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Statement of Additional Information
March 31, 2024

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Principal Listing Exchange for the Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund and Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc.

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides general information about the Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund, (the “Water Fund”) and the Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund (the “Pipeline Fund”), each a series of Managed Portfolio Series (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ current prospectus dated March 31, 2024 (the “Prospectus”), as supplemented and amended from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, each Fund’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023 is incorporated herein by reference to the Fund’s annual report dated November 30, 2023. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. To obtain a copy of the Prospectus and/or Annual Report, when available, free of charge, please write or call the Funds at the address or toll-free telephone number below, or visit the Adviser’s website at https://tortoiseadvisors.com/.

TortoiseEcofin Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701
1-844-874-6339





TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The Trust and the Funds
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on January 27, 2011, and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and the offering of the Funds’ shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). This Statement of Additional Information relates to two series of the Trust: the Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund and the Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund (the “Funds”).
History of the Funds. The Funds are series of the Trust. The Water Fund commenced operations as a series of the Trust on February 14, 2017. The Pipeline Fund commenced operations as a series of Montage Managers Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”) on June 29, 2015 and reorganized into the Trust on March 20, 2017. The Funds are managed, by Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC, doing business as TIS Advisors (the “Adviser” or “TIS Advisors”) and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, (the “Sub-Adviser” or “ETC”).
Shares of other series of the Trust are offered in separate prospectuses and SAIs. The Funds’ Prospectus and this SAI are a part of the Trust’s Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of the Trust’s complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee, or may be accessed free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. As permitted by Delaware law, the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may create additional series (and classes thereof) of the Trust and offer shares of these series and classes under the Trust at any time without the vote of shareholders.
All shares of a series shall represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets held with respect to that series (subject to the liabilities held with respect to that series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes of shares of such series), and each share of a series shall be equal to each other share of that series.
Shares are voted in the aggregate and not by series or class, except in matters where a separate vote is required by the 1940 Act, or when the matters affect only the interest of a particular series or class. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each full share owned and fractional votes for fractional shares owned.
The Trust does not normally hold annual meetings of shareholders. Meetings of the shareholders shall be called by any member of the Board upon written request of shareholders holding, in the aggregate, not less than 10% of the shares, such request specifying the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is to be called.
The Board has the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series without materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of the shares of that series in the assets belonging to that series or materially affecting the rights of shares of any other series. In case of the liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated are entitled to receive a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series (or class thereof) are borne by that series (or class). Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by, or under the direction of, the
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Board to all applicable series (and classes thereof) in such manner and on such basis as the Board in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever with respect to the Trust or any series of the Trust without his or her express consent.
All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of the Funds’ shares, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, subject only to the rights of creditors, shall constitute the underlying assets of the Funds.
The Water Fund seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the price and distribution rate (total return) performance of the Ecofin Global Water ESG Net Total Return IndexSM (the “Water Index”). The Pipeline Fund seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the price and distribution rate (total return) performance of the Tortoise North American Pipeline IndexSM (the “Pipeline Index”). Together, the Water Index and the Pipeline Index are referred to as the “Underlying Indexes.”
The Funds offer and issue shares at its net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities, assets or other positions included in the Underlying Index (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The shares of the Water Fund and Pipeline Fund are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange. Prior to January 4, 2021, the Water Fund was listed on the CBOE Bzx Exchange. The NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange is referred to as the “Exchange” in this SAI. The Funds each trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the NAVs of each Fund's shares. The Funds' shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption (the “Transaction Fee”). In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Funds may charge, either in lieu or in addition to the fixed creation or redemption Transaction Fee, a variable fee for creations and redemptions in order to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction, up to a maximum of 2.00% of the NAV per Creation Unit, inclusive of any Transaction Fees charged (if applicable).
Investment Objective, Policies, Strategies and Associated Risks
The following discussion supplements the description of the Funds’ investment objective and principal investment strategies and principal risks set forth in the Prospectus. Except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below (see “Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Limitations”), the Funds’ investment objectives, strategies and policies are not
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fundamental and may be changed by sole action of the Board, without shareholder approval. The Funds will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with such Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. The Funds might not invest in all of these types of securities or use all of these techniques at any one time. The Funds’ transactions in a particular type of security or use of a particular technique is subject to limitations imposed by the Funds’ investment objectives, policies and restrictions described in the Funds’ Prospectus and/or this SAI, as well as the federal securities laws.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of each Fund is set forth under the “Summary Section” in the Funds’ Prospectus.
Diversification
The Water Fund and Pipeline Fund are each classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund. The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s Underlying Index and, therefore, the securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject the Fund’s shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In particular, as a Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the voting securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in its Underlying Index.
Because each Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” ("RIC") under the Code, each Fund will limit its investment, excluding cash, cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, so that at the close of each quarter of the taxable year, (1) not more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of a single issuer, and (2) with respect to 50% of its total assets, not more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of a single issuer nor represent more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting securities.
Concentration
Each Fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as described in the Prospectus. The securities of issuers in particular industries may dominate the Underlying Index of a Fund and consequently the Fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect the Fund’s performance or subject its shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies.
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Equity Securities
Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company. 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 the Funds invest will cause the NAV of the Funds to fluctuate.
Types of equity securities in which the Funds may invest:
Common Stocks.
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the profits and losses of a corporation, after payment of amounts owed to bondholders, other debt holders, and holders of preferred stock. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights, but the Funds do not expect to have voting control in any of the companies in which they invest. In addition to the general risks set forth above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a company in which the Funds invest is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made to the Funds as holders of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that company will be exhausted before any payments are made to the holders of common stock.
Master Limited Partnerships. A master limited partnership (“MLP”) is an entity that is generally taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes if certain qualifying income requirements are met.
An MLP has one or more general partners (who may be individuals, corporations, or other partnerships) which manage the partnership, and limited partners, which provide capital to the partnership but have no role in its management. Typically, the general partner is owned by company management or another publicly traded sponsoring corporation. When an investor buys units in an MLP, the investor becomes a limited partner.
MLPs are formed in several ways. A non-traded partnership may decide to go public. Several non-traded partnerships may roll up into a single MLP. A corporation may spin-off a group of assets or part of its business into an MLP of which it is the general partner, to realize the assets’ full value on the marketplace by selling the assets and using the cash proceeds received from the MLP to address debt obligations or to invest in higher growth opportunities, while retaining control of the MLP. A corporation may fully convert to an MLP, although tax consequences have made this an unappealing option for most corporations. Unlike the ways described above, it is also possible for a newly formed entity to commence operations as an MLP from its inception.
The sponsor or general partner of an MLP, other energy companies, and utilities may sell assets to MLPs in order to generate cash to fund expansion projects or repay debt. The MLP structure essentially transfers cash flows generated from these acquired assets directly to MLP limited partner unitholders.
In the case of an MLP buying assets from its sponsor or general partner, the transaction is intended to be based upon comparable terms in the acquisition market for similar assets. To help insure that appropriate protections are in place, the board of the MLP generally creates an independent committee to review and approve the terms of the transaction. The committee often obtains a fairness opinion and can retain counsel or other experts to assist its evaluation. Since
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both parties normally have a significant equity stake in the MLP, both parties are aligned to see that the transaction is accretive and fair to the MLP.
The business of certain MLPs is affected by supply and demand for energy commodities because such MLPs derive revenue and income based upon the volume of the underlying commodity produced, transported, processed, distributed, and/or marketed. Pipeline MLPs have indirect commodity exposure to gas and oil price volatility because although they do not own the underlying energy commodity, the general level of commodity prices may affect the volume of the commodity that the MLP delivers to its customers and the cost of providing services such as distributing natural gas liquids. The costs of natural gas pipeline MLPs to perform services may exceed the negotiated rates under “negotiated rate” contracts. Specifically, processing MLPs may be directly affected by energy commodity prices. Propane MLPs own the underlying energy commodity, and therefore have direct exposure to energy commodity prices, although the Adviser intends to target high quality MLPs that seek to mitigate or manage direct margin exposure to commodity prices. However, the MLP industry in general could be hurt by market perception that an MLP’s performance and valuation are directly tied to commodity prices.
The Pipeline Fund may invest in the securities of MLPs, which include:
MLP Common Units. MLP common units represent an equity ownership interest in an MLP, providing limited voting rights and entitling the holder to a share of the company’s success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Unlike stockholders of a corporation, common unitholders do not elect directors annually and generally have the right to vote only on certain significant events, such as mergers, a sale of substantially all of the assets, removal of the general partner or material amendments to the partnership agreement. MLPs are required by their partnership agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. Common unitholders generally have first right to a minimum quarterly distribution (“MQD”) prior to distributions to the convertible subordinated unitholders or the general partner (including incentive distributions). Common unitholders typically have arrearage rights if the MQD is not met. In the event of liquidation, MLP common unitholders have first rights to the partnership’s remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders, and preferred unitholders have been paid in full. MLP common units trade on a national securities exchange or over- the-counter. In addition, like common stock, prices of MLP common units are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of MLP common units to which the Fund has exposure. MLP common units may represent an ownership interest, held directly or indirectly, in a limited partnership whose primary assets are general partner interests in an underlying operating MLP.
Limited Liability Company Common Units. Some Pipeline Companies in which the Pipeline Fund may invest have been organized as LLCs. Such LLCs are generally treated in the same manner as MLPs for federal income tax purposes. Consistent with its investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in common units or other securities of such LLCs. LLC common units represent an equity ownership interest in an LLC, entitling the holders to a share of the LLC’s success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Similar to MLPs, LLCs typically do not pay federal income tax at the entity level and are required by their operating agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. LLC common unitholders generally have first right to a MQD prior to distributions to subordinated unitholders and typically have
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arrearage rights if the MQD is not met. In the event of liquidation, LLC common unitholders have first right to the LLC’s remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders and preferred unitholders, if any, have been paid in full. LLC common units trade on a national securities exchange or over-the-counter.
In contrast to MLPs, LLCs have no general partner and there are generally no incentives that entitle management or other unitholders to increased percentages of cash distributions as distributions reach higher target levels. In addition, LLC common unitholders typically have voting rights with respect to the LLC, whereas MLP common units have limited voting rights.
MLP Convertible Subordinated Units. MLP convertible subordinated units are typically issued by MLPs to founders, corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to the MLP, and institutional investors. The purpose of the convertible subordinated units is to increase the likelihood that during the subordination period there will be available cash to be distributed to common unitholders. Convertible subordinated units generally are not entitled to distributions until holders of common units have received specified MQD, plus any arrearages, and may receive less than common unitholders in distributions upon liquidation. Convertible subordinated unitholders generally are entitled to MQD prior to the payment of incentive distributions to the general partner but are not entitled to arrearage rights. Therefore, convertible subordinated units generally entail greater risk than MLP common units. They are generally convertible automatically into the senior common units of the same issuer at a one-to-one ratio upon the passage of time and/or the satisfaction of certain financial tests. These units generally do not trade on a national exchange or over-the-counter, and there is no active market for convertible subordinated units. Although the means by which convertible subordinated units convert into senior common units depend on a security’s specific terms, MLP convertible subordinated units typically are exchanged for common units. The value of a convertible security is a function of its worth if converted into the underlying common units. Convertible subordinated units generally have similar voting rights as MLP common units. Distributions may be paid in cash or in-kind.
Equity Securities of MLP Affiliates. In addition to equity securities of MLPs, the MLP & Pipeline Fund may also invest in equity securities of MLP Affiliates.
General Partner Interests. Indirect investments in MLP general partner interests are available through investment in the equity securities of MLP Affiliates organized as corporations and limited liability companies that own, directly or indirectly, general partner interests. While these general partner interests themselves are generally not publicly traded, the MLP Affiliates investing in such interests and in which the Fund may invest are publicly traded. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP’s aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests may hold incentive distribution rights (“IDRs”), which provide them with an increasing larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions upon the payment of distributions to limited partner unitholders that exceed prescribed levels. General partner interests with IDRs may have higher
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distribution growth prospects than their underlying MLPs, but incentive distribution payments would also decline at a greater rate than the decline rate in distributions to common unitholders in the event of a reduction in the MLP’s distribution.
General partner interests 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.
Risks of Investing in Equity 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.
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.
Small- and Medium-Sized Companies. Investors in small- and medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing in larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of small- and medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of small and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.
Foreign Investments and Currencies
The Funds may invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers and other non-U.S. investments may involve risks in addition to those normally associated with investments in the securities of U.S. issuers or other U.S. investments. All foreign investments are subject to risks of foreign political and economic instability, adverse movements in foreign exchange rates, and the imposition or tightening of exchange controls and limitations on the repatriation of foreign capital. Other risks stem from potential changes in
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governmental attitude or policy toward private investment, which in turn raises the risk of nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of foreign investors’ assets.
The financial problems in global economies over the past several years may continue to cause high volatility in global financial markets. In addition, global economies are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact a different country or region. The severity or duration of these conditions may also be affected if one or more countries leave the euro currency or by other policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations.
On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom (“UK”) triggered the procedures to withdraw from the European Union (“EU”) after the two year period settlement negotiation as prescribed in Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. On January 31, 2020 the UK officially withdrew from the EU, subject to an 11 month transition period. Following a transition period during which the EU and the UK government engaged in a series of negotiations regarding the terms of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, the EU and the UK government signed an agreement on December 30, 2020 regarding the economic relationship between the UK and the EU. This agreement became effective on a provisional basis on January 1, 2021 and formally entered into force on May 1, 2021. It is still uncertain what the long-term impacts will be as a result of the commercial arrangements reached between the EU and the UK. The withdrawal could cause an extended period of uncertainty and market volatility, not just in the UK but throughout the EU, the European Economic Area and globally.
Additional non-U.S. taxes and expenses may also adversely affect the Funds’ performance, including foreign withholding taxes on foreign securities’ dividends. Brokerage commissions and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than in the United States. Foreign companies may be subject to different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. To the extent the foreign securities held by the Funds are not registered with the SEC or with any other U.S. regulator, the issuers thereof will not be subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC or any other U.S. regulator. Accordingly, less information may be available about foreign companies and other investments than is generally available on issuers of comparable securities and other investments in the United States. Foreign securities and other investments may also trade less frequently and with lower volume and may exhibit greater price volatility than U.S. securities and other investments.
Changes in foreign exchange rates will affect the value in U.S. dollars of all foreign currency-denominated securities and other investments held by the Funds. Exchange rates are influenced generally by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign currency markets and by numerous other political and economic events occurring outside the United States, many of which may be difficult, if not impossible, to predict.
Income from foreign securities and other investments will be received and realized in foreign currencies, and the Funds are required to compute and distribute income in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, a decline in the value of a particular foreign currency against the U.S. dollar occurring after the Funds’ income has been earned and computed in U.S. dollars may require the Funds to liquidate portfolio securities and other investments to acquire sufficient U.S. dollars to make a distribution. Similarly, if the exchange rate declines between the time the Funds incur expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Funds may be required to
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liquidate additional portfolio securities and other investments to purchase the U.S. dollars required to meet such expenses.
American Depositary Receipts. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are negotiable receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence ownership of securities in a foreign company which have been deposited with such bank or trust company’s office or agent in a foreign country. Investing in ADRs presents risks that may not be equal to the risk inherent in holding the equivalent shares of the same companies that are traded in the local markets even though the Funds will purchase, sell and be paid dividends on ADRs in U.S. Dollars. These risks include fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which are affected by international balances of payments and other economic and financial conditions; government intervention; speculation; and other factors. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political and social upheaval, and economic instability. The Funds may be required to pay foreign withholding or other taxes on certain ADRs that it owns. The Funds may also invest in Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) (collectively, with ADRs, “Depositary Receipts”). GDRs, EDRs and IDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
Depositary Receipts may be sponsored by foreign issuers or may be unsponsored. There is generally less publicly available information with respect to unsponsored Depositary Receipts and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. Unsponsored ADRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. While readily exchangeable with stock in local markets, unsponsored ADRs may be less liquid than sponsored ADRs. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to the Underlying Index.
Derivatives
The Funds may utilize futures contracts, options contracts and swap agreements. Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument. They are traded on futures exchanges and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant exchanges.
When a Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM an amount referred to as “initial margin” that is typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a “variation margin” amount may be required to be paid by the Fund or received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the marked-to-market value of the futures contract.
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Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” or “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract to terminate the position. When the futures contract is closed out, if a Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If a Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If a Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract position is opened or closed.
The Funds’ use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to the Funds in excess of the amount that the Funds delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the Funds.
There is a risk of loss by the Funds of its initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Funds have an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Funds may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Funds might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Funds are also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Funds’ assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as the Funds, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions.
The Funds may purchase and sell put and call options. A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security or an index at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security or an index at a specified price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer,” i.e., the party selling the option, a premium which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Funds may purchase put options to hedge their portfolios against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. The Funds may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase their ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities they hold or are committed to purchase.
Options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage
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basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves. Because options premiums paid or received by the Funds are small in relation to the market value of the investments underlying the options, buying and selling put and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in securities.
A Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing transaction. For example, the Fund may terminate an obligation under a call option or put option that it has written by purchasing an identical call option or put option. This is known as a closing purchase transaction. Conversely, the Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option. This is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.
The Funds may enter into swap agreements, including interest rate, index, and total return swap agreements. Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted through an FCM and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty (for a cleared swap). The notional amount is the set dollar or other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given rates.
Swap agreements will usually be done on a net basis, i.e., where the two parties make net payments with the Funds receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Fund.
In a total return swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities, and the non-asset reference could be a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. The payments of the two parties could be made on a net basis.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments have imposed comprehensive new regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The new regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major swap participants; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3) imposing margin requirements on swap transactions; (4) regulating and monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) imposing record keeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps, and has completed most of its rules implementing the Dodd-Frank Act swap regulations. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to
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as “security-based swaps,” which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits, but has not yet completed its rulemaking.
The use of swaps is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, because uncleared swaps are typically executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges, uncleared swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of an uncleared swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, the Funds are subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency.
As noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the Funds. Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. The Funds are also subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the Funds may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.
With respect to cleared swaps, there is also a risk of loss by a Fund of its initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract. The assets of the Funds may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Funds might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Funds are also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Funds’ assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Credit risk of cleared swap participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.
Exclusion of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition.
An exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the CFTC has been claimed with respect to the Funds, and, therefore, the Adviser is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO with respect to the Funds. In addition, with respect to the Funds, the Adviser is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.
The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Funds, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forward contracts. Because the Adviser and the Funds intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Funds may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment goal, to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Funds are not intended as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps
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markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Adviser’s reliance on these exclusions, or the Funds, its investment strategies or this SAI.
Generally, the exclusion from CPO regulation on which each Fund relies requires the Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, the Fund may not be marketed as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, the Funds can no longer satisfy these requirements, the Adviser would withdraw its notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of a CPO, and the Adviser would be subject to registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to the Funds, in accordance with CFTC rules that apply to CPOs of registered investment companies. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser’s compliance with comparable SEC requirements. However, in the event the Adviser had to register as a CPO, the Funds might incur additional compliance and other expenses as a result of CFTC regulation governing commodity pools and CPOs.
Risks of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives.
It is possible that additional government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures, options, and swap contracts, may limit or prevent the Funds from using such instruments as part of their investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Funds from being able to achieve their investment objective. It is impossible to fully predict the effects of past, present or future legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse. It is possible that legislative and regulatory activity could limit or restrict the ability of the Funds to use certain instruments as part of their investment strategy. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Funds engage in derivative transactions could also prevent the Funds from using certain instruments.
There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Funds or the ability of the Funds to continue to implement their investment strategies. The futures, options, and swaps markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the SEC, the CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits, and the suspension of trading. The regulation of futures, options, and swaps transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government action.
New and developing regulation may negatively impact a Fund's ability to meet its investment objective either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon its counterparties. In particular, any new position limits imposed on the Fund or its counterparties may impact the Fund's ability to invest in futures, options, and swaps in a manner that efficiently meets its
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investment objective. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Funds, including capital requirements and mandatory clearing, may increase the cost of the Funds’ investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with a compliance date of August 19, 2022. Funds that are subject to the rule are required to adopt and implement a written derivatives risk management program and quantitatively limit their use of derivatives based on the estimated potential risk of loss that the funds incur from their derivatives transactions. Funds that limit derivatives exposure to 10% of net assets are exempt from many of the requirements of Rule 18f-4, but must still adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage the fund’s derivatives risks. Rule 18f-4 governs the way funds must comply with the asset segregation and coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act with respect to derivatives and certain other financing transactions.
Other Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks
Other Equity Securities
Real Estate Investment Trusts. The real estate securities in which the Funds may invest consist of securities issued by Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) and/or Real Estate Operating Companies (“REOCs”) that are listed on a securities exchange or traded over-the-counter.  A REIT is a corporation or trust that invests in fee or leasehold ownership of real estate, mortgages or shares issued by other REITs and receives favorable tax treatment provided it meets certain conditions. REITs may be characterized as equity REITs (i.e., REITs that primarily invest in fee ownership and leasehold ownership of land), mortgage REITs (i.e., REITs that primarily invest in mortgages on real estate and other real estate debt) or hybrid REITs which invest in both fee and leasehold ownership of land and mortgages. A REIT that meets the applicable requirements of the Code may deduct dividends paid to shareholders, effectively eliminating any corporate level federal tax. As a result, REITs are able to distribute a larger portion of their earnings to investors than other corporate entities subject to the federal corporate tax. There is the risk that a REIT held by the Funds will fail to qualify for this tax-free pass-through treatment of its income. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Funds, in addition to bearing a proportionate share of the expenses of the Funds, investors will also indirectly bear similar expenses of the REITs in which the Funds invest. A REOC is typically structured as a “C” corporation under the Code and is not required to distribute any portion of its income. A REOC, therefore, does not receive the same favorable tax treatment that is accorded a REIT. In addition, the value of the Funds’ securities issued by REOCs may be adversely affected by income streams derived from businesses other than real estate ownership.
Preferred Stocks. Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock. Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
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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 of 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.
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.
When-Issued Securities. A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When a Fund engages in when-issued 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 basis, the Funds assume 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 Funds do not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with their other investments.
A Fund will only make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities within 35 days of the trade date.
Debt Securities
The Funds may invest in a wide range of debt securities, which may include investment grade debt securities and below investment grade debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds” or “high yield bonds”). Investment grade corporate bonds are those rated BBB- or better by Standard & Poor’s Rating Service, Inc. (“S&P”) or Baa3 or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) each of which are considered a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”). To the extent that a Fund invests in below investment grade debt securities, such securities will be rated, at the time of investment, at least B- by S&P or B3 by Moody’s or a comparable rating by at least one other rating agency or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. The Funds may hold a debt security rated below investment grade if a downgrade occurs after the security has been purchased. Investments in
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junk bonds are speculative in nature. See Appendix A for a description of corporate bond ratings.
Sensitivity to interest rate and economic changes. Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. In addition, during an economic downturn or periods of rising interest rates, issuers that are highly leveraged may experience increased financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to meet projected business goals, obtain additional financing, and service their principal and interest payment obligations. Furthermore, periods of economic change and uncertainty can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) related to the security or other assets or indices.
Liquidity. Bond markets have consistently grown over the past three decades while the capacity for traditional dealer counterparties to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace and in some cases has decreased. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which provide a core indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to "make markets," are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty.
Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. Further, fixed income securities with longer durations until maturity face heightened levels of liquidity risk as compared to fixed income securities with shorter durations until maturity. Finally, liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for the Funds to fully honor redemption requests within the allowable time period. Meeting such redemption requests could require the Funds to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the Funds. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate holdings at the same time as the Funds, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions. There may be a heightened level of interest rate risk in times of monetary policy change and/or uncertainty, such as when the Federal Reserve Board adjusts a quantitative easing program and/or changes rates. As the Federal Reserve “tapers” or reduces quantitative easing, and when the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate, there is a risk that interest rates across the U.S. financial system will rise. These policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain fixed income investments, which could cause the value of such investments to decline. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity, which occurred following the
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financial crisis that began in 2007, may persist in the future, potentially leading to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.
Below Investment Grade Debt Securities. Below investment grade debt securities generally offer a higher current yield than that available for investment grade issues. However, below investment grade debt securities involve higher risks, in that they are especially subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions and in the industries in which the issuers are engaged, to changes in the financial condition of the issuers and to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of interest and principal and increase the possibility of default. At times in recent years, the prices of many below investment grade debt securities declined substantially, reflecting an expectation that many issuers of such securities might experience financial difficulties. As a result, the yields on below investment grade debt securities rose dramatically, reflecting the risk that holders of such securities could lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of the issuers’ financial restructuring or default. There can be no assurance that such price declines will not recur. The market for below investment grade debt issues generally is thinner and less active than that for higher quality securities, which may limit the Funds’ ability to sell such securities at fair value in response to changes in the economy or financial markets. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of below investment grade debt securities, especially in a thinly traded market. Changes by recognized rating services in their rating of a debt security may affect the value of these investments. The Funds will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, the Adviser will monitor the investment to determine whether continued investment in the security will assist in meeting the Funds’ investment objective.
Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment grade or below investment grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.
Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk and prepayment risk. Credit risk is the risk that a fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is
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unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities.
Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms. Prepayment risk occurs when issuers may prepay fixed rate debt securities when interest rates fall, forcing the Funds to invest in securities with lower interest rates. Extension risk is the risk that borrowers may pay off their debt obligations more slowly in times of rising interest rates, which will lengthen the duration of the portfolio. Issuers of debt securities are also subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors that may restrict the ability of the issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities. The possibility exists therefore, that, as a result of bankruptcy, litigation or other conditions, the ability of an issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities may become impaired.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s common stock at the Funds’ option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debt, convertible debentures and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible fixed income securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general, the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” (i.e., its value as a fixed income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).
Convertible securities are subject to the same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.
Zero-Coupon Securities. Zero-coupon securities make no periodic interest payments, but are sold at a deep discount from their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity, as well as market interest rates, liquidity of the security, and the issuer’s perceived credit quality. If the issuer defaults, the holder may not receive any return on its investment. Because zero-coupon securities bear no interest, their price fluctuates more than other types of bonds. Since zero-coupon bondholders do not receive interest payments, when interest rates rise, zero-coupon
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securities fall more dramatically in value than bonds paying interest on a current basis. When interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities rise more rapidly in value because the bonds reflect a fixed rate of return. An investment in zero- coupon may cause a Fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on its investment.
Unrated Debt Securities. The Funds may also invest in unrated debt securities. Unrated debt, while not necessarily lower in quality than rated securities, may not have as broad a market. Because of the size and perceived demand for the issue, among other factors, certain issuers may decide not to pay the cost of getting a rating for their bonds. The creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial institution or other party responsible for payments on the security, will be analyzed to determine whether to purchase unrated bonds.
Yankee Bonds. The Funds may invest in Yankee bonds. Yankee bonds are U.S. dollar denominated bonds typically issued in the United States by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign banks and corporations. The Funds may also invest in Yankee Certificates of Deposit (“Yankee CDs”). Yankee CDs are U.S. dollar-denominated certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank and held in the United States. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities issued by U.S. issuers, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, foreign withholding or other taxes, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect and create increased risk relative to payment of principal or interest.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities. Variable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations must provide that interest rates are adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such as based on a change in the prime rate. The Funds may invest in floating rate debt instruments (“floaters”) and engage in credit spread trades. The interest rate on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market index or Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters provide the Funds with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, the Funds will participate in any declines in interest rates as well. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating to a difference in the prices or interest rates of two securities or currencies, where the value of the investment position is determined by movements in the difference between the prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the respective securities or currencies. The Funds also may invest in inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). The interest rate on an inverse floater resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse floater is indexed. An inverse floating rate security may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation of similar credit quality.
U.S. Government Obligations
The Funds may invest in U.S. government obligations. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S.
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government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed by government- sponsored enterprises.
Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises, where it is not obligated to do so (see “Agency Obligations,” below). In addition, U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.
Investment Company Securities
The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law, regulation or SEC order, the Funds may invest their assets in securities of investment companies, including money market funds, in excess of the limits discussed above.
If a Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

In October 2020, the SEC adopted regulatory changes related to the ability of an investment company to invest in other investment companies in excess of specified statutory limits. These changes include, among other things, amendments to Rule 12d1-1, the rescission of Rule 12d1-2, the adoption of new Rule 12d1-4, and the rescission of certain exemptive relief issued by the SEC permitting certain fund of funds arrangements. Rule 12d1-4, which became effective on January 19, 2021, permits each Fund to invest in other investment companies, including money market funds, beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. The rescission of the applicable exemptive orders and the withdrawal of the applicable no- action letters was effective on January 19, 2022. Following this effectiveness, an investment company is no longer able to rely on these exemptive orders and no-action letters, and is subject instead to Rule 12d1-4 and other applicable rules under Section 12(d)(1).
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Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”)
An investment in an ETN involves risks, including possible loss of principal. ETNs are unsecured debt securities issued by a bank that are linked to the total return of a market index. Risks of investing in ETNs also include limited portfolio diversification, uncertain principal payment, and illiquidity. Additionally, the investor fee will reduce the amount of return on maturity or at redemption, and as a result the investor may receive less than the principal amount at maturity or upon redemption, even if the value of the relevant index has increased. An investment in an ETN may not be suitable for all investors.
Short-Term Investments
Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Funds may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits in U.S. dollar or foreign currencies. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against monies deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. These short-term instruments which the Funds may acquire must, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government. If a Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred if the Fund invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See “Foreign Investments” above. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located, the possible confiscation or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which may adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities.
Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of Fund and the interest income generated from lending operations. General economic conditions and the quality of loan portfolios affect the banking industry.
As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount that they can loan to a single borrower, and are subject to regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations may not necessarily apply to foreign banks, thereby affecting the risk involved in bank obligations that the Funds may acquire.
In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment strategies and policies stated above, and in the Prospectus, the Funds may invest in interest-bearing time deposits or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non- negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
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Savings Association Obligations. The Funds may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. government.
Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations. The Funds may invest a portion of their assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.
A Fund’s investment in commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase “A-2” or higher by S&P, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Appendix A.
Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk, among others, of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations, i.e., credit risk.
Money Market Mutual Funds. Generally, money market mutual funds seek to earn income consistent with the preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity. They primarily invest in high quality money market obligations, including U.S. government obligations, bank obligations and high-grade corporate instruments. These investments generally mature within 397 days from the date of purchase. An investment in a money market mutual fund is not a bank account and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency.
To the extent that a Fund invests in money market funds, a shareholder’s cost of investing in the Fund will generally be higher since the shareholder will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying money market mutual funds in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Furthermore, investing in money market funds could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions to a shareholder and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by the shareholder.
Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. Under such agreements, a Fund agrees to purchase U.S. government obligations from a counterparty and the counterparty agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed upon time and price. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Funds, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Funds together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Funds is unrelated to the interest rate on the security itself. Such repurchase agreements will be made only with banks with assets of $500 million or more that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or with government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Board and registered as broker-dealers with the SEC or exempt from such registration. The Funds will generally enter into repurchase agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week,
22



although the underlying securities generally have longer maturities. A Fund may not enter into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments including such repurchase agreements. To the extent necessary to facilitate compliance with Section 12(d)(3) of the 1940 Act and Rule 12d3-1 promulgated thereunder, the Funds will ensure that repurchase agreements will be collateralized fully to the extent required by Rule 5b-3.
For purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from a Fund to the seller of the U.S. government obligations that are subject to the repurchase agreement. It is not clear whether a court would consider the U.S. government obligations to be acquired by a Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the U.S. government obligations before its repurchase under a repurchase agreement, the Funds could encounter delays and incur costs before being able to sell the underlying U.S. government obligations. Delays may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of the U.S. government obligations. If a court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Funds have not perfected a security interest in the U.S. government obligations, the Funds may be required to return the securities to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Funds would be at the risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for the Funds, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the other party, in this case the seller of the U.S. government security.
Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the U.S. government obligations. However, the Funds will always receive as collateral for any repurchase agreement to which it is a party, securities acceptable to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, the market value of which is equal to at least 100% of the repurchase price, and the Funds will make payment against such securities only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer to the account of its Custodian. If the market value of the U.S. government obligations subject to the repurchase agreement become less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Funds will direct the seller of the U.S. government obligations to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that the Funds could be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce on the seller a contractual obligation to deliver additional securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary purposes with banks and securities dealers if the creditworthiness of the bank or securities dealer has been determined by the Adviser, or the applicable Sub-Adviser, to be satisfactory. A reverse repurchase agreement is a repurchase agreement in which a Fund is the seller of, rather than the investor in, securities and agrees to repurchase them at an agreed-upon time and price. Use of a reverse repurchase agreement may be preferable to a regular sale and later repurchase of securities because it avoids certain market risks and transaction costs.
Reverse repurchase agreements are considered a form of borrowing and are therefore limited to up to one-third of a Fund's total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other
23



than borrowings). The use of reverse repurchase reverse repurchase agreements by a Fund creates leverage which increases its investment risk. If the income and gains on securities purchased with the proceeds of these transactions exceed the cost, the Fund’s earnings or NAV will increase faster than otherwise would be the case; conversely, if the income and gains fail to exceed the cost, earnings or NAV would decline faster than otherwise would be the case. The Funds intend to enter into reverse repurchase agreements only if the income from the investment of the proceeds is expected to be greater than the expense of the transaction, because the proceeds are invested for a period no longer than the term of the reverse repurchase agreement.
Borrowing
While the Funds have no present intention to do so, they may engage in borrowing. Borrowing creates an opportunity for increased return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. Furthermore, if the Funds were to engage in borrowing, an increase in interest rates could reduce the value of the Funds’ shares by increasing the Funds’ interest expense. Subject to the limitations described under “Investment Limitations” below, the Funds may be permitted to borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of a Fund’s assets and may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require a Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary purposes. Any borrowings for temporary purposes in excess of 5% of a Fund’s total assets will count against this asset coverage requirement. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint if the Fund sells securities at that time. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased, if any. The Funds also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowings or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Illiquid Investments
The Funds may purchase illiquid investments, which may include securities that are not readily marketable and securities that are not registered under the Securities Act. A Fund may not acquire any illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. The term “illiquid investments” for this purpose means any investment 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, as determined pursuant to the provisions of Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Funds may not be able to sell illiquid investments when the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the investments were more liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid investments also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of
24



investments that are more liquid. Illiquid investments also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such investments, and investments in illiquid investments may have an adverse impact on NAV.
Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the Securities Act, which provides a safe harbor from Securities Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and otherwise meet selection criteria, a Fund may make such investments. Whether or not such investments are illiquid depends on the market that exists for the particular investment. It is not possible to predict with assurance exactly how the market for Rule 144A restricted securities or any other security will develop. An investment which when purchased enjoyed a fair degree of marketability may subsequently become illiquid. In such event, appropriate remedies are considered to minimize the effect on a Fund’s liquidity.
Cyber Security Risk
Investment companies, such as the Funds, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, the Funds’ custodian or transfer agent, or intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Funds’ ability to calculate their net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Funds to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Funds may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. While the Funds and their service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent or reduce the impact of cybersecurity attacks, such plans and systems have inherent limitations due in part to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics, and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for. Furthermore, the Funds cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by its service providers.
Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Funds invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Funds’ investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.

Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Limitations
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For these purposes, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of a Funds means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more
25



than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of its outstanding voting securities, the Pipeline Fund may not:
1.Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate in the energy pipeline industry. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2.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.
3.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.
4.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.
5.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, 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.
Except with the approval of a majority of its outstanding voting securities, the Water Fund may not:
1.Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries), except to the extent that the Fund’s Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2.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.
3.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.
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4.Purchase or sell physical commodities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
5.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, 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.
6.Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).
In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, each Fund observes the following non-fundamental restriction, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.
1.The Fund will not invest less than 80% of its total assets (excluding securities lending collateral) in securities that comprise its Underlying Index.
Percentage Limitations
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid investments will be observed continuously. If the percentage of a Fund’s net assets invested in illiquid investments exceeds 15% due to market activity or changes in the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments in accordance with the 1940 Act and the Funds' policies and procedures.
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
Concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of a Fund’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.
Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows the Funds to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings up to 5% of its total assets).
Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by the Funds evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits a Fund from issuing senior securities, although Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act provides an exemption from the applicable prohibitions and restrictions on issuing senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments.
Lending. Under the 1940 Act, the Funds may only make loans if expressly permitted by their investment policies. Each Fund's current investment policy on lending is that the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Funds may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in this SAI.
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Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves the Funds purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.
Real Estate. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict the Funds’ ability to invest in real estate, but does require every investment company to have the fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Funds will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Funds may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).
Commodities. The Funds will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Funds may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.
Exchange Listing and Trading
A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Funds are contained in the Prospectus Fund Summary, “Purchasing and Sale of Fund Shares,” and “Buying and Selling Fund Shares.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.
The shares of the Funds are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange. The shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from their NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of either Fund will continue to be met.
The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the shares (2) the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act; (3) the Fund fails to meet certain continuing listing standards of the Exchange; or (4) such other event occurs or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Exchange will remove the shares of the Funds from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or the Funds. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share price of the Funds in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Funds.
As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The base and trading currency of the Funds is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which the Funds’ NAV is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which shares of the Funds are listed and traded on the Exchange.
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Management of the Fund
Board of Trustees
The management and affairs of the Funds are supervised by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees consists of four individuals. The Trustees are fiduciaries and are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware in this regard. The Board of Trustees establishes policies for the operation of the Funds and appoints the officers who conduct the daily business of the Funds.
The Role of the Board of Trustees
The Board provides oversight of the management and operations of the Trust. Like all mutual funds, the day-to-day responsibility for the management and operation of the Trust is the responsibility of various service providers to the Trust and its individual series, such as the Adviser; Quasar Distributors, LLC, the Funds’ principal underwriter (the “Distributor”); U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, the Funds’ administrator (the “Administrator”) and transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”); and U.S. Bank, N.A., the Funds’ Custodian, each of whom are discussed in greater detail in this SAI. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and its service providers, including the agreements with the Adviser, Distributor, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Board has appointed various individuals of certain of these service providers as officers of the Trust, with responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Trust’s day-to-day operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports from these officers and service providers regarding the Trust’s operations. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) who reports directly to the Board and who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board as to compliance matters, including an annual compliance review. Some of these reports are provided as part of formal Board Meetings, which are held four times per year, in person, and such other times as the Board determines is necessary, and involve the Board’s review of recent Trust operations. From time to time one or more members of the Board may also meet with Trust officers in less formal settings, between formal Board Meetings to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Trust and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Trust’s investments, operations or activities.
Board Leadership Structure
The Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to effectively perform its oversight function. The Board is comprised of four Trustees that are not considered to be “interested persons” of the Funds, as defined by the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”) – Messrs. David A. Massart, Leonard M. Rush, David M. Swanson and Robert J. Kern. Accordingly, 100% of the members of the Board are Independent Trustees, who are Trustees that are not affiliated with the investment adviser or sub-adviser to the Funds or affiliates of the investment adviser, sub-adviser or other service providers to the Funds. Prior to July 6, 2020, Mr. Kern was considered an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act (“Interested Trustee”). He was considered an Interested Trustee by virtue of the fact that he had served as a board member of Quasar Distributors, LLC, which acts as principal underwriter to many of the Trust’s series and had been an Executive Vice President of the Administrator. The Board has established two standing committees, an Audit Committee and a Nominating &
29



Governance Committee, which are discussed in greater detail under “Board Committees” below. Each of the Audit Committee and the Nominating & Governance Committee are comprised entirely of Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees have engaged independent counsel to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities in connection with the Trust, as well as the Funds.
The Independent Trustees have appointed Leonard M. Rush as Chairman. Prior to July 6, 2020, Mr. Kern served as Chairman of the Trust and Mr. Rush served as lead Independent Trustee with responsibilities to coordinate activities of the Independent Trustees, act as a liaison with the Trust’s service providers, officers, legal counsel, and other Trustees between meetings, help to set Board meeting agendas, and serve as chair during executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
In accordance with the fund governance standards prescribed by the SEC under the 1940 Act, the Independent Trustees on the Nominating & Governance Committee select and nominate all candidates for Independent Trustee positions. Each Trustee was appointed to serve on the Board because of his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as set forth in the subsection “Trustee Qualifications” below.
The Board reviews its structure regularly in light of the characteristics and circumstances of the Trust, including: the affiliated or unaffiliated nature of each investment adviser; the number of funds that comprise the Trust; the variety of asset classes that those funds reflect; the net assets of the Trust; the committee structure of the Trust; and the independent distribution arrangements of each of the Trust’s series.
The Board has determined that the inclusion of all Independent Trustees as members of the Audit Committee and the Nominating & Governance Committee allows all such Trustees to participate in the full range of the Board’s oversight duties, including oversight of risk management processes discussed below. Given the composition of the Board and the function and composition of its various committees as described above, the Trust has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate.
Board Oversight of Risk Management
As part of its oversight function, the Board receives and reviews various risk management reports and assessments and discusses these matters with appropriate management and other personnel, including personnel of the Trust’s service providers. Because risk management is a broad concept comprised of many elements (such as, for example, investment risk, issuer and counter-party risk, compliance risk, operational risk, business continuity risk, etc.) the oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the CCO regularly reports to the Board during Board Meetings and meets in executive session with the Independent Trustees and their legal counsel to discuss compliance and operational risks. In addition, Mr. Rush, the Independent Trustee designated as the Audit Committee’s “audit committee financial expert” meets with the President, Treasurer and the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure of the Funds’ financial reporting function. The full Board receives reports from the investment advisers to the underlying series as to investment risks.
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Trustees and Officers
The Trustees and officers of the Trust are listed below with their addresses, present positions with the Trust and principal occupations over at least the last five years.
Name, Address and
 Year of Birth
Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time
Served
Number of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During the Past
Five Years
Independent Trustees
Leonard M. Rush, CPA
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1946
Chairman,
Trustee and
Audit
Committee
Chairman
Indefinite
Term; Since
April 2011
29 Retired (2011 - present); Chief Financial Officer, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, (2000-2011). Independent
Trustee, ETF
Series Solutions
(60 Portfolios)
(2012-Present)
David A. Massart
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1967
Trustee Indefinite
Term; Since
April 2011
29 Partner and Managing Director, Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC (since 2022); Co-Founder and Chief Investment Strategist, Next Generation Wealth Management, Inc. (2005-2021). Independent
Trustee, ETF
Series Solutions
(60 Portfolios)
(2012-Present)
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David M. Swanson
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1957
Trustee and
Nominating &
Governance
Committee
Chairman
Indefinite
Term; Since
April 2011
29 Founder and Managing Principal, SwanDog Strategic Marketing, LLC (2006-present). Independent Trustee, ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 Portfolios) (2006 to Present); Independent Trustee, RiverNorth Funds (3 Portfolios) (2018 to Present); RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2019 to Present); RiverNorth Opportunistic Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2018 to Present); RiverNorth Capital and Income Fund (1 Portfolio) (2018 to Present); RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc. (1 portfolio) (2015 to Present); RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2019 to Present); RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2020 to Present); RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund II, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2021 to Present); RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund II, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2022 to Present).
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Robert J. Kern
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1958
Trustee Indefinite
Term; Since
January 2011
29 Retired (2018-present); Executive Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (1994-2018). None
Officers
Brian R. Wiedmeyer
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1973
President and Principal Executive Officer Indefinite Term; Since November 2018 N/A Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2005-present). N/A
Deborah Ward
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1966
Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer Indefinite Term; Since April 2013 N/A Senior Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2004-present). N/A
Benjamin Eirich
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1981
Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Vice President Indefinite
Term; Since
August
2019
(Treasurer);
Indefinite
Term; Since
November
2018 (Vice
President)
N/A Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2008-present). N/A
John Hadermayer
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1977
Secretary Indefinite Term; Since May 2022 N/A Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2022-present); Executive Director, AQR Capital Management, LLC (2013-2022). N/A
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Peter A. Walker, CPA
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1993
Assistant Treasurer and Vice President Indefinite Term: Since November 2021 N/A Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2016-present). N/A
Silinapha Saycocie
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1998
Assistant Treasurer and Vice President Indefinite Term; Since November 2023 N/A Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2020-Present) N/A
Daniel Umland
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1993
Assistant Treasurer and Vice President Indefinite Term: Since March 2024 N/A Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2021-present); Securities Specialist, U.S. Bank, N.A. (2016-2021) N/A
Eli Bilderback
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Year of Birth: 1991
Assistant Treasurer and Vice President Indefinite Term; Since March 2024 N/A Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2022 -Present); Operations Analyst, U.S. Bank, NA (2018 -2022) N/A

Trustee Qualifications
The Board believes that each of the Trustees has the qualifications, experience, attributes and skills appropriate to their continued service as Trustees of the Trust in light of the Trust’s business and structure. The Trustees have substantial business and professional backgrounds that indicate they have the ability to critically review, evaluate and assess information provided to them. Certain of these business and professional experiences are set forth in detail in the table above. In addition, the Trustees have substantial board experience and, in their service to the Trust, have gained substantial insight as to the operation of the Trust. The Board annually conducts a “self-assessment” wherein the effectiveness of the Board and the individual Trustees is reviewed.
In addition to the information provided in the table above, below is certain additional information concerning each individual Trustee. The information provided below, and in the table above, is not all-inclusive. Many of the Trustees’ qualifications to serve on the Board involve intangible
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elements, such as intelligence, integrity, work ethic, the ability to work together, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to exercise judgment, the ability to ask incisive questions, and commitment to shareholder interests.
Mr. Kern’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including over 35 years of service with U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the fund accountant (“Fund Accountant”), Administrator and Transfer Agent to the Trust) where he managed business development and the mutual fund transfer agent operation including investor services, account services, legal compliance, document processing and systems support. He also served as a board member of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC and previously served as a board member of Quasar Distributors, LLC (the principal underwriter of many of the Trust's series). The Board believes Mr. Kern’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
Mr. Massart’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including over two decades working with high net worth individuals, families, trusts and retirement accounts to make strategic and tactical asset allocation decisions, evaluate and select investment managers and manage client relationships. He is currently Partner and Managing Director of Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. Previously, he served as Chief Investment Strategist and lead member of the investment management committee of the SEC registered investment advisory firm he co-founded. He also previously served as Managing Director of Strong Private Client and as a Manager of Wells Fargo Investments, LLC. The Board believes Mr. Massart’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
Mr. Rush’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including serving in several different senior executive roles at various global financial services firms. He most recently served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and several other affiliated entities and served as the Treasurer for Baird Funds. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Fidelity Investments’ four broker-dealers and has substantial experience with mutual fund and investment advisory organizations and related businesses, including Vice President and Head of Compliance for Fidelity Investments, a Vice President at Credit Suisse First Boston, a Manager with Goldman Sachs, & Co. and a Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Rush has been determined to qualify as an Audit Committee Financial Expert for the Trust. The Board believes Mr. Rush’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee and as the Chairman to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
Mr. Swanson’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including over 35 years of senior management and marketing experience with over 30 years dedicated to the financial services industry. He is currently the Founder and Managing Principal of a marketing strategy boutique serving asset and wealth management businesses. He has also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Van Kampen Investments, President and Chief Executive Officer of Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Canada, Ltd., Managing Director and Head of Global Investment Products at Morgan Stanley, Director of Marketing for Morgan Stanley Mutual
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Funds, Director of Marketing for Kemper Funds, and Executive Vice President and Head of Distribution for Calamos Investments. The Board believes Mr. Swanson’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
The discussion of the Trustees’ experience and qualifications is pursuant to SEC requirements, does not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having special expertise, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such Trustee or the Board by reason thereof.
Trustee and Management Ownership of Fund Shares
The following table shows the dollar range of Fund shares and shares in other portfolios of the Trust beneficially owned by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2023.

Dollar Range of Fund Shares Beneficially Owned
(None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, Over $100,000)
Name Water Fund Pipeline Fund
Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares
in all Funds in the Trust(1)
Independent Trustees
Leonard M. Rush None None None
David A. Massart None None None
David M. Swanson $1-$10,000 $1-$10,000 $50,001-$100,000
Robert J. Kern None None None
(1)The Trust include other series in addition to the Funds.
As of March 1, 2024 the Trustees and Officers of the Trust as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund.
Board Committees
Audit Committee. The Trust has an Audit Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters for the Funds. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and with the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm concerning the scope of the audit and the auditor’s independence. The Audit Committee met twice with respect to the Funds during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023.
Nominating & Governance Committee. The Trust has a Nominating & Governance Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees. The Nominating & Governance Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for the position of trustee and meets only as necessary.
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The Nominating & Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders for vacancies on the Board of Trustees. Recommendations for consideration by the Nominating & Governance Committee should be sent to the President of the Trust in writing together with the appropriate biographical information concerning each such proposed nominee, and such recommendation must comply with the notice provisions set forth in the Trust’s Bylaws. In general, to comply with such procedures, such nominations, together with all required information, must be delivered to and received by the President of the Trust at the principal executive office of the Trust not less than 120 days, and no more than 150 days, prior to the shareholder meeting at which any such nominee would be voted on. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board of Trustees will be accepted on an ongoing basis. The Nominating & Governance Committee’s procedures with respect to reviewing shareholder nominations will be disclosed as required by applicable securities laws. The Nominating & Governance Committee met once during the Funds' fiscal year ended November 30, 2023.

Trustee Compensation
The Trustees each receive an annual retainer of $110,000. The Chairman of the Audit Committee receives additional compensation of $14,000, the Chairman of the Nominating & Governance Committee receives additional compensation of $8,000 and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees receives $12,500, each annually. The Trustees each receive $8,000 for regularly scheduled meetings and $2,500 for additional meetings.
The following table sets forth the compensation received by the Trustees for the Funds’ fiscal year ended November 30, 2023, with such amounts paid by the Adviser.
Name of Person/Position
Aggregate Compensation from the Water Fund1
Aggregate Compensation from the Pipeline Fund1
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses Annual Benefits Upon Retirement
Total Compensation from the Funds and the Trust2
Leonard M. Rush, Chairman, Independent Trustee and Audit Committee Chairman $5,730 $5,730 None None $176,500
David A. Massart, Independent Trustee $4,874 $4,874 None None $150,000
David M. Swanson, Independent Trustee and Nominating & Governance Committee Chairman $5,132 $5,132 None None $158,000
Robert J. Kern, Independent Trustee $4,874 $4,874 None None $150,000
1Trustee fees and expenses are allocated among the Funds and any other series comprising the Trust.
2The Trust include other series in addition to the Funds.
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Control Persons and Principal Shareholders
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Funds. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of the Funds or acknowledges the existence of control. A controlling person possesses the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder vote by the Funds. As of March 1, 2024, the following shareholders were considered to be either a control person or a principal shareholder of the Funds:
Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund
Name and Address % Ownership Type of Ownership
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, California 94105-1905
36.50% Record
National Financial Services LLC
For the Benefit of its Customers
PO Box 5000
Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-5000
18.40% Record


Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund
Name and Address % Ownership Type of Ownership
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, California 94105-1905
28.41% Record
National Financial Services LLC
For the Benefit of its Customers
PO Box 5000
Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-5000
21.90% Record
Reliance Trust Company
PO Box 48529
Atlanta, Georgia 30362-1529
12.13% Record
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
1 New York Plaza, 12th Floor
New York, New York 10004-1901
7.70% Record

Investment Adviser
TIS Advisors, or the Adviser, is a Delaware limited liability company with its principal offices at 6363 College Boulevard, Suite 100A, Overland Park, Kansas 66211. The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has entered into an investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) with the Adviser. The Adviser is indirectly controlled by Lovell Minnick Partners LLC (“Lovell Minnick”), a private equity firm and SEC registered investment adviser. The Adviser is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of TortoiseEcofin Investments, LLC (“TortoiseEcofin Investments”), a company that owns essential asset and income-oriented investment advisers. A
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vehicle formed by Lovell Minnick and owned by certain private funds sponsored by Lovell Minnick and a group of institutional co-investors owns a controlling interest in TortoiseEcofin Investments. Certain employees in the TortoiseEcofin Investments complex own a minority interest in TortoiseEcofin Investments. The Adviser is under common control with Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (“TCA”) and Ecofin Advisors Limited ("Ecofin UK"), each a registered investment adviser that manages other series of the Trust. TCA serves as investment adviser to three other series of the Trust. Ecofin UK serves as investment sub-adviser to one other series of the Trust.
Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees may determine, the Adviser is ultimately responsible for investment decisions for the Funds. Pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides the Funds with such investment advice as it deems necessary for the proper supervision of the Funds’ investments. The Adviser also monitors and maintains the Funds’ investment criteria and determines from time to time what securities may be purchased by the Funds.
The Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of a Fund’s outstanding voting securities and by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Investment Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Investment Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of a Fund, upon giving the Adviser 60 days’ notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders or by a vote of a majority of the Board, or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the Investment Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services, or for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard by the Adviser of its duties under the Investment Advisory Agreement.
In consideration of the services to be provided by the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to receive from each Fund an investment advisory fee computed daily and paid monthly, at the annual rate of 0.40% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Funds except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage expenses and other fees, charges, taxes, levies or expenses (such as stamp taxes) incurred in connection with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions (including without limitation any fees, charges, taxes, levies or expenses related to the purchase or sale of an amount of any currency, or the patriation or repatriation of any security or other asset, related to the execution of portfolio transactions or any creation or redemption transactions), legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, acquired fund fees and expenses, any fees and expenses related to the provision of securities lending services, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Funds paid the following in advisory fees to the Adviser during the fiscal periods ended November 30:
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2023 2022 2021
Water Fund $199,435 $234,385 $171,669
Pipeline Fund $2,044,440 $2,100,483 $1,742,630
Investment Sub-Adviser
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Adviser have retained ETC, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, to serve as sub-adviser for the Funds. ETC is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings LLC, which is controlled by Richard R. Hogan. ETC has provided investment advisory services to individual and institutional accounts since 2009.

Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Trust, the Adviser, and ETC (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), ETC is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of a Fund’s respective Underlying Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For the services it provides to the Funds, ETC is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Funds to the Adviser.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the applicable Fund. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to a Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares, or by the Adviser, in each case upon 60 days’ written notice to ETC, or by ETC on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

ETC began serving as sub-adviser on June 1, 2023. The Adviser paid the following in sub-advisory fees to ETC for period of June 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023:

Water Fund $6,932
Pipeline Fund $71,703
Prior to ETC's appointment, Vident Investment Advisory, LLC ("Vident") served as sub-adviser to the Funds. The Adviser paid the following in sub-advisory fees to Vident during the fiscal periods ended November 30:

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2023* 2022 2021
Water Fund $12,568 $25,000 $20,000
Pipeline Fund $105,903 $179,054 $155,667
*For the period of December 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023.

Portfolio Managers
The Funds are managed by the sub-adviser’s portfolio management team. The individual members of the team jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s portfolio are described below.

Andrew Serowik, has served as a portfolio manager for the Fund since June of 2023.

Gabriel Tan, CFA, CFP® has served as a portfolio manager for the Fund since June of 2023.

Todd Alberico has served as a portfolio manager for the Fund since June of 2023.

Brian Cooper has served as a portfolio manager for the Fund since June of 2023.
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The following table provides information regarding other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager, excluding the Funds, including information regarding the number of managed accounts that pay a performance fee, as of November 30, 2023:
Name of Manager Account Category # of Accounts Total Assets of Accounts (in millions) # of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee Total Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee
Andrew Serowik
Registered investment companies 56 $4,608 None None
Other pooled investment vehicles 0 $0 None None
Other accounts 0 $0 None None
Gabriel Tan
Registered investment companies 56 $4,608 None None
Other pooled investment vehicles 0 $0 None None
Other accounts 0 $0 None None
Todd Alberico
Registered investment companies 56 $4,608 None None
Other pooled investment vehicles 0 $0 None None
Other accounts 0 $0 None None
Brian Cooper
Registered investment companies 56 $4,608 None None
Other pooled investment vehicles 0 $0 None None
Other accounts 0 $0 None None
Securities Ownership of Portfolio Managers
As of the date of this SAI, the Funds’ portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Funds.
Potential Conflicts of Interest Involving the Adviser and Portfolio Manager and Portfolio Manager Compensation
Conflicts of interest may arise because the Adviser or Sub-Adviser and their affiliates generally may provide investment advisory services for other clients and may engage in other business ventures in which the Funds will have no interest. As a result of these separate business activities, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser and affiliates may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, services, and functions among the Funds and other business ventures and advisory clients.
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The Portfolio Managers' management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund's investments, on one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a portfolio manager's knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby such portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Sub-Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Sub-Adviser manages are fairly and equitably allocated.
The Adviser and Sub-Adviser have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure that each entity conducts its trading activities separately and without knowledge or consultation with the other entity. As a result, investment professionals at the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may place trades that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the Funds, or may make investment decisions that are similar to those made for the Funds, both of which have potential to adversely impact the Funds depending on market conditions.
Additionally, the Adviser may in the future provide advice to other clients, including separately managed accounts, commingled funds and additional investment funds, using the same strategy as the Funds or to other funds or accounts which seek to replicate the performance of similar or different indices. Advisory accounts of the Adviser following the same or similar strategies may experience differences in return or tracking error due to various factors including the size of the account, timing of investments, liquidity needs, and differences in cash inflows and outflows. The Adviser and its principals, officers, employees, and affiliates may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on the Funds’ behalf. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by principals, officers, employees, and affiliates of the Adviser that are the same as, different from, or made at a different time than positions taken for the Funds.
The Adviser serves as the Index Provider to the Funds. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to address potential conflicts that may arise from the advisory activities of the Adviser and TCA, and the provision of the Index by the Adviser. For example, such policies and procedures limit the ability of the Adviser’s portfolio management personnel from influencing personnel who are responsible for maintaining the Underlying Index’s methodology. In addition, information about changes to the Underlying Index’s methodology and change in constituent components are treated as confidential information and the Adviser has adopted policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of such information. Further, the Adviser has adopted a code of ethics governing the personal trading activity of its personnel. Finally, each of the Funds will disclose on a daily basis its entire portfolio holdings.
The Portfolio Managers do not receive any direct compensation from the Funds.
Each Portfolio Manager’s compensation includes a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus which is not tied to the performance of the Funds or asset growth in the Funds. The discretionary bonus is tied to the profitability of the overall firm.
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Service Providers
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202 serves as the Administrator, Transfer Agent and index receipt agent (as that term is defined in the rules of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”)) for the Funds.
Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Fund Services, Fund Services provides certain administrative services to the Funds, including, among other responsibilities, portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and the monitoring of performance and billing of, the Funds’ independent contractors and agents; preparation for signature by an officer of the Trust of all documents required to be filed for compliance by the Trust and the Funds with applicable laws and regulations; arranging for the computation of performance data, including NAV per share and yield; responding to shareholder inquiries; and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds, and providing, at its own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to carry out its duties. In this capacity, the Fund Services does not have any responsibility or authority for the investment management of the Funds, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. As compensation for the administration and accounting services, the Adviser pays Fund Services a fee based on each Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to an annual minimum fee. Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses. Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.  The following table shows fees earned by Fund Services for fund administration and fund accounting services provided to the Funds during the fiscal periods ended November 30:
2023 2022 2021
Water Fund $61,760 $70,600 $44,464
Pipeline Fund $292,656 $293,726 $237,778
Fund Services also acts as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent under a separate agreement with the Trust.
Pursuant to a custody agreement between the Trust and the Funds, U.S. Bank N.A., an affiliate of Fund Services, serves as the custodian of the Funds’ assets (the “Custodian”). Pursuant to the custody agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Funds’ total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses. The Custodian’s address is 1555 North RiverCenter Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212. The Custodian does not participate in decisions relating to the purchase and sale of securities by the Funds. U.S. Bank and its affiliates may participate in revenue sharing arrangements with service providers of mutual funds in which the Funds may invest.
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Legal Counsel
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and as independent legal counsel to the Board.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young, LLP, 700 Nicollet Mall, Suite 500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. Its services include auditing the Funds’ financial statements and the performance of related compliance tax services.
Distribution of Fund Shares
The Trust has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, pursuant to which the Distributor acts as the Funds’ principal underwriter and distributes shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser, Administrator, Fund Accountant or the Custodian.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will receive orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Funds’ outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Funds’ shareholders or by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment,” as defined in the 1940 Act.
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan
The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) with respect to the Funds in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the
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distribution of its shares. The Funds do not presently intend to make any payments pursuant to the Plan. Continuance of the Plan with respect to the Funds must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder with respect to the Funds without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of any class of the Funds that is affected by such increase. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.
The Plan provides that each Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with FINRA rules concerning sales charges.
Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Funds are authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Funds or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Funds’ then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Funds; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Funds, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Funds; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to shareholder accounts, and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.
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Marketing Support Payments
The Adviser, out of its own profits and resources and without additional cost to the Funds or its shareholders, may provide cash payments or other compensation (“Support Payments”) to certain financial intermediaries who sell and/or promote the sale of shares of the Funds. Subject to and in accordance with the terms of the Funds’ prospectus and the Plan (as applicable) adopted by resolution of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, and specifically the “Payments to Financial Intermediaries” section of the Funds’ prospectus, the Adviser may make Support Payments to such financial intermediaries related to marketing/distribution support, education training or support, shareholder servicing, sales meetings, inclusion on sales lists (including a preferred or select sales list), participation in sales programs, and for making shares of the Funds available to the intermediaries’ customers generally and in investment programs.
Support Payments made by the Adviser to intermediaries may be calculated in different ways, including: (1) as a percentage of net sales; (2) as a percentage of net assets; and (3) as a flat fee.
The possibility of receiving, or the receipt of, such Support Payments as described above may provide such intermediaries and/or their salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the Funds, and other funds whose affiliates make similar compensation available, over other investments that do not make such payments. Investors may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to the Funds and other ETFs.
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
Subject to the supervision of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds, broker-dealer selection, and negotiation of brokerage commission rates. The Sub-Adviser’s primary consideration in effecting a security transaction will be to obtain the best execution. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Sub-Adviser will initially consider their ability to execute transactions at the most favorable prices and lowest overall execution costs, while also taking into consideration other relevant factors, such as, the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer, the size of and difficulty in executing the order, the quality of execution and custodial services, and the provision of valuable research services that can be reasonably expected to enhance the investment return of clients managed by the Sub-Adviser. Research services may include reports on particular companies, the market, the economy and other general widely distributed research, and may be used by the Sub-Adviser in servicing any funds and accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, including the Funds. Receipt of research is one of a number of factors considered in assigning an overall internal ranking to brokers. The price to the Funds in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the execution services offered.
The Funds may, from time to time, enter into arrangements with placement agents in connection with direct placement transactions. In evaluating placement agent proposals, the Sub-Adviser will consider each broker’s access to issuers of Water and Pipeline securities and experience transacting in Water and Pipeline markets, particularly the direct placement market. In addition to these factors, the Sub-Adviser will consider whether the proposed services are customary, whether the proposed fee schedules are within the range of customary rates, whether any
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proposal would obligate us to enter into transactions involving a minimum fee, dollar amount or volume of securities, or into any transaction whatsoever, and other terms such as indemnification provisions.
The Sub-Adviser shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty solely by reason of its having caused the Funds to pay a broker or dealer that provides brokerage and research services to the Sub-Adviser an amount of commission for effecting an investment transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Sub-Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Funds and to other clients of the Sub-Adviser as to which the Sub-Adviser exercises investment discretion. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. The Sub-Adviser is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the Funds to such brokers and dealers who also provide research or statistical material or other services to the Sub-Adviser. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as the Sub-Adviser shall determine and the Sub-Adviser will report on said allocations regularly to the Adviser and Board of Trustees indicating the brokers to whom such allocations have been made and the basis therefor.
Portfolio transactions may be placed with broker-dealers who sell shares of the Funds subject to rules adopted by FINRA and the SEC. Portfolio transactions may also be placed with broker-dealers in which the Adviser has invested on behalf of the Funds and/or client accounts.
The Funds paid the following amounts in brokerage commissions for the fiscal years ended November 30:
2023 2022 2021
Water Fund $4,629
$7,712(1)
$4,708
Pipeline Fund $59,936
$39,386(2)
$59,682
(1)The Water Fund's brokerage commissions increased for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2022 due to increased turnover and therefore increased trading activity in the Fund.
(2)The Pipeline Fund's brokerage commissions decreased for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2022 due to decreased turnover and therefore decreased trading activity in the Fund.
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 Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require 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.
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Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers
The Funds are required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Funds are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Funds’ portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Funds’ shares.
Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities in the Funds’ portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to above-average transaction costs and could generate capital gains that must be distributed to shareholders as short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income rates (currently as high as 35%). To the extent that the Funds experience an increase in brokerage commissions due to a higher portfolio turnover rate, the performance of the Funds could be negatively impacted by the increased expenses incurred and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions. The Funds’ portfolio turnover rates for the fiscal periods ended November 30 were as follows:
2023 2022
Water Fund 19% 26%
Pipeline Fund 19% 12%

Code of Ethics
The Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser each have adopted a code of ethics in accordance with Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit the personnel of these entities to invest in securities, including securities that the Funds may purchase or hold. The codes of ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.
Proxy Voting Procedures
The Board of Trustees has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures (“Proxy Policies”) wherein the Trust has delegated to the Adviser the responsibility for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Funds as part of the Adviser’s investment advisory services, subject to the supervision and oversight of the Board of Trustees. Notwithstanding this delegation of responsibilities, however, the Funds retains the right to vote proxies relating to its portfolio securities. The fundamental purpose of the Proxy Policies is to ensure that each vote will be in a manner that reflects the best interest of the Funds and its shareholders, taking into account the value of the Funds’ investments.
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The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 are available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free, (800) SEC-0330 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Adviser will vote proxies on behalf of the Funds in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of the Funds and its shareholders. Absent special circumstances, all proxies will be voted consistent with guidelines established and described in the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures. A summary of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures is as follows:
Because the Adviser manages index-based products only, it is the policy of the Adviser to vote proxies in accordance with the recommendation of a proxy voting service.
The Adviser retains the power to vote contrary to the recommendation of a proxy voting service at its discretion, so long as the reasons for doing so are well documented.
The Adviser may determine not to vote a particular proxy, if the costs and burdens exceed the benefits of voting.
In certain situations there may be a conflict of interest in the voting of proxies between the interests of the Funds and its shareholders and those of the Adviser as a result of the Adviser’s passive index- based business. Conflicts identified by TIS Advisors will be addressed in accordance with the proxy policies by TIS Advisors. The Board of Directors of the Adviser will address any such conflicts on a case-by-case basis.
All proxies will be voted in accordance with any applicable investment restrictions of the Funds and, to the extent applicable, any resolutions or other instructions approved by the Board of Trustees.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program
The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Trust’s Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program. Ms. Deborah Ward has been designated as the Trust’s Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.
Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to: determining that the Distributor and the Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures; reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity; checking shareholder names against designated government lists, including Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”), and a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.
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As a result of the Program, the Funds may be required to “freeze” the account of a shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of known terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Funds may be required to transfer the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.
Portfolio Holdings Information
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has adopted portfolio holdings disclosure policies (“Portfolio Holdings Policies”) that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure of portfolio holdings of the Funds. The Portfolio Holdings Policies are applicable to service providers of the Funds, including the Adviser. Information about the Funds’ portfolio holdings will not be distributed to any third party except in accordance with these Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board of Trustees considered the circumstances under which the Funds’ portfolio holdings may be disclosed under the Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board of Trustees also considered actual and potential material conflicts that could arise in such circumstances between the interests of the Funds’ shareholders and the interests of the Adviser, Distributor or any other affiliated person of the Funds. After due consideration, the Board of Trustees determined that the Funds have a legitimate business purpose for disclosing portfolio holdings to persons described in the Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board of Trustees also authorized its CCO to consider and authorize dissemination of portfolio holdings information to additional parties, after considering the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders and potential conflicts of interest in making such disclosures.
The Board of Trustees exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Portfolio Holdings Policies, codes of ethics and other relevant policies of the Funds and its service providers by the CCO, (2) by considering reports and recommendations by the CCO concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act), and (3) by considering whether to approve any amendment to these Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to amend the Portfolio Holdings Policies at any time without prior notice in its sole discretion.
Disclosure of the Funds’ complete holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter, in the annual and semi-annual reports to Fund shareholders, and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-PORT. These reports will be made available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Funds’ entire portfolio holdings, that will form the basis for the Fund's next calculation of NAV per share, are publicly disseminated each day the Funds are open for business, before the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, through the Funds’ website and may be made available through financial reporting and news services or any other medium, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities and the Redemption Securities is disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.
In the event of a conflict between the interests of the Funds and its shareholders and the interests of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser under the Portfolio Holdings Policy, the CCO of the Adviser, in consultation with the Trust’s CCO, shall make a determination in the best interests of the Funds and its shareholders, and shall report such determination to the Board of Trustees at the end of the quarter in which such determination was made. Any
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employee of the Adviser who suspects a breach of this obligation must report the matter immediately to the Adviser’s CCO or to his or her supervisor.
In addition, material non-public holdings information may be provided without lag as part of the normal investment activities of the Funds to each of the following entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the Funds, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed: the Administrator; the Adviser; the Funds’ Accountant; the Custodian; the Transfer Agent; the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; counsel to the Funds or the Board of Trustees (current parties are identified in this SAI); broker-dealers (in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities); lending agents; and regulatory authorities. Portfolio holdings information not publicly available with the SEC may only be provided to additional third parties in accordance with the Portfolio Holdings Policies, when the Funds have a legitimate business purpose, and the third party recipient is subject to a confidentiality agreement. Portfolio holdings information may be separately provided to any person, including rating and ranking organizations such as Lipper and Morningstar, at the same time that it is filed with the SEC or one day after it is first published on the Funds’ website. Such portfolio holdings disclosure must be approved under the Portfolio Holdings Policies by the Trust’s CCO.
In no event shall the Adviser, its affiliates or employees, or the Funds receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Funds’ portfolio holdings.
There can be no assurance that the Portfolio Holdings Policies and these procedures will protect the Funds from potential misuse of that information by individuals or entities to which it is disclosed.
Book Entry Only System. Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for the shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants).
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Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust will obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust will provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust will pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions will be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, will credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the Funds’ shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Funds at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Funds will take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
Purchase and Issuance of Shares in Creation Units
The Trust issues and redeems shares of the Funds only in large blocks, known as “Creation Units,” which amount may change from time to time. The Trust issues and sells shares of each Fund: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Fund’s distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an
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order, on any day the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open for business (“Business Day”), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the dividend reinvestment service of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). The NAV of the Fund’s shares is calculated each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the Fund’s primary listing exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Funds will not issue or redeem fractional Creation Units.
FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of the in- kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the securities included in the Fund’s Underlying Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Funds may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities (“Non-Standard Charges”) may be recoverable from the purchaser of creation units.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Funds. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component will be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which will be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
Each Fund through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for each Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in
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response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Underlying Index.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which will be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of Underlying Index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the Fund’s Underlying Index or resulting from certain corporate actions.
PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees and taxes. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.
All orders to purchase shares directly from the Funds must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement (the “Cut-Off Time”). The Cut-Off Time for Fund orders is expected to be 4:00 p.m. EST, which may be modified by a Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participation Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3 p.m. EST or such earlier time as may be designated by the Funds and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase shares directly from the Funds in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such
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investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Funds’ investments are primarily traded is closed on any day, the Funds will also generally not accept orders on such day. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook. With respect to the Funds, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cut-Off Time on the Business Day on which the order is placed. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian will cause the sub-custodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant will deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Funds or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Funds are generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination will be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of a Fund.
The order will be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the Cut-Off Time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then
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the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant will be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook and this SAI are properly followed.
ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Distributor and the Adviser will be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, the Funds reserve the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant will be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which will be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash will be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases, unless otherwise advised by the Funds, and Non-
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Standard Charges may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Funds Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor will either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor will not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered will be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination will be final and binding.
CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a Creation Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Funds may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Funds’ custodian has determined to waive some or all of the creation order costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Funds’ investment adviser, has agreed to pay such fee. In addition, the Funds may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 2% of the value of the creation transactions for cash creations, non- standard orders, or partial cash purchases for the Funds. The Funds may adjust the Non-Standard Charge from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the Creation Transaction Fee and Non-Standard Charges. Investors are responsible
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for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Funds may determine to not charge a Non-Standard Charge on certain orders when a Fund’s investment adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation of orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Funds’ portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover. The standard Creation Transaction Fee for the Funds is $500.
RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Funds. Because the Funds’ shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Funds, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause a shareholder to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with the Funds’ shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act.
REDEMPTION. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Funds through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUNDS, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Funds’ portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
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Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Funds, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form -- plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Funds Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less any fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below and any Non-Standard Charges. If the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
CASH REDEMPTION METHOD. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Funds, when full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for the Funds, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the Authorized Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.
REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES. A redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and Authorized Participants will be required to pay a Redemption Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The redemption transaction fee is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request. The Funds may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if a Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the redemption order costs associated with the order of another party, such as the Fund’s investment adviser, has agreed to pay such fee. In addition, the Funds may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 2% of the value of a redemption transaction for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for the Funds. Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the Redemption Transaction Fees and Non- Standard Charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Fund Securities to the account of the Trust. The Non-Standard Charges are payable to a Funds as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transactions costs. The standard Redemption Transaction Fee for the Funds is $500.
PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book- entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant
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Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request will be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant which has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two Business Days of the trade date.
ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, the Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two Business Days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form; in such circumstances, the Fund may delay delivery more than seven days if the Fund makes such delivery as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 days. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholder will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares
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based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). A Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Funds Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of a Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of such Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of such Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to a Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Determination of Net Asset Value
NAV for a Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Funds are calculated by the Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that such Exchange is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed- income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
A Fund’s assets are generally valued at their market price on the valuation date and are based on valuations provided by independent pricing services consistent with the Trust’s valuation
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policies. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Funds and has been delegated the responsibility for making good faith, fair value determinations with respect to the Funds' portfolio securities. When market prices are not readily available, or believed by the Adviser to be unreliable, a security or other asset is valued at its fair value by the Adviser as determined under fair value pricing procedures approved by the Board. The Board reviews, no less frequently than annually, the adequacy of the Funds' policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. These fair value pricing procedures will also be used to price a security when corporate events, events in the securities market and/or world events cause the Adviser to believe that a security’s last sale price may not reflect its actual market value. The intended effect of using fair value pricing procedures is to ensure that each Fund is accurately priced. The Board will regularly evaluate whether the Trust’s fair value pricing procedures continue to be appropriate in light of the specific circumstances of the Funds and the quality of prices obtained through the application of such procedures.
The Funds’ securities which are traded on securities exchanges are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any reported sales, at the mean between the last available bid and ask prices.
Securities traded on a securities exchange for which a last-quoted sales price is readily available will be valued at the last sales price as reported by the primary exchange on which the securities are listed. Securities listed on the Nasdaq National Market System (“Nasdaq”) will be valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price, which may differ from the last sales price reported. Securities traded on a securities exchange for which a last-quoted sales price is not readily available will be valued at the last bid, ask or mean between the bid and the ask price, as determined by the Advisor and disclosed in the notes of the annual report. Equity securities traded in the over- the-counter market (“OTC”) market in which no last sales price is available will be valued at the average of the last bid prices obtained from two or more dealers unless there is only one dealer, in which case that dealer’s last bid price is used.
Stocks that are “thinly traded” or events occurring when a foreign market is closed but the Exchange is open may create a situation where a market quote would not be readily available. When a market quote is not readily available, the security’s value is based on “fair value” as determined by procedures adopted by the Board. The Board will periodically review the reliability of the Funds’ fair value methodology. The Funds may hold portfolio securities, such as those traded on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Funds’ shares are not priced. Therefore, the value of the Funds’ shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.
Dividends and Distributions
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. The Water Fund expects to pay out dividends from its net investment income semi-annually. The Pipeline Fund expects to pay out dividends from its net investment income quarterly. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Funds may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Funds to improve
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index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Funds.
The Funds make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Funds, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Funds’ eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker- dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares issued by the Trust of the same Fund at NAV. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Funds will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
Federal Income Taxes
The following is a summary of certain additional federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that supplements the summary in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of 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.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, or local taxes.
Regulated Investment Company (RIC) Status. The Funds will seek to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Code. Provided that for each tax year a Fund: (i) meets the requirements to be
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treated as a RIC (as discussed below); and (ii) distributes at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of the Fund’s investment company taxable income for such year (including, for this purpose, the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses), computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction, and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such year (the “Distribution Requirement”), the Fund itself generally will not be subject to federal income taxes to the extent the Fund’s income, including the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses), is distributed to the Fund’s shareholders. One of several requirements for RIC qualification is that a Fund must receive at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships, generally including MLPs and certain LLCs (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that a Funds must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships, generally including MLPs and certain LLCs (the “Asset Test”).
For purposes of the 90% Test, the character of income earned by certain entities in which the Funds invest that are not treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes (e.g., partnerships and LLCs that are not publicly traded partnerships and that have not elected to be classified as corporations under applicable regulations) will generally pass through to the Funds. Consequently, in order to qualify as a RIC, the Funds may be required to limit its equity investments in such entities if they earn income that is nonqualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test.
If a Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, the 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 Asset Test where a Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Asset Test, a Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject if certain requirements are met to the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by noncorporate shareholders. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, a Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period longer than two taxable years, it would generally be required
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to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Funds for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If a Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Funds’ NAV.
For each year, each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and any realized net capital gain (after taking into account any capital loss carryovers). If either Fund failed to satisfy the distribution requirement for any taxable year, it would be taxed as a regular corporation, with consequences generally similar to those described above.
If either Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Funds may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Funds on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their shares in the Funds by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
The Funds will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute (and is not deemed to distribute) to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Funds and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Funds intend to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a RIC may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. The Funds are permitted to carry net capital losses forward indefinitely. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Funds and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, the Funds may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Funds may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.
Taxation of Shareholders. Distributions of net capital gains that the Funds report to a shareholder as capital gain dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how
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long the shareholder has owned the shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%. All other dividends of the Funds (including dividends from short-term capital gains) from their current and accumulated earnings and profits are generally subject to tax as ordinary income, subject to the discussion of qualified dividend income below.
Subject to certain limitations and requirements, including holding period requirements, dividends reported by the Funds as qualified dividend income will be taxable to noncorporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%. In general, dividends may be reported by the Funds as qualified dividend income if they are paid from dividends received by the Funds on common and preferred stock of U.S. companies or on stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Funds with respect to the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States or in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. “Passive foreign investment companies” (described below) are not qualified foreign corporations for this purpose. If 95% or more of a Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income. Noncorporate shareholders will only be eligible for the rates of up to 20% on the Fund’s qualified dividend income distributions if the shareholders also meet certain holding period requirements with respect to their shares in the Fund.
Certain dividends received by the Funds on stock of U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Funds in respect of any share of stock (1) as to which the Funds have met certain holding period requirements and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally available to corporate shareholders under the Code, provided such dividends are also appropriately reported as eligible for the dividends-received deduction by the Funds. In order to qualify for the dividends-received deduction, corporate shareholders must also meet minimum holding period requirements with respect to their Fund shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Fund shares. The entire dividend, including the otherwise deductible amount, will be included in determining the excess, if any, of a corporation’s adjusted current earnings over its alternative minimum taxable income, which may increase a corporation’s alternative minimum tax liability. Any corporate shareholder should consult its tax adviser regarding the possibility that its tax basis in its shares may be reduced, for federal income tax purposes, by reason of “extraordinary dividends” received with respect to the shares and, to the extent such basis would be reduced below zero, current recognition of income may be required. The Funds’ investment strategies may significantly limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
The Funds’ participation in loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to Fund shareholders. If the Funds participate in a securities lending transaction and receive a payment in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan in a securities lending transaction, such income generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and thus dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for taxation at
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the rates applicable to qualified dividend income. In addition, dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Funds in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared. In addition, certain distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Funds may be “spilled back” and treated for certain purposes as paid by the Funds during such taxable year. In such case, shareholders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. For purposes of calculating the amount of a RIC’s undistributed income and gain subject to the 4% excise tax described above, such “spilled back” dividends are treated as paid by the RIC when they are actually paid.
Fund distributions, if any, that exceed the Funds’ current and accumulated earnings and profits may be treated as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.
The Funds’ shareholders will be notified annually by the Funds as to the federal tax characterization of all distributions made by the Funds. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married and filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which generally includes interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Funds or the redemption of Creation Units). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Funds shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
Shareholders who have not held Fund shares for a full year should be aware that the Funds may report and distribute to a shareholder, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the shareholder’s period of investment in the Funds.
A sale of shares by a shareholder may give rise to a gain or loss. The difference between the selling price and the shareholder’s tax basis for the shares sold generally determines the amount of the gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares. The tax basis of shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. Contact the
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broker through whom you purchased your shares to obtain information with respect to the available basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain with respect to the shares (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if substantially identical shares of the Funds are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) 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.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Any gain or loss realized by an Authorized Participant upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held by the Authorized Participant for more than one year, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss.
The Trust on behalf of the Funds has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Creation Units if the Authorized Participant (or a group of Authorized Participants) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Funds do issue Creation Units to an Authorized Participant (or group of Authorized Participants) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund, the Authorized Participant (or group of Authorized Participants) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
An Authorized Participant who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the Authorized Participant’s basis in the Creation Units. Any gain or loss realized by an Authorized Participant upon a redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the shares comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the
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Creation Units have been held by the Authorized Participant for more than one year, and otherwise will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
Due to the ability of the Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Funds, the Funds may be required to execute additional sale or exchange transactions which may increase the taxable income of the Funds and limit the tax efficiency of the Funds.
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Funds’ investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Funds (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Funds and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Funds 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 Funds to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve its qualification for treatment as a RIC.
The Funds’ investments in options may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Funds are treated as ordinary income and loss or capital gain and loss or whether capital gains and losses are long-term or short-term in nature, accelerate the recognition of income to the Funds and/or defer the Funds’ ability to recognize losses. In turn, those rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed by the Funds. It is anticipated that any net gain realized from the lapse or closing out of options contracts will be considered qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement.
The Funds may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to any investments in those countries. Any such taxes would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. The Funds do not expect to satisfy the requirements for passing through to its shareholders any share of foreign taxes paid by the Funds, with the result that shareholders will not be required to include such taxes in their gross incomes and will not be entitled to a tax deduction or credit for any such taxes on their own tax returns.
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Backup Withholding. The Funds will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable dividends paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding;” or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is 28%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability.
Foreign Shareholders. 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. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Funds 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 the Funds. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. 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.
The 30% withholding tax also will not apply to dividends that the Funds reports as (a) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Funds’ “qualified net interest income,” or (b) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Funds’ “qualified short-term gain.” “Qualified net interest income” is the Funds’ net income derived from U.S.-source interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. “Qualified short-term gain” generally means the excess of the net short-term capital gain of the Funds for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. In the case of shares held through a broker, the broker may withhold even if the Funds report a payment as an interest-related dividend or a short-term capital gain dividend. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their brokers with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund shares comply with IRS requirements that generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities, and, after December 31, 2018, redemptions and certain capital gain dividends payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to foreign, state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the shareholder in the United States.
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Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including substantial penalties. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. The Funds may be subject to tax or taxes in certain states where the Funds do business. Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Funds and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Funds may differ from federal tax treatment.
The foregoing discussion is based on federal tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative or administrative action. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisers concerning their specific situations and the application of federal, state, local and foreign taxes.
Financial Statements
The Funds’ annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023 is a separate document and the financial statements, accompanying notes and report of the independent registered public accounting firm appearing therein are incorporated by reference into this SAI.
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Appendix A

Standard & Poor’s Corporation
DESCRIPTION OF CREDIT RATINGS
A brief description of the applicable Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:
Long-Term Debt
An S&P corporate or municipal debt rating is a current assessment of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific obligation. This assessment may take into consideration obligors such as guarantors, insurers or lessees. The debt rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable. S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances. The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
1.Likelihood of default-capacity and willingness of the obligor as to the timely payment of interest and repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
2.Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and
3.Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.
Investment Grade
AAADebt rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.
AADebt rated “AA” has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
ADebt rated “A” has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
BBBDebt rated “BBB” is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

A-1




Speculative Grade Rating
Debt rated “BB”, “B”, “CCC”, “CC” and “C” is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics these are outweighed by major uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BBDebt rated “BB” has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The “BB” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BBB” rating.
BDebt rated “B” has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The “B” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BB” or “BB” rating.
CCCDebt rated “CCC” has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The “CCC” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “B” or “B” rating.
CCThe rating “CC” typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” debt rating.
CThe rating “C” typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” debt rating. The “C” rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.
CIThe rating “CI” is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
DDebt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Provisional Ratings: The letter “p” indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of
A-2




default upon failure of, such completion. The investor should exercise judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.
rThe letter “r” is attached to highlight derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that S&P believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns due to non-credit risks. Examples of such obligations are: securities whose principal or interest return is indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest only and principal only mortgage securities. The absence of an “r” symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.
LThe letter “L” indicates that the rating pertains to the principal amount of those bonds to the extent that the underlying deposit collateral is Federally insured by the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation* In the case of certificates of deposit the letter “L” indicates that the deposit, combined with other deposits being held in the same right and capacity will be honored for principal and accrued pre-default interest up to the Federal insurance limits within 30 days after closing of the insured institution or, in the event that the deposit is assumed by a successor insured institution, upon maturity.
NRIndicates no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
Commercial Paper
An S&P commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from “A-1” for the highest quality obligations to “D” for the lowest. These categories are as follows:
A-1This highest category indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.
A-2Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated “A-1.”
*Continuance of the rating is contingent upon S&P’s receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flow.
A-3Issues carrying this designation have adequate capacity for timely payment. They are, however, somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.
BIssues rated “B” are regarded as having only speculative capacity for timely payment.
CThis rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a doubtful capacity for payment.
A-3




DDebt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest payments or principal Payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period.
A commercial rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to S&P by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable.
S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information or based on other circumstances.
Preferred Securities
AAAThis is the highest rating that may be assigned to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.
AAA preferred stock issue rated AA also qualifies as a high quality fixed income security. The capacity to pay preferred stock obligations is very strong, although not as overwhelming as for issues rated AAA.
AAn issue rated A is backed by a sound capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.
BBBAn issue rated BBB is regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. Although it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make payments for preferred stock in this category for issues in the A category.
BBAs issue rated BB is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay the preferred stock obligation. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, they are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
A brief description of the applicable Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moody’s) follows:
Long-Term Debt
The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for corporate and municipal long-term debt:
AaaBonds are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a
A-4




large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the Fundamentally strong position of such issuer.
AaBonds are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the “Aaa” group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in “Aaa” securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in “Aaa” securities.
ABonds possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
BaBonds considered medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba, B, Caa, Ca, and C Bonds that possess one of these ratings provide questionable protection of interest and principal (“Ba” indicates some speculative elements; “B” indicates a general lack of characteristics of desirable investment; “Caa” represents a poor standing; “Ca” represents obligations which are speculative in a high degree; and “C” represents the lowest rated class of bonds). “Caa,” “Ca” and “C” bonds may be in default.
Con. (---) Bonds for which the security depends upon the completion of some act or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These are bonds secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects unseasoned in operation experience, (c) rentals which begin when facilities are completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting condition attaches. Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of construction or elimination of basis of condition.
(P)When applied to forward delivery bonds, indicates that the rating is provisional pending delivery of the bonds. The rating may be revised prior to delivery if changes occur in the legal documents or the underlying credit quality of the bonds.
Note: Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups which Moody’s believes possess the strongest investment attributes are designated by the symbols, Aa1, A1, Ba1 and B1.
Short-Term Loans
MIG 1/VMIG 1 This designation denotes best quality. There is present strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2/VMIG 2 This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.
A-5




MIG 3/VMIG 3 This designation denotes favorable quality. All security elements are accounted for but there is lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
MIG 4/VMIG 4 This designation denotes adequate quality. Protection commonly regarded as required of an investment security is present and although not distinctly or predominantly speculative, there is specific risk.
S.G. This designation denotes speculative quality. Debt instruments in this category lack margins of protection.
Commercial Paper
Issuers rated Prime-1 (or related supporting institutions) have a superior capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Prime-1 repayment capacity will normally be evidenced by the following characteristics:
Leading market positions in well-established industries.
High rates of return on Fund employed.
Conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.
Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.
Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
Issuers rated Prime-2 (or related supporting institutions) have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained. Issuers rated Prime-3 (or related supporting institutions) have an acceptable capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market composition may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and the requirement for relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Preferred Securities Ratings
aaaPreferred stocks which are rated “aaa” are considered to be top quality. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.
aaPreferred stocks which are rated “aa” are considered to be high grade. This rating indicates that there is reasonable assurance that earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.
A-6




aPreferred stocks which are rated “a” are considered to be upper-medium grade. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “aaa” and “aa” classifications, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.
baaPreferred stocks which are rated “baa” are judged lover-medium grade, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.
baPreferred stocks which are rated “ba” are considered to have speculative elements and their future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.

A-7