Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: ICCIX)
Class N Shares (Symbol: ICCNX)
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: ICSIX)
Class N Shares (Symbol: ICSNX)
Prospectus
May 1, 2024
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
each a series of the Northern Lights Fund Trust II (the “Trust”)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary Section – Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund. This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. Class I shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Fund’s principal underwriter permitting such firms to (i) offer Class I shares solely when acting as an agent for the investor and (ii) impose on an investor transacting in Class I shares through such platforms a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of the Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class N | Class I |
Maximum
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None | None |
Maximum
Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the original offering price) |
None | None |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 1.00% | 1.00% |
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.36% | 0.34% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) | 0.34% | 0.34% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.95% | 1.68% |
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement | (0.12%) | (0.10%) |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(2) | 1.83% | 1.58% |
(1) | This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the Acquired Funds owned by the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Fund or deducted from Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, the operating expenses set forth in the Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure. |
(2) | Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between Innealta Capital, LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) for the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund do not exceed 1.49%, and 1.24%, of the Fund’s average net assets, for Class N and Class I shares, respectively, through April 30, 2025. This operating expense limitation agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. |
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through April 30, 2025. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year | Three Years | Five Years | Ten Years | |
Class N | $186 | $601 | $1,041 | $2,265 |
Class I | $161 | $520 | $903 | $1,979 |
Portfolio Turnover. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Dynamic International Opportunity Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 62% of the average value of the portfolio.
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Principal Investment Strategies. Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests primarily in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) that offer exposure to companies domiciled in developed, emerging and frontier international markets. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may also invest in other categories of ETFs as described below, including those that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income markets and those that offer exposure to alternative asset classes. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may also directly invest in derivative instruments such as futures contracts and options.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s strategy is based on a proprietary quantitative framework (“Quantitative Framework”) that informs the investment decision-making process regarding potential investment opportunities in non-U.S. equity markets based on the specific risk/reward characteristics (such as corporate fundamentals, macroeconomic, and behavioral variables, including but not limited to aggregate earnings, dividends, profitability, gross domestic product, unemployment, interest rates, volatility and price momentum) of each individual market by investing in vehicles (e.g., ETFs) that seek exposure to a specific country, or region (e.g. Western Europe, Asia) or market (e.g. frontier markets, emerging markets, developed markets). The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s international equity exposures may include, but are not limited to ETFs that invest in common and preferred stocks of all market capitalizations, convertible securities, and rights and warrants listed on U.S. markets or non-U.S. markets. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that seek exposure to developed, emerging, and frontier markets. Such countries include but are not limited to: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income securities, such as bonds issued by governments, government agencies and/or corporations as well as asset-backed securities and floating-rate securities. Such ETFs may include fixed income investments of any maturity, duration and quality, including those that are rated below investment grade (“junk bonds”).
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to various alternative asset classes, such as, but not limited to, commodities, real estate, currencies, derivatives and volatility. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may also invest in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs in order to gain exposures to the referenced equity, fixed income and alterative asset classes. Further, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest directly in certain derivatives, namely futures and options in order to achieve desired market exposures.
Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund allocates at least a majority and up to 100% of its assets to equity ETFs that either directly focus investments in a specific country or indirectly invest in such countries through investments in foreign markets such as regional, developed, emerging or frontier market ETFs.
Also under normal market conditions:
· The Dynamic International Opportunity seeks to invest substantially all of its assets in equity, fixed income and/or alternative asset class ETFs and derivative instruments.
· The Adviser does not anticipate investing more than 25% of its assets in any equity market focused on one country.
· The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be invested in any number of equity markets focused on numerous countries, although the Fund will maintain exposure to at least three different countries.
· The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio will be comprised primarily of equity ETFs.
Under stressed or abnormal market conditions, or for other defensive purposes, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in fixed income ETFs, alternative asset class ETFs or cash, or a combination of any or all three of these asset classes.
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The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is actively managed, and as frequently as on a daily basis, the Adviser’s investment committee (the “Investment Committee”) analyzes variables the Adviser believes have predictive capabilities with respect to country equity performance. Where the Investment Committee finds the prospective risk-relative return of an equity-based ETF investing in a given country, region, or market to be superior to a basket of fixed income (or alternative asset class categories), then an allocation is made to equity ETFs. The Investment Committee may choose to aggregate exposures by way of regional or sub-regional ETFs in order to achieve their desired exposures. In the absence of attractive equity exposures, the entire allocation is made to fixed income and/or alternative asset class category ETFs. The Adviser will make decisions to transact a security based on its Quantitative Framework or if the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio needs to be rebalanced. Decisions by the Adviser to transact other portfolio securities will be based upon the research, recommendations, and trading signals received from the Investment Committee.
This strategy seeks to provide excess returns relative to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (USD) over periods of three years and longer, with risk levels commensurate with the level of performance, using diversification, active management, style integrity, minimized security selection risk, and cost efficiency.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income.
Principal Risks. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund are:
· | Commodities Risk. Investing in the commodities markets (indirectly) may subject the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodity prices may be influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions. |
· | Derivatives Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may use derivatives (including options, futures and options on futures) to enhance returns or hedge against market declines. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. |
· | Emerging Markets and Frontier Markets Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that hold investments in emerging market and frontier markets instruments. Investments in emerging markets and frontier markets instruments involve greater risks than investing in foreign instruments in general. Risks of investing in emerging market and frontier market countries include political or social upheaval, nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets and risks from an economy’s dependence on revenues from particular commodities or industries. In addition, currency transfer restrictions, limited potential buyers for such instruments, delays and disruption in settlement procedures and illiquidity or low volumes of transactions may make exits difficult or impossible at times. |
· | ETF Risk. Investment in an ETF carries security specific risk and the market risk. Also, if the area of the market representing the underlying index or benchmark does not perform as expected for any reason, the value of the investment in the ETF may decline. In addition, due to transactions via market prices rather than at net asset value, the performance of an ETF may not completely replicate the performance of the underlying index. |
· | Equity Securities Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold common stock, which subjects the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. Overall stock market risks may affect the value of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund decreases in value and you could lose money. |
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· | Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that own fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities and thus the value of ETFs that own fixed income securities. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities. |
· | Foreign Risk. To the extent the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in foreign securities by investing in ETFs that hold foreign securities the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be subject to risks not usually associated with owning securities of U.S. issuers. These risks can include fluctuations in foreign currencies, foreign currency exchange controls, political and economic instability, differences in financial reporting, differences in securities regulation and trading, and taxation issues. |
· | Fund of Funds Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is a “fund of funds,” a term typically used to describe an investment company whose principal investment strategy involves investing in other investment companies, such as ETFs. The cost of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will generally be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs or other investment company shares. Investors in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in addition to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s direct fees and expenses. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. The ETFs in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the benchmarks they track because of transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities and because the ETFs will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable benchmarks. |
· | General Market Risk. Foreign and domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, political events, terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus epidemics and other events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s performance. You could lose money by investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. |
· | Growth Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that invest in companies that appear to be growth oriented. Growth companies are those that the Adviser believes will have revenue and earnings that grow faster than the economy as a whole, offering above-average prospects for capital appreciation and little or no emphasis on dividend income. If the Adviser’s perceptions of the ETF’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased may not perform as expected, reducing the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s return. |
· | High Yield Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that own high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) which may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may lose its entire investment. |
· | High Volatility in Rising Markets Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in volatility ETFs which in periods of high volatility, the will rebalance its portfolio and decrease exposure to the stock component of the ETF and increase its exposure to cash. Due to such ETF’s increased exposure to the cash during such time periods, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund would not be expected to gain the full benefit of rising equity markets if such market conditions were also accompanied by high volatility. |
· | Interest Rate Risk. The risks associated with the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund include interest rate risk, which means that the prices of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s fixed income ETF investments are likely to fall if interest rates rise. |
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· | Large-Cap Securities Risk. Stocks of large companies as a group can fall out of favor with the market, causing the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to underperform investments that have a greater focus on mid-cap or small-cap stocks. Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies. |
· | Leveraged, Inverse and Inverse-Leveraged ETF Risk. If you invest in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, you are exposed to the risks associated with leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs. Leveraged and inverse products are unique and involve additional risks and considerations not present in traditional investments. This includes the risk that an increase in the daily performance of an index corresponding to a leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETF will be leveraged. This means that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment in such ETF may be reduced by an amount equal to 3% for every 1% daily increase, not including the cost of financing the portfolio and the impact of operating expenses, which would further lower the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment. On any given day, an investment in a leveraged or inverse product may produce a return very similar to the stated objective. However, because of the structure of these products, their rebalancing methodologies, and the math of compounding, extended holdings beyond one day or month, depending on the investment objective, can lead to results very different from a simple doubling, tripling, or inverse of the benchmark’s average return over the same period of time. This difference in results can be magnified in volatile markets. Further, investments in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs that are held for longer periods, may have performance higher or lower than the index return times the fund multiple, due to compounding. |
· | Management Risk. Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to lose value. |
· | Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its objective and may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. Increased portfolio turnover may cause the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s performance, and may produce increased taxable distributions. |
· | Real Estate Investment Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may have investments in ETFs that hold securities issued by, and/or have exposure to, commercial and residential real estate companies. Real estate securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including changes in local and general economic conditions, vacancy rates, interest rates, zoning laws, rental income, property taxes, operating expenses and losses from casualty or condemnation. An investment in a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) is subject to additional risks, including poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse tax consequences, and limited diversification resulting from being invested in a limited number or type of properties or a narrow geographic area. |
· | Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences. |
· | Small and Medium Sized Companies Risk. To the extent the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in the stocks of small and medium capitalization companies or ETFs that invest in such companies, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be subject to additional risks. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. |
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Performance. The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund by showing how the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s average annual returns for each calendar year since the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Average Annual Total Returns table also demonstrates these risks by showing how the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a securities market index and an additional blended index over various periods of time. The indexes have characteristics relevant to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment strategies. The performance information provided for the periods below reflects the performance of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s prior investment adviser, AFAM Capital, Inc. (“AFAM”), and specifically the Innealta Capital division of AFAM (the “Innealta Division”). On March 27, 2018, shareholders approved the new investment advisory agreement with the Adviser which was formed through a reorganization of the Innealta Division. Remember, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by calling the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund toll-free at 1-855-USE-ETFS.
Class I Shares[1]
Calendar Year Returns as of December 31,
During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 17.80% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2020). The worst performance was -8.87% (for the quarter ended September 30, 2015).
Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2023
One Year | Five Year | Ten Year* | |
Class I Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 10.95% | 5.64% | 3.64% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 10.44% | 5.40% | 3.21% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 7.01% | 4.50% | 2.79% |
Class N Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 10.61% | 5.37% | 3.37% |
MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (USD) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
15.62% | 7.08% | 3.83% |
Dynamic International Blend Index 70/30 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
12.66% | 5.02% | 2.96% |
* | Class I and Class N shares of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund commenced operations on December 30, 2011. |
After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and translates into an assumed tax deduction that benefits the shareholder. After tax returns are shown for only Class I Shares and after tax returns for Class N Shares will vary.
[1] | The returns shown in the bar chart are for Class I shares. The performance of Class N shares will differ due to differences in expenses. |
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The MSCI ACWI ex USA Net (USD) Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index maintained by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and designed to provide a broad measure of stock performance throughout the world, with the exception of U.S.-based companies. The MSCI All Country World Index Ex-U.S. consists of 45 country indices comprising 24 developed and 21 emerging market country indices.
The Dynamic International Blend Index 70/30 represents a blend of 70% MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (USD) / 30% Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index. The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index is a flagship measure of global investment grade debt from twenty-four local currency markets. This multi-currency benchmark includes treasury, government related, corporate and securitized fixed-rate bonds from both developed and emerging markets issuers.
Investment
Adviser. Innealta Capital, LLC serves as the Dynamic International
Opportunity Fund’s investment adviser
(the “Adviser”).
Portfolio Manager. The following serves as the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager:
Portfolio Manager | Primary Title | With the Fund Since |
Vito Sciaraffia, Ph.D. | Portfolio Manager | October 2015 |
Yuxing Zhang | Portfolio Manager | March 2021 |
Franco Fava | Assistant Portfolio Manager | March 2021 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may conduct transactions by mail (Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100, Elkhorn NE 68022), or by telephone at 1-855-USE-ETFS. Investors who wish to purchase or redeem Fund shares through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary directly. The minimum initial investment in each share class of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is $20,000 for Class I shares and $5,000 for Class N shares, with a minimum subsequent investment of $1,000 for Class N shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I shares. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may waive minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment requirements at its sole discretion.
Tax Information. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase Dynamic International Opportunity Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Dynamic International Opportunity Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information. Broker-dealers may charge commissions on brokerage transactions in Clean Shares, which are shares purchased at net asset value without any sales load and 12b-1 distribution /service fees.
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Summary Section – Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund. This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. Class I shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s principal underwriter permitting such firms to (i) offer Class I shares solely when acting as an agent for the investor and (ii) impose on an investor transacting in Class I shares through such platforms a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class N | Class I |
Maximum
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None | None |
Maximum
Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the original offering price) |
None | None |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 1.00% | 1.00% |
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.33% | 0.33% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) | 0.11% | 0.11% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.69% | 1.44% |
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement | (0.09%) | (0.09%) |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(2) |
1.60% | 1.35% |
(1) | This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the Acquired Funds owned by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund or deducted from the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, the operating expenses set forth in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure. |
(2) | Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between Innealta Capital, LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) for the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund do not exceed 1.49% and 1.24%, of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s average net assets, for Class N and Class I shares, respectively, through April 30, 2025. This operating expense limitation agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. |
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through April 30, 2025. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year | Three Years | Five Years | Ten Years | |
Class N | $163 | $524 | $909 | $1,990 |
Class I | $137 | $447 | $778 | $1,716 |
Portfolio
Turnover. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund pays transaction costs, such as
commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may
result in higher taxes when Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund shares are held in a
taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s
performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity
Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 70% of the average value of the portfolio.
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Principal Investment Strategies. Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests primarily in equity exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that offer exposure to domestic equity markets. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may also invest in other categories of ETFs as described below, including those that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income markets and those that offer exposure to alternative asset classes. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may also directly invest in derivative instruments such as futures contracts and options.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s strategy is based on a proprietary quantitative framework (“Quantitative Framework”) that informs the investment decision-making process regarding investment opportunities in domestic equity markets based on the specific risk/reward characteristics (such as corporate fundamentals, macroeconomic, and behavioral variables, including but not limited to, aggregate earnings, dividends, profitability, gross domestic product, unemployment, interest rates, volatility and price momentum) of various segments of the equity market as defined by the Global Industry Classification Structure (“GICS”). GICS is a four-tiered, hierarchical industry classification system developed in 1999 by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s for use by the global financial community; it consists of 11 sectors, 24 industry groups, 69 industries and 158 sub-industries. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s equity exposures may include, but are not limited to, ETFs that invest in common and preferred stocks of all market capitalizations, convertible securities and rights and warrants listed on U.S. markets or non-U.S. markets. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investments in equity markets include, but are not limited to: Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Energy, Financials, Health Care, Industrials, Information Technology, Materials, Real Estate Communication Services and Utilities. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund also may invest in industry groups, industries and sub-industries (collectively, “sub-sectors”) of the sectors defined by GICS.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income securities, such as bonds issued by governments, government agencies and/or corporations as well as asset-backed securities and floating-rate securities. Such ETFs may include fixed income investments of any maturity, duration or quality, including those that are rated below investment grade “junk bonds”. Note that the fixed income allocation is intended to be primarily, but not necessarily exclusively, domestic.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to various alternative asset classes, such as, but not limited to, commodities, real estate, currencies, derivatives and volatility. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may also invest in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs in order to gain exposures to the referenced equity, fixed income and alterative asset classes. Further, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest directly in certain derivatives, namely futures and options in order to achieve desired market exposures.
At least 80% of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s assets will be invested in accordance with the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s name, specifically in ETFs that offer exposure to U.S.-based sectors, fixed income markets, and/or alternative asset classes and derivative instruments providing exposure to such U.S. based sectors, markets or asset classes.
Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund allocates at least a majority and up to 100% of its assets to equity ETFs that focus investment either directly or indirectly in domestic equity markets.
Also under normal market conditions:
· The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund seeks to invest substantially all of its assets in equity, fixed income and/or alternative asset class ETFs and derivative instruments.
· The Adviser does not anticipate investing generally more than 35% in any single equity market sector exposure
· The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be invested in any number of sector and sub-sector equity markets, including none.
· The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio will be comprised primarily of equity ETFs.
Under stressed or abnormal market conditions, or for other defensive purposes, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in fixed income ETFs, alternative asset class ETFs or cash, or a combination of any or all three of these asset classes.
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The
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is actively managed and on a daily basis, the
Adviser’s investment committee
(the “Investment Committee”) analyzes
variables that the Adviser believes have predictive capabilities with respect to
equity performance. Where the Investment Committee finds the prospective
risk-relative return of an equity-based ETF investing in a given sector to be
superior to that of an ETF investing in the fixed income or alternative asset
class categories, an allocation is made to the equity ETF. The Investment
Committee may choose to aggregate exposures in order to achieve these desired
exposures. In the absence of an attractive equity exposure, the allocation is
made to fixed income or alternative asset class category ETF. The Adviser will
make decisions to transact a security based on its Quantitative Framework or if
the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio needs to be rebalanced. Decisions
by the Adviser to transact other portfolio securities will be based upon the
research, recommendations, and trading signals received from the Investment
Committee.
This strategy seeks to provide excess returns relative to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s benchmark, the S&P 500 Index over periods of three years and longer, with risk levels commensurate with the level of performance, using diversification, active management, style integrity, minimized security selection risk and cost efficiency.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income.
Principal Risks. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund are:
· | Commodities Risk. Investing in the commodities markets (indirectly) may subject the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodity prices may be influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions. |
· | Derivatives Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may use derivatives (including options, futures and options on futures) to enhance returns or hedge against market declines. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. |
· | Equity Securities Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold common stock, which subjects the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. Overall stock market risks may affect the value of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund decreases in value and you could lose money. |
· | ETF Risk. Investment in an ETF carries security specific risk and the market risk. Also, if the area of the market representing the underlying index or benchmark does not perform as expected for any reason, the value of the investment in the ETF may decline. In addition, due to transactions via market prices rather than at net asset value, the performance of an ETF may not completely replicate the performance of the underlying index. |
· | Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that own fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities and thus the value of ETFs that own fixed income securities. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities. |
· | Fund of Funds Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is a “fund of funds,” a term typically used to describe an investment company whose principal investment strategy involves investing in other investment companies, such as ETFs. The cost of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will generally be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs or other investment company shares. Investors in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in addition to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s direct fees and expenses. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. The ETFs in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the benchmarks they track because of transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities and because the ETFs will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable benchmarks. |
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· General Market Risk. Domestic and Foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, political events terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus epidemics and other events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s performance. You could lose money by investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund.
· Growth Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that invest in companies that appear to be growth. Growth companies are those that the Adviser believes will have revenue and earnings that grow faster than the economy as a whole, offering above-average prospects for capital appreciation and little or no emphasis on dividend income. If the Adviser’s perceptions of an ETF’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased may not perform as expected, reducing the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s return.
· High Yield Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that invest in high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) which may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may lose its entire investment.
· High Volatility in Rising Markets Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in volatility ETFs which in periods of high volatility, the will rebalance its portfolio and decrease exposure to the stock component of the ETF and increase its exposure to cash. Due to such ETF’s increased exposure to the cash during such time periods, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund would not be expected to gain the full benefit of rising equity markets if such market conditions were also accompanied by high volatility.
· Interest Rate Risk. The risks associated with the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund include interest rate risk, which means that the prices of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s fixed income ETF investments are likely to fall if interest rates rise.
· Large-Cap Securities Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that hold stocks of large companies. Stocks of large companies as a group can fall out of favor with the market, causing the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to underperform investments that have a greater focus on mid-cap or small-cap stocks. Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.
· Leveraged, Inverse and Inverse-Leveraged ETF Risk. If you invest in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, you are exposed to the risks associated with leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs. Leveraged and inverse products are unique and involve additional risks and considerations not present in traditional investments. This includes the risk that an increase in the daily performance of an index corresponding to a leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETF will be leveraged. This means that the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment in such ETF may be reduced by an amount equal to 3% for every 1% daily increase, not including the cost of financing the portfolio and the impact of operating expenses, which would further lower the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment. On any given day, an investment in a leveraged or inverse product may produce a return very similar to the stated objective. However, because of the structure of these products, their rebalancing methodologies, and the math of compounding, extended holdings beyond one day or month, depending on the investment objective, can lead to results very different from a simple doubling, tripling, or inverse of the benchmark’s average return over the same period of time. This difference in results can be magnified in volatile markets. Further, investments in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs that are held for longer periods, may have performance higher or lower than the index return times the fund multiple, due to compounding.
· Management Risk. Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to lose value.
· Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its objective and may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. Increased portfolio turnover may cause the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s performance, and may produce increased taxable distributions.
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· | Real Estate Investment Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may have investments in securities issued by, and/or have exposure to, commercial and residential real estate companies. Real estate securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including changes in local and general economic conditions, vacancy rates, interest rates, zoning laws, rental income, property taxes, operating expenses and losses from casualty or condemnation. An investment in a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) is subject to additional risks, including poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse tax consequences, and limited diversification resulting from being invested in a limited number or type of properties or a narrow geographic area. |
· | Sector Risk. Sector risk is the possibility that all stocks within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be overweight in certain sectors at various times. |
· | Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences. |
· | Small and Medium Sized Companies Risk. To the extent the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in the stocks of small and medium capitalization companies or ETFs that invest in such companies, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be subject to additional risks. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. |
Performance. The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund by showing how the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s average annual returns for each calendar year since the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Average Annual Total Returns table also demonstrates these risks by showing how the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a securities market index and an additional blended index over various periods of time. The indexes have characteristics relevant to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment strategies. The performance information provided for the periods below reflects the performance of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s prior investment adviser, AFAM Capital, Inc. (“AFAM”), and specifically the Innealta Capital division of AFAM (the “Innealta Division”). On March 27, 2018, shareholders approved the new investment advisory agreement with the Adviser which was formed through a reorganization of the Innealta Division. Remember, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by calling the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund toll-free at 1-855-USE-ETFS.
Class I Shares[2]
Calendar Year Returns as of December 31,
During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 17.48% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2020). The worst performance was -15.85% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2018).
[2] | The returns shown in the bar chart are for Class I shares. The performance of Class N shares will differ due to differences in expenses. |
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Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2023
One Year | Five Year | Ten Year* | |
Class I Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 16.05% | 13.28% | 8.51% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 15.78% | 12.33% | 7.39% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 9.69% | 10.40% | 6.49% |
Class N Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 15.73% | 13.00% | 8.25% |
S&P
500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
26.29% | 15.69% | 12.03% |
Dynamic
U.S. Opportunity Blend Index 70/30 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
19.78% | 11.43% | 9.10% |
* | The Class I and Class N shares of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund commenced operations on December 30, 2011. |
After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and translates into an assumed tax deduction that benefits the shareholder. After tax returns are shown for only Class I Shares and after tax returns for Class N Shares will vary.
The S&P 500 Total Return Index is a widely accepted, unmanaged index of U.S. stock market performance which does not take into account charges, fees and other expenses.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Blend Index 70/30 represents a blend of 70% S&P 500 Total Return Index and 30% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, US dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. The index includes Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, MBS (agency fixed-rate and hybrid ARM pass-throughs), ABS and CMBS (agency and non-agency).
Investment Adviser. Innealta Capital, LLC serves as the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).
Portfolio Manager. The following serves as the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager:
Portfolio Manager | Primary Title | With the Fund Since: |
Vito Sciaraffia, Ph.D. | Portfolio Manager | October 2015 |
Yuxing Zhang | Portfolio Manager | March 2021 |
Franco Fava | Assistant Portfolio Manager | March 2021 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may conduct transactions by mail (Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100, Elkhorn, NE 68022), or by telephone at 1-855-USE-ETFS. Investors who wish to purchase or redeem Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund shares through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary directly. The minimum initial investment in each share class of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is $20,000 for Class I shares and $5,000 for and Class N shares, with a minimum subsequent investment of $1,000 for shares and Class N shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I shares. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may waive minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment requirements in its sole discretion.
Tax Information. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information. Broker-dealers may charge commissions on brokerage transactions in Clean Shares, which are shares purchased at net asset value without any sales load and 12b-1 distribution /service fees.
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Investment Strategies, Related Risks and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
The primary investment objective of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is capital appreciation. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s Board of Trustees upon 60 days written notice to shareholders.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund operates as a fund of funds, investing primarily in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) that offer exposure to companies domiciled in developed emerging and frontier international markets. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may also invest in other categories of ETFs as described below, including those that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income markets and those that offer exposure to alternative asset classes. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may also directly invest in derivative instruments such as futures contracts and options.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s strategy is based on a proprietary quantitative framework (“Quantitative Framework”) that informs the investment decision-making process regarding investment opportunities in non-U.S. equity markets based on the specific risk/reward characteristics (such as corporate fundamentals, macroeconomic, and behavioral variables, including but not limited to, aggregate earnings, dividends, profitability, gross domestic product, unemployment, interest rates, volatility, and price momentum) of each individual market by investing in vehicles (e.g., ETFs) that seek exposure to a specific country, or region (e.g. Western Europe, Asia) or market (e.g. frontier markets, emerging markets, developed markets). The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s international equity exposures may include, but are not limited to ETFs that invest in common and preferred stocks of all market capitalizations, convertible securities, and rights and warrants listed on U.S. markets or non-U.S. markets. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that seek exposure to developed, emerging, and frontier markets. Such countries include but are not limited to: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income securities, such as bonds issued by governments, government agencies and/or corporations as well as asset-backed securities and floating-rate securities. Such ETFs may include fixed income investments of any maturity, duration and quality, including those that are rated below investment grade “junk bonds”.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to various alternative asset classes, such as, but not limited to, commodities, real estate, currencies, derivatives, and volatility. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may also invest in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs in order to gain exposures to the referenced equity, fixed income and alterative asset classes. Further, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest directly in certain derivatives, namely futures and options in order to achieve desired market exposures.
Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund allocates at least a majority and up to 100% of its assets to equity ETFs that either directly focus investments in a specific country or indirectly invest in such countries through investments in foreign markets such as regional, developed, emerging or frontier markets ETFs.
Also under normal market conditions:
· | The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund seeks to invest substantially all of its assets in equity, fixed income and/or alternative asset class ETFs and derivative instruments. |
· | The Adviser does not anticipate investing more than 25% of its assets in any equity market focused on one country. |
· | The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be invested in any number of equity markets focused on numerous countries, |
· | although the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will maintain exposure to at least three different countries. |
· | The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s
portfolio will be comprised primarily of equity ETFs. |
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The Adviser utilizes the proprietary quantitative framework to determine a portfolio allocation to equities (direct or indirect country-representative ETFs), fixed income, or alternative asset classes under specific investment parameters, according to market indicators provided by the Adviser’s proprietary investment process. The strategy uses a proprietary quantitative framework based on economic, fundamental, risk and technical analyses that evaluate the risk/reward potential of investing in the equity markets.
To determine fit for potential investment, the Adviser reviews the assets within the ETF, in addition to the normal dollar volume liquidity of the ETF itself, in the context of: (1) the size of the market and the liquidity of the underlying asset class the ETF represents; (2) the likely size of the position the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund intends to establish; and (3) the sophistication of the ETF provider.
Under stressed or abnormal market conditions, or for other defensive purposes, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in fixed income ETFs, alternative asset class ETFs or cash, or a combination of any or all three of these asset classes.
The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and have a relatively high level of portfolio turnover compared to other mutual funds. Portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor in making investment decisions. On a daily basis, the Adviser’s investment committee (the “Investment Committee”) analyzes variables the Adviser believes have predictive capabilities with respect to country equity performance. Where the Investment Committee finds the prospective risk-relative return of an equity-based ETF investing in a given country, region, or market to be superior to an ETF investing in the fixed income or alternative asset class categories, then an allocation is made to the equity ETF. The Investment Committee may choose to aggregate exposures by way of regional or sub-regional ETFs in order to achieve these desired exposures. In the absence of an attractive equity exposure, the allocation is made to fixed income or alternative asset class category ETF(s). The Adviser will make decisions to transact a security based on its Quantitative Framework or if the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio needs to be rebalanced. Decisions by the Adviser to transact other portfolio securities will be based upon the research, recommendations, and trading signals received from the Investment Committee.
This strategy seeks to provide excess returns relative to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (USD), over periods of three years and longer, with risk levels commensurate with the level of performance, using diversification, active management, style integrity, minimized security selection risk, and cost efficiency.
The management of this Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, including the research and rationale behind specific investment decisions, may differ materially from the management of similarly named products managed by the Adviser.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Before investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, you should carefully consider your own investment goals, the amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested and the amount of risk you are willing to take. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. The value of your investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will go up and down with the prices of the securities in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests. The principal risks of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund are:
Commodity Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments, commodity-based exchange traded trusts and commodity-based exchange traded funds and notes may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
Derivatives Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may use derivatives (including futures, options and options on futures) to enhance returns or hedge against market declines. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the
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markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. The use of leverage may also cause the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s share price. Because option premiums paid or received 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. The use of derivatives subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) by underlying investment funds could cause the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to be a commodity pool, which would require the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to comply with certain rules of the CFTC.
Emerging Markets and Frontier Markets Risk. Investments in ETFs that hold emerging markets or frontier markets instruments involve all of the risks of investing in foreign instruments; however, these risks are generally heightened because emerging markets and frontier markets are in the initial stages of industrialization and have lower per capita income. Emerging markets and frontier markets are generally more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature economies. Emerging markets and frontier markets often provide significantly higher or lower rates of return than developed markets and carry significantly more risks to investors.
ETF Risk. Investment in an ETF carries security specific risk and the market risk. Also, if the area of the market representing the underlying index or benchmark does not perform as expected for any reason, the value of the investment in the ETF may decline. In addition, due to transactions via market prices rather than at net asset value, the performance of an ETF may not completely replicate the performance of the underlying index. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will indirectly pay its proportionate share of any fees and expenses paid by the ETF in which it invests in addition to the fees and expenses paid directly by the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, many of which may be duplicative. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. As a result, the cost of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund generally will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs.
Equity Securities Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold common stock, which subjects the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. These risks include the financial risk of selecting securities that do not perform as anticipated, the risk that the stock markets in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests may experience periods of turbulence and instability, and the general risk that domestic and global economies may go through periods of decline and cyclical change. Many factors affect the performance of each company in which ETFs invest, including the strength of the company’s management or the demand for its product or services. You should be aware that the value of a company’s share price may decline as a result of poor decisions made by management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. In addition, a company’s share price may also decline if its earnings or revenues fall short of expectations. There are overall stock market risks that may also affect the value of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. Over time, the stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods when stock prices rise generally and periods when stock prices decline generally. The value of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investments may increase or decrease more than the stock markets in general. Of course, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is subject to these same risks to the extent that it invests directly in common stocks.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that own fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities and thus the value of ETFs that own fixed income securities. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, possibly causing the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. In addition, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that own what are sometimes referred to as “junk bonds.” Such securities are speculative investments that carry greater risks and are more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher quality debt securities.
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Foreign Risk. To the extent the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in foreign securities by investing in ETFs that hold foreign securities the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be subject to risks not usually associated with owning securities of U.S. issuers. These risks can include fluctuations in foreign currencies, foreign currency exchange controls, political and economic instability, differences in financial reporting, differences in securities regulation and trading, and taxation issues.
Foreign Securities and Currency Risk. To the extent that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold securities of foreign companies your investment is subject to foreign securities risk. These include risks relating to political, social and economic developments abroad and differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory requirements and market practices. Securities that are denominated in foreign currencies are subject to the further risk that the value of the foreign currency will fall in relation to the U.S. dollar and/or will be affected by volatile currency markets or actions of U.S. and foreign governments or central banks.
Fund of Funds Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is a “fund of funds,” a term typically used to describe an investment company whose principal investment strategy involves investing in other investment companies, such as ETFs. Investors can invest directly in ETFs and do not have to invest through the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. The cost of investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will generally be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs or other investment company shares. Investors in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in addition to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s direct fees and expenses. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. The ETFs in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the benchmarks they track because of transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities and because the ETFs will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable benchmarks. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by these ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ability of the ETFs to track their applicable benchmarks.
Futures Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s use of futures contracts involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) leverage risk; (ii) correlation or tracking risk and (iii) liquidity risk. Because futures require only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit or margin, they involve a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, the fluctuation of the value of futures in relation to the underlying assets upon which they are based is magnified. Thus, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may experience losses that exceed losses experienced by funds that do not use futures contracts. There may be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a futures contract and price movements of investments for which futures are used as a substitute, or which futures are intended to hedge. Lack of correlation (or tracking) may be due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. Consequently, the effectiveness of futures as a security substitute or as a hedging vehicle will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the futures and price movements in underlying securities. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intra-day price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time which is advantageous. The successful use of futures depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the ability of the adviser to predict movements of the underlying securities markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular futures strategy adopted will succeed.
General Market Risk. Domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, political events, terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus epidemics and other events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s performance. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closure, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the economy. These events could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s service providers, including the Adviser, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s service providers to perform essential tasks on behalf of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. An unexpected or quick reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, could increase volatility in securities markets, which could adversely affect the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investments. Accordingly, you
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should consider your own investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance before investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. An investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is not a deposit in the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund.
Growth Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in or ETFs that invest in companies that appear to be growth oriented. Growth companies are those that the Adviser believes will have revenue and earnings that grow faster than the economy as a whole, offering above-average prospects for capital appreciation and little or no emphasis on dividend income. If the Adviser’s perceptions of an ETF’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased may not perform as expected, reducing the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s return.
High Yield Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) which may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may lose its entire investment.
High Volatility in Rising Markets Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest in volatility ETFs which in periods of high volatility, the will rebalance its portfolio and decrease exposure to the stock component of the ETF and increase its exposure to cash. Due to such ETF’s increased exposure to the cash during such time periods, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund would not be expected to gain the full benefit of rising equity markets if such market conditions were also accompanied by high volatility.
Interest Rate Risk. The values of certain instruments, including bonds and other debt instruments usually rise and fall in response to changes in interest rates. Declining interest rates generally increase the value of existing debt instruments, and rising interest rates generally decrease the value of existing debt instruments. Changes in a debt instrument’s value usually will not affect the amount of interest income paid to the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, but will affect the value of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for investments with longer maturities.
Large-Cap Securities Risk. Stocks of large companies as a group can fall out of favor with the market, causing the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to underperform should it hold ETF investments that have a greater focus on mid-cap or small-cap stocks. Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.
Leveraged, Inverse and Inverse-Leveraged ETF Risk. If you invest in the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, you are exposed to the risks associated with leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs. Leveraged and inverse products are unique and involve additional risks and considerations not present in traditional investments. This includes the risk that an increase in the daily performance of an index corresponding to a leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETF will be leveraged. This means that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment in such ETF may be reduced by an amount equal to 3% for every 1% daily increase, not including the cost of financing the portfolio and the impact of operating expenses, which would further lower the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment. On any given day, an investment in a leveraged or inverse product may produce a return very similar to the stated objective. However, because of the structure of these products, their rebalancing methodologies, and the math of compounding, extended holdings beyond one day or month, depending on the investment objective, can lead to results very different from a simple doubling, tripling, or inverse of the benchmark’s average return over the same period of time. This difference in results can be magnified in volatile markets. Further, investments in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs that are held for longer periods, may have performance higher or lower than the index return times the fund multiple, due to compounding.
Management Risk. Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s investment goal. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund is actively managed and depends heavily on the Adviser’s judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s portfolio managers use quantitative analyses and/or statistical tools including models. The Adviser’s assessment of the predictive validity of its analysis may prove incorrect. Any imperfections or limitations in such analyses could affect the ability of the portfolio managers to implement strategies. By necessity, these analyses and tools make simplifying assumptions that limit their
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efficacy. Models and “signals” derived from the Adviser’s analysis that appear to explain prior market data can fail to predict future market events. Further, the data used in tools and analysis may be inaccurate and/or it may not include the most recent information about a company or a security. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund could experience losses if these judgments prove to be incorrect. Additionally, if one or more key individuals leave, the Adviser may not be able to hire qualified replacements or may require extended time to do so. This situation could prevent the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund from achieving its investment objectives.
Options Risk. The seller of an uncovered call option assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The securities necessary to satisfy the exercise of the call option may be unavailable for purchase except at much higher prices. Purchasing securities to satisfy the exercise of the call option can itself cause the price of the securities to rise further, sometimes by a significant amount, thereby exacerbating the loss. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option which is covered (e.g., the writer has a short position in the underlying security) assumes the risk of an increase in the market price of the underlying security above the sales price (in establishing the short position) of the underlying security plus the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its objective and may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is equivalent to a fund buying and selling all of the securities in its portfolio once during the course of a year. How long the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund holds a security in its portfolio is generally not a factor in making buy and sell decisions. Increased portfolio turnover may cause the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s performance, and may produce increased taxable distributions. The distributions may be taxable as short-term capital gains which are taxed at ordinary income taxation rates rather than at the currently lower long-term capital gains taxation rates. It is likely that all or most of the distributions will be short-term capital gains.
Real Estate Investment Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may have investments in ETFs that hold securities issued by, and/or have exposure to, commercial and residential real estate companies. Real estate securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including changes in local and general economic conditions, vacancy rates, interest rates, zoning laws, rental income, property taxes, operating expenses and losses from casualty or condemnation. An investment in a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) is subject to additional risks, including poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse tax consequences, and limited diversification resulting from being invested in a limited number or type of properties or a narrow geographic area.
Securities Lending Risk. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may lend its portfolio securities to financial institutions under guidelines adopted by the Board of Trustees, including a requirement that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund receive cash collateral from the borrower equal to no less than 100% of the market value of the securities loaned. The Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may invest this cash collateral in high quality short-term debt obligations, government obligations, bank guarantees or money market mutual funds. Securities lending involves two primary risks: “investment risk” and “borrower default risk.” Investment risk is the risk that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will lose money from the investment of the cash collateral. Borrower default risk is the risk that the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund will lose money due to the failure of a borrower to return a borrowed security in a timely manner.
Small and Medium Sized Companies Risk. To the extent the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund invests in the stocks of small and medium capitalization companies or ETFs that invest in such companies, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund may be subject to additional risks. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. The trading volume of securities of small and medium sized companies is normally less than that of larger companies and, therefore, may disproportionately affect their market price, tending to make them fall more in response to selling pressure than is the case with larger companies. Small and medium sized companies may have limited markets, product lines or financial resources and may lack management experience.
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The primary investment objective of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is capital appreciation. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s Board of Trustees upon 60 days written notice to shareholders.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund operates as a fund of funds, investing primarily in equity representative exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that offer exposure to domestic equity markets. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may also invest in other categories of ETFs as described below, including those that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income markets and those that offer exposure to alternative asset classes. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may also directly invest in derivative instruments such as futures contracts and options.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s strategy is based on a proprietary quantitative framework (“Quantitative Framework”) that informs the investment decision-making process regarding investment opportunities in domestic equity markets based on the specific risk/reward characteristics (such as corporate fundamentals, macroeconomic, and behavioral variables, including but not limited to, aggregate earnings, dividends, profitability, gross domestic product, unemployment, interest rates, volatility and price momentum) of various segments of the equity market as defined by the Global Industry Classification Structure (“GICS”). GICS is a four-tiered, hierarchical industry classification system developed in 1999 by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s for use by the global financial community; it consists of 11 sectors, 25 industry groups, 75 industries and 163sub-industries. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s equity exposures may include, but are not limited to, ETFs that invest in common and preferred stocks of all market capitalizations, convertible securities and rights and warrants listed on U.S. markets or non-U.S. markets. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investments in equity markets include, but are not limited to: Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Energy, Financials, Health Care, Industrials, Information Technology, Materials, Real Estate, Communication Services and Utilities. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund also may invest in industry groups, industries, and sub-industries (collectively, “sub-sectors”) of the sectors defined by GICS.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to domestic and international fixed income securities, such as bonds issued by governments, government agencies and/or corporations as well as asset-backed securities and floating-rate securities. Such ETFs may include fixed income investments of any maturity, duration or quality, including those that are rated below investment grade “junk bonds”. Note that the fixed income allocation is intended to be primarily, but not necessarily exclusively, domestic.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that offer exposure to various alternative asset classes, such as, but not limited to, commodities, real estate, currencies, derivatives, and volatility. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may also invest in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs in order to gain exposures to the referenced equity, fixed income and alterative asset classes. Further, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest directly in certain derivatives, namely futures and options in order to achieve desired market exposures.
At least 80% of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s assets will be invested in accordance with the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s name, specifically in ETFs that offer exposure to U.S.-based sectors, fixed income markets, and/or alternative asset classes and derivative instruments providing exposure to such U.S. based sectors, markets or asset classes.
Under normal market conditions, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund allocates at least a majority and up to 100% of its assets to equity ETFs that focus investment either directly or indirectly in an aforementioned sector (or sub-sector) markets.
Also under normal market conditions:
· | The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund seeks to invest substantially all of its assets in equity, fixed income and/or alternative asset class ETFs and derivative instruments. |
· | The Adviser does not anticipate investing generally more than 35% in any single sector or sub-sector equity market. |
· | The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be invested in any number of sector and sub-sector equity markets, including none. |
· | The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s
portfolio will be comprised primarily of equity ETFs. |
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The Adviser utilizes its proprietary quantitative framework to determine a portfolio allocation to equities, fixed income, or alternative asset classes under specific investment parameters, according to market indicators provided by the Adviser’s proprietary investment process. The strategy uses a proprietary quantitative framework based on economic, fundamental, risk and technical analyses that evaluate the risk/reward potential of investing in the equity markets.
To determine fit for potential investment, the Adviser reviews the assets within the ETF, in addition to the normal dollar volume liquidity of the ETF itself, in the context of: (1) the size of the market and the liquidity of the underlying asset class the ETF represents; (2) the likely size of the position we intend to establish; and (3) the sophistication of the ETF provider.
Under stressed or abnormal market conditions, or for other defensive purposes, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in fixed income ETFs, alternative asset class ETFs or cash, or a combination of any or all three of these asset classes.
The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and have a relatively high level of portfolio turnover compared to other mutual funds. Portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor in making investment decisions. On a daily basis, the Adviser’s investment committee (the “Investment Committee”) analyzes variables that the Adviser believes have predictive capabilities with respect to equity performance. Where the Investment Committee finds the prospective risk-relative return of an equity-based ETF investing in a given sector to be superior to that of an ETF investing in the fixed income or alternative asset class categories, an allocation is made to the equity ETF. The Investment Committee may choose to aggregate exposures in order to achieve these desired exposures. In the absence of an attractive equity exposure, the allocation is made to fixed income or alternative asset class category ETF. The Adviser will make decisions to transact a security based on its Quantitative Framework or if the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio needs to be rebalanced. Decisions by the Adviser to transact other portfolio securities will be based upon the research, recommendations, and trading signals received from the Investment Committee.
This strategy seeks to provide excess returns relative to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, over periods of three years and longer, with risk levels commensurate with the level of performance, using diversification, active management, style integrity, minimized security selection risk, and cost efficiency.
The management of this Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, including the research and rationale behind specific investment decisions, may differ materially from the management of similarly named products managed by the Adviser.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
Before investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, you should carefully consider your own investment goals, the amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested and the amount of risk you are willing to take. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. The value of your investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will go up and down with the prices of the securities in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests. The principal risks of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund are:
Commodity Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments, commodity-based exchange traded trusts and commodity-based exchange traded funds and notes may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
Derivatives Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may use derivatives (including futures, options and options on futures) to enhance returns or hedge against market declines. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments
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involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. The use of leverage may also cause the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s share price. Because option premiums paid or received 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. The use of derivatives subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) by underlying investment funds could cause the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to be a commodity pool, which would require the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to comply with certain rules of the CFTC.
ETF Risk. Investment in an ETF carries security specific risk and the market risk. Also, if the area of the market representing the underlying index or benchmark does not perform as expected for any reason, the value of the investment in the ETF may decline. In addition, due to transactions via market prices rather than at net asset value, the performance of an ETF may not completely replicate the performance of the underlying index. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will indirectly pay its proportionate share of any fees and expenses paid by the ETF in which it invests in addition to the fees and expenses paid directly by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, many of which may be duplicative. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. As a result, the cost of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund generally will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs.
Equity Securities Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold common stock, which subjects the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. These risks include the financial risk of selecting securities that do not perform as anticipated, the risk that the stock markets in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests may experience periods of turbulence and instability, and the general risk that domestic and global economies may go through periods of decline and cyclical change. Many factors affect the performance of each company in which ETFs invest, including the strength of the company’s management or the demand for its product or services. You should be aware that the value of a company’s share price may decline as a result of poor decisions made by management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. In addition, a company’s share price may also decline if its earnings or revenues fall short of expectations. There are overall stock market risks that may also affect the value of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. Over time, the stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods when stock prices rise generally and periods when stock prices decline generally. The value of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investments may increase or decrease more than the stock markets in general. Of course, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is subject to these same risks to the extent that it invests directly in common stocks.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that own fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities and thus the value of ETFs that own fixed income securities. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, possibly causing the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. In addition, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that own what are sometimes referred to as “junk bonds.” Such securities are speculative investments that carry greater risks and are more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher quality debt securities.
Fund of Funds Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is a “fund of funds,” a term typically used to describe an investment company whose principal investment strategy involves investing in other investment companies, such as ETFs. Investors can invest directly in ETFs and do not have to invest through the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. The cost of investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will generally be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs or other investment company shares. Investors in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in addition to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s direct fees and expenses. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. The ETFs in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the benchmarks they track because of transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities and because the ETFs will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable benchmarks. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by these ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ability of the ETFs to track their applicable benchmarks.
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Futures Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s use of futures contracts involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) leverage risk; (ii) correlation or tracking risk and (iii) liquidity risk. Because futures require only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit or margin, they involve a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, the fluctuation of the value of futures in relation to the underlying assets upon which they are based is magnified. Thus, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may experience losses that exceed losses experienced by funds that do not use futures contracts. There may be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a futures contract and price movements of investments for which futures are used as a substitute, or which futures are intended to hedge. Lack of correlation (or tracking) may be due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. Consequently, the effectiveness of futures as a security substitute or as a hedging vehicle will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the futures and price movements in underlying securities. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intra-day price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time which is advantageous. The successful use of futures depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the ability of the adviser to predict movements of the underlying securities markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular futures strategy adopted will succeed.
General Market Risk. Domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, political events, terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus epidemics and other events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s performance. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closure, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the economy. These events could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s service providers, including the Adviser, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s service providers to perform essential tasks on behalf of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. An unexpected or quick reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, could increase volatility in securities markets, which could adversely affect the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investments. Accordingly, you should consider your own investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance before investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund. An investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is not a deposit in the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund.
Growth Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest in ETFs that invest in companies that appear to be growth oriented. Growth companies are those that the adviser believes will have revenue and earnings that grow faster than the economy as a whole, offering above-average prospects for capital appreciation and little or no emphasis on dividend income. If the adviser’s perceptions of a company’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased may not perform as expected, reducing the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s return.
High Yield Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in ETFs that hold high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) which may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may lose its entire investment.
High
Volatility in Rising Markets Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may
invest in volatility ETFs which in periods of high volatility, the will
rebalance its portfolio and decrease exposure to the stock component of the ETF
and increase its exposure to cash. Due to such ETF’s increased exposure to the
cash during such time periods, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund would not be
expected to gain the full benefit of rising equity markets if such market
conditions were also accompanied by high volatility.
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Interest Rate Risk. The values of certain instruments, including bonds and other debt instruments usually rise and fall in response to changes in interest rates. Declining interest rates generally increase the value of existing debt instruments, and rising interest rates generally decrease the value of existing debt instruments. Changes in a debt instrument’s value usually will not affect the amount of interest income paid to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, but will affect the value of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for investments with longer maturities.
Large-Cap Securities Risk. Stocks of large companies as a group can fall out of favor with the market, causing the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to underperform should it hold ETF investments that have a greater focus on mid-cap or small-cap stocks. Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.
Leveraged, Inverse and Inverse-Leveraged ETF Risk. If you invest in the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, you are exposed to the risks associated with leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs. Leveraged and inverse products are unique and involve additional risks and considerations not present in traditional investments. This includes the risk that an increase in the daily performance of an index corresponding to a leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETF will be leveraged. This means that the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment in such ETF may be reduced by an amount equal to 3% for every 1% daily increase, not including the cost of financing the portfolio and the impact of operating expenses, which would further lower the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment. On any given day, an investment in a leveraged or inverse product may produce a return very similar to the stated objective. However, because of the structure of these products, their rebalancing methodologies, and the math of compounding, extended holdings beyond one day or month, depending on the investment objective, can lead to results very different from a simple doubling, tripling, or inverse of the benchmark’s average return over the same period of time. This difference in results can be magnified in volatile markets. Further, investments in leveraged, inverse and inverse-leveraged ETFs that are held for longer periods, may have performance higher or lower than the index return times the fund multiple, due to compounding.
Management Risk. Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s investment. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is actively managed and depends heavily on the Adviser’s judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s portfolio managers use quantitative analyses and/or statistical tools including models. The Adviser’s assessment of the predictive validity of its analysis may prove incorrect. Any imperfections or limitations in such analyses could affect the ability of the portfolio managers to implement strategies. By necessity, these analyses and tools make simplifying assumptions that limit their efficacy. Models and “signals” derived from the Adviser’s analysis that appear to explain prior market data can fail to predict future market events. Further, the data used in tools and analysis may be inaccurate and/or it may not include the most recent information about a company or a security. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund could experience losses if these judgments prove to be incorrect. Additionally, if one or more key individuals leave, the Adviser may not be able to hire qualified replacements or may require extended time to do so. This situation could prevent the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund from achieving its investment objectives.
Options Risk. The seller of an uncovered call option assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The securities necessary to satisfy the exercise of the call option may be unavailable for purchase except at much higher prices. Purchasing securities to satisfy the exercise of the call option can itself cause the price of the securities to rise further, sometimes by a significant amount, thereby exacerbating the loss. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option which is covered (e.g., the writer has a short position in the underlying security) assumes the risk of an increase in the market price of the underlying security above the sales price (in establishing the short position) of the underlying security plus the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its objective and may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is equivalent to a fund buying and selling all of the securities in its portfolio once during the course of a year. How long the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund holds a security in its portfolio is generally not a factor in making buy and sell decisions. Increased portfolio turnover may cause the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s performance, and may produce increased taxable distributions. The distributions may be taxable as short-term capital gains which are taxed at ordinary income taxation rates rather than at the currently lower long-term capital gains taxation rates. It is likely that all or most of the distributions will be short-term capital gains.
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Real Estate Investment Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may have investments in ETFs that hold securities issued by, and/or have exposure to, commercial and residential real estate companies. Real estate securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including changes in local and general economic conditions, vacancy rates, interest rates, zoning laws, rental income, property taxes, operating expenses and losses from casualty or condemnation. An investment in a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) is subject to additional risks, including poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse tax consequences, and limited diversification resulting from being invested in a limited number or type of properties or a narrow geographic area.
Sector Risk. Sector risk is the possibility that stocks within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Adviser invests a significant portion of its assets in ETFs and stock in a particular sector, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund is subject to the risk that companies in the same sector are likely to react similarly to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that market segment. The sectors in which the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be over-weighted will vary.
Securities Lending Risk. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may lend its portfolio securities to financial institutions under guidelines adopted by the Board of Trustees, including a requirement that the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund receive cash collateral from the borrower equal to no less than 100% of the market value of the securities loaned. The Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may invest this cash collateral in high quality short-term debt obligations, government obligations, bank guarantees or money market mutual funds. Securities lending involves two primary risks: “investment risk” and “borrower default risk.” Investment risk is the risk that the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will lose money from the investment of the cash collateral. Borrower default risk is the risk that the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund will lose money due to the failure of a borrower to return a borrowed security in a timely manner.
Small and Medium Sized Companies Risk. To the extent the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund invests in the stocks of small and medium capitalization companies or ETFs that invest in such companies, the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund may be subject to additional risks. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. The trading volume of securities of small and medium sized companies is normally less than that of larger companies and, therefore, may disproportionately affect their market price, tending to make them fall more in response to selling pressure than is the case with larger companies. Small and medium sized companies may have limited markets, product lines or financial resources and may lack management experience.
Securities Lending – All Funds
To generate additional income, the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund and the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) may lend its portfolio securities to qualified banks, broker-dealers and financial institutions (referred to as “borrowers”), provided that: (i) the loan is continuously secured by collateral in cash, cash equivalents, bank letters of credit or U.S. Government securities equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities, and such collateral must be valued, or “marked to market,” daily (borrowers are required to furnish additional collateral to the Fund as necessary to fully cover their obligations); (ii) the loan may be recalled at any time by a Fund and the loaned securities be returned; (iii) a Fund will receive any interest, dividends or other distributions paid on the loaned securities; and (iv) the aggregate value of the loaned securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of a Fund’s total assets. The Funds generally retain part or all of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. While this practice will not impact each Fund’s principal investment strategy, it does subject the Funds to the securities lending risk described in this Prospectus.
Loans of securities involve a risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities or may fail to maintain the proper amount of collateral, which may result in a loss of money by a Fund or a delay in recovering the loaned securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy of the borrower, a Fund could experience delays in recovering the loaned securities or only recover cash or a security of equivalent value. Therefore, a Fund will only enter into portfolio loans after a review of all pertinent factors by the Adviser under the supervision of the Board, including the creditworthiness of the borrower and then only if the consideration to be received from such loans would justify the risk. Creditworthiness will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Adviser. The Board of Trustees has a fiduciary obligation to recall a loan in time to vote proxies if fund management has knowledge of a material vote respect to the loaned securities and each Fund will attempt to recall a loaned security to permit the exercise of voting or consent rights if the matter involved would have a material effect on a Fund’s investment in the security. The costs of securities lending are not reflected in the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table or “Expense Example” above.
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Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. Fund operations, including business, financial, accounting, data processing systems or other operating systems and facilities may be disrupted, disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors, including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control. For example, there could be electrical or telecommunications outages; degradation or loss of internet or web services; natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes; disease pandemics; or events arising from local or larger scale political or social events, as well as terrorist acts.
Each Fund is also subject to the risk of potential cyber incidents, which may include, but are not limited to, the harming of or unauthorized access to digital systems (for example, through “hacking” or infection by computer viruses or other malicious software code), denial-of-service attacks on websites, and the inadvertent or intentional release of confidential or proprietary information. Cyber incidents may, among other things, harm Fund operations, result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, cause the release of confidential or highly restricted information, and result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and/or increased compliance, reimbursement or other compensation costs. Fund operations that may be disrupted or halted due to a cyber incident include trading, the processing of shareholder transactions, and the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value.
Issues affecting operating systems and facilities through cyber incidents, any of the scenarios described above, or other factors, may harm a Fund by affecting the Adviser, or other service providers, or issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Although the Fund has business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, including what the Fund believes to be robust information security procedures and controls, there is no guarantee that these measures will prevent cyber incidents or prevent or ameliorate the effects of significant and widespread disruption to our physical infrastructure or operating systems. Furthermore, each Fund cannot directly control the security or other measures taken by unaffiliated service providers or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Such risks at issuers of securities in which a Fund invests could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such securities to lose value.
Portfolio Holdings Information
A
description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of
each Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ SAI.
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The Trust on behalf of the Funds has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) with Innealta Capital, LLC, located at 13215 Bee Cave Parkway, Building A, Suite 240, Austin, TX 78738, under which the Adviser manages each Fund’s investments subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees. Under the Advisory Agreement, each Fund compensates the Adviser for its investment advisory services at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, payable on a monthly basis.
Fund Expenses. Each Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses. Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between the Adviser and each Fund, the Adviser has agreed to reduce its management fees and/or pay expenses of the Funds to ensure that the total amount of Fund operating expenses excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) do not exceed 1.49% and 1.24% of each Fund’s average net assets for Class N and Class I shares respectively, through April 30, 2025, subject thereafter to annual re-approval of the agreement by the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from a Fund for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. Each Fund must pay its current ordinary operating expenses before the Adviser is entitled to any reimbursement of management fees and/or expenses. This Operating Expense Limitation Agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent, of the Board of Trustees. For the most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Adviser received an advisory fee net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements equal to 0.90% of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.91% of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund’s average daily net assets.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement for the Funds is available in the Funds’ annual report to shareholders dated December 31, 2023.
Vito Sciaraffia, Ph.D. is the Chief Investment Officer of Innealta Capital, LLC. He is responsible for ensuring prudent management of all Innealta client assets, designing novel quantitative strategies, and leading the research activities of the investment team.
Dr. Sciaraffia’s present role both emphasizes and builds upon his professional experience, focused heavily on the quantitative evaluation of equity securities and financial markets. In addition, he is actively involved with clients through conference presentations, webinars, and written market commentaries. Dr. Sciaraffia has been in the financial industry since 2004. His previous work experience includes: Senior Researcher on the Strategy Research Team at Dimensional Fund Advisors, Management Associate in the Investment Banking Division at Citigroup, and member of the Market Risk Team at JP Morgan. While at Dimensional, Dr. Sciaraffia conducted empirical asset pricing research, wrote research papers, enhanced the design of investment strategies, and collaborated with their marketing and sales departments by delivering technical presentations to various clients.
Additionally, Dr. Sciaraffia serves as Clinical Professor of Finance at the McCombs School of Business of the University of Texas at Austin, where he focuses his research on empirical asset pricing and teaches the quantitative investment strategy course for graduate students. He earned his Ph.D. in business administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he has an MA in Mathematics with an emphasis in stochastic processes and an MS in Business from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA and an M.S. in Finance from the University of Chile, and a B.S. in Economics and Management from the Catholic University of Chile.
Yuxing Zhang, CFA, FRM, is a Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Research Analyst of Innealta Capital, joined Innealta Capital 2017. Mr. Zhang is part of Innealta’s quantitative and implementation team, which is responsible for the day-to-day data management, portfolio implementation and ongoing enhancement of our models and systems. Mr. Zhang received a B.S. degree in Applied Mathematics and a B.A. in Economics from the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in 2014 and a M.S. in Financial Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 2016.
Franco Fava is an Assistant Portfolio Manager and Financial Quantitative Analyst of Innealta Capital, joined Innealta Capital 2019. Mr. Fava is part of Innealta’s quantitative and implementation team, providing analytical support through in-depth research and quantitative analysis of the sector, region, and country fundamentals. Mr. Fava received a B.S. in Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in 2016 and a graduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the same University in 2018.
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The Trust has adopted a multiple class plan that allows each Fund to offer one or more classes of shares. Each Fund has registered three classes of shares – Class A shares, Class I shares and Class N shares. Currently, only Class I and Class N shares are being offered. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes generally offered through different distribution channels and are subject to different expenses and may have different share prices as outlined below:
· Class I shares are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of a Fund.
· Class N shares are sold without an initial sales charge, but are subject to a 0.25% Rule 12b-1 distribution and servicing fee. Class N shares are generally offered through financial intermediary platforms, including, but not limited to, asset allocation, mutual fund wrap, or other discretionary and non-discretionary fee-based investment advisory programs, as well as directly from the Funds’ distributor.
Class I shares may be purchased without the imposition of any sales charges. Each Fund offers Class I shares primarily for direct investment by investors such as pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations, corporations and high net worth individuals. Class I shares may also be offered through certain financial intermediaries (including broker-dealers) and their agents in fee based and other programs. In these programs financial intermediaries have made arrangements with the Funds and are authorized to buy and sell shares of the Funds that charge their customers transaction or other distribution or service fees with respect to their customers’ investments in the Funds. Class I shares are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge, and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees. The minimum initial investment in Class I shares of a Fund is $20,000.
Class N shares of a Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. Class N shares pay up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets as reimbursement or compensation for service and distribution-related activities with respect to the Funds and/or shareholder services. Over time, fees paid under this distribution and service plan will increase the cost of a Class N shareholder’s investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges. The minimum initial investment in Class N shares of the Funds is $5,000. The minimum subsequent investment in Class N shares of the Funds is $1,000.
Shares of the Fund are sold at net asset value (“NAV”). The NAV of each Fund is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of a Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account, on a per class basis, the expenses and fees of a Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for a share class for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by a Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.
Generally, each Fund’s securities listed on an exchange are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid ask prices on such exchanges. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued
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using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the- counter market. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity.
If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board appointed the Adviser as its designee (the “Valuation Designee”) for all fair value determinations and responsibilities other than overseeing pricing service providers used by the Trust. This designation is subject to Board oversight and certain reporting and other requirements designed to facilitate the Board’s ability to oversee the Valuation Designee’s fair value determinations effectively . The Valuation Designee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board is responsible for reviewing and approving fair value methodologies utilized by the Valuation Designee, which approval shall be based upon whether the Valuation Designee followed the valuation procedures established by the Board.
Each Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund’s securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because each Fund may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of some of a Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.
In computing the NAV, each Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in a Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before a Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before a Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine net asset value, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.
With respect to any portion of a Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s net asset value is calculated based upon the net asset values of those open-end management investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.
Each Fund offers two share classes so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs: Class N and Class I shares. The main differences between the classes are the ongoing fees. In choosing which class of shares to purchase, you should consider which will be most beneficial to you given your investment goals, the amount of your purchase and the length of time you expect to hold the shares. Each class of shares in a Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments in the Fund. Not all share classes may be available for purchase in all states.
Purchase by Mail. To purchase a Fund’s shares by mail, simply complete and sign the Account Application and mail it, along with a check made payable to “Dynamic International Opportunity Fund” or “Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund” as applicable to:
via Regular mail: | via Overnight mail: | |
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC | Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC | |
P.O. Box 541150 | 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100 | |
Omaha, NE 68154 | Elkhorn, NE 68022 |
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Purchase through Brokers. You may invest in the Funds through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Funds’ distributor. The brokers and agents are authorized to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds. The Funds will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or its designee receives the order. The broker or agent may set their own initial and subsequent investment minimums. You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to buy or redeem shares of a Fund. Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from those applicable to investors purchasing shares directly from a Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Funds’ behalf. Broker-dealers may charge commissions on brokerage transactions in Clean Shares, which are shares purchased at net asset value without any sales load and 12b-1 distribution/service fees.
Purchase by Wire. If you wish to wire money to make an investment in a Fund, please call the Fund at 1-855-USE-ETFS for wiring instructions and to notify the Fund that a wire transfer is coming. Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds via wire. The Funds will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the Funds’ designated bank before the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your bank may charge you a fee for wiring same-day funds.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) Purchase: Current shareholders may purchase additional shares via Automated Clearing House (“ACH”). To have this option added to your account, please send a letter to the Fund requesting this option and supply a voided check for the bank account. Only bank accounts held at domestic institutions that are ACH members may be used for these transactions.
You may not use ACH transactions for your initial purchase of Fund shares. ACH purchases will be effective at the closing price per share on the business day after the order is placed. The Fund may alter, modify or terminate this purchase option at any time.
Shares purchased by ACH will not be available for redemption until the transactions have cleared. Shares purchased via ACH transfer may take up to 15 days to clear.
Automatic Investment Plan. You may participate in the Funds’ Automatic Investment Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money from your bank account and invests it in a Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers or automatic bank drafts. You may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of $250 on specified days of each month into your established Fund account. Please contact the Funds at 1-855-USE-ETFS for more information about the Funds’ Automatic Investment Plan. Minimum initial investment requirements may be waived for Automatic Investment Plan investors, at the Funds’ discretion.
The Funds, however, reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any application to purchase shares. Applications will not be accepted unless they are accompanied by a check drawn on a U.S. bank, thrift institutions, or credit union in U.S. funds for the full amount of the shares to be purchased. After you open an account, you may purchase additional shares by sending a check together with written instructions stating the name(s) on the account and the account number, to the above address. Make all checks payable to “Dynamic International Opportunity Fund” or “Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund.” The Funds will not accept payment in cash, including cashier’s checks or money orders. Also, to prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, U.S. Treasury checks, credit card checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares. Redemptions of shares of the Fund purchased by check may be subject to a hold period until the check has been cleared by the issuing bank. To avoid such holding periods, shares may be purchased through a broker or by wire, as described in this section.
Note: Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, the Funds’ transfer agent, will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Funds, for any check or electronic payment returned to the transfer agent for insufficient funds.
Anti-Money Laundering Program. The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including the Funds, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. As requested on the application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing a P.O. Box will not be accepted. This information will assist the Fund in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, the Funds may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, the Funds may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a shareholder’s identity. As required by law, the Funds may employ various procedures, such as comparing the information to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct.
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In order to ensure compliance with these laws, the Account Application asks for, among other things, the following information for all “customers” seeking to open an “account” (as those terms are defined in rules adopted pursuant to the USA PATRIOT Act):
· | full name; |
· | date of birth (individuals only); |
· | Social Security or taxpayer identification number; and |
· | permanent street address (P.O. Box only is not acceptable). |
Accounts
opened by entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies,
partnerships or trusts, will require
additional documentation.
Please note that if any information listed above is missing, your Account Application will be returned and your account will not be opened. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act and other applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations, the Transfer Agent will verify the information on your application as part of the Program. The Funds reserve the right to request additional clarifying information and may close your account if such clarifying information is not received by the Funds within a reasonable time of the request or if the Funds cannot form a reasonable belief as to the true identity of a customer. If you require additional assistance when completing your Account Application, please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-USE-ETFS.
Each Fund typically expect that it will take up to 7 days following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of the applicable Fund shares, any line of credit, and then from the sale of portfolio securities. These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions.
You may redeem all or any portion of the shares credited to your account by submitting a written request for redemption to:
via Regular mail: | via Overnight mail: | |
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund | Dynamic International Opportunity Fund | |
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC | c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC | |
P.O. Box 541150 | 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100 | |
Omaha, NE 68154 | Elkhorn, NE 68022 |
Or
via Regular mail: | via Overnight mail: | |
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund | Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund | |
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC | c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC | |
P.O. Box 541150 | 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100 | |
Omaha, NE 68154 | Elkhorn, NE 68022 |
Redemptions by Telephone: The telephone redemption privilege is automatically available to all new accounts. If you do not want the telephone redemption privilege, you must indicate this in the appropriate area on your account application or you must write to a Fund and instruct it to remove this privilege from your account. If you own an IRA, you will be asked whether or not the Fund should withhold federal income tax.
The proceeds will be sent by mail to the address designated on your account or wired directly to your existing account in a bank or brokerage firm in the United States as designated on your application. To redeem by telephone, call 1-855-USE-ETFS. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of your telephone instructions.
The
Funds reserve the right to suspend the telephone redemption privileges with
respect to your account if the name(s) or the address on the account has been
changed within the previous 30 days. Neither the Funds, the transfer agent, nor
their respective affiliates will be liable for complying with telephone
instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine or for any loss, damage, cost
or expenses in acting on such telephone instructions and you will be required to
bear the risk of any such loss. The Funds or the transfer agent, or both, will
employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are
genuine. If the Funds and/or the transfer agent do not employ these procedures,
they may be liable to you for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent
instructions. These procedures may include, among others, requiring forms of
personal identification prior to acting upon telephone instructions, providing
written confirmation of the transactions and/or tape recording telephone
instructions.
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During periods of high market activity, you may encounter higher than usual wait times. Please allow sufficient time to ensure that you will be able to complete your telephone transaction prior to market close. Neither the Fund nor its transfer agent will be held liable if you are unable to place your trade due to high call volume.
Redemptions through Broker: If shares of a Fund are held by a broker-dealer, financial institution or other servicing agent, you must contact that servicing agent to redeem shares of a Fund. The servicing agent may charge a fee for this service.
Redemptions by Wire: You may request that your redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The Funds’ transfer agent imposes a $15 fee for each wire redemption and deducts the fee directly from your account. Your bank may also impose a fee for the incoming wire.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan: If your individual accounts, IRA or other qualified plan account have a current account value of at least $5,000, you may participate in the Funds’ Systematic Withdrawal Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money to your bank account from a Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers. You may elect to make subsequent withdrawals by transfers of a minimum of $250 on specified days of each month into your established bank account. Please contact the Funds at 1-855-USE-ETFS for more information about the Funds’ Systematic Withdrawal Plan.
Redemptions in Kind: The Funds reserve the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (if the request is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1.00% of a Fund’s net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period). The securities will be chosen by a Fund and valued using the same procedures as used in calculating the Fund’s NAV. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash and securities redeemed in-kind remain at the risk of the market until they are sold and the shareholder will bear market risk until the securities are converted to cash.
When Redemptions are Sent: Once a Fund receives your redemption request in “good order” as described below, it will issue a check based on the next determined NAV following your redemption request. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of a request in “good order.” If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, your redemption proceeds will not be sent until the check used for your purchase has cleared your bank.
Good Order: Your redemption request will be processed if it is in “good order.” To be in good order, the following conditions must be satisfied: · The request should be in writing, unless redeeming by telephone, indicating the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed; · The request must identify your account number; · The request should be signed by you and any other person listed on the account, exactly as the shares are registered; and · If you request that the redemption proceeds be sent to a person, bank or an address other than that of record or paid to someone other than the record owner(s), or if the address was changed within the last 30 days, or if the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000, the signature(s) on the request must be medallion signature guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor. |
When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees: If you wish to change the bank or brokerage account that you have designated on your account, you may do so at any time by writing to a Fund with your signature guaranteed. A medallion signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account transfers. You will need your signature guaranteed if:
· | you request a redemption to be made payable to a person not on record with a Fund; |
· | you request that a redemption be mailed to an address other than that on record with a Fund; |
· | the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000; |
· | any redemption is transmitted by federal wire transfer to a bank other than the bank of record; or |
· | your address was changed within 30 days of
your redemption request. |
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Signatures may be guaranteed by any eligible guarantor institution (including banks, brokers and dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations). Further documentation will be required to change the designated account if shares are held by a corporation, fiduciary or other organization. A notary public cannot guarantee signatures.
Retirement Plans: If you own an IRA or other retirement plan, you must indicate on your redemption request whether a Fund should withhold federal income tax. Unless you elect in your redemption request that you do not want to have federal tax withheld, the redemption will be subject to withholding.
Low Balances: If at any time your account balance falls below $3,000 for Class N shares and $20,000 for Class I shares, the Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to at least $5,000 for Class N shares or $50,000 for Class I shares within 60 days of the notice; your account could be closed. After the notice period, the Fund may redeem all of your shares and close your account by sending you a check to the address of record. Your account will not be closed if the account balance drops below required minimum due to a decline in NAV.
Converting Shares: Subject to the requirements set forth below, you may be eligible to convert your Class N or Class I shares to another share class within the same Fund.
· | If you hold Class N shares and are eligible to purchase Class I shares, as described above in the section entitled Class I shares, you may be eligible to convert your Class N shares to Class I shares of the same Fund. |
If you convert from one class of shares to another, the transaction will be based on the respective NAVs per share of the two classes on the trade date for the conversion. Consequently, a conversion may provide you with fewer shares or more shares than you originally owned, depending on that day’s NAVs per share. At the time of conversion, the total dollar value of your “old” shares will equal the total dollar value of your “new” shares. However, subsequent share price fluctuations may decrease or increase the total dollar value of your “new” shares compared with that of your “old” shares.
Please contact your financial advisor or the Funds directly at 1-855-USE-ETFS to request a conversion. A self-directed conversion is subject to the discretion of the Adviser to permit or reject. A conversion between share classes of the same Fund is not a taxable event.
You may exchange Class N and Class I shares of a Fund for the same class of shares of another Dynamic Fund with the same registration. The amount of the exchange must be equal to or greater than the required minimum initial investment of the other Fund, as stated in the Prospectus. You may realize either a gain or loss on those shares and will be responsible for paying any applicable taxes. If you exchange shares through a broker, the broker may charge you a transaction fee. Also, if you hold a Fund through a financial intermediary, this privilege may be limited by the intermediary. You may exchange shares by sending a written request to the Fund or by telephone. Be sure that your written request includes the dollar amount or number of shares to be exchanged, the name(s) on the account and the account number(s), and is signed by all shareholders on the account. In order to limit expenses, the Fund reserves the right to limit the total number of exchanges you can make in any year. There are no sales charges for exchanges of Class N and Class I shares.
To establish internet transaction privileges, you must enroll through the Funds’ website. You automatically have the ability to establish internet transaction privileges unless you decline the privileges on your New Account Application or IRA Application. You will be required to enter into a user’s agreement through the website in order to enroll in these privileges. To purchase shares through the website, you must also have ACH instructions on your account. Redemption proceeds may be sent to you by check to the address or record, or if your account has existing bank information, by wire or ACH. Only bank accounts held at domestic financial institutions that are ACH members can be used for transactions through the Fund’s website. Transactions through the website are subject to the same minimums and maximums as other transaction methods. Please call 1-855-USE-ETFS for assistance with establishing online access.
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You should be aware that the internet is an unsecured, unstable, unregulated and unpredictable environment. Your ability to use the website for transactions is dependent upon the internet and equipment, software, systems, data and services provided by various vendors and third parties. While the Fund and its service providers have established certain security procedures, the Fund, their distributor and their transfer agent cannot assure you that trading information will be completely secure.
There may also be delays, malfunctions, or other inconveniences generally associated with this medium. There also may be times when the website is unavailable for Fund transactions or other purposes. Should this happen, you should consider purchasing or redeeming shares by another method. Neither the Fund nor their transfer agent, distributor nor Advisor will be liable for any such delays or malfunctions or unauthorized interception or access to communications or account information.
Tools to Combat Frequent Transactions
Each Fund discourages and does not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of a Fund can harm all Fund shareholders by disrupting the Fund’s investment strategies, increasing Fund expenses, decreasing tax efficiency and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. The Funds are designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Funds’ Board has approved policies that seek to curb these disruptive activities while recognizing that shareholders may have a legitimate need to adjust their Fund investments as their financial needs or circumstances change. The Funds currently use several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include:
Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, a Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund’s shareholders.
The Funds reserve the right to reject or restrict purchase or exchange requests for any reason, particularly when the shareholder’s trading activity suggests that the shareholder may be engaged in market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Neither the Funds nor the Adviser will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase or exchange orders. The Adviser may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor’s financial adviser) from opening new accounts with the Funds.
Although the Funds attempt to limit disruptive trading activities, some investors use a variety of strategies to hide their identities and their trading practices. There can be no guarantee that the Funds will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Funds. While the Funds will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers who invest indirectly in a Fund, the Funds are limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, a Fund may not be able to detect market timing that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify in the omnibus accounts used by those intermediaries for aggregated purchases, exchanges and redemptions on behalf of all their customers. More specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers through such methods as implementing short-term trading limitations or restrictions and monitoring trading activity for what might be market timing, a Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Funds have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Funds upon request. If a Fund or its transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Fund will seek full cooperation from the service provider maintaining the account to identify the underlying participant. At the request of the Adviser, the service providers may take immediate action to stop any further short-term trading by such participants.
Householding. To reduce expenses, the Funds mail only one copy of the Prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Funds at 1-855-USE-ETFS on days the Funds are open for business or contact your financial institution. The Funds will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.
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The Distributor
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) is located at 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100, Elkhorn, NE 68022, and serves as distributor and principal underwriter to the Funds. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Shares of the Funds are offered on a continuous basis.
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Plans
Each Fund has adopted a Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (the “12b-1 Plans”) under the 1940 Act for Class N shares. Under the 12b-1 Plans, the Funds are authorized to pay the Funds’ distributor, or such other entities as approved by the Board of Trustees, a fee for the promotion and distribution of the Funds and the provision of personal services to shareholders. The maximum amount of the fee authorized is 0.25% of the Funds’ average daily net assets annually for Class N shares. The distributor may pay any or all amounts received under the 12b-1 Plans to other persons, including the Adviser, for any distribution or service activity. Because these fees are paid out of a Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment in the Fund and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
In addition to the fees paid under the 12b-1 Plan, the Funds may pay service fees to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors or other financial institutions, including the Adviser and affiliates of the Adviser, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held of record in omnibus, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents.
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries
The distributor, its affiliates and the Adviser, out of its own resources, and without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders, may provide additional cash payments or non-cash compensation to intermediaries who sell shares of the Funds. Such payments and compensation are in addition to service fees paid by the Funds, if any. These additional cash payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Cash compensation may also be paid to intermediaries for inclusion of the Funds on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs or as an expense reimbursement in cases where the intermediary provides shareholder services to the Funds’ shareholders. The Adviser may also pay cash compensation in the form of finder’s fees that vary depending on the dollar amount of the shares sold.
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Tax Status, Dividends and Distributions
Any sale or exchange of a Fund’s shares may generate tax liability (unless you are a tax-exempt investor or your investment is in a qualified retirement account). When you redeem your shares you may realize a taxable gain or loss. This is measured by the difference between the proceeds of the sale and the tax basis for the shares you sold. (To aid in computing your tax basis, you generally should retain your account statements for the period that you hold shares in a Fund.)
Any dividends are declared and paid annually in December. Any capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Both distributions will be reinvested in shares of the respective Fund unless you elect to receive cash. Dividends from net investment income (including any excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) are taxable to investors as ordinary income, while distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of your holding period for the shares. Any dividends or capital gain distributions you receive from a Fund will normally be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions or receive them in cash. Certain dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December will be taxed to shareholders as if received in December if they are paid during the following January. Each year the Funds will inform you of the amount and type of your distributions. IRAs and other qualified retirement plans are exempt from federal income taxation until retirement proceeds are paid out to the participant.
Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the cost of your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell them. The Fund must report to the IRS and furnish to shareholders the cost basis information for shares purchased and sold. The Fund has chosen average cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders, which means this is the method the Fund will use to determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing NAVs, and the entire position is not sold at one time. Shareholders may, however, choose a method other than the Fund’s standing method at the time of their purchase or upon sale of covered shares. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how cost basis reporting applies to them. Shareholders also should carefully review the cost basis information provided to them by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns.
On the account application, you will be asked to certify that your social security number or taxpayer identification number is correct and that you are not subject to backup withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are subject to backup withholding or you did not certify your taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Funds to withhold a percentage of any dividend, redemption or exchange proceeds. The Funds reserve the right to reject any application that does not include a certified social security or taxpayer identification number. If you do not have a social security number, you should indicate on the purchase form that your application to obtain a number is pending. Each Fund is required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to a Fund within seven days.
This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice. This summary is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. The tax considerations relevant to a specific shareholder depend upon its specific circumstances, and this summary does not attempt to discuss all potential tax considerations that could be relevant to a prospective shareholder with respect to a Fund or its investments. This general summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Federal Income Tax Regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change (potentially on a retroactive basis). You should consult your own independent tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of owning a Fund’s shares.
Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on: (a) income and dividends paid by a Fund and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the gross proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by a Fund after December 31, 2018. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it either enters into a valid agreement with the IRS or otherwise complies with the specific requirements and provisions of an applicable intergovernmental agreement, in each case to, among other requirements, to collect and report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
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The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for the period of a Fund’s operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Fund’s current independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with each Fund’s financial statements, are included in each Fund’s December 31, 2023 annual report, which is available at no charge upon request. Years prior to 2023 were audited by the Fund’s previous independent public accounting firm.
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period.
Class I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Period*Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | November 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year/period |
$ | 11.26 | $ | 13.18 | $ | 13.16 | $ | 10.43 | $ | 10.41 | $ | 10.47 | ||||||||||||
Activity from investment operations: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income(1) | 0.29 | 0.14 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.20 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 0.94 | (1.92 | ) | 0.02 | 2.75 | 0.10 | (0.06 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 1.23 | (1.78 | ) | 0.14 | 2.84 | 0.20 | 0.14 | |||||||||||||||||
Less distributions from: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income | (0.29 | ) | (0.14 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.09 | ) | (0.17 | ) | (0.20 | ) | ||||||||||||
Return of capital | — | — | — | (0.02 | ) | (0.01 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.29 | ) | (0.14 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.11 | ) | (0.18 | ) | (0.20 | ) | ||||||||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees |
— | — | — | — | — | 0.00 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of year/period |
$ | 12.20 | $ | 11.26 | $ | 13.18 | $ | 13.16 | $ | 10.43 | $ | 10.41 | ||||||||||||
Total return(2) | 10.95 | % | (13.47 | )% | 1.05 | % | 27.20 | % | 1.91 | %(8) | 1.39 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, at end of year/period (000s) |
$ | 102,227 | $ | 87,534 | $ | 104,565 | $ | 102,191 | $ | 85,441 | $ | 84,257 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets(3)(4) | 1.34 | % | 1.36 | % | 1.34 | % | 1.38 | % | 1.45 | %(7) | 1.41 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets(4) |
1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | %(7) | 1.24 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(4)(5) | 2.46 | % | 1.17 | % | 0.91 | % | 0.82 | % | 11.59 | %(7) | 1.93 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 62 | % | 115 | % | 54 | % | 180 | % | 0 | %(8) | 79 | % | ||||||||||||
* | For the period December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Effective December 31, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year end. |
(1) | Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year/period. |
(2) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable redemption fees. Had the Adviser not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower. |
(3) | Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser. |
(4) | Does not include the expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(5) | Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(6) | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
(7) | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
(8) | Not annualized. |
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Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period.
Class N | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Period*Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | November 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year/period |
$ | 11.28 | $ | 13.21 | $ | 13.18 | $ | 10.46 | $ | 10.40 | $ | 10.45 | ||||||||||||
Activity from investment operations: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income(1) | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.18 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 1.07 | (1.93 | ) | 0.02 | 2.73 | 0.10 | (0.07 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 1.19 | (1.81 | ) | 0.11 | 2.80 | 0.20 | 0.11 | |||||||||||||||||
Less distributions from: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income | (0.23 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.08 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (0.13 | ) | (0.16 | ) | ||||||||||||
Return of capital | — | — | — | (0.02 | ) | (0.01 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.23 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.08 | ) | (0.08 | ) | (0.14 | ) | (0.16 | ) | ||||||||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees | — | — | — | — | — | 0.00 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of year/period |
$ | 12.24 | $ | 11.28 | $ | 13.21 | $ | 13.18 | $ | 10.46 | $ | 10.40 | ||||||||||||
Total return(2) | 10.61 | % | (13.72 | )% | 0.86 | % | 26.78 | % | 1.95 | %(8) | 1.09 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, at end of year/period (000s) |
$ | 2,659 | $ | 8,418 | $ | 9,217 | $ | 8,791 | $ | 7,052 | $ | 7,822 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets(3)(4) |
1.61 | % | 1.61 | % | 1.59 | % | 1.63 | % | 1.70 | %(7) | 1.68 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets(4) |
1.49 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.49 | %(7) | 1.49 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(4)(5) | 1.01 | % | 0.99 | % | 0.65 | % | 0.60 | % | 10.88 | %(7) | 1.83 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 62 | % | 115 | % | 54 | % | 180 | % | 0 | %(8) | 79 | % | ||||||||||||
* | For the period December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Effective December 31, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year end. |
(1) | Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year/period. |
(2) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable redemption fees. Had the Adviser not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower. |
(3) | Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser. |
(4) | Does not include the expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(5) | Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(6) | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
(7) | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
(8) | Not annualized. |
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Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period.
Class I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Period* Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | November 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year/period |
$ | 13.60 | $ | 15.08 | $ | 13.71 | $ | 12.21 | $ | 12.04 | $ | 12.31 | ||||||||||||
Activity from investment operations: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income(1) | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.13 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 2.06 | (1.25 | ) | 2.18 | 2.24 | 0.16 | 0.83 | |||||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations |
2.18 | (1.13 | ) | 2.19 | 2.29 | 0.23 | 0.96 | |||||||||||||||||
Less distributions from: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income | (0.15 | ) | (0.11 | ) | (0.01 | ) | (0.11 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (0.09 | ) | ||||||||||||
Net realized gains | — | (0.24 | ) | (0.81 | ) | (0.68 | ) | — | (1.14 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.15 | ) | (0.35 | ) | (0.82 | ) | (0.79 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (1.23 | ) | ||||||||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees |
— | — | — | — | — | 0.00 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of year/period |
$ | 15.63 | $ | 13.60 | $ | 15.08 | $ | 13.71 | $ | 12.21 | $ | 12.04 | ||||||||||||
Total return(2) | 16.05 | % | (7.50 | )% | 16.19 | % | 18.86 | %(9) | 1.91 | %(8)(9) | 10.33 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, at end of year/period (000s) |
$ | 106,992 | $ | 116,352 | $ | 97,667 | $ | 74,289 | $ | 44,768 | $ | 44,097 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets(3)(4) | 1.33 | % | 1.35 | % | 1.36 | % | 1.42 | % | 1.40 | %(7) | 1.42 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets(4) |
1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | %(7) | 1.24 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(4)(5) | 0.83 | % | 0.83 | % | 0.04 | % | 0.40 | % | 6.50 | %(7) | 1.13 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 70 | % | 184 | % | 95 | % | 306 | % | 13 | %(8) | 223 | % | ||||||||||||
* | For the period December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Effective December 31, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year end. |
(1) | Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year/period. |
(2) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable redemption fees. Had the Adviser not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower. |
(3) | Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser. |
(4) | Does not include the expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(5) | Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(6) | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
(7) | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
(8) | Not annualized. |
(9) | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and consequently, the net asset value for financial statement reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net assets may differ from the net asset values and returns for shareholder processing. |
39 |
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period.
Class N | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Period* Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | November 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year/period | $ | 13.62 | $ | 15.09 | $ | 13.74 | $ | 12.25 | $ | 12.05 | $ | 12.30 | ||||||||||||
Activity from investment operations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss)(1) | 0.08 | 0.08 | (0.03 | ) | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.10 | |||||||||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 2.06 | (1.23 | ) | 2.19 | 2.25 | 0.17 | 0.84 | |||||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 2.14 | (1.15 | ) | 2.16 | 2.26 | 0.23 | 0.94 | |||||||||||||||||
Less distributions from: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income | (0.11 | ) | (0.08 | ) | — | (0.09 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (0.05 | ) | |||||||||||||
Net realized gains | — | (0.24 | ) | (0.81 | ) | (0.68 | ) | — | (1.14 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.11 | ) | (0.32 | ) | (0.81 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (1.19 | ) | ||||||||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees | — | — | — | — | — | 0.00 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of year/period | $ | 15.65 | $ | 13.62 | $ | 15.09 | $ | 13.74 | $ | 12.25 | $ | 12.05 | ||||||||||||
Total return(2) | 15.73 | % | (7.66 | )% | 15.92 | % | 18.46 | %(9) | 1.88 | %(8) | 10.10 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, at end of year/period (000s) | $ | 8,146 | $ | 10,7375 | $ | 10,739 | $ | 9,616 | $ | 7,200 | $ | 7,186 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets(3)(4) |
1.58 | % | 1.60 | % | 1.62 | % | 1.67 | % | 1.65 | %(7) | 1.70 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets(4) |
1.49 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.49 | %(7) | 1.49 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to
average net assets(4)(5) |
0.58 | % | 0.55 | % | (0.21) | % | 0.11 | % | 6.24 | %(7) | 0.90 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 70 | % | 184 | % | 95 | % | 306 | % | 13 | %(8) | 223 | % | ||||||||||||
* | For the period December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Effective December 31, 2019, the Fund changed its fiscal year end. |
(1) | Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year/period. |
(2) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable redemption fees. Had the Adviser not waived a portion of the Fund's expenses, total returns would have been lower. |
(3) | Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Adviser. |
(4) | Does not include the expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(5) | Recognition of net investment income/(loss) by the Fund is affected by the timing of declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(6) | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
(7) | Annualized for periods less than one full year. |
(8) | Not annualized. |
(9) | Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and consequently, the net asset value for financial statement reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net assets may differ from the net asset values and returns for shareholder processing. |
40 |
Rev. May 2021 | ||||
FACTS | WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II (“NLFT II”) DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | |||
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. | |||
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: | |||
· Social Security number · Employment information · Account balances |
· Account transactions · Income · Investment experience | |||
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. | ||||
How? | All financial companies need to share a customer’s personal information to run their everyday business - to process transactions, maintain customer accounts, and report to credit bureaus. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customer’s personal information; the reasons NLFT II chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. | |||
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does NLFT II share? | Can you limit this sharing? | ||
For our everyday business purposes -- such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus |
Yes | No | ||
For our marketing purposes -- to offer our products and services to you |
Yes | No | ||
For joint marketing with other financial companies | Yes | No | ||
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes -- information about your transactions and experiences |
Yes | No | ||
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes -- information about your creditworthiness |
No | We don’t share | ||
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don’t share | ||
Questions? | Call 1-402-493-4603 | |||
41 |
Who we are | ||
Who is providing this notice? | Northern Lights Fund Trust II | |
What we do | ||
How does NLFT II protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings. | |
How does NLFT II collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you | |
· open an account · give us your income information · provide employment information |
· provide account information · give us your contact information | |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. | ||
Why can’t I limit all sharing? |
Federal law gives you the right to limit only · sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes—information about your creditworthiness · affiliates from using your information to market to you · sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. | |
Definitions | ||
Affiliates |
Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. · NLFT II has no affiliates. | |
Nonaffiliates |
Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. · NLFT II does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. | |
Joint marketing |
A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products and services to you. · Our joint marketing partners include other financial service companies. |
42 |
Investment Adviser
Innealta Capital, LLC
13215 Bee Cave Parkway, Building A, Suite 240
Austin, TX 78738
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen & Company, Ltd.
1835 Market Street, Suite 310
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Legal Counsel
Alston & Bird, LLP
950 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Custodian
U.S. Bank, National Association
1555 North River Center Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant and Fund Administrator
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100
Elkhorn, NE 68022
Distributor
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC
4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100
Elkhorn, NE 68022
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
each a series of the Northern Lights Fund Trust II
FOR MORE INFORMATION |
You can find more information about the Funds in the following documents:
Statement of Additional Information
The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports
Additional information about the Funds’ investments will also be available in the Funds’ Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Funds’ Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
To obtain a free copy of the SAI and, when issued, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or make general inquiries about the Funds by calling the Funds (toll-free) at 1-855-USE-ETFS, or by writing to:
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund or
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund
c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100
Elkhorn, NE 68022
Information is also available at www.innealtafunds.com.
You can review and copy information, including the Funds’ reports and SAI, at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You can obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling (202) 551-8090. Reports and other information about the Funds are also available:
· | free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov; |
· | for a fee, by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1520; or |
· | for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected]. |
______________________________________________
(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-22549)