fund, each portfolio investment must be classified at least monthly into one of four liquidity categories (highly liquid, moderately liquid, less liquid and illiquid), which are defined pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. Such classification is to be made using information obtained after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. Under the oversight of the Board, the investment managers determine the liquidity of a Fund's investments. The investment managers may be assisted in classification determinations by one or more third-party service providers. Because of their illiquid nature, illiquid investments often must be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight. Despite such good faith efforts to determine fair value prices, a Fund's illiquid investments are subject to the risk that the investment's fair value price may differ from the actual price which the Fund may ultimately realize upon its sale or disposition. Difficulty in selling illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a Fund.
Securities Lending. A Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 1/3% of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). A Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the investment managers or their affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of a Fund.
A Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated third party for acting as the Fund's securities lending agent, but will bear all of any losses from the investment of collateral.
By lending its securities, a Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. Investing cash collateral subjects a Fund to market risk. A Fund remains obligated to return all collateral to the borrower under the terms of its securities lending arrangements, even if the value of investments made with the collateral decline. Accordingly, if the value of a security in which the cash collateral has been invested declines, the loss would be borne by a Fund, and the Fund may be required to liquidate other investments in order to return collateral to the borrower at the end of the loan. A Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral or equivalent securities of the type discussed above from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan on demand; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan (which fees may include fees payable to the lending agent, the borrower, the Fund's administrator and the custodian); and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. In such instances, the investment managers will vote the securities in accordance with their proxy voting policies and procedures. The Board has adopted procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the foregoing criteria will be met. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the borrower, including possible delays or restrictions upon a Fund's ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan, which could give rise to loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying securities.
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Restricted Securities. The Funds may purchase restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or an exemption from registration. This generally includes securities that are unregistered that can be sold to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or securities that are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, such as commercial paper. Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a "safe harbor" from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and meet other selection criteria, a Fund may make such investments whether or not such securities are classified as "illiquid" depending on the market that exists for the particular security.
Short Sales. The Funds may engage in short sales that are either "uncovered" or "against the box." A short sale is "against the box" if at all times during which the short position is open, a Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to a Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.
Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Funds sell a security they do not own. To complete such a transaction, a Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.
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When-Issued, Delayed-Delivery and Forward-Delivery Transactions. A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. In a forward-delivery transaction, a Fund contracts to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. "Delayed-delivery" refers to securities transactions on the secondary market where settlement occurs in the future. In each of these transactions, the parties fix the payment obligation and the interest rate that they will receive on the securities at the time the parties enter the commitment; however, they do not pay money or deliver securities until a later date. Typically, no income accrues on securities a Fund has committed to purchase before the securities are delivered. A Fund will only enter into these types of transactions with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell them before the settlement date.
A Fund may use when-issued, delayed-delivery and forward-delivery transactions to secure what it considers an advantageous price and yield at the time of purchase. When a Fund engages in when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward-delivery transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward-delivery basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
The Derivatives Rule permits a Fund to enter into when-issued or delayed delivery basis securities notwithstanding the limitation on the issuance of senior securities in Section 18 of the 1940 Act, provided that the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date. If a when-issued or delayed delivery basis security entered into by a Fund does not satisfy those requirements, the Fund would need to comply with the Derivatives Rule with respect to its when issued or delayed delivery transactions, which are considered derivatives transactions under the Derivatives Rule. See "Derivatives - Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act" above.
Cyber Security and Operational Risk. As with any entity that conducts business through electronic means in the modern marketplace, the Funds, and their service providers, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber incidents. Cyber incidents can result from unintentional events (such as an inadvertent release of confidential information) or deliberate attacks by insiders or third parties, including cyber criminals, competitors, nation-states and "hacktivists," and can be perpetrated by a variety of complex means, including the use of stolen access credentials, malware or other computer viruses, ransomware, phishing, structured query language injection attacks, and distributed denial of service attacks, among other means. Cyber incidents may result in actual or potential adverse consequences for critical information and communications technology, systems and networks that are vital to the Funds' or their service providers' operations or otherwise impair Fund or service provider operations. For example, a cyber incident may cause operational disruptions and failures impacting information systems or information that a system processes, stores, or transmits, such as by theft, damage or destruction, or corruption or modification of and denial of access to data maintained online or digitally, denial of service on websites rendering the websites unavailable to intended users or not accessible for such users in a timely manner, and the unauthorized release or other exploitation of confidential information.
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Cyber incidents could adversely impact the Funds and their shareholders, potentially resulting in, among other things, financial losses or the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business. For instance, cyber incidents may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions or other operational functionality, impact a Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value or other data, cause the release of private shareholder information (i.e., identity theft or other privacy breaches) or confidential Fund information or otherwise compromise the security and reliability of information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject the Funds to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation or remediation costs, and litigation expenses, which may be substantial. The Funds may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes designed to mitigate or prevent the risk of cyber incidents. Such costs may be ongoing because threats of cyber incidents are constantly evolving as cyber attackers become more sophisticated and their techniques become more complex.
Although the Funds and their service providers may have established business continuity plans and systems reasonably designed to protect from and/or defend against the risks or adverse consequences associated with cyber incidents there are inherent limitations in these plans and systems, including that certain risks may not yet be identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future and the threats continue to rapidly evolve and increase in sophistication. As a result, it is not possible to anticipate and prevent every cyber incident and attempts to mitigate the occurrence or impact of a cyber incident may be unsuccessful. The nature, extent, and potential magnitude of the adverse consequences of a cyber incident cannot be predicted accurately but may result in significant risks and costs to the Funds and their shareholders. The issuers of securities in which the Funds may invest are also subject to the ongoing risks and threats associated with cyber incidents. These incidents could result in adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Funds' investments in such companies to lose value. There can be no assurance that the Funds, the Funds' service providers, or the issuers of the securities in which the Funds invest will not suffer losses relating to cyber incidents or other information security breaches in the future.
The Funds' and their service providers are also subject to the risks associated with technological and operational disruptions or failures arising from, for example, processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, errors in algorithms used with respect to the Funds, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third parties or trading counterparties. Although the Funds attempt to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures or other disruptions in service.
Cyber incidents and operational errors or failures or other technological issues may adversely affect a Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value correctly, in a timely manner or process trades or Fund or shareholder transactions, including over a potentially extended period. The Funds do not control the cyber security or other operational defense plans or systems of its service providers, intermediaries, companies in which it invests or other third-parties. The value of an investment in Fund shares may be adversely affected by the occurrence of the cyber incidents and operational errors or failures or technological issues summarized above or other similar events and the Funds and their shareholders may bear costs tied to these risks.
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LIBOR Replacement Risk. The Funds may be exposed to financial instruments that recently transitioned from, or continue to be tied to, the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value. Such instruments may include bank loans, derivatives, floating rate securities, and other assets or liabilities. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased publishing all LIBOR settings on a representative basis. In April 2023, however, the FCA announced that some USD LIBOR settings will continue to be published under a synthetic methodology until September 30, 2024 for certain legacy contracts.
The Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), which is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement market, has been used increasingly on a voluntary basis in new instruments and transactions. Under U.S. regulations that implement a statutory fallback mechanism to replace LIBOR, benchmark rates based on SOFR have replaced LIBOR in different categories of financial contracts.
Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. While some existing LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate-setting methodology, there may be significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replicate LIBOR. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. Parties to contracts, securities, or other instruments using LIBOR may disagree on transition rates or the application of transition regulation, potentially resulting in uncertainty of performance and the possibility of litigation. The Funds may have instruments linked to other interbank offered rates that may also cease to be published in the future.
General Market Risk. An outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus designated as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 and subsequently spread internationally. The transmission of COVID-19 and efforts to contain its spread have resulted in international, national and local border closings and other significant travel restrictions and disruptions, significant disruptions to business operations, supply chains and customer activity, event cancellations and restrictions, service cancellations, reductions and other changes, significant challenges in healthcare service preparation and delivery, and quarantines, as well as general concern and uncertainty that has negatively affected the economic environment. These impacts also have caused significant volatility and declines in global financial markets, which have caused losses for investors. Health crises caused by viral or bacterial outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, economic, market and financial risks. The impact of this outbreak, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which a Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund.
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INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
Fundamental Policies
The following investment limitations are fundamental, which means that the Funds cannot change them without approval by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds. The phrase "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of a Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of a Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.
Each Fund may not:
1. | Purchase securities of an issuer that would cause the Fund to fail to satisfy the diversification requirement for a diversified management company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time. |
2. | Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time; provided, however, that the U.S. All Cap Index Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the index whose performance the Fund seeks to track is so concentrated. |
3. | Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time. |
4. | Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time. |
5. | Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time. |
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6. | Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that it may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, or to the extent otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time. |
Non-Fundamental Policies
Each Fund's investment objective as well as the following investment limitations of each Fund are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
Each Fund may not:
1. | Purchase or sell real estate, real estate limited partnership interests, physical commodities or commodities contracts based on physical commodities, except that a Fund may (i) purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs), physical commodities or commodities contracts based on physical commodities, and (ii) purchase securities or instruments that are secured by real estate or interests therein, and hold and dispose of real estate or interests therein acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of such securities or instruments. |
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
Diversification. Under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a "diversified company," as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by the fund.
Concentration. The 1940 Act requires that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy regarding concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company's total assets in any particular industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions. For purposes of a Fund's concentration policy, the Fund may classify and re-classify companies in a particular industry and define and re-define industries in any reasonable manner, consistent with SEC and SEC staff guidance.
Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows an investment company to borrow from any bank in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) and to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets.
Lending. Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.
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Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although the 1940 Act does provide allowances for certain borrowings. In addition, the Derivatives Rule permits a fund to enter into derivatives transactions, notwithstanding the prohibitions and restrictions on the issuance of senior securities under the 1940 Act, provided that the fund complies with the conditions of the Derivatives Rule.
Real Estate and Commodities. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate or commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.
Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of issuers (other than investment companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, exceeds 25% of the value of its total assets.
Except with respect to the Funds' policies concerning borrowing, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances causes a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitation within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).
THE ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER
Investment Adviser
General. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, organized in 2014, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds and is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser. The Adviser's principal place of business is located at One Columbus Plaza, New Haven, Connecticut 06510. The Adviser is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Knights of Columbus, a fraternal benefit society organized under the laws of the State of Connecticut. As of December 31, 2023, the Adviser had $27 billion in assets under management.
The Adviser makes investment decisions for the Funds and continuously reviews, supervises and administers each Fund's investment program. In addition, the Adviser oversees L2 Asset Management, LLC ("L2 Asset Management" or the "Sub-Adviser") to ensure the Sub-Adviser's compliance with the investment policies and guidelines of the Funds managed by the Sub-Adviser, and monitors the Sub-Adviser's adherence to its investment style. The Board oversees the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser must follow in their management activities.
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Advisory Agreement. The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement dated February 26, 2015, as amended (the "Advisory Agreement"), with respect to the Funds. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser serves as the investment adviser and makes investment decisions for each Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the investment program of each Fund, subject to the oversight of, and policies established by, the Board.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees or, with respect to a Fund, by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund, or, by the Adviser, on not less than 30 days' nor more than 60 days' written notice to the Trust. As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms "majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and "assignment" have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.
Advisory Fees Paid to the Adviser. For its services under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rates based on the average daily net assets of each Fund:
Fund | Advisory Fee Rate |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 0.20% |
The Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser out of the advisory fees it receives from the Fund.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, non-routine expenses, and any class-specific expenses (including shareholder servicing fees) (collectively, "excluded expenses")) for I Shares and Class S Shares from exceeding certain levels as set forth below until February 28, 2026 (each, a "contractual expense limit"). This agreement may be terminated by: (i) the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on February 28, 2026.
Fund | Contractual Expense Limits |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 0.25% |
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In addition, the Adviser may receive from a Fund the difference between the total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the recoupment if at any point total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Fund paid the Adviser the following advisory fees:
Fund | Contractual Advisory Fees | Fees Waived by the Adviser1 |
Total Fees Paid to the Adviser (After Waivers)1 |
||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | $49,732 | $117,969 | $173,457 | $49,732 | $117,969 | $173,457 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
1 | For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Adviser additionally reimbursed fees of $126,990, $89,274 and $129,664, respectively, for the Fund to maintain the stated expense cap under its contractual expense limitation agreement with the Fund. |
Investment Sub-Adviser
L2 Asset Management, LLC. L2 Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, serves as the investment sub-adviser to the U.S. All Cap Index Fund. L2 Asset Management is 100% employee-owned. L2 Asset Management, LLC's principal place of business is located at 66 Glezen Lane, Wayland, Massachusetts 01778. As of December 31, 2023, L2 Asset Management had approximately $449 million in regulatory assets under management.
Sub-Advisory Agreement. The provision of investment advisory services by the Sub-Adviser is governed by an investment sub-advisory agreement between the Sub-Adviser and the Adviser (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement"). Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds managed by the Sub-Adviser, makes investment decisions for such Funds and administers the investment program of such Funds, subject to the oversight of, and policies established by, the Adviser and the Board.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment or in the event of the termination of the Advisory Agreement, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board.
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Sub-Advisory Fees. For the services provided pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Adviser receives an annual fee from the Adviser at the following annual rates based on the average daily net assets of the Funds managed by the Sub-Adviser:
Fund | Sub-Advisory Fee Rate |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 0.10% |
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Adviser paid the Sub-Adviser the following sub-advisory fees:
Fund | Contractual Fees Paid | ||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
L2 Asset Management, LLC | |||
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | $24,847 | $58,993 | $86,730 |
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
This section includes information about the Funds' portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.
Compensation.
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors' portfolio managers are compensated with a base salary and discretionary bonus based on the overall performance of the firm. The bonus structure is formula driven and is not tied strictly to the investment returns generated by any particular fund or portfolio.
L2 Asset Management, LLC
L2 Asset Management's portfolio managers are the principal owners of L2 Asset Management. The portfolio managers' compensation is based on their share, as owners, of L2 Asset Management's net income from all sources, including management fees that L2 Asset Management receives from the U.S. All Cap Index Fund.
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Fund Shares Owned by the Portfolio Managers. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Funds as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act").
Name | Dollar Range of Fund Shares1 |
Sanjeev Bhojraj | None |
Matthew Malgari | None |
Nathan Przybylo | None |
1 | Valuation date is October 31, 2023. |
Other Accounts. In addition to the Funds, the portfolio managers may also be responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as indicated by the following table. The information below is provided as of October 31, 2023.
Name |
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | |||
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in Millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in Millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in Millions) |
|
Sanjeev Bhojraj |
0 | $0 | 31 | $110 | 17 | $15 |
Matthew Malgari |
0 | $0 | 31 | $110 | 17 | $15 |
Nathan Przybylo | 0 | $0 | 31 | $110 | 17 | $15 |
1 | These accounts are subject to performance-based advisory fees. |
Conflicts of Interest. The following are the areas in which potential conflicts of interest may exist as a result of the Adviser's and the Sub-Adviser's management of multiple accounts, including the Funds: the allocation of investment opportunities among accounts, the personal trading activities of the members of the portfolio management teams, and the use of soft dollars.
The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser manage multiple accounts for institutional clients, each of which may have distinct investment objectives and strategies, some similar to the Funds and others different. At times the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some accounts or may decide that certain of the accounts should take differing positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may place separate transactions for one or more accounts, which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the benefit of one account over another, including a Fund. The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may receive a greater advisory fee for managing another account than received for advising a Fund which may create an incentive to allocate more favorable transactions to such account. The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may buy or sell for themselves, or other accounts, investments that they buy or sell on behalf of the Funds. Consistent with their duty to seek best execution, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser select the brokers with whom to execute transactions on behalf of the Funds. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser utilize soft dollars whereby they may purchase research and services using commission dollars generated by the Funds. Often, the research and services purchased using the Funds' commissions benefit other accounts of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. Soft dollars may create an actual or perceived conflict of interest because the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may have an incentive to initiate more transactions to generate soft dollars or may select only those brokers willing to offer soft dollars when placing transactions for the Funds.
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The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser have adopted trade aggregation policies, as well as other compliance policies and procedures, which require that all clients be treated equitably. The trade aggregation policy and compliance policies and procedures are designed to detect the types of conflicts of interest described above. However, there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will always detect or prevent every situation in which an actual or perceived conflict of interest may arise.
THE ADMINISTRATOR
General. SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator"), a Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. SEI Investments and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including the Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust accounting systems, and brokerage and information services to financial institutions, institutional investors, and money managers. The Administrator and its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other mutual funds.
Administration Agreement with the Trust. The Trust and the Administrator have entered into an amended and restated administration agreement dated November 16, 2018, as amended (the "Administration Agreement"). Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including regulatory reporting and all necessary office space, equipment, personnel and facilities.
The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.
Administration Fees Paid to the Administrator. For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is paid a fee, which varies based on the average daily net assets of the Funds, subject to certain minimums. For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Funds paid the following amounts for these services:
Fund | Administration Fees Paid | ||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | $27,805 | $52,789 | $57,171 |
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THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties to a distribution agreement dated February 12, 2014, as amended (the "Distribution Agreement"), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust's shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act), and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, or by the Distributor, upon not less than 60 days' written notice to the other party.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
Shareholder Servicing Plan. The Funds have adopted a shareholder servicing plan under which a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.20% of average daily net assets of Class S Shares of the Funds will be paid to financial intermediaries. Under the plan, financial intermediaries may perform, or may compensate other financial intermediaries for performing, certain shareholder and/or administrative services or similar non-distribution services, including: (i) maintaining shareholder accounts; (ii) arranging for bank wires; (iii) responding to shareholder inquiries relating to the services performed by the financial intermediaries; (iv) responding to inquiries from shareholders concerning their investment in the Funds; (v) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (vi) providing information periodically to shareholders showing their position in the Funds; (vii) forwarding shareholder communications from the Funds such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend and capital gain distribution and tax notices to shareholders; (viii) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and placing orders with the Funds or their service providers; (ix) providing sub-accounting services; (x) processing dividend and capital gain payments from the Funds on behalf of shareholders; (xi) preparing tax reports; and (xii) providing such other similar non-distribution services as the Funds may reasonably request to the extent that the financial intermediary is permitted to do so under applicable laws or regulations.
Payments by the Adviser. The Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the 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.
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These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Funds, the Distributor 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 the Funds 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 the Funds; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.
Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Funds by financial intermediaries' customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.
Investors should understand that some financial intermediaries may also charge their clients fees in connection with purchases of shares or the provision of shareholder services.
THE TRANSFER AGENT
SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., 333 West 11th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 (the "Transfer Agent"), serves as the Funds' transfer agent.
THE CUSTODIAN
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., located at 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 (the "Custodian"), acts as the custodian of the Funds. The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Funds as required by the 1940 Act.
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
[________], Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Suite 1800, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. The financial statements and notes thereto incorporated by reference for the Funds have been audited by [________], as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and are incorporated by reference in reliance on the authority of their report as experts in accounting and auditing.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 2222 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
SECURITIES LENDING
The Funds did not engage in securities lending activities during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described above, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust's service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the funds. The funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund's portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds' service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at which time certain of the fund's service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the fund. Additionally, the fund's adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the adviser and other service providers, such as the fund's independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds may be exposed.
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The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the funds by the adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the advisory agreement with the adviser, the Board meets with the adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the adviser's adherence to the funds' investment restrictions and compliance with various fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the funds' investments, including, for example, reports on the adviser's use of derivatives in managing the funds, if any, as well as reports on the funds' investments in other investment companies, if any.
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and fund and adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Adviser makes regular reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the funds' financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the funds' internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the funds' goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the funds' advisers and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
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Members of the Board. There are six members of the Board, five of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act ("independent Trustees"). Mr. Doran, an interested person of the Trust, serves as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Hunt, an independent Trustee, serves as the lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees constitute more than three-quarters of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from fund management.
The Board has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Governance Committee. The Audit Committee and the Governance Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of all of the independent Trustees. In addition, the Board has a lead independent Trustee.
In his role as lead independent Trustee, Mr. Hunt, among other things: (i) presides over Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board; (ii) presides over executive sessions of the independent Trustees; (iii) along with the Chairman of the Board, oversees the development of agendas for Board meetings; (iv) facilitates communication between the independent Trustees and management, and among the independent Trustees; (v) serves as a key point person for dealings between the independent Trustees and management; and (vi) has such other responsibilities as the Board or independent Trustees determine from time to time.
Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee. There is no stated term of office for the Trustees. Nevertheless, an independent Trustee must retire from the Board as of the end of the calendar year in which such independent Trustee first attains the age of seventy-five years; provided, however, that, an independent Trustee may continue to serve for one or more additional one calendar year terms after attaining the age of seventy-five years (each calendar year a "Waiver Term") if, and only if, prior to the beginning of such Waiver Term: (1) the Governance Committee (a) meets to review the performance of the independent Trustee; (b) finds that the continued service of such independent Trustee is in the best interests of the Trust; and (c) unanimously approves excepting the independent Trustee from the general retirement policy set out above; and (2) a majority of the Trustees approves excepting the independent Trustee from the general retirement policy set out above. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee is SEI Investments, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
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Name and Year of Birth | Position with Trust and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupations in the Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held in the Past 5 Years |
Interested Trustee | |||
William M. Doran (Born: 1940) |
Chairman of the Board of Trustees1 (since 2014) |
Self-Employed Consultant since 2003. Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (law firm) from 1976 to 2003. Counsel to the Trust, SEI Investments, SIMC, the Administrator and the Distributor. Secretary of SEI Investments since 1978. |
Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund, Symmetry Panoramic Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Catholic Values Trust and SEI Exchange Traded Funds. Director of SEI Investments, SEI Investments (Europe), Limited, SEI Investments-Global Funds Services, Limited, SEI Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Asia), Limited, SEI Global Nominee Ltd., SEI Investments - Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited and SEI Investments Co. Director of the Distributor. Former Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds and Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
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Independent Trustees | |||
Jon C. Hunt (Born: 1951) |
Trustee and Lead Independent Trustee (since 2014) |
Retired since 2013. Consultant to Management, Convergent Capital Management, LLC ("CCM") from 2012 to 2013. Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, CCM from 1998 to 2012. |
Current Directorships: Trustee of City National Rochdale Funds, Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd. Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
Thomas P. Lemke (Born: 1954) |
Trustee (since 2014) |
Retired since 2013. Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Legg Mason, Inc. from 2005 to 2013. |
Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund, Symmetry Panoramic Trust and J.P. Morgan Funds (171 Portfolios). Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd. Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
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Nichelle Maynard-Elliott (Born: 1968) |
Trustee (since 2021) |
Independent Director since 2018. Executive Director, M&A at Praxair Inc. from 2011-2019. |
Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman), Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd., Element Solutions Inc., Xerox Holdings Corporation and Lucid Group, Inc. Former Directorships: Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
Jay C. Nadel (Born: 1958) |
Trustee (since 2016) |
Self-Employed Consultant since 2004. Executive Vice President, Bank of New York Broker Dealer from 2002 to 2004. Partner/Managing Director, Weiss Peck & Greer/Robeco from 1986 to 2001. |
Current Directorships: Chairman of the Board of Trustees of City National Rochdale Funds. Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd. Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
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Randall S. Yanker (Born: 1960) |
Trustee (since 2014) |
Co-Founder and Senior Partner, Alternative Asset Managers, L.P. since 2004. |
Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Independent Non-Executive Director of HFA Holdings Limited. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd. Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Director of Navigator Global Investments Limited to 2020. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
1 | Mr. Doran may be deemed to be an "interested" person of the Funds as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of his affiliation with the Distributor and/or its affiliates. |
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Funds' shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Doran should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as a Partner in the Investment Management and Securities Industry Practice of a large law firm, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving on other mutual fund boards.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Hunt should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with different investment management institutions, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained as a board member of open-end, closed-end and private funds investing in a broad range of asset classes, including alternative asset classes.
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The Trust has concluded that Mr. Lemke should serve as Trustee because of the extensive experience he gained in the financial services industry, including experience in various senior management positions with financial services firms and multiple years of service with a regulatory agency, his background in controls, including legal, compliance and risk management, and his service as general counsel for several financial services firms.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Maynard-Elliott should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained in a variety of leadership roles at a leading industrial company, the experience she has gained as a board member of several prominent companies, and her legal and financial management expertise.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Nadel should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with an audit firm and various financial services firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving on other mutual fund and operating company boards.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Yanker should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with the alternative asset management divisions of various financial services firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained advising institutions on alternative asset management.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees:
• | Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: (i) recommending which firm to engage as each fund's independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; (ii) reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm's compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm's independence; (iii) pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by each fund's independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; (iv) serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; (v) reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm's opinion, any related management letter, management's responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management's responses to any such reports; (vi) reviewing each fund's audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust's management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; (vii) considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust's senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms' reports on the adequacy of the Trust's internal financial controls; (viii) reviewing, in consultation with each fund's independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing each fund's financial statements; and (ix) other audit related matters. Ms. Maynard-Elliott and Messrs. Hunt, Lemke, Nadel and Yanker currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. Mr. Nadel serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met four (4) times during the most recently completed fiscal year. |
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• | Governance Committee. The Board has a standing Governance Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees. The Governance Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Governance Committee include: (i) considering and reviewing Board governance and compensation issues; (ii) conducting a self-assessment of the Board's operations; (iii) selecting and nominating all persons to serve as independent Trustees and considering proposals of and making recommendations for "interested" Trustee candidates to the Board; and (iv) reviewing shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board if such recommendations are submitted in writing and addressed to the Committee at the Trust's office. Ms. Maynard-Elliott and Messrs. Hunt, Lemke, Nadel and Yanker currently serve as members of the Governance Committee. Ms. Maynard-Elliott serves as the Chair of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met one (1) time during the most recently completed fiscal year. |
Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee's "beneficial ownership" of shares of each of the Funds as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers of the Trust own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.
Name |
Dollar Range of Fund Shares (Fund)1 |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares
(All Funds in the Family of |
Interested Trustee | ||
William M. Doran | None | None |
Independent Trustees | ||
Jon C. Hunt | None | None |
Thomas P. Lemke | None | None |
Nichelle Maynard-Elliott | None | None |
Jay C. Nadel | None | None |
Randall S. Yanker | None | None |
1 | Valuation date is December 31, 2023. |
2 | The Funds are the only funds in the family of investment companies. |
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Board Compensation. The Trust paid the following fees to the Trustees during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023.
Name | Aggregate Compensation from the Trust | Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation from the Trust and Fund Complex1 |
Interested Trustee | ||||
William M. Doran | $0 | N/A | N/A | $0 for service on one (1) board |
Independent Trustees | ||||
Jon C. Hunt | $169,695 | N/A | N/A | $169,695 for service on one (1) board |
Thomas P. Lemke | $169,695 | N/A | N/A | $169,695 for service on one (1) board |
Nichelle Maynard-Elliott | $169,695 | N/A | N/A | $169,695 for service on one (1) board |
Jay C. Nadel | $169,695 | N/A | N/A | $169,695 for service on one (1) board |
Randall S. Yanker | $169,695 | N/A | N/A | $169,695 for service on one (1) board |
1 | All funds in the Fund Complex are series of the Trust. |
Trust Officers. Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as executive officers of the Trust. There is no stated term of office for the officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each officer is SEI Investments, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Chief Compliance Officer is the only officer who receives compensation from the Trust for his services.
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Certain officers of the Trust also serve as officers of one or more funds for which SEI Investments or its affiliates act as investment manager, administrator or distributor.
Name and Year of Birth | Position with Trust and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupations in Past 5 Years |
Michael Beattie (Born: 1965) |
President (since 2014) |
Managing Director, SEI Investments, since 2021. Director of Client Service, SEI Investments, from 2004 to 2021. |
James Bernstein (Born: 1962) |
Vice President (since 2017) Secretary (since 2020) |
Attorney, SEI Investments, since 2017. Prior Positions: Self-employed consultant, 2017. Associate General Counsel & Vice President, Nationwide Funds Group and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, from 2002 to 2016. Assistant General Counsel & Vice President, Market Street Funds and Provident Mutual Insurance Company, from 1999 to 2002. |
John Bourgeois (Born: 1973) |
Assistant Treasurer (since 2017) |
Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments, since 2000. |
Eric C. Griffith (Born: 1969) |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2020) |
Counsel at SEI Investments since 2019. Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., from 2012 to 2018. |
Matthew M. Maher (Born: 1975) |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2018) |
Counsel at SEI Investments since 2018. Attorney, Blank Rome LLP, from 2015 to 2018. Assistant Counsel & Vice President, Bank of New York Mellon, from 2013 to 2014. Attorney, Dilworth Paxson LLP, from 2006 to 2013. |
Andrew Metzger (Born: 1980) |
Treasurer, Controller and Chief Financial Officer (since 2021) |
Director of Fund Accounting, SEI Investments, since 2020. Senior Director, Embark, from 2019 to 2020. Senior Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, from 2002 to 2019. |
Robert Morrow (Born: 1968) |
Vice President (since 2017) |
Account Manager, SEI Investments, since 2007. |
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Stephen F. Panner (Born: 1970) |
Chief Compliance Officer (since 2022) |
Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Catholic Values Trust, SEI Exchange Traded Funds, SEI Structured Credit Fund LP, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III, Bishop Street Funds, Frost Family of Funds, Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Catholic Responsible Investments Funds since September 2022. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Alternative Income Fund since May 2023. Chief Compliance Officer of Symmetry Panoramic Trust since December 2023. Fund Compliance Officer of SEI Investments Company from February 2011 to September 2022. Fund Accounting Director and CFO and Controller for the SEI Funds from July 2005 to February 2011. |
Alexander F. Smith (Born: 1977) |
Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2020) |
Counsel at SEI Investments since 2020. Associate Counsel & Manager, Vanguard, 2012 to 2020. Attorney, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2008 to 2012. |
Bridget E. Sudall (Born: 1980) |
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer and Privacy Officer (from 2015 - May 2022; from November 2022 - June 2023; and since April 2024) |
Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Operations since 2018. |
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Purchases and redemptions may be made through the Transfer Agent on any day the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business. Shares of the Funds are offered and redeemed on a continuous basis. Currently, the NYSE is closed for business when the following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It is currently the Trust's policy to pay all redemptions in cash. The Trust retains the right, however, to alter this policy to provide for redemptions in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of securities held by the Funds in lieu of cash. Shareholders may incur brokerage charges on the sale of any such securities so received in payment of redemptions.
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The Trust reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption and/or to postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than seven days during times when the NYSE is closed, other than during customary weekends or holidays, for any period on which trading on the NYSE is restricted (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation), or during the existence of an emergency (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation) as a result of which the disposal or valuation of the Funds' securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC has by order permitted. The Trust also reserves the right to suspend sales of shares of the Funds for any period during which the NYSE, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Administrator, the Transfer Agent and/or the Custodian are not open for business.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
General Policy. The Funds adhere to Section 2(a)(41), and Rules 2a-4 and 2a-5 thereunder, of the 1940 Act with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. In general, securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market value, and all other securities are valued at fair value by the Adviser in good faith, and subject to the oversight of the Board. In complying with the 1940 Act, the Trust relies on guidance provided by the SEC and by the SEC staff in various interpretive letters and other guidance.
Equity Securities. Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on an exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on the valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time if such exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Funds' pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.
Money Market Securities and other Debt Securities. If available, money market securities and other debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by recognized independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. Money market securities and other debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of each Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.
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Foreign Securities. The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. Exchange rates are provided daily by recognized independent pricing agents.
Derivatives and Other Complex Securities. Exchange-traded options on securities and indices purchased by the Funds generally are valued at their last trade price or, if there is no last trade price, the last bid price. Exchange-traded options on securities and indices written by the Funds generally are valued at their last trade price or, if there is no last trade price, the last asked price. In the case of options traded in the over-the-counter market, if the OTC option is also an exchange-traded option, the Funds will follow the rules regarding the valuation of exchange-traded options. If the OTC option is not also an exchange-traded option, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.
Futures and swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are traded. The daily settlement prices for financial futures are provided by an independent source. On days when there is excessive volume or market volatility, or the future or centrally cleared swap does not end trading by the time the Funds calculate net asset value, the settlement price may not be available at the time at which each Fund calculates its net asset value. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last sales price) may be used to value a Fund's futures or centrally cleared swaps position.
Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate, and the thirty, sixty, ninety and one-hundred eighty day forward rates provided by an independent source.
If available, non-centrally cleared swaps, collateralized debt obligations, collateralized loan obligations and bank loans are priced based on valuations provided by an independent third party pricing agent. If a price is not available from an independent third party pricing agent, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.
Use of Third-Party Independent Pricing Services. Pursuant to contracts with the Administrator, prices for most securities held by the Funds with readily available market quotations are provided by third-party independent pricing agents. The valuations for these securities are reviewed by the Administrator. In accordance with the Adviser's Valuation Procedures, the Adviser may also use third-party independent pricing agents (reviewed and approved by the Adviser) to fair value certain securities without readily available market quotations (or where market quotations are unreliable).
Fair Value Procedures. Securities for which market prices are not "readily available" or which cannot be valued using the methodologies described above are valued in accordance with Fair Value Procedures established by the Adviser and implemented through the Adviser's Valuation Committee. In establishing a fair value for an investment, the Adviser will use valuation methodologies established by the Adviser and may consider inputs and methodologies provided by, among others, third-party independent pricing agents, independent broker dealers and/or the Adviser's or the Sub-Adviser's own personnel (including investment personnel).
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Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate a security being valued using Fair Value Procedures include: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security has been de-listed from a national exchange; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when under normal conditions it would be open; the security has not been traded for an extended period of time; the security's primary pricing source is not able or willing to provide a price; trading of the security is subject to local government-imposed restrictions; or a significant event with respect to a security has occurred after the close of the market or exchange on which the security principally trades and before the time the Funds calculate net asset value. When a security is valued in accordance with the Fair Value Procedures, the Adviser's Valuation Committee will determine the value after taking into consideration relevant information reasonably available to the Committee.
Fair Valuation of Foreign Securities Based on U.S. Market Movements. A third party fair valuation vendor provides a fair value for foreign securities held by the Funds based on certain factors and methodologies (involving, generally, tracking valuation correlations between the U.S. market and each foreign security) applied by the fair valuation vendor in the event that there are movements in the U.S. market that exceed a specific threshold that has been established by the Adviser. The Adviser has also established a "confidence interval" that is used to determine the level of correlation between the value of a foreign security and movements in the U.S. market that is required for a particular security to be fair valued when the threshold is exceeded. In the event that the threshold established by the Adviser is exceeded on a specific day, the Adviser values the foreign securities in the Funds' portfolios that exceed the applicable "confidence interval" based upon the fair values provided by the fair valuation vendor. In the event that the Adviser believes that the fair values provided by the fair valuation vendor are not reliable, the Adviser will determine in good faith the fair value of the foreign securities, subject to Board oversight.
TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain additional U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that is intended to supplement the discussion contained in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. In particular, it does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold shares through an individual retirement account ("IRA"), 401k, or other tax advantaged accounts. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
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Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company. Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC. By following such a policy, each Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which it may be subject. If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, it will generally not be subject to federal income taxes on the net investment income and net realized capital gains that it timely distributes to its shareholders. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
In order to qualify as a RIC under the Code, each Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its net investment income (which, includes dividends, taxable interest, and the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses) and at least 90% of its net tax exempt interest income, for each tax year, if any (the "Distribution Requirement") and also must meet certain additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of each Fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (the "Qualifying Income Test"); and (ii) at the close of each quarter of each Fund's taxable year: (A) at least 50% of the value of each Fund's total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of each Fund's total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (B) not more than 25% of the value of each Fund's total assets is invested, including through corporations in which each Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that a Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the "Asset Test").
Although the Funds intend to distribute substantially all of their net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Funds will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. A Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. Losses in one Fund do not offset gains in another and the requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level.
If a Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income or Asset Tests in any taxable year, such Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the diversification requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period. If a Fund fails to maintain qualification as a RIC for a tax year, and the relief provisions are not available, such Fund will be subject to federal income tax at the regular corporate rate (currently 21%) without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In such case, its shareholders would be taxed as if they received ordinary dividends to the extent of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, although corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends received deduction (subject to certain limitations) and individuals may be able to benefit from the lower tax rates available to qualified dividend income. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.
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A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.
The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Funds is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If a Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.
Federal Excise Tax. Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described above, which generally requires a Fund to distribute at least 90% of its annual investment company taxable income and the excess of its exempt interest income (but does not require any minimum distribution of net capital gain), a Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax to the extent it fails to distribute, by the end of the calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (the excess of short- and long-term capital gains over short- and long-term capital losses) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year (including any retained amount from the prior calendar year on which a Fund paid no federal income tax). The Funds intend to make sufficient distributions to avoid liability for federal excise tax, but can make no assurances that such tax will be completely eliminated. For example, a Fund may receive delayed or corrected tax reporting statements from its investments that cause such Fund to accrue additional income and gains after such Fund has already made its excise tax distributions for the year. In such a situation, a Fund may incur an excise tax liability resulting from such delayed receipt of such tax information statements. In addition, the Funds may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment managers might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Funds to satisfy the requirement for qualification as RICs.
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Distributions to Shareholders. The Funds receive income generally in the form of dividends and interest on investments. This income, plus net short-term capital gains, if any, less expenses incurred in the operation of a Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distributions by a Fund from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income or at the lower capital gains rates that apply to individuals receiving qualified dividend income, whether you take them in cash or in additional shares.
Distributions by the Funds are currently eligible for the reduced maximum tax rate to individuals of 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets) to the extent that the Funds receive qualified dividend income on the securities they hold and the Funds report the distributions as qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that: (i) the shareholder has not held the shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares become "ex-dividend" (which is the day on which declared distributions (dividends or capital gains) are deducted from each Fund's assets before it calculates the net asset value) with respect to such dividend, (ii) each Fund has not satisfied similar holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder, (iii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iv) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Code. Therefore, if you lend your shares in a Fund, such as pursuant to a securities lending arrangement, you may lose the ability to treat dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Distributions that a Fund receives from an underlying fund taxable as a RIC or from a REIT will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such underlying fund or REIT. In addition, certain of the Funds' investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions eligible for the reduced tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income.
Distributions by the Funds of their net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Capital gain distributions consisting of a Fund's net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains for individual shareholders at a maximum rate of 20% regardless of how long you have held your shares in such Fund. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards.
In the case of corporate shareholders, Fund distributions (other than capital gain distributions) generally qualify for the dividends received deduction to the extent such distributions are so reported and do not exceed the gross amount of qualifying dividends received by such Fund for the year. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has been received from a domestic corporation. In addition, certain of the Funds' investment strategies may significantly limit their ability to make distributions eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
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A RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC's total "Section 163(j) Interest Dividend" for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC's business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder's interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j) of the Code. This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder's interest expense deductible under Section 163(j) of the Code. In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in a Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by a Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by Internal Revenue Service ("IRS").
To the extent that a Fund makes a distribution of income received by such Fund in lieu of dividends (a "substitute payment") with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If a Fund's distributions exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits for the taxable year (as calculated for federal income tax purposes), all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in a Fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.
A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of shares reduces the net asset value of the shares by the amount of the dividend or distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to the shareholder. If the net asset value of shares were reduced below the shareholder's cost by dividends or distributions representing gains realized on sales of securities, such dividends or distributions would be a return of investment though taxable to the shareholder in the same manner as other dividends or distributions.
The Funds (or their administrative agent) will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. If you have not held Fund shares for a full year, the Funds may report and distribute to you, as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gain, a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of such income earned during the period of your investment in the Funds.
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Dividends declared to shareholders of record in October, November or December and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as having been received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared. Under this rule, therefore, a shareholder may be taxed in one year on dividends or distributions actually received in January of the following year.
Sales, Exchanges or Redemptions. Sales, exchanges, or redemptions of a Fund's share may be a taxable transaction for federal and state income tax purposes. Any gain or loss recognized on a sale, exchange, or redemption of shares of a Fund by a shareholder who holds a Fund's shares as capital assets will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months and otherwise will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a long-term capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the long-term capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder repurchases (or enters into a contract to or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale.
The Funds (or their administrative agent) must report to the IRS and furnish to Fund shareholders the cost basis information for purchases of Fund shares. In addition to the requirement to report the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, a Fund (or its administrative agent) is also required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares, a Fund will permit shareholders to elect from among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including the average cost basis method. In the absence of an election, a Fund will use the average cost basis method as its default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by a Fund shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund shares. Fund shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how cost basis reporting applies to them. Shareholders also should carefully review the cost basis information provided to them and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns.
Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% tax on their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including any capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of a Fund).
Tax Treatment of Complex Securities. The Funds may invest in complex securities and these investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect a Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Funds are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Funds and/or defer the Funds' ability to recognize losses, and, in limited cases, subject the Funds to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of their foreign securities. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Funds and may require the Funds to sell securities to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC at a time when the Adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.
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Each Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures and options contracts subject to section 1256 of the Code ("Section 1256 Contracts") as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on Section 1256 Contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Fund. These provisions may also require the Funds to mark-to-market certain types of positions in their portfolios (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and for avoiding the excise tax discussed above. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain income and excise taxes, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment managers might not otherwise have chosen to do so.
Any forward contract or other position entered into or held by a Fund in conjunction with any other position held by that Fund may constitute a "straddle" for federal income tax purposes. A straddle of which at least one, but not all, the positions are Section 1256 Contracts may constitute a "mixed straddle." In general, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of a Fund's gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) such Fund's holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are non-Section 1256 Contracts be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred. Various elections are available to a Fund, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to mixed straddles.
In general, the straddle rules described above do not apply to any straddles held by a Fund if all of the offsetting positions consist of Section 1256 Contracts. The straddle rules described above also do not apply if all the offsetting positions making up a straddle consist of one or more "qualified covered call options" and the stock to be purchased under the options and the straddle is not part of a larger straddle. A qualified covered call option is generally any option granted by a Fund to purchase stock it holds (or stock it acquires in connection with granting the option) if, among other things, (1) the option is traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the SEC or other market the IRS determined has rules adequate to carry out the purposes of the applicable Code provision, (2) the option is granted more than 30 days before it expires, (3) the option is not a "deep-in-the-money option," and (4) gain or loss with respect to the option is not ordinary income or loss.
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To the extent a Fund writes options that are not subject to the rules of section 1256 of the Code, the amount of the premium received by such Fund for writing such options will generally be entirely short-term capital gain to such Fund. In addition, if such an option is closed by a Fund, any gain or loss realized by such Fund as a result of closing the transaction will also generally be short-term capital gain or loss. If such an option is exercised any gain or loss realized by a Fund upon the sale of the underlying security pursuant to such exercise will generally be short-term or long-term capital gain or loss to such Fund depending on such Fund's holding period for the underlying security.
If a Fund enters into a "constructive sale" of any appreciated financial position in its portfolio, such Fund will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to that position. A constructive sale of an appreciated financial position occurs when a Fund enters into certain offsetting transactions with respect to the same or substantially identical property, including, but not limited to: (i) a short sale; (ii) an offsetting notional principal contract; (iii) a futures or forward contract; or (iv) other transactions identified in future Treasury Regulations. The character of the gain from constructive sales will depend upon a Fund's holding period in the appreciated financial position. Losses realized from a sale of a position that was previously the subject of a constructive sale will be recognized when the position is subsequently disposed of. The character of such losses will depend upon a Fund's holding period in the position beginning with the date the constructive sale was deemed to have occurred and the application of various loss deferral provisions in the Code. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain closed transactions, including if such a transaction is closed on or before the 30th day after the close of a Fund's taxable year and such Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction was closed.
If a Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" or "PFICs," the Fund will generally be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" or "QEF," the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund's pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above. Such Fund intends to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules. Amounts included in income each year by a Fund arising from a QEF election will be "qualifying income" under the Qualifying Income Test (as described above) even if not distributed to the Fund, if the Fund derives such income from its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies.
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The U.S. All Cap Index Fund may invest in U.S. REITs. Investments in REIT equity securities may require the U.S. All Cap Index Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the U.S. All Cap Index Fund may each be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. The U.S. All Cap Index Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the U.S. All Cap Index Fund's receipt of cash in excess of the REIT's earnings; if the U.S. All Cap Index Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to such Fund's shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends paid by a REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the REIT's current and accumulated earnings and profits (as calculated for federal income tax purposes). Capital gain dividends paid by a REIT to the U.S. All Cap Index Fund will be treated as long term capital gains by the U.S. All Cap Index Fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the U.S. All Cap Index Fund to their shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Dividends received by the U.S. All Cap Index Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income or qualify for the dividends received deduction. If a REIT is operated in a manner such that it fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the regular corporate rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the REIT's current and accumulated earnings and profits.
REITs in which the U.S. All Cap Index Fund invest often do not provide complete and final tax information to the U.S. All Cap Index Fund until after the time that the U.S. All Cap Index Fund issues a tax reporting statement. As a result, the U.S. All Cap Index Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of their distributions to you after they issue your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the U.S. All Cap Index Fund (or their administrative agents) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
"Qualified REIT dividends" (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by U.S. All Cap Index Fund to their shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received by the U.S. All Cap Index Fund and which the U.S. All Cap Index Fund properly report as "section 199A dividends," are treated as "qualified REIT dividends" in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. A section 199A dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. The U.S. All Cap Index Fund are permitted to report such part of their dividends as section 199A dividends as are eligible, but are not required to do so. Unless later extended or made permanent, this 20% deduction will no longer be available for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
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With respect to investments in STRIPS, treasury receipts, and other zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, a Fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period. Because each Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income to its shareholders, a Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the Adviser would not have chosen to sell such securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.
Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gain on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.
Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues. A Fund's transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will generally be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirements and for avoiding the excise tax described above. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make the appropriate tax elections, and intend to make the appropriate entries in their books and records when they acquire any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes. Accordingly, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the Adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.
The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the Qualifying Income Test described above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund's business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities). Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund's non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund's status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.
Foreign Taxes. Dividends and interest received by a Fund may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield on the Funds' stock or securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate these taxes. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.
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If more than 50% of the value of a Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to and intends to file an election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a deduction from such taxes, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to the election, such Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders' federal income tax. If a Fund makes the election, such Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. If a Fund does not hold sufficient foreign securities to meet the above threshold, then shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or further deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by such Fund.
A shareholder's ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in a shareholder not receiving a full credit or deduction (if any) for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if a Fund were eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in a Fund through tax-advantaged accounts (including those who invest through IRAs or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by a Fund.
Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of Fund shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, IRAs, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI"). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one trade or business against the income or gain of another trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Funds generally serve to block UBTI from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of an investment in a Fund where, for example: (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits ("REMICs"), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool ("TMP") or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisor. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding these issues.
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A Fund's shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder's tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Funds.
Backup Withholding. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at a rate of 24% and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who: (i) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all; (ii) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends; (iii) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding; or (iv) has failed to certify to the Fund that the shareholder is a U.S. person (including a resident alien). Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
Non-U.S. Investors. Any non-U.S. investors in the Funds may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Funds. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or 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. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described above. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as "FATCA" (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Funds are required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends they pay to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions ("FFIs"), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities ("NFFEs"). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Funds or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
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A non-U.S. entity that invests in a Fund will need to provide such Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Funds should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, generally, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as a Fund are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
State Taxes. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by a Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of such shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that a Fund will not be liable for any corporate excise, income or franchise tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.
Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment requirements that must be met by a Fund. Investment in Ginnie Mae or Fannie Mae securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for such tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporate shareholders. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding state and local taxes applicable to an investment in a Fund.
FUND TRANSACTIONS
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 Funds 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 the Funds execute transactions in the over-the-counter market, they will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.
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In addition, the investment managers may place a combined order for two or more accounts they manage, including the Funds, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in their 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 or 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 the Funds may obtain, it is the opinion of the investment managers that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of combined orders.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Funds paid the following aggregate brokerage commissions on Fund transactions:
Fund | Aggregate Dollar Amount of Brokerage Commissions Paid | ||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | $903 | $1,691 | $3,320 |
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 investment managers may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the investment managers. The investment managers 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.
Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the investment managers, under certain circumstances, to cause the Funds to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the investment managers may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the investment managers believe that access to independent investment research is beneficial to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.
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To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the investment managers might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The investment managers may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used by the investment managers in connection with the Funds or any other specific client account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the investment managers will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement or the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the investment managers are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.
In some cases the investment managers may receive a service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the investment managers make a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the investment managers will use their own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the investment managers face a potential conflict of interest, but the investment managers believe that their allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that they appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.
From time to time, the investment managers may purchase new issues of securities for clients, including the Funds, in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the investment managers with research services. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, the Funds paid the following commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research services to the Adviser:
Fund | Total Dollar Amount of Brokerage Commissions for Research Services | Total Dollar Amount of Transactions Involving Brokerage Commissions for Research Services |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | $0 | $0 |
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Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Funds, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. The 1940 Act requires that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Funds for exchange transactions not exceed "usual and customary" brokerage commissions. The rules define "usual and customary" commissions to include amounts which are "reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time." The Trustees, including those who are not "interested persons" of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Funds did not pay any brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions effected by affiliated brokers.
Securities of "Regular Broker-Dealers." The Funds are required to identify any securities of their "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that each Fund held during its most recent fiscal year. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, the Funds held securities of their "regular brokers and dealers" as follows:
Fund | Name of Broker/Dealer | Type of Security Held |
Dollar Amount at FYE (in thousands) |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | Wells Fargo | Equity | $455 |
Portfolio Turnover Rates. Portfolio turnover is calculated by dividing the lesser of total purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. Excluded from both the numerator and denominator are amounts relating to securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Funds may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one year. The Funds may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.
During the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023, the Funds' portfolio turnover rates were as follows:
Fund | Portfolio Turnover Rates | |
2022 | 2023 | |
U.S. All Cap Index Fund | 4% | 8% |
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PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has approved policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the Funds' portfolio securities is in the best interests of the Funds' shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the Funds' shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person of the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized the Adviser's Chief Compliance Officer (the "Authorized Person") to authorize the release of the Funds' portfolio holdings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles. The Authorized Person, either directly or through reports by the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, reports quarterly to the Board regarding the operation and administration of such policies and procedures.
Pursuant to applicable law, the Funds are required to disclose their complete portfolio holdings quarterly, within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter (currently, each January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31). The Funds file with the SEC a complete schedule of investments following the first and third fiscal quarters as exhibits to Form N-PORT, and a complete schedule of investments following the second and fourth fiscal quarters on Form N-CSR. Complete schedules of investments filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR and as exhibits to Form N-PORT are available, free of charge, on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Funds' complete schedules of investments are also posted to the Funds' website at www.kofcassetadvisors.com and distributed to Fund shareholders upon request.
In addition, each Fund publishes a list of its ten largest portfolio holdings, and the percentage of the Fund's assets that each of these holdings represents, on a monthly basis, within thirty (30) days after the end of the month. For example, the Funds' investments as of the end of January would ordinarily be published at the end of February. The portfolio information described above can be found on the internet at www.kofcassetadvisors.org. The Adviser may exclude any portion of a Fund's portfolio holdings from such publication when deemed in the best interest of the Fund. The portfolio holdings information placed on the Funds' website generally will remain there until such information is included in a filing on Form N-PORT or Form N-CSR.
In addition to information provided to shareholders and the general public, portfolio holdings information may be disclosed as frequently as daily to the Funds' Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, financial printer, pricing vendors, liquidity analytics vendors, class action reclaim vendors, foreign tax reclaim vendors and other vendors that provide the Adviser or Sub-Adviser with various middle office, back office, client reporting and portfolio analytics services in connection with their services to the Funds. From time to time rating and ranking organizations, such as S&P, Lipper and Morningstar, Inc., may request non-public portfolio holdings information in connection with rating the Funds. Similarly, institutional investors, financial planners, pension plan sponsors and/or their consultants or other third-parties may request portfolio holdings information in order to assess the risks of the Funds' portfolios along with related performance attribution statistics. The lag time for such disclosures will vary. The Funds believe that these third parties have legitimate objectives in requesting such portfolio holdings information.
S-83
The Funds' policies and procedures provide that the Authorized Person may authorize disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information to such parties at differing times and/or with different lag times. Prior to making any disclosure to a third party, the Authorized Person must determine that such disclosure serves a reasonable business purpose, is in the best interests of a Fund's shareholders and that to the extent conflicts between the interests of a Fund's shareholders and those of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, principal underwriter, or any affiliated person of the Funds exist, such conflicts are addressed. Portfolio holdings information may be disclosed no more frequently than monthly to ratings agencies, consultants and other qualified financial professionals or individuals. The disclosures will not be made sooner than three days after the date of the information. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer will regularly review these arrangements and will make periodic reports to the Board regarding disclosure pursuant to such arrangements.
With the exception of disclosures to rating and ranking organizations as described above, the Funds require any third party receiving non-public holdings information to enter into a confidentiality agreement with the Adviser. The confidentiality agreement provides, among other things, that non-public portfolio holdings information will be kept confidential and that the recipient has a duty not to trade on the non-public information and will use such information solely to analyze and rank the Funds, or to perform due diligence and asset allocation, depending on the recipient of the information.
The Funds' policies and procedures prohibit any compensation or other consideration from being paid to or received by any party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information, including the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and their affiliates or recipients of the Funds' portfolio holdings information.
The Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser may manage other accounts that are not subject to these policies and procedures with investment objectives and strategies that are substantially similar to those of a Fund. Because the portfolio holdings of such accounts may be substantially similar, and in some cases nearly identical, to those of a Fund, an investor in such an account may be able to infer the portfolio holdings of a Fund from the portfolio holdings of the account.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund, each of which represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. The Funds' shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
S-84
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, and any person who is serving or has served at the Trust's request as a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee's individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated the responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Funds to the Adviser.
The Adviser has delegated the responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the U.S. All Cap Index Fund to the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI.
The Trust is required to disclose annually the Funds' complete proxy voting record during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 on Form N-PX. This voting record is available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-844-KC-FUNDS (1-844-523-8637); (ii) by visiting www.kofcassetadvisors.com; and (iii) on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Administrator and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees ("Access Persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under each Code of Ethics, Access Persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain Access Persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.
S-85
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS
To the knowledge of the Trust, as of February 6, 2024, no person owned beneficially or of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of any Fund, and no person is listed on the Funds' records as owning 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of any class of any Fund, except as set forth below.
Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index Fund | |
Name and Address | % of Fund |
ASSETMARK TRUST COMPANY FBO ASSETMARK, INC & MUTUAL CLIENTS & FBO OTHER CUSTODIAL CLIENTS 3200 N CENTRAL AVE 7TH FLOOR PHOENIX AZ 85012-2425 |
26.81% |
S-86
APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
Description of Ratings
The following descriptions of securities ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), S&P Global Ratings ("S&P"), and Fitch Ratings ("Fitch"), respectively.
Description of Moody's Global Ratings
Ratings assigned on Moody's global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of eleven months or more 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. Short-term ratings are assigned to 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.
Description of Moody's Global Long-Term Ratings
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.
A-1
Hybrid Indicator (hyb)
The hybrid indicator (hyb) is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Description of Moody's Global Short-Term Ratings
P-1 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have 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.
Description of Moody's U.S. Municipal Short-Term Obligation Ratings
The Municipal Investment Grade ("MIG") scale is used to rate U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, the MIG scale is used to rate bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.
Moody's U.S. municipal short-term obligation ratings are as follows:
MIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
A-2
Description of Moody's Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations ("VRDOs"), Moody's assigns both a long-term rating and a short-term payment obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer's ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term payment obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to meet any purchase price payment obligation resulting from optional tenders ("on demand") and/or mandatory tenders of the VRDO. The short-term payment obligation rating uses the Variable Municipal Investment Grade ("VMIG") scale. VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term counterparty risk assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG ratings with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions of Prime ratings reflecting the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer's long-term rating drops below investment grade. For VRDOs, Moody's typically assigns a VMIG rating if the frequency of the payment obligation is less than every three years. If the frequency of the payment obligation is less than three years, but the obligation is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the VMIG short-term rating is not assigned and it is denoted as "NR".
Moody's demand obligation ratings are as follows:
VMIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections.
Description of S&P's Issue Credit Ratings
An S&P 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's 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.
A-3
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term issue credit ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market, typically with an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Short-term issue credit ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. S&P would typically assign a long-term issue credit rating to an obligation with an original maturity of greater than 365 days. However, the ratings S&P assigns to certain instruments may diverge from these guidelines based on market practices. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P's analysis of the following considerations:
• | The likelihood of payment-the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; |
• | The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise S&P imputes; and |
• | The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of a bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. |
An issue rating is an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
NR indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.
Description of S&P's Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings*
AAA An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P. 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.
A-4
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 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 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.
* | 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. |
Description of S&P's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1 A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by S&P. 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 commitments 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-5
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 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.
Description of S&P's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings
An S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P's opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P's analysis will review the following considerations:
• | Amortization schedule-the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and |
• | Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
S&P's municipal short-term note ratings are as follows:
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
D 'D' is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or 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-6
Description of Fitch's Credit Ratings
Fitch's credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings relating to securities and obligations of an issuer can include a recovery expectation. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested.
Fitch's credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade) with an additional +/- for AA through CCC levels indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative grade categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
Fitch may also disclose issues relating to a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated. Such issues are also denoted as 'NR' on its web page.
Fitch's credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. Credit ratings do not deal with the risk of market value loss due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and/or other market considerations. However, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay or refinance a financial commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of payments linked to performance of an index).
In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instrument's documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation's documentation).
Description of Fitch's Long-Term Corporate Finance Obligations Ratings
AAA Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
A-7
BBB Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
B Highly speculative. 'B' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.
CCC Substantial credit risk. 'CCC' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.
CC Very high levels of credit risk. 'CC' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.
C Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. 'C' ratings indicate exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
Ratings in the categories of 'CCC', 'CC' and 'C' can also relate to obligations or issuers that are in default. In this case, the rating does not opine on default risk but reflects the recovery expectation only.
Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned 'RD' or 'D' ratings, but are instead rated in the 'CCC' to 'C' rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.
Description of Fitch's Short-Term Ratings
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short term" based on market convention (a long-term rating can also be used to rate an issue with short maturity). Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
Fitch's short-term ratings are as follows:
F1 Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2 Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3 Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
A-8
B Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
A-9
APPENDIX B
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Exhibit | Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser | Document |
A | Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC | Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
B | L2 Asset Management, LLC | Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
B-1
EXHIBIT A
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ASSET ADVISORS LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. | STATEMENT OF POLICY |
Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act requires any adviser who votes proxies on behalf of clients to have written policies and procedures regarding how they vote proxies.
The Adviser has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, which it believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of its Clients and Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act.
B. | RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS POLICY |
The CCO, or designee, is responsible for implementing, updating and monitoring the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, for ensuring appropriate disclosure is provided to Clients, and assisting in the resolution of conflicts of interests which may arise with regards to certain proxies. The Adviser is also responsible for maintaining, as part of the Adviser's books and records, copies of the Adviser procedures, proxy records and backup documentation relating to voting decisions and conflict resolution in accordance with applicable record keeping requirements.
C. | PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY |
The proxy voting procedures may be amended from time to time at the sole discretion of the Adviser. Generally, it is the policy of the Adviser to accept the authority to vote proxies related to securities held in Client accounts.
The Adviser may delegate its responsibilities under these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures to a third party, provided that the Adviser retains final authority and fiduciary responsibility for proxy voting. If the Adviser so delegates its responsibilities, the Adviser shall monitor the delegate's compliance with these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures. With respect to select Knights of Columbus Funds, the Adviser will delegate such authority to the applicable sub-adviser for a Fund in accordance with the terms of the applicable investment advisory agreement including the guidelines. While retaining final authority to determine how each proxy is voted, the Adviser has reviewed and determined to follow in most instances the proxy voting policies and recommendations (the "Guidelines") of its third party provider (the "Provider"), a proxy research and consulting firm. The Provider will track each proxy that the Adviser is authorized to vote on behalf of its clients and will make a recommendation to management of the Adviser as how it would vote such proxy in accordance with the Guidelines. Unless otherwise directed by KoCAA, The Provider will instruct a proxy voting firm to vote on such matters on the Adviser's behalf in accordance with its recommendations. The Adviser will monitor the recommendations from The Provider and may override specific recommendations and may modify the Guidelines in the future.
B-2
The Adviser shall vote proxies on securities held by clients based upon two primary methodologies: Standard Proxy Voting Principles and Guidelines and Catholic Proxy Voting Principles and Guidelines. The Adviser will seek direction from its clients as to which guidelines best suits their needs. The Adviser has the ability to offer additional methodologies if requested to do so by a client and the Adviser and the Proxy Vendor are able to fulfill the client's voting needs.
The Adviser shall vote proxies on securities in the best economic interests of the Clients or, where employee benefit plan assets (ERISA) are involved, in the best economic interests of plan participants and beneficiaries, as determined by the Adviser in good faith. As a matter of policy, the officers, directors and employees of the Adviser will not be influenced by outside sources whose interests conflict with the interests of Clients, or their participants or beneficiaries when applicable. Any conflict of interest will be resolved in the interests of the Client, or the participants and beneficiaries when applicable.
Upon client direction to vote according to Catholic Guidelines, the Adviser shall vote proxies on securities in accordance with guidance by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). For applicable accounts, one of the primary factors the Adviser considers when determining the desirability of investing in a particular company is the screening of that company for complying with USCCB Investment Guidelines as determined by The Provider and depth of that company's management. Accordingly, the Adviser believes that the recommendation of The Provider's Catholic Screening criteria for Catholic Screened accounts, and management recommendations as interpreted by The Provider on any other issue should be given substantial weight in determining how proxy issues should be resolved. As a matter of practice for those clients who provide the Advisor with direction to vote according to Catholic Guidelines, the vote with respect to most issues will be cast in accordance with USCCB standards and The Provider's recommendations. However, each issue will be considered on its merits and the position of a company's management will not be supported if it is determined that ratification of management's position would adversely affect the investment merits of owning the stock.
Limitations on the Adviser's Responsibilities
Instruction by Client - In general, the Adviser has full discretionary authority to exercise voting rights for Client accounts unless the Client has contractually reserved the obligation and right to vote proxies itself. The Adviser shall vote proxies in accordance with any resolutions or other instructions communicated to the Adviser by a Client or its representatives from time to time. The Adviser may accept directions from Clients to vote proxies in a manner which may result in their proxies being voted in a manner which is different from that which the Adviser might vote proxies of other Clients over which the Adviser has full discretionary authority. With respect to ERISA accounts, the Adviser will only accept instructions to the extent those instructions will not conflict with the best economic interests of plan participants and beneficiaries as determined by the Adviser in good faith.
Securities Held - The Adviser generally will vote proxies with respect to securities held by a Client as of the Record Date of the proxy.
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Voting Restrictions - Nothing in these policies shall oblige the Adviser to exercise voting rights with respect to a security held by a Client if such exercise on behalf of the Client is restricted or prohibited by the terms of the security or by applicable law or otherwise.
Limited Value. The Adviser may abstain from voting a client proxy if the Adviser concludes that the effect on client's economic interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant.
Unjustifiable Costs. The Adviser may abstain from voting a client proxy for cost reasons (e.g., costs associated with voting proxies of non-U.S. securities). In accordance with its fiduciary duties, the Adviser weighs the costs and benefits of voting proxy proposals relating to foreign securities and makes an informed decision with respect to whether voting a given proxy proposal is prudent. The Adviser's decision takes into account the effect that the vote of its clients, either by itself or together with other votes, is expected to have on the value of its client's investment and whether this expected effect would outweigh the cost of voting.
The CCO will monitor, evaluate and update the Procedures, as appropriate, including:
◦ | Confirming that on an annual basis proxies have been voted in accordance with this policy and Client specific instructions and guidelines; |
◦ | When a material conflict of interest has been identified, taking the necessary steps to resolve the matter in a manner determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Client, which may include utilizing an independent third party to vote such proxies; and |
◦ | Reviewing these Policies and procedures at least annually to access their adequacy. |
◦ | The Adviser shall, from time to time, designate a person to monitor the implementation of, and compliance with, these proxy voting procedures, such person will be delegated by the Chief Compliance Officer to perform these procedures. That person will be deemed the Proxy Administrator for purposes of these procedures. |
Client Disclosure
The Adviser includes a description of its policies and procedures regarding proxy voting in Part 2 of its Form ADV, along with a statement that Clients can contact the CCO to obtain a copy of these policies and procedures. In the event of any material change to the Adviser's policies and procedures, an update to Part 2 of Form ADV will be made. A client for which the Adviser is responsible for voting proxies may obtain information from the Adviser, via The Provider and Proxy Edge records, regarding how the Adviser voted the client's proxies. Any request for information about proxy voting should be promptly forwarded to the CCO, who will respond to any such requests.
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Maintaining Records
The Adviser's Proxy Administrator will be responsible for maintaining the following records:
◦ | A copy of the Adviser's policies and procedures and all amendments |
◦ | Copies of each proxy received |
◦ | Copies of communications with Clients regarding proxy voting |
◦ | Evidence of disclosure of the Proxy Voting Policies to Clients |
◦ | A record of votes cast |
◦ | A record of each Client's request for proxy voting records |
◦ | Any documentation created that is material to the voting decisions |
◦ | Any documentation created relating to the resolution of conflicts |
◦ | Copies of all periodic and annual evaluations of the Procedures |
For purposes of preparing the required annual filing on Form N-PX for each Registered Fund, the Adviser will forward to each Fund's Administrator the required data. Each Trust may have unique NPX data requirements, but the Adviser will maintain the following as well as any additional data points required by each individual Trust:
(a) The name of the issuer of the portfolio security;
(b) The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security;
(c) The Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures ("CUSIP") number for the portfolio security;
(d) The shareholder meeting date;
(e) A brief identification of the matter voted on;
(f) Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;
(g) Whether the registrant cast its vote on the matter;
(h) How the registrant cast its vote (e.g., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors); and
(i) Whether the registrant cast its vote for or against management.
The Adviser may also rely upon a third party, such as The Provider or Proxy Edge to maintain certain records stated above.
Conflicts of Interest
In some instances it is possible for a proxy voting decision to present a conflict of interest between the interest of Clients or their participants or beneficiaries, on the one hand, and those of the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser), the portfolio managers or another Client (or a sought-after client) on the other hand.
In identifying all actual or potential conflicts of interest with respect to each proxy to be voted, the individual responsible for voting a proxy shall take steps reasonably designed to determine whether that individual, the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser), or any officer of the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser) has any business or personal interest or relationship with the company soliciting the proxy that might influence that individual or the Adviser to vote Client proxies in a manner that might not be in its Clients' best interests, considering the nature of the Adviser's business and its Clients, the company soliciting the proxy, the proxy proposal, and any other relevant circumstances.
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If a potential or actual conflict of interest appears to be material (i.e., not so clearly immaterial or remote as to be unlikely to influence any determination made), in order to ensure a resolution of the material conflict in the best interest of the Client, that proxy review and vote will be delegated by the Chief Compliance officer to a party deemed absent of material conflict, such as the Provider. If all possible reviewers are subject to a material conflict of interest or the Adviser as a whole is subject to a material conflict of interest, the proxy will be voted according to the recommendation of an independent third party, such as The Provider.
A material conflict of interest may exist in situations where, for example:
the company soliciting the proxy, or a person known to be an affiliate of such company, is a client of the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser) whose assets the Adviser actively manages;
the company soliciting the proxy, or a person known to be an affiliate of such company, to the knowledge of the individual charged with voting the proxy, is being actively solicited to be a client of the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser);
a client or a client-supported interest group actively supports a proxy proposal; or
the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser) or an officer of the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser) has personal or other business relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or candidates for corporate directorships, or in any other matter coming before shareholders - for example, where an officer of the Adviser (or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser) has a spouse or other close relative who serves a director or executive of the company soliciting the proxy.
The Proxy Administrator will maintain records of any conflicts of interest identified and the steps taken to address the conflict of interest. In the event that it is necessary to rely on an independent third-party recommendation, a record of any such recommendation will also be maintained.
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EXHIBIT B
L2 ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
An investment adviser has a duty of care and loyalty to its clients with respect to monitoring corporate events and exercising proxy authority in the best interests of its clients. As an SEC-registered investment advisor, L2 Asset Management, LLC (the "Firm") has the authority to vote proxies on behalf of all clients. The Firm will adhere to Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act and all other applicable laws and regulations in regard to the voting of proxies.
This Proxy Voting Policy is designed to address the complexities which may arise in cases where the Firm's interests conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of its investors and to communicate to the Firm's investors the methods and rationale whereby the Firm exercises proxy authority.
Proxy Decision-Making
The Firm's general policy is to vote- not abstain from voting- on all issues presented on portfolio securities held for its clients. The Firm considers all issues presented for a vote of security holders from an investment point of view and voted in the best investment interests of the beneficial owners of the client account holding the securities that are being voted, with the goal of maximizing the long-term value of the client account. Except as described below under "Non-Voting of Proxies", consistent with this goal, and to facilitate voting of portfolio securities, the Firm generally will vote in accordance with recommendations made by Egan-Jones ("Egan").
All employees of the Firm have a duty to report any potential conflict of interest of which they become aware regarding voting on behalf of client accounts. The Firm will consider all potential conflicts of interest brought to its attention, or otherwise coming to its attention, and will determine whether there exists a material conflict of interest with respect to the vote in question. A conflict of interest will be considered material to the extent that it is determined that such conflict has the potential to influence the Firm's decision-making regarding the vote. Where it is deemed that a material conflict of interest does not exist, the Firm may cast such vote, subject to the duty to act solely in the best interest of the clients.
The Firm may also consider information from other sources, including the management of a company presenting a proposal, shareholder groups, and independent proxy research services (such as Egan).
Where the Firm deviates from the guidelines listed below, or depends upon a third party to make the decision, the reasons shall be documented. The Firm may consult with such other experts, such as CPA's, investment bankers, attorneys, etc., as it regards necessary to help it reach informed decisions.
Non-Voting of Proxies
The Firm will generally not vote proxies if they are received for equity securities where, at the time of receipt or as of the record date, the Firm no longer holds that position in any of the Funds it advises.
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In addition, there may be situations where a proxy is not voted due to a conflict of interest (see "Conflicts of Interest", below.)
Management Proposals
Absent good reason to the contrary, the Firm will generally give substantial weight to management recommendations regarding voting. This is based on the view that management is usually in the best position to know which corporate actions are in the best interests of common shareholders as a whole.
The Firm will vote for routine matters proposed by issuer management, such as setting a time or place for an annual meeting, changing the name or fiscal year of the company, or voting for directors in favor of the management proposed slate. Other routine matters in which the Firm will vote along with company management include: appointment of auditors, fees paid to board members, and change in the board structure.
Non-Routine Matters
Non-routine matters might include such things as (1) amendments to management incentive plans, (2) the authorization of additional common or preferred stock, (3) initiation or termination of barriers to takeover or acquisition, (4) mergers or acquisitions, (5) changes in the state of incorporation, (6) corporate reorganizations, (7) term limits for board members, and (8) "contested" director slates. In non-routine matters, the Firm will attempt to be generally familiar with the questions at issue. Non-routine matters will be voted on a case-by-case basis, given the complexity of many of these issues.
Conflicts of Interest
Potential conflicts of interest between the Firm and its clients may arise when the Firm's relationships with an issuer or with a related third party actually conflict, or appear to conflict, with the best interests of its clients.
If the issue is specifically addressed in these policies and procedures, the Firm will vote in accordance with this Proxy Voting Policy. In a situation where the issue is not specifically addressed in this Proxy Voting Policy and an apparent or actual conflict exists, the Firm shall either: i) delegate the voting decision to an independent third party; ii) inform clients of the conflict of interest and obtain advance consent of a majority of such clients for a particular voting decision; or iii) not vote.
This document is available to any client of the Firm upon request. The Firm will also make available the record of the Firm's votes promptly upon request. Please contact the Firm's CCO for additional information at: 941-786-4482.
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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28. EXHIBITS:
(d)(2)(xlvi) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated [XX], between the Registrant and Brown Advisory, LLC ("Brown"), relating to the Brown Advisory Flexible Equity ETF, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(2)(xvi) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Brown and Vident, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(3)(iii) Amended and Restated Schedule A, dated [Date], to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement, dated December 31, 2019, between the Registrant and Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, relating to the Knights of Columbus Funds, to be filed by amendment.
(e)(1)(ii)Amendment No. 1, dated December 7, 2017, to the Distribution Agreement, dated February 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SIDCO, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 120 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-18-000054 on January 26, 2018.
(f) Not Applicable.
(g)(1)(i)Custodian Agreement, dated November 25, 2014, between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-15-000464 on July 14, 2015.
(g)(2)(ii)Amended Appendix A, dated August 12, 2020, to the Custodian Agreement, dated November 16, 2018, between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(3)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-20-021223 on November 2, 2020.
(g)(3)(ii)Amended Exhibit A, dated January 19, 2022, to the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement dated October 20, 2020, between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(3)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 318 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-22-004490 on February 28, 2022.
(h)(2)(i)(a)Amendment No. 1, dated April 30, 2018, to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-017157 on November 28, 2018.
(h)(2)(i)(c)Amendment, dated June 26, 2018, to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-017157 on November 28, 2018.
(h)(2)(i)(f)Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Knights of Columbus Funds, dated January 21, 2015, to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 001135428-17-000150 on February 28, 2017.
(h)(2)(i)(g)Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund, dated December 30, 2016, to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-17-000062 on January 27, 2017.
(h)(2)(i)(l)Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund, dated January 16, 2019, to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(o) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 183 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-19-007372 on April 30, 2019.
(h)(2)(i)(o)Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the FS Chiron Capital Allocation Fund (formerly, Chiron Capital Allocation Fund), dated May 25, 2021, to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i)(q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 299 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-21-014463 on July 16, 2021.
(h)(2)(i)(r) Advisor Complex Schedule relating to the Ecofin Global Renewables Infrastructure Fund, dated [XX], to the Agency Agreement, dated March 12, 2014, between the Registrant and SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc. (formerly, DST Systems, Inc.), to be filed by amendment.
(h)(3)(i)Amended and Restated Shareholder Services Plan, dated December 10, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-16-001068 on February 26, 2016.
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, to be filed by amendment.
(j) Not Applicable.
(k) Not Applicable.
(m)(4) Amended Schedule A, dated [XX], to the ETF Distribution Plan, dated October 15, 2020, to be filed by amendment.
(n)(5)Amended and Restated Schedule I and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan, dated June 24, 2021, relating to the GQG Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 296 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-21-013690 on June 30, 2021.
(o) Not Applicable.
(p)(23)First Foundation Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(26) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 276 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-21-000893 on January 15, 2021.
(p)(38) Magnetar Code of Ethics, to be filed by amendment.
(p)(39) Brown Code of Ethics, to be filed by amendment.
(q)(4)Power of Attorney for Ms. Nichelle Maynard-Elliott, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 296 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-192858), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-21-013690 on June 30, 2021.
ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT:
Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of FS Chiron Capital Allocation Fund (formerly, Chiron Capital Allocation Fund), a series of the Registrant.
FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman) is a wholly owned subsidiary of FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund, a series of the Registrant.
FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) is a wholly owned subsidiary of FS Chiron Real Development Fund, a series of the Registrant.
FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman) is a wholly owned subsidiary of FS Managed Futures Fund, a series of the Registrant.
Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund, a series of the Registrant.
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION:
A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust or a Shareholder to the extent provided in Article VII of the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each Person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust and any Person who is serving or has served at the Trust's request as a trustee, officer, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Trust's By-Laws.
All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or the Trustees shall look only to the assets of the appropriate Series, or, if the Trustees have yet to establish Series, of the Trust for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor the Shareholders, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or Trustees by any of them in connection with the Trust shall conclusively be deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to his or their capacity as Trustee or Trustees, and such Trustee or Trustees shall not be personally liable thereon. At the Trustees' discretion, any note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers may give notice that the Certificate of Trust is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and that a limitation on the liability of each Series exists and such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking may, if the Trustees so determine, recite that the same was executed or made on behalf of the Trust or by a Trustee or Trustees in such capacity and not individually or by an officer or officers in such capacity and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust or a Series thereof, and may contain such further recital as such Person or Persons may deem appropriate. The omission of any such notice or recital shall in no way operate to bind any Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS:
The following lists any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each investment adviser (including sub-advisers), and each director, officer or partner of that investment adviser (or sub-adviser), is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee. Unless noted below, none of the investment advisers (or sub-advisers) and/or directors, officers or partners of each investment adviser (or sub-adviser) is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
ARGA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LP
ARGA Investment Management, LP ("ARGA") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's ARGA Emerging Markets Value Fund, ARGA International Value Fund and ARGA Value Fund. The principal address of ARGA is 1010 Washington Boulevard, 6th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06901. ARGA is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
A. Rama Krishna, CFA Chief Investment Officer |
Grip Charitable Foundation c/o A. Rama Krishna 18 Sidney Lanier Lane Greenwich, CT 06831 |
Vice President |
RSG Media Systems, LLC RSG Media Systems, LLC 450 Lexington Ave., 4th Floor New York, NY 10017 |
Advisory Board Member | |
555 Apartment Holdings LLC c/o A. Rama Krishna 18 Sidney Lanier Lane Greenwich, CT 06831 |
Manager | |
Takashi Ito, CFA Global Business Analyst |
CFA Society Stamford 1127 High Ridge Road #307 Stamford, Connecticut 06905 |
Board Member |
John DeTore Director of Strategic R&D |
Segall Bryant & Hamill Funds 540 West Madison Street Suite 1900 Chicago, IL 60661 |
Trustee, Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee |
BARROW, HANLEY, MEWHINNEY & STRAUSS, LLC
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC ("Barrow Hanley") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Barrow Hanley Emerging Markets Value Fund, Barrow Hanley International Value Fund, Barrow Hanley Concentrated Emerging Markets ESG Opportunities Fund, Barrow Hanley Total Return Bond Fund, Barrow Hanley Credit Opportunities Fund, Barrow Hanley Floating Rate Fund and Barrow Hanley US Value Opportunities Fund (together, the "Perpetual Funds"). The principal address of Barrow Hanley is 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, TX 75201. Barrow Hanley is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Sub-Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Cory Lawrence Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, Member Board of Managers |
BH Credit Partners 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor Dallas, TX 75201 |
Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director |
Patricia Barron Chenoweth, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Managing Director, Member Board of Managers |
BH Credit Partners 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor Dallas, TX 75201 |
Chief Operating Officer, Senior Managing Director |
Hannah Mulvey Ackels, Chief Compliance Officer, Director |
BH Credit Partners 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor Dallas, TX 75201 |
Chief Compliance Officer, Director |
Brookmont capital management, LLC
Brookmont Capital Management, LLC ("Brookmont") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's First Foundation Fixed Income Fund and First Foundation Total Return Fund. The principal address of Brookmont is 5950 Berkshire Lane, Suite 1420, Dallas, TX 75225. Brookmont is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors and officers of Brookmont is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (801-68533), and is incorporated herein by reference.
BROWN ADVISORY, LLC
Brown Advisory, LLC ("Brown") serves as an investment adviser for the Registrant's Brown Advisory Flexible Equity ETF. The principal address of Brown is 901 South Bond Street, Suite 400, Baltimore, Maryland 21231. Brown is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of [date]. [To be updated by amendment.]
CHEVY CHASE TRUST COMPANY
Chevy Chase Trust Company ("CCT") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's CCT Thematic Equity Fund. The principal address of CCT is 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, 1500W, Bethesda, MD 20814. CCT is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
B.F. Saul II |
ASB Capital Management LLC B.F. Saul Company Saul Centers Inc. Chevy Chase Holdings, Inc. B. F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Chairman, Ownership Chairman & CEO, Ownership Chairman & CEO, Ownership CEO, Ownership Chairman, Ownership |
Christine N. Kearns |
ASB Capital Management LLC B.F. Saul Company B.F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust Saul Centers, Inc 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Vice-Chair, Executive Mgt Director, Executive Mgt Director, Executive Mgt Executive Mgt |
Peter M. Welber |
ASB Capital Management LLC 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director |
John J. Whitaker |
ASB Capital Management LLC 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director, Executive Mgt |
George P. Clancy |
ASB Capital Management LLC Saul Centers, Inc. 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director Director |
Gilbert M. Grosvenor |
ASB Capital Management LLC B.F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director Director |
Patricia S. Lotuff |
ASB Capital Management LLC B. F. Saul Company B. F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Vice Chair Director Director |
William F. McSweeny |
ASB Capital Management LLC 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director |
Earl A. Powell III |
ASB Capital Management LLC Saul Center, Inc. 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director Director |
H. Gregory Platts |
ASB Capital Management LLC Saul Centers, Inc. B.F. Saul Real Estate Investment Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Director Director Director |
Wendelin A. White |
Goulston & Storrs 1999 K Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20006 |
Senior Counsel |
Joel A. Friedman |
ASB Capital Management LLC 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 B.F. Saul Company Saul Centers, Inc. 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Chief Financial Officer Chief Accounting Officer Chief Accounting Officer |
Thomas McLaughlin |
ASB Capital Management LLC B.F. Saul Company Saul Centers, Inc. 7501 Wisconsin Ave. 15th W Bethesda, MD 20814 |
Accounting Officer Accounting Officer Accounting Officer |
CHIRON INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
Chiron Investment Management, LLC ("Chiron") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's FS Chiron Capital Allocation Fund (formerly, Chiron Capital Allocation Fund) and investment co-adviser for the Registrant's FS Chiron Real Development Fund. The principal address of Chiron is 10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022. Chiron is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of Chiron is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 277165, SEC No. 801-106527), and is incorporated herein by reference.
DEMOCRACY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC
Democracy Investment Management LLC ("Democracy") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Democracy International Fund. The principal address of Democracy is 1480 Moraga Road, Suite C #378, Moraga, California 94556. Democracy is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Julie Cane, CEO Managing Partner |
Wells Fargo Bank 420 Montgomery Street San Francisco CA 94194 |
Employee from Nov 2012 to Sept 2020 |
California State Guard Moffett Field Mountain View, CA 94089 |
Captain in the 129th Air Support Unit, July 2020 to December 2021 | |
Christopher Browne, CFA Chief Investment Officer, Partner |
Autana International Services, Inc 1083 Vine St. #222 Healdsburg, CA 95448 |
Consultant |
Arq Advisors, LLC 57 Deforest Avenue, Suite A Summit, NJ 07901 |
Registered Representative | |
Richard Rikoski, Chief Economist |
Hadal 1907 Dennison Street Oakland, CA 94606 |
Chief Executive Officer/Chief Scientist |
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC ("ETC"), serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Democratic Large Cap Core ETF (formerly, DEMZ Political Contributions ETF). The principal address of at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120. ETC is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of September 30, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
J. Garrett Stevens Chief Executive Officer |
T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. | Vice President |
Phillips Capital Advisors, Inc. | Vice President |
First Foundation Advisors
First Foundation Advisors ("First Foundation"), serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's First Foundation Fixed Income Fund and First Foundation Total Return Fund. The principal address of First Foundation is 18101 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 700, Irvine, California 92612. First Foundation is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Scott F. Kavanaugh, Director |
First Foundation Inc. 200 Crescent Court Suite 1400 Dallas, TX 75201 |
Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman |
Gary Tice, Director |
First Foundation Inc. 200 Crescent Court Suite 1400 Dallas, TX 75201 |
Director1 |
Diane Rubin, Director |
Diane M. Rubin, CPA, a sole proprietorship 40380 Desert Creek Lane Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 |
Sole proprietor |
Elizabeth Pagliarini, Director |
Summit Healthcare REIT, Inc. 2 South Pointe Drive Suite 100 Lake Forest, CA 92630 |
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
Max Briggs, Director |
FLC Capital Advisors 44-750 Village Court Palm Desert, CA 92260 |
President and Chief Executive Advisors |
Mitchell Rosenberg, Ph.D., Director |
M. M. Rosenberg & Associates 25811 Pecos Road Laguna Hills, CA 92653 |
President and Founder |
Jacob Sonenshine, Director |
Prell Restaurant Group 1675 Scenic Avenue #150 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 |
President |
David Lake, Director |
4 Earth Farms LLC 555 E. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90022 |
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder |
Ulrich E. Keller Jr., Director |
First Foundation Inc. 200 Crescent Court Suite 1400 Dallas, TX 75201 |
Chairman |
John A. Hakopian, President, Director |
First Foundation Inc. 200 Crescent Court Suite 1400 Dallas, TX 75201 |
Director |
Gabriel Vazquez, Director |
Vistra Corp. 6555 Sierra Drive Irving, TX 75039 |
Associate General Counsel |
1 | Mr. Tice resigned from his position on March 7, 2023. |
FS Fund Advisor, LLC
FS Fund Advisor, LLC ("FS") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund, FS Chiron Real Development Fund and FS Managed Futures Fund. The principal address of FS is 201 Rouse Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19112. FS is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of FS is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 286673, SEC No. 801-110117), and is incorporated herein by reference.
GQG PARTNERS LLC
GQG Partners LLC ("GQG Partners") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, GQG Partners US Select Quality Equity Fund, GQG Partners Global Quality Equity Fund, GQG Partners International Quality Dividend Income Fund, GQG Partners US Quality Dividend Income Fund and GQG Partners Global Quality Dividend Income Fund. The principal address of GQG Partners is 450 East Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 750, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. GQG Partners is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2024.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Rajiv Jain, Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Manager |
GQG Partners Community Empowerment Foundation* 450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 |
Sole Member |
GQG Partners Inc.*
450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 |
Executive Chairman, Chief Investment Officer | |
Tim Carver, Chief Executive Officer and Manager |
GQG Partners Inc.*
450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 |
Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director |
Melodie Zakaluk, Chief Financial Officer and Manager |
GQG Global UCITS ICAV 2nd Floor, 5 Earlsfort Terrace Dublin D2 Ireland |
Director (ended November 2022) |
GQG Partners Inc.*
450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 |
Chief Financial Officer | |
GQG Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd* Level 10, 68 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 |
Director | |
Charles Falck Chief Operating Officer |
GQG Partners Inc.*
450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 |
Chief Operating Officer |
GQG Global UCITS ICAV 2nd Floor, 5 Earlsfort Terrace Dublin D2 Ireland |
Director (as of November 2022) | |
GQG Partners Ltd Unit 12, Floor 7th, Al Khatem Tower, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
Director (as of August 2023) | |
Sal DiGangi, Global Chief Compliance Officer |
GQG Partners Inc.*
450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 |
Global Chief Compliance Officer |
Frederick H. Sherley, General Counsel and Secretary |
GQG Partners Inc.*
450 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 750 |
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
* | Affiliated entity |
KBI GLOBAL INVESTORS (NORTH AMERICA) LTD
KBI Global Investors (North America) Ltd ("KBI"), serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's KBI Global Investors Aquarius Fund. The principal address of KBI is 3rd Floor, 2 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC Dublin 1, Ireland. KBI is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position With Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection With Other Company |
Sean Hawkshaw President |
KBI Global Investors Ltd. 3rd Floor, 2 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1, D01 X5P3, Ireland. |
Chief Executive Officer, Director |
Geoff Blake, Director |
KBI Global Investors Ltd. 3rd Floor, 2 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1, D01 X5P3 Ireland. |
Director, Head of Clients & Business Development |
William Cotter, Non-Executive Director |
KBI Global Investors Ltd. 3rd Floor, 2 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1, D01 X5P3, Ireland. |
KBIGI - Non-Executive Director (Mr. Cotter is retired and has only two active Non Executive directorships). |
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC ("Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Knights of Columbus Core Bond Fund, Knights of Columbus Limited Duration Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Growth Fund, Knights of Columbus Large Cap Value Fund, Knights of Columbus Small Cap Fund, Knights of Columbus International Equity Fund, Knights of Columbus Long/Short Equity Fund, Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index Fund and Knights of Columbus Real Estate Fund (formerly, Knights of Columbus Global Real Estate Fund). The principal address of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors is One Columbus Plaza, New Haven, Connecticut 06510. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Anthony .V. Minopoli, President and Chief Investment Officer |
Knights of Columbus 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510 |
Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer and Supreme Director of the Board of Directors |
Michael P. Votto, Vice President and Special Counsel |
Knights of Columbus 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510 |
Special Counsel |
Peter D. Anderson, Chief Marketing Officer |
Faith Investor Services 14785 Preston Road, Suite 1000 Dallas, TX, 75254 |
Board of Directors |
L2 ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
L2 Asset Management, LLC ("L2") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Knights of Columbus Long/Short Equity Fund and Knights of Columbus U.S. All Cap Index Fund. The principal address of L2 is 66 Glezen Lane, Wayland, Massachusetts 01778. L2 is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Matthew Malgari Managing Member, Portfolio Manager |
Kailash Capital, LLC 66 Glezen Lane Wayland, MA 01778 |
Managing Member |
Sanjeev Bhohjraj Portfolio Manager |
Kailash Capital, LLC 66 Glezen Lane Wayland, MA 01778 |
Managing Member |
Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Sage Hall, 106 East Avenue Ithaca, New York 14853 |
Professor | |
Nathan Przybylo Programmer, Portfolio Manager |
Kailash Capital, LLC 66 Glezen Lane Wayland, MA 01778 |
Programmer, Member |
Tyson Arnedt General Counsel |
Kailash Capital, LLC 66 Glezen Lane Wayland, MA 01778 |
General Counsel |
Casata Group, LLC P.O. Box 1013 Milford, PA 18337 |
Founder & Principal | |
John Durkin Chief Operating Officer |
Kailash Capital, LLC 66 Glezen Lane Wayland, MA 01778 |
Employee |
Giselle Casella |
Adviser Compliance Consultants 5082 Escalante Dr. North Port, Florida 34287 |
Founder & CEO |
Kailash Capital, LLC 66 Glezen Lane Wayland, MA 01778 |
Chief Compliance Officer |
LEGAL & GENERAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AMERICA, INC.
Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. ("LGIMA"), serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund. The principal address of LGIMA is 71 South Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606. LGIMA is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Michelle Scrimgeour Director |
Legal & General Investment Management (Holdings) Ltd. One Coleman Street, London, UK EC2R 5AA |
Director of affiliated entity |
Legal & General Investment Management Limited One Coleman Street, London, UK EC2R 5AA |
Director of affiliated entity | |
Legal & General Investment Management U.S. Holdings, Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity | |
Legal & General Investment Management Japan K.K. 2-7-1 Yurakuncho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan |
Director of affiliated entity | |
LGIM International, Ltd. One Coleman Street, London, UK EC2R 5AA |
Director of affiliated entity | |
Legal & General Group Plc One Coleman Street, London UK EC2R 5AA |
Member of Group Management Committee of affiliated entity | |
The Investment Association 23 Camomile Street, London, England, EC3A 7LL |
Board Member | |
FCA Practioner Panelist FCA Practitioners Panels Secretariat, 12 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN |
Member | |
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero | Principals Group Member |
Kerrigan Procter, Interim Head of LGIM America, Director |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity |
Legal & General Business Consulting (Shanghai) Limited | Director and Chair of affiliated entity | |
IDLG Asset Holdings Pte. Ltd. | Director of affiliated joint venture entity | |
Donald Andrews Head of Distribution and Client Solutions, Director, Officer |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity |
Ledgeview Commercial Partners, LLC 157 Amory, Manchester, NH 03102 |
Founding Member | |
Lafayette Holdings, LLC 425 Washington Street, Suite 1, #286, Claremont, NH 03743 |
Founding Member/Manager | |
Rock Rimmon Holdings, LLC 425 Washington Street, Suite 1, #286, Claremont, NH 03743 |
Founding Member/Manager | |
Kigali Farm, LLC 1189 Wilmette Ave, #120 Wilmette, IL 60091 |
Founding Member | |
Croydon Holdings, LLC 1189 Wilmette Avenue, #145 Wilmette, IL 60091 |
Member/Manager | |
Derryfield Holdings, LLC 425 Washington Street, Suite 1, #286 Claremont, NH 03743 |
Founding Member | |
Sweeney Holdings, LLC 1189 Wilmette Avenue #120, Wilmette, IL 60091 |
Founding Member | |
Enright Holdings, LLC 245 Washington Street, Suite 1, #286 Claremont, NH 03743 |
Founding Member | |
Ascutney Holdings II, LLC 425 Washington Street, Suite 1, #286 Claremont, NH 03743 |
Founding Member | |
Ascutney Holdings, LLC 425 Washington Street, Suite 1, #286 Claremont, NH 03743 |
Founding Member |
John Bender Chairman of Investments, LGIM America, Director, Officer |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity |
BethAnne Panos Head of Human Resources, Director, Officer |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity |
Patrick Ryan Chief Financial Officer, Director |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity |
Kristina St. Charles General Counsel & Interim Chief Compliance Officer, Board Secretary |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606 |
Board Secretary of affiliated entity |
Pangea Educational Development | Executive Board Member, Non-Profit Board | |
Mike Reiffsteck Head of U.S. Operations |
Legal & General Investment Management United States (Holdings), Inc. 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago IL 60606 |
Director of affiliated entity |
Alexia Gottschalch Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity |
The Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE) | Board Member |
Michael Chick, Chief Compliance Officer |
None |
MAGNETAR ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
Magnetar Asset Management LLC ("Magnetar") serves as an investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Magnetar is 1603 Orrington Ave, 13th Floor, Evanston, Illinois 60201. Magnetar is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of [date]. [To be updated by amendment.]
MARINER INVESTMENT GROUP, LLC
Mariner Investment Group, LLC ("Mariner") serves as an investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Mariner is 500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 405, Harrison, NY 10528. Mariner is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of Mariner is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 124744, SEC No. 801-62016), and is incorporated herein by reference.
MESIROW FINANCIAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. ("MFIM"), serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Mesirow Enhanced Core Plus Fund and Mesirow High Yield Fund. The principal address of MFIM is 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654. MFIM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, no director, officer or partner of MFIM engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
MESIROW INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
Mesirow Institutional Investment Management, Inc. ("MIIM") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Mesirow Small Company Fund. The principal address of MIIM is 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654. MIIM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, no director, officer or partner of MIIM engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
MetLife Investment Management, LLC ("MetLife") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's MetLife Core Plus Fund and MetLife Multi-Sector Fixed Income Fund. The principal address of MetLife is One MetLife Way, Whippany, New Jersey 07981. MetLife is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Joseph Pollaro Chief Operating Officer |
MetLife Investments Securities, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
MetLife Investment Management Limited Level 34 One Canada Square London E14 5AA United Kingdom |
Chief Operating Officer Director | |
MetLife Asset Management Corp. Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho Kioi Tower 25F 1-3, Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan |
Chief Operating Officer Director | |
MetLife Investments Asia Limited 9th Floor, One Taikoo Place 979 King's Road, Quarry Bay Hong Kong S.A.R. |
Chief Operating Officer Director | |
MetLife Investment Management Holdings (Ireland) Limited 20 on Hatch Lower Hatch Street Dublin 2, Ireland | Director | |
MetLife Investments Management Holdings, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Board of Managers Executive Vice President | |
MetLife Investors Group, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Board of Managers Executive Vice President | |
MIM I, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Chief Operating Officer | |
MetLife Services and Solutions, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Executive Vice President | |
MetLife Group, Inc. 200 Park Avenue New York, NY 10166 |
Executive Vice President | |
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company 200 Park Avenue New York, NY 10166 |
Executive Vice President | |
MetLife Investment Management Europe Limited 20 on Hatch Lower Hatch Street Dublin 2, Ireland |
Director | |
Affirmative Investment Management Partners Limited 55 Baker Street London W1U 7EU United Kingdom |
Director | |
Affirmative Investment Management Japan Inc. W22F Shibuya Mark City 1-12-1 Dogenzaka Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0043, Japan |
Director | |
Affirmative Investment Management Australia Pty Ltd | Director | |
Affirmative Investment Management US Limited 45 South Main Street, P.O. Box 3550 Concord, NH 03302-3550 |
Chairman, President, & Director |
Michael Yick |
MetLife Investments Securities, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer |
MetLife Investments Management Holdings LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Treasurer | |
MIM I, LLC One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | |
MetLife Investors Distribution Company One MetLife Way Whippany, NJ 07981 |
Treasurer | |
Affirmative Investment Management US Limited 45 South Main Street, P.O. Box 3550 Concord, NH 03302-3550 |
Treasurer |
MidOcean Credit Fund Management, L.P.
MidOcean Credit Fund Management, L.P. ("MidOcean") serves as an investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund. The principal address of MidOcean is 320 Park Avenue, Suite 1600, New York, New York 10022. MidOcean is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of MidOcean is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 151578, SEC No. 801-70672), and is incorporated herein by reference.
NICHOLAS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, L.P.
Nicholas Investment Partners, L.P. ("Nicholas"), serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund. The principal address of Nicholas is 6451 El Sicomoro Street, Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067. Nicholas is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Arthur Nicholas, Co-Founder/Adviser |
Wagonhound Land & Livestock, LLC 1061 Poison Lake Drive Douglas, WY 82633 |
Sole Owner |
NINETY ONE NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Ninety One North America, Inc. ("Ninety One") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Ninety One Global Franchise Fund, Ninety One Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Ninety One Global Environment Fund and Ninety One International Franchise Fund. The principal address of Ninety One is 65 East 55th Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10022. Ninety One is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Philip Anker, Chief Executive Officer |
Ninety One Canada 22 Adelaide Street West, 3400 Toronto Ontario Canada M5H 4E3 Canada |
Executive Director |
John Green, Executive Director |
Ninety One Australia Pty Limited Suite 28.03 Chifley Towers 2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000 Australia |
Executive Director |
Ninety One Africa Frontier Private Equity Fund GP Limited (acting as liquidating trustee of Ninety One Africa Frontier Private Equity Fund LP) First Floor Dorey Court Elizabeth Avenue St Peter Port GY1 2HT Guernsey |
Executive Director | |
Ninety One Africa Private Equity Fund 2 GP Ltd First Floor Dorey Court Elizabeth Avenue St Peter Port GY1 2HT Guernsey |
Executive Director | |
Ninety One Hong Kong Limited Suite 1201-1206, 12/F One Pacific Place 88 Queensway Admiralty Hong Kong |
Executive Director | |
Ninety One Singapore Pte. Limited 138 Market Street CapitaGreen #27-02 048946 Singapore |
Executive Director | |
Ninety One SA (Pty) Ltd 36 Hans Strijdom Avenue Foreshore Cape Town 8001 South Africa |
Executive Director | |
Ninety One Africa (Pty) Ltd 36 Hans Strijdom Avenue Foreshore Cape Town 8001 South Africa |
Executive Director | |
Ninety One International Limited 55 Gresham Street London EC2V 7EL United Kingdom |
Executive Director |
John McNab, Executive Director |
Ninety One UK Limited 55 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7EL United Kingdom |
Executive Director |
Ninety One International Limited 55 Gresham Street London EC2V 7EL United Kingdom |
Executive Director |
PENN MUTUAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC ("PMAM") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Penn Mutual AM Strategic Income Fund and Penn Mutual AM 1847 Income Fund. The principal address of PMAM is Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 1111, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, 19428. PMAM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
David M. O'Malley, Chairman of the Board |
Penn Series Funds, Inc. Baltimore, MD |
Chairman of the Board; President (served through 2021) |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Chairman of the Board; Chief Executive Officer (served through 2021) | |
The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Philadelphia, PA |
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; President and Chief Operating Officer (served through 2021) | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company Wilmington, DE |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; President and Chief Operating Officer (served through 2021) | |
PIA Reinsurance Company of Delaware I Horsham, PA |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; President (served through 2021) | |
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Philadelphia, PA |
Chairman; Director (served through 2021) |
|
Vantis Life Insurance Company Windsor, Connecticut |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company of New York Brewster, NY |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC Horsham, PA |
Chairman | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management Multi-Series Fund (Cayman), SPC Horsham, PA |
Director (served through 2021) |
Keith G. Huckerby, Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Manager of the Board |
Penn Series Funds, Inc. Baltimore, MD |
President |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board); Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer; President (served through 2021) | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management Multi-Series Fund (Cayman), SPC Horsham, PA |
Chairman and Director | |
Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board) | |
Mark Heppenstall,
President and Chief Investment Officer, |
Penn Mutual Asset Management Multi-Series Fund (Cayman), SPC Horsham, PA |
Director |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board); President and Chief Investment Officer; Chief Investment Officer (served through 2021) | |
Victoria Robinson,
Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, |
Penn Series Funds, Inc. Baltimore, MD |
Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary |
The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Philadelphia, PA |
Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company Wilmington, DE |
Director and Secretary | |
PIA Reinsurance Company of Delaware I Horsham, PA |
Secretary | |
Vantis Life Insurance Company Windsor, Connecticut |
Director and Secretary | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company of New York Brewster, NY |
Director and Secretary | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management Multi-Series Fund (Cayman), SPC Horsham, PA |
Director | |
Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board) and Chief Compliance Officer; Chief Compliance Officer (served through 2021) | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board) and Chief Compliance Officer |
David M. Raszeja, Manager of the Board |
The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Philadelphia, PA | Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company Wilmington, DE |
Director | |
PIA Reinsurance Company of Delaware I Horsham, PA |
Director | |
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Philadelphia, PA |
Director | |
Vantis Life Insurance Company Windsor, Connecticut |
Director | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company of New York Brewster, NY |
Director | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board) | |
Karthick Dalawai, Chief Risk Officer |
The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Philadelphia, PA |
Chief Risk Officer |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company Wilmington, DE |
Director and Chief Risk Officer | |
Vantis Life Insurance Company Windsor, Connecticut |
Director and Chief Risk Officer | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company of New York Brewster, NY |
Director and Chief Risk Officer | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management Multi-Series Fund (Cayman), SPC Horsham, PA |
Director | |
Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC Horsham, PA |
Manager (Board) | |
Ann-Marie Mason Chief Legal Officer and Secretary |
The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Philadelphia, PA |
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel - Asset Management and Broker/Dealer (served through 2021) |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company Wilmington, DE |
Chief Legal Officer; General Counsel - Asset Management and Broker/Dealer (served through 2021) | |
PIA Reinsurance Company of Delaware I Horsham, PA |
Chief Legal Officer; General Counsel - Asset Management and Broker/Dealer (served through 2021) | |
Vantis Life Insurance Company Windsor, Connecticut |
Chief Legal Officer; General Counsel - Asset Management and Broker/Dealer (served through 2021) | |
The Penn Insurance and Annuity Company of New York Brewster, NY |
Chief Legal Officer; General Counsel - Asset Management and Broker/Dealer (served through 2021) | |
Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC Horsham, PA |
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary; Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel - Asset Management and Broker/Dealer (served through 2021) | |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary |
Tyler Thur, Chief Financial Officer |
Penn Series Funds, Inc. Baltimore, MD |
Assistant Treasurer |
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC Horsham, PA |
Treasurer and Controller (served through 2022) | |
Steven Viola, Assistant Treasurer |
Penn Series Funds, Inc. Baltimore, MD |
Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
PERPETUAL US SERVICES LLC
Perpetual US Services LLC ("Perpetual") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Barrow Hanley Concentrated Emerging Markets ESG Opportunities Fund, Barrow Hanley Total Return Bond Fund, Barrow Hanley Credit Opportunities Fund, Barrow Hanley Floating Rate Fund, Barrow Hanley US Value Opportunities Fund, Barrow Hanley Emerging Markets Value Fund and Barrow Hanley International Value Fund. The principal address of Perpetual is 155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Perpetual is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of Perpetual is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 317365, SEC No. 801- 122747), and is incorporated herein by reference.
PINEBRIDGE INVESTMENTS LLC
PineBridge Investments LLC ("PineBridge") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's PineBridge Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund. The principal address of PineBridge is Park Avenue Tower, 65 East 55th Street, New York, New York 10022. PineBridge is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2023, no director, officer or partner of PineBridge engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
RANGER GLOBAL REAL ESTATE ADVISORS, LLC
Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors, LLC ("Ranger") serves as investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Knights of Columbus Real Estate Fund (formerly, Knights of Columbus Global Real Estate Fund). The principal address of Ranger is 405 Lexington Avenue, Suite 3401, New York, New York 10174. Ranger is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of October 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
F. Scott Tuck Chief Executive Officer, Managing Partner |
ValueQuest Capital LLP 8th Fl, Vibgyor Towers BKC, Mumbai |
Independent Fund Director |
Richard B. Saltzman Board Member Senior Advisor |
Kimco Realty Corp. (NYSE-KIM) 500 North Broadway - Suite 201 Jericho, N.Y. 11753 |
Independent Director |
Peaceable Street Capital LLC Silver Lake Executive Campus 41 University Drive - Suite 101 Newtown, PA 18940 |
Senior Advisor and Advisory Board Member | |
Louw Advance Pty Ltd. 12 North Road Dunkeld West Johannesburg South Africa |
Director 30% shareholder | |
Equiem Holdings Pty Ltd. Level 4 Rialto South Tower 525 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia |
Non-Executive Director 1% shareholder | |
RXR Acquisition Corp. 625 RXR Plaza Uniondale NY 11556 |
Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee | |
Dennis Lopez |
QuadReal Property Group 666 Burrard St #800, Vancouver, BC V6C 2X8 Canada |
Chief Executive Officer |
Welltower Inc. 4500 Dorr Street Toledo, OH 43607 |
Board Member | |
Thierry Keable Director |
CA Student Living Investments II, LLC Floor 2 Chicago, IL 60654 |
Director and Co-President |
Rayliant Asset Management
Rayliant Investment Research, doing business as Rayliant Asset Management ("Rayliant"), serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Rayliant Quantamental China Equity ETF, Rayliant Quantitative Developed Market Equity ETF, Rayliant Quantamental Emerging Market ex-China Equity ETF and Rayliant SMDAM Japan Equity ETF. The principal address of Rayliant is 1299 Ocean Avenue, Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Rayliant is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of September 30, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Jason Hsu, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer |
Rayliant Global Advisors Limited Room No. 1818, 18/F, Radio City 505-511 Hennessy Road Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
Director / Shareholder |
Rayliant Asset Management Limited Unit 1102, 43 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong |
Director, Responsible Officer | |
Henderson Rowe Limited 8th Floor, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BR |
Director |
|
Yayati, 4199 Campus Drive Irvine, CA 92612 USA |
Director | |
IHSV, Inc. 11 Zephyr, Irvine, CA 92602, USA |
Shareholder | |
Signature Collection Properties, LLC 11 Zephyr, Irvine, CA 92602, USA |
Shareholder | |
Veritas Liberabit Vos, LLC 11 Zephyr, Irvine, CA 92602, USA |
Shareholder | |
Michael J Bowers, Senior Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer |
Rayliant Global Advisors Limited Room No. 1818, 18/F, Radio City 505-511 Hennessy Road Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
Director / Shareholder |
Henderson Rowe Limited 8th Floor, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BR |
Director | |
Matthew Bowers, Senior Managing Director, General Counsel / Chief Compliance Officer |
Henderson Rowe Limited 8th Floor, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BR |
Director |
REFLECTION ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reflection Asset Management, LLC ("Reflection"), serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Democratic Large Cap Core ETF (formerly, DEMZ Political Contributions ETF). The principal address of 1000 Palm Boulevard, #571, Isle of Palms, South Carolina 29451. Reflection is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of September 30, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Jason Britton, CEO, President and CIO |
Reflection Analytics 7 Seagrass Lane Isle of Palms, SC 29451 |
Chief Executive Officer |
Reflection.IO 7 Seagrass Lane Isle of Palms, SC 29451 |
CEO | |
Reflection Advisors
7 Seagrass Lane |
Principal | |
Reflection Capital Partners
7 Seagrass Lane |
Principal |
RWC ASSET ADVISORS (US) LLC
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC ("RWC") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Redwheel Global Emerging Equity Fund (formerly, RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund). The principal address of RWC is 2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201, Miami, Florida 33133. RWC is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, no director, officer or partner of RWC engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
RWC ASSET MANAGEMENT LLP
RWC Asset Management LLP ("RWC AM") serves as investment adviser for the Registrant's Ecofin Global Renewables Infrastructure Fund. The principal address of RWC AM is Verde 4th Floor, 10 Bressenden Place, London, United Kingdom SW1E 5DH. RWC AM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended November 30, 2023 and 2024, no director, officer or partner of RWC engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
SUMITOMO MITSUI DS ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LTD
Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company, Ltd, doing business as SMDAM ("SMDAM") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Rayliant SMDAM Japan Equity ETF. The principal address of SMDAM is Toranomon Hills Business Tower 26F, 17-1, Toranomon 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 105-6426. SMDAM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, no director, officer or partner of SMDAM engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
SouthernSun Asset Management, LLC
SouthernSun Asset Management, LLC ("SouthernSun") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's SouthernSun Small Cap Fund and SouthernSun U.S. Equity Fund. The principal address of SouthernSun is 240 Madison Avenue, Suite 800 Memphis, Tennessee 38103. SouthernSun is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, no director, officer or partner of SouthernSun engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
Strategas Asset Management, LLC
Strategas Asset Management, LLC ("Strategas") serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Strategas Global Policy Opportunities ETF, Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF and Strategas Macro Momentum ETF. The principal address of Strategas is 52 Vanderbilt Ave., 19th Floor, New York, New York 10017. Strategas is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information below is provided as of December 31, 2022 and 2023.
Name and Position with Investment Adviser |
Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company |
Connection with Other Company |
Nicholas Bohnsack Chief Executive Officer, Director |
Wychmere Partners, LLC 81 Newtown Ln #304 East Hampton, NY 11937 |
LLC General Partner |
Direct Notice, LLC d/b/a DiretoTech, LLC 1330 Kinnear Road, Suite 100 Columbus, Ohio 43212 |
Board Member | |
Jason Trennert Chief Investment Officer, Director |
Moltz Family Trust c/o Brandywine Asset Management Hockesson, Delaware 19727 |
Consultant |
Mark Godofsky Chief Financial Officer, Director |
Sync or Swim LLC 10 Indian Run Rd Princeton Junction, NJ 08550 |
Owner |
VIDENT ADVISORY, LLC
Vident Advisory, LLC ("Vident") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Brown Advisory Flexible Equity ETF, Democracy International Fund, Strategas Global Policy Opportunities ETF, Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF and Strategas Macro Momentum ETF. The principal address of Vident is 1125 Sanctuary Pkwy., Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. Vident is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023, no director, officer, or partner of Vident engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
WATERFALL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
Waterfall Asset Management, LLC ("Waterfall") serves as an investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Waterfall is 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 50th Floor, New York, New York 10020. Waterfall is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of Waterfall is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 137746, SEC No. 801-65087), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Wilshire ADVISORS LLC
Wilshire Advisors LLC ("Wilshire") serves as an investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's FS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund. The principal address of Wilshire is 1299 Ocean Avenue, 7th Floor, Santa Monica, California 90401. Wilshire is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information as to other business, if any, and the directors, officers and partners of Wilshire is set forth in its Form ADV, on file with the SEC (CRD No. 6210, SEC No. 8-23852, 801-36233) and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
(a) | Furnish the name of each investment company (other than the Registrant) for which each principal underwriter currently distributing the securities of the Registrant also acts as a principal underwriter, distributor or investment adviser. |
The Registrant's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), acts as distributor for:
SEI Daily Income Trust | July 15, 1982 |
SEI Tax Exempt Trust | December 3, 1982 |
SEI Institutional Managed Trust | January 22, 1987 |
SEI Institutional International Trust | August 30, 1988 |
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund | November 14, 1991 |
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II | January 28, 1993 |
Bishop Street Funds | January 27, 1995 |
SEI Asset Allocation Trust | April 1, 1996 |
SEI Institutional Investments Trust | June 14, 1996 |
City National Rochdale Funds (f/k/a CNI Charter Funds) | April 1, 1999 |
Causeway Capital Management Trust | September 20, 2001 |
SEI Offshore Opportunity Fund II, Ltd. | September 1, 2005 |
ProShares Trust | November 14, 2005 |
Community Capital Trust (f/k/a Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund) | January 8, 2007 |
SEI Offshore Advanced Strategy Series SPC | July 31, 2007 |
SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP | July 31, 2007 |
Global X Funds | October 24, 2008 |
ProShares Trust II | November 17, 2008 |
SEI Special Situations Fund, Ltd. | July 1, 2009 |
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares Trust) | August 7, 2009 |
Schwab Strategic Trust | October 12, 2009 |
RiverPark Funds Trust | September 8, 2010 |
Adviser Managed Trust | December 10, 2010 |
SEI Core Property Fund, LP | January 1, 2011 |
New Covenant Funds | March 23, 2012 |
KraneShares Trust | December 18, 2012 |
SEI Catholic Values Trust | March 24, 2015 |
SEI Hedge Fund SPC | June 26, 2015 |
SEI Energy Debt Fund, LP | June 30, 2015 |
Gallery Trust | January 8, 2016 |
City National Rochdale Select Strategies Fund | March 1, 2017 |
Impact Shares Trust | March 1, 2018 |
City National Rochdale Strategic Credit Fund | May 16, 2018 |
Symmetry Panoramic Trust | July 23, 2018 |
Frost Family of Funds | May 31, 2019 |
SEI Vista Fund, Ltd. | January 20, 2021 |
Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund | March 22, 2021 |
Catholic Responsible Investments Funds | November 17, 2021 |
SEI Exchange Traded Funds | May 18, 2022 |
SEI Global Private Assets VI, L.P. | July 29, 2022 |
Quaker Investment Trust | June 8, 2023 |
SEI Alternative Income Fund | September 1, 2023 |
The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers, pension plan sponsors, and bank trust departments. These services include portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services ("Funds Evaluation") and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions ("MarketLink").
(b) | Furnish the Information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named in the answer to Item 25 of Part B. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456. |
Name |
Position and Office with Underwriter |
Positions and Offices with Registrant |
Paul F. Klauder | President, Chief Executive Officer & Director | -- |
John C. Munch | General Counsel & Secretary | -- |
William M. Doran | Director | -- |
John Alshefski | Director | -- |
Kevin Crowe | Director | -- |
Jason McGhin | Vice President & Chief Operations Officer | -- |
John P. Coary | Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | -- |
Jennifer H. Campisi | Chief Compliance Officer, Assistant Secretary & Anti-Money Laundering Officer | -- |
William M. Martin | Vice President | -- |
Christopher Rowan | Vice President | -- |
Judith A. Rager | Vice President | -- |
Gary Michael Reese | Vice President | -- |
Robert M. Silvestri | Vice President | -- |
(c) | Not Applicable. |
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:
Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:
(a) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1); (2)(a) and (b); (3); (6); (8); (12); and 31a-1(d), the required books and records are maintained at the offices of the Registrant's custodians:
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
50 Post Office Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
State Street Bank and Trust Company
State Street Financial Center
One Lincoln Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
(b) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1), (4); (2)(C) and (D); (4); (5); (6); (8); (9); (10); (11); and 31a-1(f), the required books and records are maintained at the offices of the Registrant's administrator:
SEI Investments Global Funds Services
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(c) With respect to Rules 31a-1(b)(5), (6), (9) and (10) and 31a-1(f), the required books and records are maintained at the principal offices of the Registrant's advisers:
ARGA Investment Management, LP
1010 Washington Boulevard, 6th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06901
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC
2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor
Dallas, TX 75201
Brookmont Capital Management, LLC
5950 Berkshire Lane, Suite 1420
Dallas, Texas 75225
Brown Advisory, LLC
901 South Bond Street, Suite 400
Baltimore, Maryland 21231
Chevy Chase Trust Company
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, 1500W
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Chiron Investment Management, LLC
10 East 53rd Street
New York, New York 10022
Democracy Investment Management LLC
1480 Moraga Road
Suite C #378
Moraga, California 94556
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
10900 Hefner Pointe Drive
Suite 400
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120
First Foundation Advisors
18101 Von Karman Avenue
Suite 700
Irvine, California 92612
FS Fund Advisor, LLC
201 Rouse Boulevard
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19112
GQG Partners LLC
450 East Las Olas Boulevard
Suite 750
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
KBI Global Investors (North America) Ltd
3rd Floor, 2 Harbourmaster Place
IFSC Dublin 1
Ireland
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC
One Columbus Plaza
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
L2 Asset Management, LLC
66 Glezen Lane
Wayland, Massachusetts 01778
Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc.
71 South Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Magnetar Asset Management LLC
1603 Orrington Ave, 13th Floor
Evanston, Illinois 60201
Mariner Investment Group, LLC
500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 405
Harrison, NY 10528
Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc.
353 N. Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60654
Mesirow Institutional Investment Management, Inc.
353 N. Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60654
MetLife Investment Management, LLC
One MetLife Way
Whippany, New Jersey 07981
MidOcean Credit Fund Management, L.P.
320 Park Avenue
Suite 1600
New York, New York 10022
Nicholas Investment Partners, L.P.
6451 El Sicomoro Street
Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067
Ninety One North America, Inc.
65 East 55th Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Penn Mutual Asset Management, LLC
Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 1111
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428
Perpetual US Services LLC
155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250
Chicago, Illinois 60606
PineBridge Investments LLC
Park Avenue Tower
65 East 55th Street
New York, New York 10022
Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors, LLC
405 Lexington Avenue, Suite 3401
New York, New York 10174
Rayliant Investment Research, doing business as Rayliant Asset Management
1299 Ocean Avenue, Suite 700
Santa Monica, California 90501
Reflection Asset Management, LLC
1000 Palm Boulevard, #571
Isle of Palms, South Carolina 29451
RWC Asset Advisors (US) LLC
2640 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 201
Miami, Florida 33133
RWC Asset Management LLP
Verde 4th Floor, 10 Bressenden Place
London, United Kingdom SW1E 5DH
SouthernSun Asset Management, LLC
240 Madison Avenue, Suite 800
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
Strategas Asset Management, LLC
52 Vanderbilt Avenue
19th Floor
New York, New York 10017
Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company, Ltd, doing business as SMDAM
Toranomon Hills Business Tower 26F
17-1, Toranomon 1-chome, Minato-ku
Tokyo, Japan, 105-6426
Vident Advisory, LLC
1125 Sanctuary Pkwy.
Suite 515
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Waterfall Asset Management, LLC
1251 Avenue of the Americas
50th Floor
New York, New York 10020
Wilshire Advisors LLC
1299 Ocean Avenue
7th Floor
Santa Monica, California 90401
ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES:
None.
ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS:
Not Applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 365 to Registration Statement No. 333-192858 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Oaks, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the 31st day of October, 2024.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III | |||
By: | * | ||
Michael Beattie | |||
President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated.
* | Trustee | October 31, 2024 | ||
William M. Doran | ||||
* | Trustee | October 31, 2024 | ||
Jon C. Hunt | ||||
* | Trustee | October 31, 2024 | ||
Thomas P. Lemke | ||||
* | Trustee | October 31, 2024 | ||
Nichelle Maynard-Elliott | ||||
* | Trustee | October 31, 2024 | ||
Jay C. Nadel | ||||
* | Trustee | October 31, 2024 | ||
Randall S. Yanker | ||||
* | President | October 31, 2024 | ||
Michael Beattie | ||||
* | Treasurer, Controller & | October 31, 2024 | ||
Andrew Metzger | Chief Financial Officer |
*By: | /s/ James Bernstein | |
James Bernstein | ||
Attorney-in-Fact | ||