Amplify ETF Trust
Amplify Natural Resources Dividend Income ETF
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PROSPECTUS
February 28, 2024
Amplify Natural Resources Dividend Income ETF (the “Fund”) is a series of Amplify ETF Trust (the “Trust”) and a passively-managed exchange-traded fund. The Fund lists and principally trades its shares on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”).
As permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) until July 24, 2024 (the “Transition Date”), paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the Fund’s reports from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.
If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. Please contact your financial intermediary to elect to receive shareholder reports and other Fund communications electronically.
You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. Please contact your financial intermediary to inform them that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of shareholder reports and for details about whether your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with your financial intermediary.
After the Transition Date, the Fund will mail tailored annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders in accordance with regulations adopted by the SEC.
The SEC has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Contents
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Summary Information
The Amplify Natural Resources Dividend Income ETF seeks investment results that generally correspond (before fees and expenses) to the price and yield of the EQM Natural Resources Dividend Income Index (the “Index”).
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.
Management Fees | |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | |
Other Expenses | |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:
1 YEAR | 3 YEARS | 5 YEARS | 10 YEARS |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will
cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher
taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not
reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect
the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended October 31, 2023, the
Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
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The Index is a gross total return index that seeks to provide investment exposure to dividend-paying equity securities of global companies (including master limited partnerships) operating primarily in the following natural resource, commodity-related industries: energy (oil, gas & consumable fuels); chemicals; agriculture; precious and industrial metals & mining; paper products; and timber. The initial universe of eligible securities is comprised of dividend-paying U.S. exchange-listed equities trading on a major U.S. exchange, or dividend-paying U.S. over-the-counter (“OTC”) listed American depositary receipt (“ADR”). The Index then performs the following screens to formulate the securities that comprise the Index:
● | constituent business operations must derive more than 50% of their revenues in one of the following natural resource, commodity-related industries: energy (oil, gas & consumable fuels), chemicals, agriculture, precious and industrial metals and mining, paper products, and timber; |
● | constituent securities must have a market capitalization of at least $5 billion or at least $4 billion in market capitalization provided the constituent pays a dividend in the next 90 days; |
● | constituent securities must have an average daily traded value of at least $2 million over the last six months; |
● | constituent securities must have an indicated dividend yield of at least 3% annually; and |
● | constituent securities must be eligible for investment without restriction as determined by the Index Provider. Currently such restriction includes, but is not limited to, a prohibition on Russia as the country of domicile for the constituent security. |
All securities that meet the above screens are selected as constituents of the Index. If a company has more than one share class that qualifies for membership in the Index, the most liquid share class of the security will be selected.
Index constituents are weighted according to their indicated dividend yield. To avoid undue concentration, the initial weights of Index constituents are capped at a maximum weight of 5% at the time of rebalance. The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly in January, April, July and October on the last Wednesday of such month after the market close. The selection date used as a reference for the determination of the Index constituents and/or weightings occurs at the close of business at least 5 trading days prior to the rebalancing/reconstitution date. New constituents are eligible for inclusion at the time or rebalance provided such component meets all other index eligibility requirements. Existing constituents failing to meet the criteria of the Index at the time of rebalance will continue to be held if the existing component is expected to pay, but has not yet distributed, its ordinary dividend. Between reconstitutions, deletions can occur due to corporate actions such as acquisitions, mergers, and spin-offs, or due to insolvency or dividend suspensions. Under these circumstances, components will be deleted from the Index and the proceeds allocated equally among all other remaining Index constituents.
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The Index is ordinarily comprised of 40-60 constituents. As of December 31, 2023, the Index is comprised of 48 constituents. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has significant exposure to the energy sector.
Diversification Status. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).
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The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
The
bar chart and table below illustrate the annual calendar year returns of the
Fund based on NAV as well as the average annual Fund returns.
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The
Fund’s
Amplify Natural Resources Dividend Income ETF | 1 Year | Since Inception ( |
Returns
before taxes do not reflect the effects of any income or capital gains taxes.
Your
own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may
differ from what is shown here.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Investment Adviser. Amplify Investments LLC
Sub-Adviser. Toroso Investments, LLC
Portfolio Managers. The following individuals serve as portfolios managers to the Fund.
● | Charles A. Ragauss, CFA, Head of Trading Toroso |
● | Michael Venuto, Chief Investment Officer of Toroso |
Each portfolio manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each portfolio manager has served as part of the portfolio management team of the Fund since its inception in August 2022.
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PURCHASE AND SALE OF SHARES
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only with authorized participants (“APs”) that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor and only in Creation Units (large blocks of 25,000 Shares) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities in which the Fund invests and/or cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market (i.e., on a national securities exchange) through a broker or dealer at a market price. Because the Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Recent information, including information on the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at www.amplifyetfs.com.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”), may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund is a series of the Trust, and is a registered investment company and a passively-managed ETF. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek total return. The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of companies that comprise the Index. The Fund uses an “indexing” investment approach to attempt to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Index. The Fund generally invests in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings of the securities in the Index. Under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities comprising the Index. In those circumstances, the Fund may purchase a representative sample of securities in the Index.
The Fund’s investment objective, its investment strategy and each of the policies described herein are non-fundamental policies that may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval. Certain fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) under “Investment Objective and Policies.” The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.
Concentration Policy. The Fund will not concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets) in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of identified industries, except to the extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of identified industries. As of the date of this prospectus, the Index, and therefore the Fund, is concentrated in the oil, gas and consumable fuels and metals and mining industries.
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the Fund receives liquid collateral equal to at least 102% (105% for international securities) of the value of the loaned portfolio securities. This collateral is marked-to-market on a daily basis. To the extent that the Fund receives cash collateral, it will invest such collateral in readily marketable, high quality, short-term obligations.
Fund Investments
EQUITY SECURITIES
The Fund invests in equity securities, including common stocks and/or depositary receipts. Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic, and other conditions. American depositary receipts are certificates that evidence ownership of shares of a non-U.S. issuer and are alternatives to purchasing directly the underlying non-U.S. foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. Global depositary receipts are certificates issued by an international bank that generally are traded and denominated in the currencies of countries other than the home country of the issuer of the underlying shares.
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CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
The Fund may invest in securities with maturities of less than one year, cash or cash equivalents, or in the securities of one or more ETFs designed to provide exposure to short-term interest or financing rates, including the Amplify Samsung SOFR ETF (the “SOF ETF”), which is advised by Amplify Investments LLC, the Fund’s investment adviser. The Fund expects, under normal market circumstances, that the Fund’s investment in securities with maturities of less than one year, cash or cash equivalents and/or one or more ETFs designed to provide exposure to short-term interest or financing rates (including the SOF ETF), will vary due to several factors, including market conditions. During periods of high cash inflows or outflows or if market conditions are not favorable, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest part or all of its assets in these securities or it may hold cash. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objectives. For more information on eligible short-term investments, see the SAI.
Additional Information Regarding Fund Risks
The following provides additional information about certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund’s “Summary Information” section. Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may lose all or part of your investment. There can be no assurance that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. Before you invest, you should consider the following risks in addition to the Principal Risks set forth above in this prospectus.
Active Market Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained. Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above the Fund’s net asset value. Securities, including the Shares, are subject to market fluctuations and liquidity constraints that may be caused by such factors as economic, political, or regulatory developments, changes in interest rates, and/or perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments.
Agriculture Companies Risk. The Fund may invest in agriculture companies. Economic forces, including forces affecting agricultural markets, as well as government policies and regulations affecting agriculture companies, could adversely impact the Fund’s investments. Agricultural and livestock production and trade flows are significantly affected by government policies and regulations. Governmental policies affecting agriculture companies, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities, commodity products and livestock, can influence agriculture company profitability, the planting/raising of certain crops/livestock versus other uses of resources, the location and size of crop and livestock production, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded and the volume and types of imports and exports. In addition, companies in the agriculture sector must comply with a broad range of environmental laws and regulations. Additional or more stringent environmental laws and regulations may be enacted in the future and such changes could have a material adverse effect on the business of such companies. In addition, agriculture companies may be significantly affected by adverse weather, pollution and/or disease which could limit or halt production.
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Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that act as authorized participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, in either of these cases, Shares may trade at a discount to the Fund’s NAV and possibly face delisting.
Chemicals Industry Risk. The Fund may have exposure to companies in the chemicals industry and is therefore subject to the risks associated therewith. The chemicals industry includes companies that manufacture and produce industrial and basic chemicals (e.g., plastics, synthetic fibers and films), fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, industrial gases, specialty chemicals (e.g., advanced polymers and adhesives) and other diversified chemicals. The prices of securities of companies in the chemicals industry may fluctuate widely due to intense competition, product obsolescence, and raw materials prices. In addition, companies in the chemicals industry may be subject to risks associated with the production, handling and disposal of hazardous chemicals Legislative or regulatory changes and increased government supervisions may also affect companies in the chemicals industry.
Currency Risk. Changes in currency exchange rates affect the value of investments denominated in a non-U.S. currency, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities and gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities. The Fund’s NAV could decline if a currency to which the Fund has exposure depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currency. Currency exchange rates may affect the Fund’s NAV, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains and losses realized on the sale of securities. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies may cause the value of the Fund to decline. Certain non-U.S. currencies may be particularly volatile, and non-U.S. governments may intervene in the currency markets, causing a decline in value or liquidity in the Fund’s non-U.S. holdings whose value is tied to the affected non-U.S. currency. Additionally, the prices of non-U.S. securities that are traded in U.S. dollars are often indirectly influenced by currency fluctuations.
Cyber Security Risk. The Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, service providers, authorized participants and the Exchange are susceptible to operational, information security and related “cyber” risks both directly and through their service providers. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value. Unlike many other types of risks faced by the Fund, these risks typically are not covered by insurance. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber incidents include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the systems of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, distributor and other service providers (including, but not limited to, index providers, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and administrators), market makers, authorized participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in: financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, disclosure of confidential trading information, impediments to trading, submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or redemption orders, the inability of the Fund or its service providers to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, cyber attacks may render records of Fund assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of the Fund inaccessible or inaccurate or incomplete. Substantial costs may be incurred by the Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified and that prevention and remediation efforts will not be successful. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund, issuers in which the Fund invests, market makers or authorized participants. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
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Depositary Receipts Risk. The Fund will invest in depositary receipts, specifically ADRs. Depositary receipts may be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of non-U.S. companies, such as currency, political, economic and market risks, because their values depend on the performance of the non-dollar denominated underlying non-U.S. securities. Certain countries may limit the ability to convert depositary receipts into the underlying non-U.S. securities and vice versa, which may cause the securities of the non-U.S. company to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the related depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by a depositary and the issuer of the underlying security. A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Unsponsored receipts may involve higher expenses and may be less liquid. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities, and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities.
Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. The Fund’s investments in dividend-paying securities may cause the Fund to underperform similarly situated funds that invest without consideration of an issuer’s track record of paying dividends. Companies are not obligated to continue to pay dividends on their securities. Therefore, there is a possibility that a company could reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends in the future, which could negatively affect the Fund’s performance.
Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging market countries include, but are not limited to, those considered to be developing by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or one of the leading global investment banks. The majority of these countries are likely to be located in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Africa. Investments in emerging market issuers are subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in issuers located or operating in more developed markets. This is due to, among other things, the potential for greater market volatility, lower trading volume, higher levels of inflation, political and economic instability, greater risk of a market shutdown and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than are typically found in more developed markets. The markets of emerging markets countries are generally more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature economies. Moreover, emerging markets often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements, less reliable securities valuations, greater risks associated with custody of securities, greater risk of market closure or manipulation, limited reliable access to capital, greater risk of exchange delistings and less liquidity than developed markets. In addition, emerging markets often have greater risk of capital controls through such measures as taxes or interest rate control than developed markets. Differences in applicable regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards create difficulties in evaluating emerging market companies due to lower quality or less available financial information. The rights and remedies available to investors in emerging market securities may be more limited than those available for investments in developed markets. All of the risks of investing in Non-U.S. securities are heightened by investing in emerging markets countries. Certain emerging market countries may also lack the infrastructure necessary to attract large amounts of foreign trade and investment. The limitations associated with investments in emerging market companies could impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. On February 24, 2022, Russia commenced a military attack on Ukraine. The hostilities between the two countries could result in more widespread conflict and could have a severe adverse effect on the region and the regional and global markets for securities and commodities. In addition, sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other countries, and any sanctions imposed in the future could have a significant adverse impact on the Russian economy and related markets. How long such conflict and related events will last and whether there will be any subsequent escalation cannot be predicted. Impacts from the conflict and related events could have significant impact on certain of the Fund’s investments as well as the Fund’s performance, and the value of an investment in the Fund may decline significantly.
Energy Sector Risk. The Fund invests in companies in the energy sector. The success of energy companies may be cyclical and highly dependent on energy prices. The market value of securities issued by energy companies may decline for many reasons, including, among other things, changes in the levels and volatility of global energy prices, energy supply and demand, capital expenditures on exploration and production of energy sources, exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, energy conservation efforts, increased competition and technological advances. Energy companies may be subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of doing business and limit the earnings of these companies. A significant portion of the revenues of these companies may depend on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities. As a result, governmental budget constraints may have a material adverse effect on the stock prices of energy companies. Energy companies may also operate in, or engage in transactions involving, countries with less developed regulatory regimes or a history of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse policies. Energy companies also face a significant risk of liability from accidents resulting in injury or loss of life or property, pollution or other environmental problems, equipment malfunctions or mishandling of materials and a risk of loss from terrorism, political strife or natural disasters. Energy companies can be significantly affected by the supply of, and demand for, specific products (e.g., oil and natural gas) and services, exploration and production spending, government subsidization, world events and general economic conditions. Energy companies may have relatively high levels of debt and may be more likely than other companies to restructure their businesses if there are downturns in energy markets or in the global economy.
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Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, will fall. The value of an equity security may fall due to changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole and that are relatively unrelated to an issuer or its industry. These conditions include changes in interest rates, specific periods of overall market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. An issuer’s common stock in particular may be especially sensitive to, and more adversely affected by, these general movements in the stock market; it is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that a Fund holds. In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward, and perceptions regarding, particular industries or economic sectors will become negative. Price changes of equity securities may occur in a particular region, industry, or sector of the market, and as a result, the value of an issuer’s common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as increases in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries. Equity securities risk also includes the financial risks of a specific company, including that the value of the company’s securities may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. In particular, the common stock of a company may decline significantly in price over short periods of time. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of common stock; similarly, the common stock of an issuer may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer experiences a decline in its financial condition.
Geographic Concentration Risk. To the extent the Index, and therefore the Fund, is significantly comprised of securities of issuers from a single country or geographic region, the Fund may be more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.
Index Provider Risk. The Fund seeks to achieve returns that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the Index, as published by their Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider will compile its Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the Index Provider gives descriptions of what the Index is designed to achieve, the Index Provider does not provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in its indices, and it does not guarantee that its Index will be in line with its methodology.
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Index Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and invests in securities included in its Index regardless of their investment merit. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of the Index. Therefore, it would not necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed, respectively, from the Index, even if that security generally is underperforming.
Inflation Risk. Inflation may reduce the intrinsic value of increases in the value of the Fund. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the value of the Fund’s assets can decline as can the value of the Fund’s distributions.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Line of Business Risk. Some of the companies in which the Fund will invest are engaged in other lines of business unrelated to natural resources and commodity-related industries, and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. The operating results of these companies may fluctuate as a result of these additional risks and events in the other lines of business. In addition, a company’s ability to engage in new activities may expose it to business risks with which it has less experience than it has with the business risks associated with its traditional businesses. Despite a company’s possible success in activities linked to natural resources, and commodity-related industries there can be no assurance that the other lines of business in which these companies are engaged will not have an adverse effect on a company’s business or financial condition.
Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security owned by the Fund or the Shares in general may fall in value, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices, and changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, such as the current market volatility. Overall security values could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to contain its spread resulted in extreme volatility in the financial markets. While the development of vaccines has slowed the spread of the disease, there is no guarantee that the vaccines will be effective against emerging variants of the disease. As the global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain regions, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could also adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions to trading markets. Any of such circumstances could materially negatively impact the value of the Fund’s Shares and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s Shares may trade at an increased premium or discount to its NAV.
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Master Limited Partnerships Risk. The Fund may invest in MLPs. Investments in securities of MLPs involve certain risks different from or in addition to the risks of investing in common stocks. MLP common units can be affected by macro-economic factors and other factors unique to the partnership or company and the industry or industries in which the MLP operates. Certain MLP securities may trade in relatively low volumes due to their smaller capitalizations or other factors, which may cause them to have a high degree of price volatility and illiquidity. The structures of MLPs create certain risks, including, for example, risks related to the limited ability of investors to control an MLP and to vote on matters affecting the MLP, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between an MLP and the MLP’s general partner, the risk that an MLP will generate insufficient cash flow to meet its current operating requirements, the risk that an MLP will issue additional securities or engage in other transactions that will have the effect of diluting the interests of existing investors, and risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit-holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.
Materials Sector Risk. The Fund has significant exposure to companies in the materials sector, which means the Fund may be more affected by the performance of the materials sector than a fund that is more diversified. Many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, worldwide competition, environmental policies and consumer demand. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.
Metals and Mining Companies Risk. The Fund invests in securities that are issued by companies involved in the metals and mining industry. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. The profitability of companies in the metals and mining industry is related to, among other things, worldwide metal prices and extraction and production costs. Worldwide metal prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, and as a result, the Fund’s Share price may be more volatile than other types of investments. In addition, metals and mining companies may be significantly affected by changes in global demand for certain metals, economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, trade treaties, and government regulation and intervention, and events in the regions that the companies to which the Fund has exposure operate (e.g., expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, the imposition of restrictions on non-U.S. investments or repatriation of capital, military coups, social or political unrest, violence and labor unrest). Metals and mining companies may also be subject to the effects of competitive pressures in the metals and mining industry.
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Natural Resources and Commodity-Related Industries Risk. The Fund is subject to the risks associated with companies in the natural resources and commodities-related industries. These industries can be significantly affected by (and often rapidly affected by) changes in the supply of, or demand for, various natural resources and commodities. Investments in natural resources companies, which include companies engaged in energy (oil, gas & consumable fuels), chemicals, agriculture, precious and industrial metals and mining, paper products, and timber can be significantly affected by events relating to these industries, including international political and economic developments, embargoes, tariffs, inflation, weather and natural disasters, livestock diseases, limits on exploration, rapid changes in the supply and demand for natural resources and other factors. The Fund’s investments may experience substantial price fluctuations as a result of these factors, and may move independently of the trends of other operating companies. Companies engaged in the industries listed above may be adversely affected by changes in government policies and regulations, technological advances and/or obsolescence, environmental damage claims, energy conservation efforts, the success of exploration projects, limitations on the liquidity of certain natural resources and commodities and competition from new market entrants. Changes in general economic conditions, including commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, rising interest rates, prices of raw materials and other commodities, depletion of resources and labor relations, could adversely affect the Fund’s investments.
Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, the performance of the Fund and the Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints. The Fund may fair value certain of the securities it holds. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices, the Fund’s ability to track the Index may be adversely affected. Since the Index is not subject to the tax diversification requirements to which the Fund must adhere, the Fund may be required to deviate its investments from the securities and relative weightings of the Index. The Fund may not invest in certain securities included in the Index due to liquidity constraints. Liquidity constraints also may delay the Fund’s purchase or sale of securities included in the Index. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain securities to realize losses, causing it to deviate from the Index.
Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
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Non-U.S. Investment Risk. Securities issued by non-U.S. companies present risks beyond those of securities of U.S. issuers. Risks of investing in the securities of non-U.S. companies include: different accounting standards; expropriation, nationalization or other adverse political or economic developments; currency devaluation, blockages or transfer restrictions; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; taxes; restrictions on non-U.S. investments and exchange of securities; and less government supervision and regulation of issuers in non-U.S. countries. Prices of non-U.S. securities also may be more volatile.
Oil and Gas Industry Risk. The Fund invests in securities that are issued by companies involved in the oil and gas industry. Investments in the oil and gas industry can be significantly effected by worldwide energy prices, exploration costs and production spending. Oil and gas companies may be adversely affected by natural disasters or other catastrophes; changes in exchange rates, interest rates or economic conditions; technological developments, prices for competitive energy services and increased competition. Other risks may include changes in the actual or perceived availability of oil deposits; imposition of import controls, changes in tax treatment, or government regulation or government intervention; negative public perception; or unfavorable events in the regions where companies operate. Companies in the oil and gas industry may have significant capital investments in, or engage in transactions involving, emerging market countries, which may heighten these risks. Companies that own or operate gas pipelines are subject to certain risks, including pipeline and equipment leaks and ruptures, explosions, fires, unscheduled downtime, transportation interruptions, discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous gases and other environmental risks. Companies in the oil and gas industry may be at risk for environmental damage claims and other types of litigation.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund, Adviser and Sub-Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed. The Fund invests in the securities included in the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index.
Premium/Discount Risk. The net asset value of Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on the Exchange. The Fund cannot predict whether Shares will trade below (discount), at or above (premium) their net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.
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Smaller Companies Risk. Stock prices of small and/or mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies and, therefore, a Fund’s share price may be more volatile than those of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by mid- or large-capitalization companies. Stock prices of small and/or mid-capitalization companies are generally more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments. Securities of small and/or mid-capitalization companies may be thinly traded, making it difficult for a Fund to buy and sell them. In addition, small and/or mid-capitalization companies are typically less financially stable than larger, more established companies and may depend on a small number of essential personnel, making these companies more vulnerable to experiencing adverse effects due to the loss of personnel. Small and/or mid-capitalization companies also normally have less diverse product lines than those of large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments concerning their products.
Timber Companies Risk. Timber companies may be affected by numerous factors, including events occurring in nature and international politics. For example, the volume and value of timber that can be harvested from timberlands may be limited by natural disasters and other events such as fire, volcanic eruptions, insect infestation, disease, ice storms, wind-storms, flooding, other weather conditions and other causes. In periods of poor logging conditions, timber companies may harvest less timber than expected. Timber companies are subject to many federal, state and local environmental and health and safety laws and regulations. In addition, rising interest rates and general economic conditions may affect the demand for timber products.
Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. The Fund may have difficulty maintaining its listing on the Exchange in the event the Fund’s assets are small or the Fund does not have enough shareholders. Further, shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments.
Valuation Risk. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value its investments will become more difficult. In market environments where there is reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data, the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser in determining the fair value of the security may play a greater role. While such determinations may be made in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value. The Fund’s Valuation Procedures (as defined below) adopted Amplify Investments as Valuation Designee (as defined below), as reviewed, approved, and subject to the oversight of the Board, complies with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 2a-5”). Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board oversees the implementation of the Valuation Procedures. While the Fund’s program is designed to contemplate the specific risks of the Fund, there is no guarantee the program will adequately do so each time, and value may not be properly selected for the Fund.
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Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI, which is available at www.amplifyetfs.com.
Management of the Fund
FUND ORGANIZATION
The Fund is a series of the Trust, an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund is treated as a separate fund with its own investment objective and policies. The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. Its Board is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Trust. The Board elects the Trust’s officers and approves all significant agreements, including those with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, custodian and fund administrative and accounting agent.
Investment Adviser. Amplify Investments LLC is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 3333 Warrenville Road, Suite 350, Lisle, Illinois 60532. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has engaged Amplify Investments to serve as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an investment management agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”). In this capacity, Amplify Investments has overall responsibility for overseeing the investment of the Fund’s assets, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services for the Trust. As compensation for its services, the Fund has agreed to pay Amplify Investments an annual management fee equal to 0.59% of its average daily net assets. Out of this management fee, Amplify Investments pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other service and license fees, except for distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, acquired fund fees and expenses brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, taxes, interest, and extraordinary expenses.
Pursuant to an agreement with the Fund, Amplify Investments has agreed to waive its management fee with respect to acquired fund fees incurred by the Fund with respect to the Fund’s investment, if any, in any funds in which Amplify Investments serves as investment adviser, including but not limited to the SOF ETF, in an amount equal to any acquired fund fees incurred by the Fund with respect to its investment in such fund. Amplify Investments has agreed to waive and reimburse such expenses. This agreement may be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Trust’s Board of Trustees on behalf of the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser. Toroso Investments, LLC, a Tidal Financial Group company, is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 98 North Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York, 11758. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Amplify Investments have engaged Toroso to serve as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement (a “Sub-Advisory Agreement”). In this capacity, Toroso is responsible for portfolio management and 1940 Act compliance. As compensation for its services, Amplify Investments has agreed to pay Toroso an annual sub-advisory fee based upon the Fund’s average daily net assets. Amplify Investments is responsible for paying the entire amount of Toroso’s sub-advisory fee. The Fund does not directly pay Toroso.
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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Management Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023.
Portfolio Managers. The portfolio management team for the Fund consists of Charles A. Ragauss and Michael Venuto.
Charles A. Ragauss, CFA. Mr. Ragauss serves as Portfolio Manager at Toroso, having joined the firm in September 2020. Prior to joining Toroso, Mr. Ragauss served as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Portfolio Management at CSAT Investment Advisory, L.P., doing business as Exponential ETFs, from April 2016 to September 2020. Previously, Mr. Ragauss was Assistant Vice President at Huntington National Bank (“Huntington”), where he was Product Manager for the Huntington Funds and Huntington Strategy Shares ETFs, a combined fund complex of almost $4 billion in assets under management. At Huntington, he led ETF development bringing to market some of the first actively managed ETFs. Mr. Ragauss joined Huntington in 2010. Mr. Ragauss attended Grand Valley State University where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and International Business, as well as a minor in French. He is a member of both the National and West Michigan CFA societies and holds the CFA designation.
Michael Venuto. Mr. Venuto is a co-founder and has been the Chief Investment Officer of Toroso since 2012. Mr. Venuto is also currently a Managing Director of Tidal Growth Consultants. Mr. Venuto is an ETF industry veteran with over a decade of experience in the design and implementation of ETF-based investment strategies. Previously, he was Head of Investments at Global X Funds where he provided portfolio optimization services to institutional clients. Before that, he was Senior Vice President at Horizon Kinetics where his responsibilities included new business development, investment strategy and client and strategic initiatives.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the compensation structure for the portfolio managers, other accounts that the portfolio managers manage and the ownership of Shares by the portfolio managers.
Manager of Managers Structure. The Fund and Amplify Investments have received an exemptive order from the SEC to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits Amplify Investments, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisers, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval (the “Manager of Managers Structure”). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, Amplify Investments has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, for overseeing the Fund’s sub-adviser(s) and recommending to the Board the hiring, termination, or replacement of any such sub-adviser(s)—including Toroso, in its capacity as Sub-Adviser. The exemptive order does not apply to any sub-adviser that is affiliated with the Fund or Amplify Investments.
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The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the overall management and advisory fees payable by the Fund without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the changes.
How to Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares will be listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI.
BOOK ENTRY
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.
FUND SHARE TRADING PRICES
The trading prices of Shares on the Exchange are based on market price and may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.
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FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions (“market timing”), and has adopted no policies and procedures with respect to such purchases and redemptions. In making this determination, the Board considered the risks associated with frequent purchases and redemptions by the Fund’s shareholders. Such risks include, dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs and the potential for the realization of capital gains.
Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only when aggregated into one or more Creation Units by authorized participants that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market and does not involve the Fund directly. In-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by authorized participants and cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases and/or redemptions of Shares that are detailed above. To the extent that the Fund may effect the issuance or redemption of Creation Units in exchange wholly or partially for cash, such trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by authorized participants increases. However, direct trading by authorized participants is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.
To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from authorized participants that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund or otherwise are not in the best interests of the Fund. For these reasons, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund, and are expected to be paid by the Fund monthly. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually.
Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.
TAXES
This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning Shares of the Fund. This section is current as of the date of this prospectus. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer, or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences.
This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, counsel to the Fund was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to, the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be included in the Fund. This may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law.
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As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax advisor.
The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:
● | Your Fund makes distributions, |
● | You sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and |
● | You purchase or redeem Creation Units. |
TAXES ON DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the distributions of the Fund into two categories, ordinary income distributions and capital gain dividends. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate; however, as further discussed below, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your Shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be taxable to you; however, such distributions may reduce your tax basis in your Shares, which could result in you having to pay higher taxes in the future when Shares are sold, even if you sell the Shares at a loss from your original investment. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year.
Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8% “Medicare tax.” This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.
A corporation that owns Shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to many dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, certain ordinary income dividends on Shares that are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund from certain corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the dividends received deduction.
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If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% (15% or 0% for taxpayers with taxable incomes below certain thresholds). Some capital gains, including some portion of your capital gain dividends may be taxed at a higher maximum stated tax rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.
Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your Shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your Shares at a loss after holding them for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations. An election may be available to you to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.
Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates.
TAXES ON EXCHANGE-LISTED SHARE SALES
If you sell or redeem your Shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your Shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your Shares is generally equal to the cost of your Shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your Shares.
TAXES ON PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
If you exchange securities for Creation Units you will generally recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and your aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. If you exchange Creation Units for securities, you will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between your basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and the cash redemption amount. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units or Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
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TREATMENT OF FUND EXPENSES
Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of these Fund expenses as income. You may not be able to take a deduction for some or all of these expenses, even if the cash you receive is reduced by such expenses.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING
The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) from dividends and capital gain distributions paid to Shareholders. Federal tax will be withheld if (1) the Shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with the Shareholder’s correct taxpayer identification number or social security number, (2) the IRS notifies the Shareholder or the Fund that the Shareholder has failed to report properly certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect, or (3) when required to do so, the Shareholder fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to backup withholding. The current backup withholding rate is 24%. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be credited against the Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
NON-U.S. TAX CREDIT
If the Fund invests in non-U.S. securities, the tax statement that you receive may include an item showing non-U.S. taxes the Fund paid to other countries. In this case, dividends taxed to you will include your share of the taxes the Fund paid to other countries. You may be able to deduct or receive a tax credit for your share of these taxes.
NON-U.S. INVESTORS
If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will generally be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and will be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain non-U.S. investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. For tax years after December 31, 2022, amounts paid to or recognized by a non-U.S. affiliate that are excluded from tax under the portfolio interest, capital gain dividends, short-term capital gains or tax-exempt interest dividend exceptions or applicable treaties, may be taken into consideration in determining whether a corporation is an “applicable corporation” subject to a 15% minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income.
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Distributions to, and gross proceeds from dispositions of shares by, (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entity’s U.S. owners, may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30%. However, proposed regulations may eliminate the requirement to withhold on payments of gross proceeds from dispositions.
It is the responsibility of the entity through which you hold your shares to determine the applicable withholding.
INVESTMENTS IN CERTAIN NON-U.S. CORPORATIONS
If the Fund holds an equity interest in any “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”), which are generally certain non-U.S. corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (described above). Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local taxes on Fund distributions and sales of Shares.
Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Federal Tax Matters” in the statement of additional information for more information.
Distribution Plan
Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares.
The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to reimburse the Distributor for amounts expended to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units or the provision of investor services. The Distributor may also use this amount to compensate securities dealers or other persons that are APs for providing distribution assistance, including broker-dealer and shareholder support and educational and promotional services.
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The Fund does not and has no current intention of paying 12b-1 fees. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
Net Asset Value
The Fund’s NAV is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. NAV is calculated by taking the market price of the Fund’s total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing such amount by the total number of Shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per Share.
Section 2(a)(41) of the 1940 Act provides that when a market quotation is readily available for a fund’s portfolio investments, such investment must be valued at the market value. Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act defines a readily available market quotation as “a quoted price (unadjusted) in active markets for identical investments that the fund can access at a measurement date, provided that a quotation will not be readily available if it is not reliable.” If a market quotation is not “readily available” the portfolio investment must be fair valued as determined in good faith by a fund’s board of trustees. Rule 2a-5 allows a fund’s board of trustees to designate the fund’s investment adviser as the “valuation designee” to perform fair value determinations subject to certain conditions. In accordance with Rule 2a-5, the Board has appointed Amplify Investments as the “Valuation Designee” for the Fund’s portfolio investments. Investments will be fair valued as determined in good faith in accordance with the policies and procedures established by Amplify Investments as the Valuation Designee pursuant to Rule 2a-5 and approved by, and subject to the oversight of, the Board of Trustees. As a general principle, “fair value” represents a good faith approximation of the value of a portfolio investment and is the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that investment in an arm’s-length transaction. The use of fair value prices may result in prices used by the Fund that may differ from current market quotations or official closing prices on the applicable exchange. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities. While the Valuation Procedures (defined below) are intended to result in the Fund’s NAV calculation that fairly reflects the values as of the time of pricing, the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.
The Fund’s investments will be valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair value in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board and in accordance with the 1940 Act. Market value prices represent last sale or official closing prices from a national or foreign exchange (i.e., a regulated market) and are primarily obtained from third-party pricing services.
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The Fund’s investments are valued daily in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board, and in accordance with provisions of the 1940 Act. Certain securities in which the Fund may invest are not listed on any securities exchange or board of trade. Such securities are typically bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions that function in many respects like an over-the-counter secondary market, although typically no formal market makers exist. Certain securities, particularly debt securities, have few or no trades, or trade infrequently, and information regarding a specific security may not be widely available or may be incomplete. Accordingly, determinations of the fair value of debt securities may be based on infrequent and dated information. Because there is less reliable, objective data available, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. As explained below, any fair value determination will be made in accordance with Amplify Investments’ “Valuation Procedures.” Typically, debt securities are valued using information provided by a third-party pricing service. The third-party pricing service primarily uses broker quotes to value the securities.
Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by Amplify Investments (subject to the supervision of the Board) at fair value. The use of fair value pricing by the Fund is governed by valuation procedures adopted by Amplify Investments, and approved by, subject to the oversight of, the Board, and in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. Investments will be fair valued as determined in good faith in accordance with the policies and procedures established by Amplify Investments as Valuation Designee pursuant to Rule 2a-5. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security’s “fair value.” See the SAI for details.
Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer-specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the Exchange and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where Amplify Investments determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, Amplify Investments will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the prices used by the Fund’s Index. This may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to track the Index.
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Index Information
EQM Indexes LLC serves as the Index Provider of the EQM Natural Resources Dividend Income Index. The Index is compiled by EQM. Neither Amplify Investments nor any affiliate of Amplify Investments has any rights to influence the selection of the securities in the Index. EQM is not affiliated with the Trust, Amplify Investments or the Distributor. No entity that creates, compiles, sponsors or maintains an index is or will be an affiliated person, as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, or an affiliated person of an affiliated person, of the Trust, Amplify Investments, the Distributor or a promoter of the Fund.
Amplify Investments has entered into a license agreement with EQM pursuant to which Amplify Investments pays a fee to use the Index and the use of EQM’s marketing names and licensed trademarks. The Fund is entitled to use the Index pursuant to a sub-licensing agreement with Amplify Investments.
Disclaimers
The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by EQM. EQM makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. EQM’s only relationship to Amplify Investments LLC (“Licensee”) is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of EQM and of the EQM Natural Resources Dividend Income Index which is determined and composed by EQM without regard to Licensee or the Fund. Licensor has no obligation to take the needs of Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining or composing EQM Natural Resources Dividend Income Index. EQM is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be listed or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. EQM has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.
EQM DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE EQM NATURAL RESOURCES DIVIDEND INCOME INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND EQM SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. EQM MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE EQM NATURAL RESOURCES DIVIDEND INCOME INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. EQM MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE EQM NATURAL RESOURCES DIVIDEND INCOME INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN, WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL EQM HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN EQM AND LICENSEE.
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Fund Service Providers
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, is the administrator, fund accounting and transfer agent for the Fund. U.S. Bank National Association, 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, WI 53212, is the custodian.
Chapman and Cutler LLP, 320 South Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
Cohen & Company, Ltd., 342 North Water Street, Suite 830, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.
Premium/Discount Information
Information showing the number of days the market price of the Fund’s Shares was greater (at a premium) and less (at a discount) than the Fund’s NAV for the most recently completed calendar year, and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year (or the life of the Fund, if shorter), is available at www.amplifyetfs.com.
Other Information
INVESTMENTS BY OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. The SEC adopted Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, which the Fund is required to comply with. Under Rule 12d1-4, the Fund may, subject to certain conditions, invest in other registered investment companies and other registered investment companies may invest in the Fund beyond the limits contained in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.
DELIVERY OF SHAREHOLDER DOCUMENTS—HOUSEHOLDING
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of the prospectus and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you currently are enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
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Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of the Fund. The total return in the table represents the rate than an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been derived from the Fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with this information and additional Fund performance and portfolio information appears in the Fund’s Annual Report dated October 31, 2023.
Year Ended October 31, 2023 |
Period
Ended |
| ||||||
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 25.01 | $ | 25.79 | ||||
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: | ||||||||
Net Investment Income(b) | 1.65 | 0.18 | ||||||
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)(c) | 1.34 | (0.76 | ) | |||||
Total from Investment Operations | 2.99 | (0.58 | ) | |||||
Distributions to Shareholders | ||||||||
Net Investment Income | (1.42 | ) | (0.18 | ) | ||||
Return of Capital | (0.50 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||
Total from Distributions | (1.92 | ) | (0.20 | ) | ||||
Net Asset Value, End of Year/Period | $ | 26.08 | $ | 25.01 | ||||
Total Return on Net Asset Value(d) | 12.34 | % | -2.16 | %(e) | ||||
Supplemental Data: | ||||||||
Net Assets, End of Year/Period (000’s) | $ | 9,128 | $ | 1,876 | ||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.59 | % | 0.59 | %(f) | ||||
Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets | 6.34 | % | 3.94 | %(f) | ||||
Portfolio Turnover(g) | 135 | % | 31 | %(e) |
(a) | The Fund commenced operations on August 23, 2022. |
(b) | Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. |
(c) | Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the year. |
(d) | Total Return on Net Asset Value is based on the change in net asset value (“NAV”) of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at NAV. Total Return on Net Asset Value is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or redemption of fund shares. |
(e) | Not Annualized. |
(f) | Annualized. |
(g) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
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For More Information
For more detailed information on the Trust, Fund and Shares, you may request a copy of the Fund’s SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the SAI legally is a part of this prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments also will be available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, when available. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. The Fund makes available its SAI and annual and semi-annual reports, free of charge, on or through its website listed below. If you have questions about the Fund or Shares or you wish to obtain the SAI, Annual Report and/or Semi-Annual Report, when available, free of charge, or to request other information about the Fund or to make shareholder inquiries, please:
Call: | Amplify ETF Trust at
1-855-267-3837 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time |
Write: |
Amplify ETF Trust c/o Amplify Investments
LLC Lisle, IL 60532 |
Visit: |
www.amplifyetfs.com |
Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund or the Shares not contained in this prospectus, and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this prospectus for future reference.
Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters.
The Trust’s registration number under the 1940 Act is 811-23108.
PROSPECTUS
|
Amplify
Natural |
Dated February 28, 2024
Amplify
ETF Trust Suite 350 Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
Phone:
1-855-267-3837 |