Prospectus

 

September 1, 2022

 

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Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF

 

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc. 

Ticker Symbol: KLDW

 

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF 

A series of Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”)

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SUMMARY SECTION 1
MORE ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS 8
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND 14
BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES 15
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN 16
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES 16
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 18
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 20
FOR MORE INFORMATION 21

SUMMARY SECTION 

 

Investment Objective 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and the Example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses 

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 

 

Management Fee 0.75%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.75%

 

Example 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then 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 the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$77 $240 $417 $930

 

Portfolio Turnover 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares of the Fund are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2022, the portfolio turnover rate of the Fund was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies 

The Fund invests primarily in equities the advisor considers to be highly innovative companies or “knowledge leaders.” The portfolio will include a diversified mix of mid- and large-cap companies from the developed world including North America, Europe and Asia.

 

The Fund’s advisor considers knowledge leaders to be companies that have demonstrated histories of successfully employing their research and development and have built competitive advantages using their own firm-specific resources such as proprietary knowledge, intellectual property or a unique distribution mechanism. Based on academic research, the advisor believes the market is generally inefficient at valuing such high growth companies because traditional financial data overlooks hidden value in such companies’ assets.

 

Using a proprietary methodology based on academic research, the advisor evaluates all of the equity securities in an investment universe comprised of companies in the top 85% of the market capitalization of the 22 traditional developed countries (excluding Hong Kong) with a stock price greater than $1, eliminating those companies with the lowest 10% trading liquidity (shares traded multiplied by share price). The advisor’s methodology is applied to create an intangible-adjusted financial history for each remaining company. The methodology does this by making adjustments to each company’s reported financial data since 1980 (or since the company’s inception, if later) that cause intangible investments to be treated as identical to tangible investments. For this purpose, intangible assets include research and development, advertising, brand development, and employee training expenses. The methodology then applies the advisor’s “knowledge leaders” screen, a proprietary, quantitative process used to measure a company’s intangible-adjusted financial history for knowledge and innovation intensity, financial strength, and profitability. Companies are graded on a “pass/fail” basis and those companies that pass each level of the screen are identified as knowledge leaders. The Fund’s advisor then constructs an equity portfolio from the group of knowledge leader stocks that in the advisor’s opinion has the greatest liquidity characteristics. The Fund will not hold the entire group of knowledge leader securities.

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Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s assets will be invested in securities the Fund’s advisor identifies as knowledge leaders at the time of investment, with not more than 25% in any one industry. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its net assets in securities of companies located outside the United States. A company will be considered to be located outside the United States if it is domiciled in and tied economically to one or more non-U.S. countries and may include stocks of companies that trade in the form of depositary receipts. From time to time, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in a specific sector or geographical area.

 

The Fund will invest primarily in securities issued by companies with market capitalizations over $500 million and may also invest in other investment companies, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), cash, cash equivalents and money market instruments.

 

When the advisor believes that current market, economic, political or other conditions are unsuitable and would impair the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund may invest some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Principal Risks

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below.

 

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument could decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security may also decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.

 

Common Stock Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. The value of the common stock held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or facts relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms.

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Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. As of April 30, 2022, a significant portion of the Fund’s assets was invested in securities of U.S., European and Japanese issuers.

 

Investing in the United States Risk. Certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure.

 

Investing in Europe Risk.    Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (“EU”), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union (“EMU”), which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. The euro is the official currency of the EU and, accordingly, the Fund’s investment in European securities may lead to significant exposure to the euro and events affecting it. Recent market events affecting several EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro, or the exit of a country from the EU or EMU, may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide. Political or economic disruptions in European countries, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect security values and thus the Fund’s holdings. In particular, Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine and the economic and diplomatic responses by the United States, EU, United Kingdom and other countries, including heavy sanctions on the Russian economy, have led to increased volatility and uncertainty in European and global financial markets and could negatively impact regional and global economies for the foreseeable future. Also, the Fund’s investments in the United Kingdom and other European countries may be significantly impacted by the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the EU (known as “Brexit”). Brexit has introduced significant uncertainty and may have a negative impact on the economy and currency of the United Kingdom and European countries, including increased market volatility and illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth.

 

Investing in Japan Risk. The growth of Japan’s economy has historically lagged that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners.

 

Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.

 

Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your shares. Because the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Fund’s holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes, are often more vulnerable to market volatility, and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies.

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Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more sectors and thus will be more susceptible to the risks affecting those sectors.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk.    As with all ETFs, shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market prices of shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market prices of shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). Differences in market price and NAV 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. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Fund shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Fund shares to deviate significantly from the Fund’s NAV.

 

Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk. Because the Fund is an ETF, only a limited number of institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Trading Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) above or below their NAV. The NAV of shares of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. In addition, although the Fund’s shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares of the Fund inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund 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.    In addition, in stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings and that this adverse effect on liquidity for the Fund’s shares in turn could lead to wider bid-ask spread and differences between the market of the ETF’s shares and underlying value of those shares.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares.    Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Fund shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

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Illiquid Investments Risk. This risk exists when particular Fund investments are difficult to purchase or sell, which can reduce the Fund’s returns because the Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices.

 

COVID-19 Related Market Events. The pandemic of the novel coronavirus respiratory disease designated COVID-19 has resulted in extreme volatility in the financial markets, a domestic and global economic downturn, severe losses, particularly to some sectors of the economy and individual issuers, and reduced liquidity of many instruments. There have also been significant disruptions to business operations, including business closures; strained healthcare systems; disruptions to supply chains and employee availability; large fluctuations in consumer demand; and widespread uncertainty regarding the duration and long-term effects of the pandemic. The pandemic may result in domestic and foreign political and social instability, damage to diplomatic and international trade relations, and continued volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. Some interest rates are very low and in some cases yields are negative. Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, are taking extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. This and other government intervention into the economy and financial markets to address the pandemic may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results. Rates of inflation have also recently risen, which could adversely affect economies and markets. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, and measures taken to mitigate its effects, could result in disruptions to the services provided to the Fund by its service providers. Other market events like the COVID-19 pandemic may cause similar disruptions and effects.

 

Operational Risk. The Fund and its service providers may experience disruptions that arise from human error, processing and communications errors, counterparty or third-party errors, technology or systems failures, any of which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

 

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

Performance Information 

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual total returns of the Knowledge Leaders Developed World Index and the Morningstar Developed Markets Large-Mid Cap Index. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at https://knowledgeleadersfunds.com/kldw/or by calling toll-free 1-844-428-3525.

 

The Fund commenced operations and acquired the assets and liabilities of the Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF (the “Predecessor Fund”), a series of Exchange Listed Funds Trust, on May 22, 2020. The Predecessor Fund was a passively-managed index fund that sought to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, corresponded generally to the total return performance of the Knowledge Leaders Developed World Index, while the Fund is an actively managed fund that applies substantially identical screens and investment criteria as the Knowledge Leaders Developed World Index to provide exposure to a substantially similar portfolio. As a result, the Fund is designed to be substantially similar from an investment perspective to the Predecessor Fund. As a result of the acquisition, the Fund is the accounting successor of the Predecessor Fund. Performance results shown in the bar chart and the performance table below prior to May 22, 2020, reflect the performance of the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

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Calendar-Year Total Return (before taxes)*

 

 

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The year-to-date return as of June 30, 2022 was -25.52%.

 

Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above) 

  Return Quarter/Year
Highest Return 19.50% 06/30/2020
Lowest Return -15.19% 12/31/2018

 

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2021

Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF One Year Five Years Since Inception
(7/7/2015)
Return Before Taxes 13.13% 13.49% 11.29%
Return After Taxes on Distributions* 13.00% 13.29% 11.10%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares* 7.86% 10.79% 9.08%
Morningstar Developed Markets Large-Mid Cap Index 21.00% 14.84% 12.01%

 

* After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of shares of the Fund at the end of the measurement period.

 

Investment Advisor 

Knowledge Leaders Capital, LLC (the “Advisor”)

 

Portfolio Manager 

Steven C. Vannelli has served as the portfolio manager of the Fund since May 22, 2020 and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer at market price. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset value. When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, an investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://knowledgeleadersfunds.com/kldw/.

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Tax Information 

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable, and will ordinarily be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Shareholders investing through such tax-advantaged arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and its related companies may pay the intermediary for services related to the sale of Fund shares, which include participation in activities designed to inform intermediaries about the Fund, as well as marketing, education and training initiatives concerning the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary or 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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MORE ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

Investment Objective 

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek to provide long-term capital appreciation. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund’s investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the SAI.

 

Principal Investment Strategies 

The Fund invests primarily in equities the Advisor considers to be highly innovative companies or “knowledge leaders.” The portfolio will include a diversified mix of mid- and large-cap companies from the developed world including North America, Europe and Asia.

 

The Advisor considers knowledge leaders to be companies that have demonstrated histories of successfully employing their research and development and have built competitive advantages using their own firm-specific resources such as proprietary knowledge, intellectual property or a unique distribution mechanism. Based on academic research, the Advisor believes the market is generally inefficient at valuing such high growth companies because traditional financial data overlooks hidden value in such companies’ assets.

 

Using a proprietary methodology based on academic research, the Advisor evaluates all of the equity securities in an investment universe comprised of companies in the top 85% of the market capitalization of the 22 traditional developed countries (excluding Hong Kong) with a stock price greater than $1, eliminating those companies with the lowest 10% trading liquidity (shares traded multiplied by share price). The Advisor’s methodology is applied to create an intangible-adjusted financial history for each remaining company. The methodology does this by making adjustments to each company’s reported financial data since 1980 (or since the company’s inception, if later) that cause intangible investments to be treated as identical to tangible investments. For this purpose, intangible assets include research and development, advertising, brand development, and employee training expenses. The methodology then applies the Advisor’s “knowledge leaders” screen, a proprietary, quantitative process used to measure a company’s intangible-adjusted financial history for knowledge and innovation intensity, financial strength, and profitability. Companies are graded on a “pass/fail” basis and those companies that pass each level of the screen are identified as knowledge leaders. The Advisor then constructs an equity portfolio from the group of knowledge leader stocks that in the advisor’s opinion has the greatest liquidity characteristics. The Fund will not hold the entire group of knowledge leader securities.

 

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s assets will be invested in securities the Advisor identifies as knowledge leaders at the time of investment, with not more than 25% in any one industry. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its net assets in securities of companies located outside the United States. A company will be considered to be located outside the United States if it is domiciled in and tied economically to one or more non-U.S. countries and may include stocks of companies that trade in the form of depositary receipts. From time to time, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in a specific sector or geographical area.

 

The Fund will invest primarily in securities issued by companies with market capitalizations over $500 million and may also invest in other investment companies, ETFs, cash, cash equivalents and money market instruments.

 

When the Advisor believes that current market, economic, political or other conditions are unsuitable and would impair the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund may invest some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

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The Fund may sell a position for various reasons, including: 1) the company ceases to meet the minimum criteria to be included in the group of knowledge leaders, or 2) the Advisor identifies a company with characteristics that help the Fund the more closely track the knowledge leaders group.

 

Principal Risks of Investing 

The Fund’s principal risks are set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause you to lose money.

 

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. For example, the financial crisis that began in 2007 caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of many securities; in particular, the values of some sovereign debt and of securities of issuers that invest in sovereign debt and related investments fell, credit became more scarce worldwide and there was significant uncertainty in the markets. More recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively affected the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial health of individual companies and the market in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Such environments could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the Advisor. In response to the crises, the United States and other governments have taken steps to support financial markets. The withdrawal of this support or failure of efforts in response to a crisis could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as the value and liquidity of certain securities. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time.

 

Common Stock Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities are affected by risk factors generally not thought to be present in the United States. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Special risks associated with investments in foreign markets include less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, greater risks associated with counterparties and settlement, and difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of foreign taxes, sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. The Fund’s investments in depository receipts (including ADRs) are subject to these risks, even if denominated in U.S. Dollars, because changes in currency and exchange rates affect the values of the issuers of depository receipts. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depository receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depository receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.

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Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. 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. Currency developments or restrictions, political and social instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted in significant market volatility. As of April 30, 2020, a significant portion of the Fund’s assets was invested in securities of U.S., European and Japanese issuers.

 

Investing in the United States Risk. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. The financial crisis that began in 2007 caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of issuers in the United States. Policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial and other regulation and may have a significant effect on the U.S. markets generally, as well as the value of certain securities. In addition, a continued rise in the U.S. public debt level or U.S. austerity measures may adversely affect U.S. economic growth and the securities to which the Fund has exposure.

 

Investing in Europe Risk. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the EMU, which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. The euro is the official currency of the EU and, accordingly, the Fund’s investment in European securities may lead to significant exposure to the euro and events affecting it. Recent market events affecting several EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro, or the exit of a country from the EU or EMU, may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide. Political or economic disruptions in European countries, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect security values and thus the Fund’s holdings. In particular, Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine and the economic and diplomatic responses by the United States, EU, United Kingdom and other countries, including heavy sanctions on the Russian economy, have led to increased volatility and uncertainty in European and global financial markets and could negatively impact regional and global economies for the foreseeable future. Also, the Fund’s investments in the United Kingdom and other European countries may be significantly impacted by Brexit. Brexit has introduced significant uncertainty and may have a negative impact on the economy and currency of the United Kingdom and European countries, including increased market volatility and illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth

 

Investing in Japan Risk. The growth of Japan’s economy has historically lagged that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy.

 

Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments. Such geopolitical and other events may also disrupt securities markets and, during such market disruptions, the Fund’s exposure to the other risks described herein will likely increase.

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Currency Exchange Rate Risk. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the value of your Fund shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you may lose money.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes, are often more vulnerable to market volatility, and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. The securities of large-capitalization companies may also be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more sectors and thus will be more susceptible to the risks affecting those sectors.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade at, above or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings since the prior most recent calculation. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. These factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. However, given that shares of the Fund can be created and redeemed only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units” at NAV (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs), the Advisor does not believe that large discounts or premiums to NAV will exist for extended periods of time. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that the Fund’s shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price of the Fund is at a premium to its NAV or sells at time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. 

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Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Trading Risk. Although Fund shares are listed for trading on a listing exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will develop or be maintained. Secondary market trading in the Fund’s shares may be halted by a listing exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in the Fund’s shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. In addition, in stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings and that this adverse effect on liquidity for the Fund’s shares in turn could lead to wider bid-ask spread and differences between the market of the ETF’s shares and underlying value of those shares.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares of the Fund. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares of the Fund (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares of the Fund (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares of the Fund based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of such shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in the Fund’s shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. 

 

Illiquid Investments Risk. In certain circumstances, it may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular portfolio investments due to infrequent trading in such investments. The prices of such securities may experience significant volatility, make it more difficult for the Fund to transact significant amounts of such securities without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices, or make it difficult for the Advisor to dispose of such securities at a fair price.

 

COVID-19 Related Market Events. The pandemic of the novel coronavirus respiratory disease designated COVID-19 has resulted in extreme volatility in the financial markets, a domestic and global economic downturn, severe losses, particularly to some sectors of the economy and individual issuers, and reduced liquidity of many instruments. There have also been significant disruptions to business operations, including business closures; strained healthcare systems; disruptions to supply chains and employee availability; large fluctuations in consumer demand; restrictions on travel; and widespread uncertainty regarding the duration and long-term effects of the pandemic. The pandemic may result in domestic and foreign political and social instability, damage to diplomatic and international trade relations, and continued volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. These conditions may continue for an extended period of time, or worsen. The pandemic may result in a sustained domestic or global economic downturn or recession. Health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, and economic risks. Developing or emerging market countries may be more adversely impacted. The ultimate economic fallout from the pandemic, and the long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers, are not yet fully known. Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, are taking extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including by pushing interest rates to very low levels. This and other government intervention into the economy and financial markets to address the pandemic may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results. Government actions to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic have resulted in large expansion of government deficits and debt, the long-term consequences of which are not known. Rates of inflation have also recently risen, which could adversely affect economies and markets. The COVID-19 pandemic could continue to adversely affect the value and liquidity of a Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, and measures taken to mitigate its effects, could result in disruptions to the services provided to a Fund by its service providers. Other market events like the COVID-19 pandemic may cause similar disruptions and effects.

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Operational Risk. Your ability to transact in shares of the Fund or the valuation of your investment may be negatively impacted because of the operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third party service providers or trading counterparties. Although the Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close early or issue trading halts on specific securities or financial instruments. The ability to trade certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may disrupt the Fund’s creation and redemption process, potentially affect the price at which the Fund’s shares trade in the secondary market, and/or result in the Fund being unable to trade certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

Portfolio Holdings 

The Fund will operate in a transparent fashion with respect to its holdings. The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed each day on its website at https://knowledgeleadersfunds.com/developed-portfolio/. The Fund’s holdings will be disseminated on a daily basis through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and/or other fee-based subscription service to NSCC members and/or subscribers. When a change is made to the portfolio such a change will generally be announced at or after the market close, although changes could be made, and publicly announced, during market hours. This could allow investors the opportunity to “front-run” the Fund, meaning other market participants could engage in a practice wherein they purchase holdings in the Fund with the expectation that the Fund would shortly need to purchase the same securities and, in doing so, cause the prices of these holdings to increase. However, because the Fund plans on creating shares primarily in exchange for the Fund’s holdings (in-kind purchases), the Advisor does not believe that existing investors would be harmed by the real time disclosure of the Fund’s holdings.

 

Additionally, the Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings as of the end of its fiscal year and second fiscal quarter in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. The Fund also discloses its complete portfolio holdings at the end of its first and third fiscal quarters in Part F of Form N-PORT.

 

For information on the Fund’s current holdings please visit https://knowledgeleadersfunds.com/developed-portfolio/.

 

Cybersecurity 

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.

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Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate their NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the Advisor, the Sub-advisor, and other 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; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests; counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Fund’s shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND 

 

Investment Advisor 

The Advisor, Knowledge Leaders Capital, LLC, is the Fund’s investment advisor and provides investment advisory services to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Advisor and the Trust (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor was founded in 2006 and its principal address is 1600 Broadway, Suite 1600, Denver, Colorado 80202. The Advisor is registered with the SEC. As of April 30, 2022, the Advisor managed approximately $276.6 million in assets, in pooled investment vehicles and in other accounts.

 

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Advisor an annual advisory fee of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the services and facilities it provides, payable on a monthly basis. The Advisor will pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Advisor will be included in the Fund’s Annual Report to shareholders dated as of April 30, 2022.

 

Portfolio Managers 

Steven C. Vannelli is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Steven C. Vannelli, CFA, has served as Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Advisor since 2006 and is responsible for asset allocation and security selection decisions. He also manages the investment team, supervises operations and business development, frequently meets with clients, and writes and speaks in various venues. From 1995 to 2005, Mr. Vannelli worked for Alexander Capital Management Group, a money management firm, as Head of Equities. He has over 25 years of portfolio management experience. Mr. Vannelli graduated from the University of Denver in 1995 and earned his CFA designation in 1999. He is currently a member of the Colorado Society of Security Analysts.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s method of compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of Fund securities.

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BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES

  

Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange. When you buy or sell the Fund’s shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and 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. The shares of the Fund will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of such shares. A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the NYSE, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. If for example, the NYSE closes at 1:00 p.m. New York time, the Fund’s NAVs would still be determined as of 4:00 p.m. New York time. In this example, portfolio securities traded on the NYSE would be valued at their closing prices unless the Trust’s Valuation Committee determines that a “fair value” adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events. The NAV is determined by dividing the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities, cash and other assets (including accrued interest), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses), by the total number of outstanding shares. The Fund’s NAV may be calculated earlier if permitted by the SEC. The NYSE is closed on weekends and most U.S. national holidays. However, foreign securities listed primarily on non-U.S. markets may trade on weekends or other days on which the Fund does not value its shares, which may significantly affect the Fund’s NAV on those days.

 

The Fund’s securities generally are valued at market price. Securities are valued at fair value when market quotations are not readily available. The Board has adopted procedures to be followed when the Fund must utilize fair value pricing, including when reliable market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund’s pricing service does not provide a valuation (or provides a valuation that, in the judgment of the Advisor, does not represent the security’s fair value), or when, in the judgment of the Advisor, events have rendered the market value unreliable (see, for example, the discussion of fair value pricing of foreign securities in the paragraph below). Valuing securities at fair value involves reliance on the judgment of the Advisor and the Board (or a committee thereof), and may result in a different price being used in the calculation of the Fund’s NAV from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value determinations are made in good faith in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. There can be no assurance that the Fund will obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it sells the security.

 

In certain circumstances, the Fund employs fair value pricing to ensure greater accuracy in determining daily NAV and to prevent dilution by frequent traders or market timers who seek to exploit temporary market anomalies. Fair value pricing may be applied to foreign securities held by the Fund upon the occurrence of an event after the close of trading on non-U.S. markets but before the close of trading on the NYSE when the Fund’s NAV is determined. If the event may result in a material adjustment to the price of the Fund’s foreign securities once non-U.S. markets open on the following business day (such as, for example, a significant surge or decline in the U.S. market), the Fund may value such foreign securities at fair value, taking into account the effect of such event, in order to calculate the Fund’s NAV.

 

Other types of portfolio securities that the Fund may fair value include, but are not limited to: (1) investments that are illiquid or traded infrequently, including “restricted” securities and private placements for which there is no public market; (2) investments for which, in the judgment of the Advisor, the market price is stale; (3) securities of an issuer that has entered into a restructuring; (4) securities for which trading has been halted or suspended; and (5) fixed income securities for which there is not a current market value quotation.

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares 

The Fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, the Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, shares of the Fund are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units available only from the Fund directly to Authorized Participants, and that most trading in the Fund occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders. In addition, frequent trading of shares of the Fund done by Authorized Participants and arbitrageurs is critical to ensuring that the market price remains at or close to NAV.

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Availability of Information 

Each Business Day, the following information will be available at https://knowledgeleadersfunds.com/kldw/ with respect to the Fund: (i) information for each portfolio holding that will form the basis of the next calculation of the Fund’s net asset value per share; (ii) the Fund’s net asset value per share, market price, and premium or discount, each as of the end of the prior Business Day; (iii) a table showing the number of days the Fund’s shares traded at a premium or discount during the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarter since that year; (iv) a line graph showing Fund share premiums or discounts for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarter since that year; (v) the Fund’s median bid-ask spread over the last thirty calendar days; and (vi) if during the past year the Fund’s premium or discount was greater than 2% for more than seven consecutive trading days, a statement that the Fund’s premium or discount, as applicable, was greater than 2% and a discussion of the factors that are reasonably believed to have materially contributed to the premium or discount.

 

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

 

The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Fund shares. No payments pursuant to the Distribution and Service Plan will be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this Prospectus. Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board. Because these fees, if imposed, would be paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

Fund Distributions 

The Fund pays out dividends from its net investment income annually and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to investors at least annually.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service 

Brokers may make available to their customers who own shares of the Fund the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require the Fund’s shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

 

Tax Information 

The following discussion is very general and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold Fund shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account. The SAI contains further information about taxes. Because each shareholder’s circumstances are different and special tax rules may apply, you should consult your tax advisor about your investment in the Fund.

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You will generally have to pay federal income taxes, as well as any state or local taxes, on distributions received from the Fund, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. If you sell Fund shares it is generally considered a taxable event. Distributions of net investment income, other than “qualified dividend income,” are taxable for federal income tax purposes at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are also generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain (i.e., the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) are taxable for federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares.

 

Dividends paid by the Fund (but none of the Fund’s capital gain distributions) may qualify in part for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions that the Fund reports as “qualified dividend income” may be eligible to be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gain if derived from the Fund’s qualified dividend income and/or if certain other requirements are satisfied. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market.

 

A distribution will reduce the Fund's net asset value per share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital. Although distributions are generally taxable when received, dividends declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record as of a date in such month and paid during the following January are treated as if received on December 31 of the calendar year when the dividends were declared.

 

Information on the federal income tax status of dividends and distributions is provided annually.

 

Dividends and distributions from the Fund and net gain from sales of Fund shares will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.

 

If you do not provide the Fund with your correct taxpayer identification number and any required certifications, you will be subject to backup withholding on your dividends and other distributions. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%.

 

Dividends and certain other payments made by the Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder are subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). Dividends that are reported by the Fund as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” are generally exempt from such withholding. In general, the Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S.-source interest and the Fund may report short-term capital gain dividends to the extent its net short-term capital gain for the taxable year exceeds its net long-term capital loss. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax described in this paragraph.

 

Under legislation commonly referred to as “FATCA,” unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

 

Some of the Fund’s investment income may be subject to foreign income taxes that are withheld at the country of origin. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes, but there can be no assurance that the Fund will qualify for treaty benefits.

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A person who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the applicable Fund shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the applicable Fund Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.

 

If you create or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Fund shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

 

The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Fund shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the applicable Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of the securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Trust does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Fund Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the applicable Fund, the purchaser (or group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 

If a Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may bear additional costs and recognize more capital gains than it would if it redeems Creation Units in kind.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Investments by Other Registered Investment Companies 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is treated as a registered investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Fund. The SEC has issued exemptive relief on which the Trust relies permitting registered investment companies to invest in exchange-traded funds offered by the Trust, including the Fund, beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.

 

Continuous Offering 

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the Prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the transfer agent, breaks them down into individual shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

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Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares of the Fund, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares of the Fund, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with shares of the Fund that are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(a) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Fund’s Prospectus is available on the SEC’s electronic filing system. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance since it commenced operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of the Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost, on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021, are from the Fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. Tait, Weller & Baker LLP’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request. The information for prior fiscal periods is from the financial statements audited by the Predecessor Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.

 

Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF 

Per share operating performance. 

For a capital share outstanding throughout each period.

 

    For the Year Ended April 30,  
    2022     2021     2020     2019     2018  
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 44.79     $ 31.87     $ 33.75     $ 34.06     $ 29.34  
Income from Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income1     0.45       0.28       0.31       0.39       0.31  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     (6.02 )     12.90       (1.83 )     (0.41 )     4.64  
Total from investment operations     (5.57 )     13.18       (1.52 )     (0.02 )     4.95  
                                         
Less Distributions:                                        
From net investment income     (0.23 )     (0.26 )     (0.36 )     (0.29 )     (0.23 )
Total distributions     (0.23 )     (0.26 )     (0.36 )     (0.29 )     (0.23 )
                                         
Net asset value, end of period   $ 38.99     $ 44.79     $ 31.87     $ 33.75     $ 34.06  
                                         
Total return2     (12.52 )%     41.40 %     (4.64 )%     0.09 %     16.89 %
Total return at market price3     (13.28 )%     42.40 %     (5.35 )%     (0.08 )%     16.73 %
                                         
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)   $ 157,903     $ 183,659     $ 130,671     $ 131,628     $ 132,826  
                                         
Ratio of expenses to average net assets     0.75 %     0.75 %     0.75 %     0.75 %     0.75 %
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets     0.98 %     0.70 %     0.92 %     1.19 %     0.94 %
                                         
Portfolio turnover rate4     23 %     31 %     19 %     18 %     10 %

 

1 Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
2 Net asset value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, if any, and redemption on the last day of the period at net asset value. This percentage is not an indication of the performance of a shareholder's investment in the Fund based on market value due to the differences between the market price of the shares and the net asset value per share of the Fund.
3 Market value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at market value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, if any, and redemption on the last day of the period at market value. Market value is determined by the composite closing price. Composite closing security price is defined as the last reported sale price on the NYSE Arca. The composite closing price is the last reported sale, regardless of volume, and not an average price, and may have occurred on a date prior to the close of the reporting period. Market value may be greater or less than net asset value, depending on the Fund's closing price on the NYSE Arca.
4 Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions related to the processing of capital share transactions in Creation Units.

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Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF 

A series of Investment Managers Series Trust

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

Statement of Additional Information (SAI) 

The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information. The SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.

 

Shareholder Reports 

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year.

 

The Fund’s SAI, annual and semi-annual reports are available, free of charge, on the Fund’s website at https://knowledgeleadersfunds.com/kldw/. You can also obtain a free copy of the Fund’s SAI or annual and semi-annual reports, request other information, or inquire about the Fund by contacting a broker that sells shares of the Fund or by calling the Fund (toll-free) at 1-844-428-3525 or by writing to:

 

Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF 

P.O. Box 2175 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201

 

Reports and other information about the Fund are also available: 

Free of charge, on the SEC’s EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov; or

For a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

 

(Investment Company Act file no. 811- 21719.)

 

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