SSGA Active Trust
Prospectus
October 31, 2021
SSGA Active Trust    
SPDR® Blackstone Senior Loan ETF (formerly, SPDR Blackstone / GSO Senior Loan ETF) (SRLN)
SPDR DoubleLine® Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF (EMTL)
SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF (STOT)
SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL)
SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF (MBND)
SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF (FISR)
SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF (GAL)
SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF (INKM)
SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF (RLY)
SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST)
SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF (XLSR)
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc. (except EMTL, STOT and MBND are listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 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. Shares in the Funds are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other agency of the U.S. Government, nor are shares deposits or obligations of any bank. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Funds.

 

 
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Fund Summaries  
SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF 1
SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF 8
SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF 16
SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF 26
SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF 34
SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF 39
SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF 46
SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF 54
SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF 62
SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF 71
SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF 78
Additional Strategies Information 84
Additional Risk Information 85
Management 116
Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers 122
Additional Purchase and Sale Information 123
Distributions 124
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure 124
Additional Tax Information 125
General Information 129
Financial Highlights 130
Where to Learn More About the Funds Back Cover

 
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Fund Summaries
SPDR® Blackstone Senior Loan ETF
(formerly, SPDR Blackstone / GSO Senior Loan ETF)
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF (the “Fund”) is to provide current income consistent with the preservation of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.70%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.70%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$72 $224 $390 $871
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 176% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In pursuing its investment objective, the Fund seeks to outperform the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Leveraged Loan Index (the “Primary Index”) and the S&P/LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 Index (the “Secondary Index”) by normally investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in Senior Loans. For purposes of this 80% test, “Senior Loans” are first lien senior secured floating rate bank loans. A Senior Loan is an advance or commitment of funds made by one or more banks or similar financial institutions, including the Fund, to one or more corporations, partnerships or other business entities and pays interest at a floating or adjusting rate that is determined periodically at a designated premium above a base lending rate, most commonly the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), or a replacement rate in the event LIBOR is discontinued. A Senior Loan is senior to all unsecured claims against the borrower and senior or equal to all other secured claims, meaning that, in the event of a bankruptcy, the Senior Loan, together with other first lien claims, is entitled to be the first to be repaid out of proceeds of the assets securing the loans, before other existing claims or interests receive repayment. However, in bankruptcy proceedings, there may be other claims, such as taxes or additional advances that take precedence. The Primary Index is composed of the 100 most liquid Senior Loans in the market, while the Secondary Index is composed of the 100 largest Senior Loans in the market, as measured by the borrowed amounts outstanding. The Fund intends to hold a large percentage of the components of the Primary and Secondary Indexes. It is anticipated that the Fund will invest 
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approximately 50% to 75% of its net assets in Senior Loans that are eligible for inclusion in the Primary and/or Secondary Indexes. Senior Loans included in the Primary and/or Secondary Indexes, and in which the Fund may invest, may include covenant-lite loans, which may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans. Each of the Fund's Senior Loan investments is expected to have no less than $250 million par outstanding. 
The Fund invests in Senior Loans that are made predominantly to businesses operating in North America, but may also invest in Senior Loans made to businesses operating outside of North America. The Fund may invest in Senior Loans directly, either from the borrower as part of a primary issuance or in the secondary market through assignments of portions of Senior Loans from third parties, or participations in Senior Loans, which are contractual relationships with an existing lender in a loan facility whereby the Fund purchases the right to receive principal and interest payments on a loan but the existing lender remains the record holder of the loan. Under normal market conditions, it is expected that the Fund's Senior Loan investments will maintain an average interest rate duration of less than 90 days. 
In selecting securities for the Fund, the Fund's sub-adviser, Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC (formerly, GSO / Blackstone Debt Funds Management LLC) (the “Sub-Adviser”), seeks to construct a portfolio of loans that it believes is less volatile than the general loan market. In addition, when making investments, the Sub-Adviser seeks to maintain appropriate liquidity and price transparency for the Fund. On an on-going basis, the Sub-Adviser adds or removes those individual loans that it believes will cause the Fund to outperform or underperform, respectively, the Primary and Secondary Indexes. The Fund's strategy may result in a high portfolio turnover rate. 
When identifying prospective investment opportunities in Senior Loans, the Sub-Adviser currently intends to invest principally in Senior Loans that are below investment-grade quality and will rely on fundamental credit analysis in an effort to attempt to minimize the loss of the Fund's capital. While credit ratings assigned by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC and/or Fitch Inc. (the “SROs” (statistical rating agencies)) will be considered, such ratings will not be determinative in the Sub-Adviser's process in the selection of specific debt securities (including Senior Loans). The Senior Loans and other securities that the Sub-Adviser is likely to select for investment in by the Fund will typically be rated below investment-grade quality by one or more of the SROs or, if unrated, will typically, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, be of similar credit quality. If circumstances cause the Sub-Adviser to take a negative credit view on an existing investment the Fund may, if the Sub-Adviser believes that circumstances require, exit the investment. The circumstances giving rise to the Sub-Adviser's negative credit view may, but will not necessarily, coincide with a downgrade of the Senior Loan or other security's credit rating. The Sub-Adviser expects to invest in Senior Loans, other loans and bonds of companies, including high yield securities (commonly known as “junk”) and Rule 144A securities, possessing the following attributes, which it believes will help generate higher risk adjusted total returns: 
Leading, defensible market positions. The Sub-Adviser intends to invest in companies that it believes have developed strong positions within their respective markets and exhibit the potential to maintain sufficient cash flows and profitability to service their obligations in a range of economic environments. The Sub-Adviser will seek companies that it believes possess advantages in scale, scope, customer loyalty, product pricing, or product quality versus their competitors, thereby minimizing business risk and protecting profitability. 
Investing in companies with positive cash flow. The Sub-Adviser intends to invest primarily in established companies which have demonstrated a record of profitability and cash flows over several economic cycles. The Sub-Adviser believes such companies are well-positioned to maintain consistent cash flow to service and repay their obligations and maintain growth in their businesses or market share. The Sub-Adviser does not intend to invest in primarily start-up companies, companies in turnaround situations or companies with speculative business plans. 
Proven management teams. The Sub-Adviser intends to focus on investments in which the target company has an experienced management team with an established track record of success. The Sub-Adviser will typically require companies to have in place proper incentives to align management's goals with the Fund's goals. 
Private equity sponsorship. Often the Sub-Adviser will seek to participate in transactions sponsored by what it believes to be high-quality private equity firms. The Sub-Adviser believes that a private equity sponsor's willingness to invest significant sums of equity capital into a company is an implicit endorsement of the quality of the investment. Further, private equity sponsors of companies with significant investments at risk have the ability and a strong incentive to contribute additional capital in difficult economic times should operational issues arise. 
Diversification, concentration and reliance on other lenders. The Sub-Adviser will seek to invest broadly among companies and industries, thereby potentially reducing the risk of a downturn in any one company or industry having a disproportionate impact on the value of the Fund's portfolio. While the Fund looks to the underlying borrower of a bank loan, rather than the bank originating the loan, for purposes of determining the industry 
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concentration of investments, it is possible that under a different interpretation the Fund may be deemed to concentrate its investments in the financial services industries. Loans, and the collateral securing them, are typically monitored by agents for the lenders, which may be the originating bank or banks. The Fund may be affected by the creditworthiness of the agent bank and other intermediate participants in a Senior Loan, in addition to the borrower, since rights that may exist under the loan against the borrower if the borrower defaults are typically asserted by or through the agent bank or intermediate participant. Agents are typically large commercial banks, although for Senior Loans that are not broadly syndicated they can also include thrift institutions, insurance companies or finance companies (or their affiliates). Such companies may be especially susceptible to the effects of changes in interest rates resulting from changes in U.S. or foreign fiscal or monetary policies, governmental regulations affecting capital raising activities or other economic or market fluctuations. 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Senior Loan Risk: Investments in Senior Loans are subject to credit risk and general investment risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the borrower of a Senior Loan will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its obligation. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and consequently a reduction in the value of the Fund's investments and a potential decrease in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund. Senior Loans are also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral securing a Senior Loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. In addition, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, loans held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some Senior Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the Senior Loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund, such as invalidation of Senior Loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. Senior Loans are also subject to high yield securities risks and liquidity risks described above. In addition, bank loans may be subject to extended settlement periods, which may impair the Fund's ability to sell or realize the full value of its loans in the event of a need to liquidate such loans in a compressed period of time. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants 
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compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Cash Transaction Risk: The Fund may sell portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash. In such cases, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. 
Financial Sector Risk: Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
LIBOR Risk: On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that after 2021, it will cease its active encouragement of banks to provide quotations needed to sustain the LIBOR rate. On March 5, 2021, the administrator of LIBOR announced a delay in the phase out of the majority of the USD LIBOR publications until June 30, 2023, with the remainder of LIBOR publications to still end on December 31, 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. The replacement and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. The unavailability and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could have adverse impacts on newly issued financial instruments and existing financial instruments that reference LIBOR. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any alternative methodology. In addition, the unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. 
Liquidity Risk: There is no organized exchange on which loans are traded and reliable market quotations may not be readily available. A majority of the Fund's assets are likely to be invested in loans that are less liquid than securities traded on national exchanges. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may limit the ability of the Fund to obtain 
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cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Loans with reduced liquidity involve greater risk than securities with more liquid markets. Available market quotations for such loans may vary over time, and if the credit quality of a loan unexpectedly declines, secondary trading of that loan may decline for a period of time. During periods of infrequent trading, valuing a loan can be more difficult and buying and selling a loan at an acceptable price can be more difficult and delayed. In the event that the Fund voluntarily or involuntarily liquidates portfolio assets during periods of infrequent trading, it may not receive full value for those assets. Therefore, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of loans. To the extent that a secondary market exists for certain loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Sub-Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Non-Senior Loans and Other Debt Securities Risk: Secured loans that are not first lien, loans that are unsecured and debt securities are subject to many of the same risks that affect Senior Loans; however they are often unsecured and/or lower in the issuer's capital structure than Senior Loans, and thus may be exposed to greater risk of default and lower recoveries in the event of a default. This risk can be further heightened in the case of below investment-grade instruments. Additionally, most fixed-income securities are fixed-rate and thus are generally more susceptible than floating rate loans to price volatility related to changes in prevailing interest rates. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Frequent purchases and sales of portfolio securities may result in higher Fund expenses and may result in more significant distributions of short-term capital gains to investors, which are taxed to individuals as ordinary income. 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ  
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from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 7.72% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -11.57% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 4.51%.
 
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Five
Years
Since Inception
(04/03/13)
Return Before Taxes 2.71% 4.39% 3.05%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 0.61% 2.40% 1.22%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 1.54% 2.48% 1.50%
Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Leveraged Loan Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.21% 4.00% 2.69%
S&P/LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 2.84% 5.31% 3.52%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 4.44% 3.40%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund, subject to supervision by the Adviser and oversight by the SSGA Active Trust's Board of Trustees. To the extent that a reference in this Prospectus refers to the Adviser, with respect to the Fund, such reference should also be read to refer to Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC, where the context requires.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals at the Sub-Adviser primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Daniel T. McMullen, Gordon McKemie and Bonnie Brookshaw.
Daniel T. McMullen is a Senior Managing Director of the Sub-Adviser and lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund. He joined Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC in 2002.
Gordon McKemie is a Principal of the Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Manager of the Fund. He joined Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC in 2012.
Bonnie Brookshaw is a Managing Director of the Sub-Adviser and a Portfolio Manager of the Fund. She joined Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC in 2002.
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Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash. Creation Unit transactions may be conducted in exchange for cash only, which may cause the Fund to recognize capital gains and to pay out higher annual capital gain distributions to shareholders than if such transactions had been conducted in-kind.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® DoubleLine® Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide high total return from current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees1 0.65%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1 0.65%
1 The Fund's “Management fees” and “Total annual Fund operating expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$66 $208 $362 $810
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 77% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
Under normal circumstances, DoubleLine Capital LP (the “Sub-Adviser” or “DoubleLine”) will invest at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in emerging market fixed income securities. The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to any change in this 80% investment policy. Fixed income securities are defined as fixed income securities issued or guaranteed by foreign corporations or foreign governments, including securities issued or guaranteed by companies (including hybrid securities), financial institutions, or government entities in emerging market countries; corporate or government bonds; sovereign debt; structured securities; foreign currency transactions; certain derivatives; preferred securities; zero coupon bonds; credit-linked notes; pass through notes; bank loans; and perpetual maturity bonds. Fixed income securities may have fixed or variable interest rates and any maturity. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded foreign equity securities and depositary receipts. The Fund will generally invest in securities and/or instruments from at least five emerging market countries, with no more than 20% allocated to a single country. An “emerging market country” is a country that, at the time the Fund invests in the related security or instrument, is classified as an emerging or developing economy by any supranational organization such as the World Bank or the United Nations, or related entities, or is considered an emerging market country for purposes of constructing a major emerging market securities index. A security or instrument is considered to be from an emerging market country if the issuer or guarantor of the security or instrument is either domiciled in an emerging market country or derives a majority of its cash flow or revenue from an emerging 
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market country. Certain fixed income securities held by the Fund may not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), including securities that are typically purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S promulgated under the 1933 Act. These securities are expected to be liquid. 
The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any credit quality, but seeks to invest no more than 20%, at the time of investment, in fixed income securities that are unrated, rated BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor's Rating Service or Ba1 or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or the equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization. Corporate bonds and certain other fixed income securities rated below investment-grade, or such instruments that are unrated and are determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality, are high yield, high risk bonds, commonly known as junk bonds. The Fund may invest in hybrid securities relating to emerging market countries. A hybrid security may be created by combining an income-producing debt security and the right to receive payment based on the change in the price of an equity security. 
The Fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies). The Fund may also invest in the following derivatives: foreign currency futures; credit default swaps; and options, swaps, futures, and forward contracts on securities. These practices may be used to hedge the Fund's portfolio (e.g., to hedge against currency fluctuations), as well as for investment purposes (e.g., to gain exposure to certain issuers or emerging markets); however, such practices sometimes may reduce returns or increase volatility. All such derivatives will be exchange traded or centrally cleared. 
In allocating investments among various emerging market countries, the Sub-Adviser attempts to analyze internal political, market and economic factors. These factors may include public finances, monetary policy, external accounts, financial markets, foreign investment regulations, stability of exchange rate policy, and labor conditions. 
In managing the Fund's investments, under normal market conditions, the Sub-Adviser intends to seek to construct an investment portfolio with a weighted average effective duration of no less than two years and no more than eight years. Duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed income instrument that is used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. Effective duration is a measure of the Fund's portfolio duration adjusted for the anticipated effect of interest rate changes on bond and mortgage pre-payment rates. The effective duration of the Fund's investment portfolio may vary materially from its target, from time to time, and there is no assurance that the effective duration of the Fund's investment portfolio will not exceed its target. The Fund may invest without limit in investments denominated in any currency, but expects to invest a portion of its assets in investments denominated in the U.S. dollar. Securities held by the Fund may be sold at any time. By way of example, sales may occur when the Sub-Adviser perceives deterioration in the credit fundamentals of the issuer, when the Sub-Adviser believes there are negative macro geo-political considerations that may affect the issuer, when the Sub-Adviser determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity, or the individual security has reached the Sub-Adviser's sell target. 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low 
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levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Bank Loan Risk: The Fund may invest in secured and unsecured participations in bank loans and assignments of such loans. In making investments in such loans, which are made by banks or other financial intermediaries to borrowers, the Fund will depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest which will expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. The market for bank loans may not be highly liquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. The Fund may also experience settlement delays with respect to bank loan trades, resulting in the proceeds from the sale of such loans not being readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund's redemption obligations. Participations by the Fund in a lender's portion of a bank loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such lender, not with the borrower. The Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling a loan participation and only upon receipt by such lender of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender selling the participation. Further, loans held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Cash Transaction Risk: The Fund may sell portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash. In such cases, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. 
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Counterparty Risk: The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and other transactions. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, or to recover collateral posted to the counterparty, resulting in a loss to the Fund. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Currency Hedging Risk: If the Fund enters into currency hedging transactions, any loss generated by those transactions generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the hedging transaction and the risk sought to be hedged. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions will be effective. 
Depositary Receipts Risk: Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. 
Derivatives Risk: Derivative transactions can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. The counterparty to a derivatives contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. A derivatives transaction may not behave in the manner anticipated by the Sub-Adviser or may not have the effect on the Fund anticipated by the Sub-Adviser. 
Equity Investing Risk: The market prices of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer and also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. 
Geographic Focus Risk: The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund. 
Asia: Certain Asian economies have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Many Asian economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. During the recent global recession, many of the export-driven Asian economies experienced the effects of the economic slowdown in the United States and Europe, and certain Asian governments implemented stimulus plans, low-rate monetary policies and currency devaluations. Economic events in any one Asian country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region, as well as on major trading partners outside Asia. Any adverse event in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the countries in which the Fund invests. Many Asian countries are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many Asian countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions. These risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments. 
Latin America: Latin American economies are generally considered emerging markets and are generally characterized by high interest, inflation, and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations in any one Latin American country can have a significant effect on the entire Latin American region. Because commodities such as oil and gas, minerals, and metals represent a significant percentage of the region's exports, the 
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economies of Latin American countries are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. A relatively small number of Latin American companies represents a large portion of Latin America's total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. 
Pacific Region: Many of the Pacific region economies can be exposed to high inflation rates, undeveloped financial services sectors, and heavy reliance on international trade. The region's economies are also dependent on the economies of Asia, Europe and the United States and, in particular, on the price and demand for agricultural products and natural resources. Currency devaluations or restrictions, political and social instability, and deteriorating economic conditions may result in significant downturns and increased volatility in the economies of countries of the Pacific region, as it has in the past. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Leveraging Risk: Use of leverage by the Fund may have the effect of increasing the volatility of the value of the Fund's portfolio, and may entail risk of loss in excess of the Fund's invested capital. To the extent the Fund uses leverage, the Fund's losses (and gains) may be greater than if the Fund had not used leverage. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Sub-Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Pass-Through Securities Risk: Pass-through securities are debt obligations backed by a pool of assets, such as mortgages. In addition to the risks associated with investing in debt securities generally, pass-through securities are subject to changes in the payment patterns of borrowers of the underlying debt. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to refinance or prepay their debt before its stated maturity. This may result in the Fund  
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having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities, effectively reducing the Fund's income. Conversely, if interest rates rise and borrowers repay their debt more slowly than expected, the time in which pass-through securities are paid off could be extended, reducing the Fund's cash available for reinvestment in higher yielding securities. 
Perpetual Bond Risk: Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may have heightened sensitivity to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate.  Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer.  In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond. 
Preferred Securities Risk: Generally, preferred security holders have no or limited voting rights with respect to the issuing company. In addition, preferred securities are generally senior to common stock, but may be subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure and therefore may be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In the event an issuer of preferred securities experiences economic difficulties, the issuer's preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the increased likelihood of deferred interest or dividend payments and the fact that the preferred security may be subordinated to other securities of the same issuer. Further, because many preferred securities pay interest or dividends at a fixed rate, their market price can be sensitive to changes in interest rates in a manner similar to bonds — that is, as interest rates rise, the value of the preferred securities held by the Fund are likely to decline. In addition, to the extent preferred securities allow holders to convert the preferred securities into common stock of the issuer, their market price can be sensitive to changes in the value of the issuer's common stock and, therefore, declining common stock values may also cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. Preferred securities often have call features which allow the issuer to redeem the security at its discretion. The redemption of a preferred security having a higher than average yield may cause a decrease in the Fund's yield. 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Structured Securities Risk: Structured securities generally include privately-issued and publicly-issued structured securities, including certain publicly-issued structured securities that are not agency securities. An investment in a structured product may decline in value due to changes in the underlying instruments on which the product is based. The cash flow or rate of return on a structured investment may be determined by applying a multiplier to the rate of total return on the underlying investments or referenced indicator. Application of a multiplier is comparable to the use of financial leverage, a speculative technique. Holders of structured products indirectly bear risks associated with the underlying investments, index or reference obligation, and are subject to counterparty risk. Structured products are generally privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. Certain structured products may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market and may have the effect of increasing the Fund's illiquidity to the extent that the Fund, at a particular point in time, may be unable to find qualified buyers for these securities. Structured notes are derivative securities for which the amount of principal repayment and/or interest payments is based on the movement of one or more “factors.” Investments in structured notes, including credit-linked notes, involve risks including interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. Where the Fund's investments in structured notes are based upon the movement of one or more factors, depending on the factor used and the use of multipliers or deflators, changes in interest rates and movement of the factor may cause significant price fluctuations. 
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Unconstrained Sector Risk: The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. Greater investment focus on one or more sectors or industries increases the potential for volatility and the risk that events negatively affecting such sectors or industries could reduce returns, potentially causing the value of the Fund's Shares to decrease, perhaps significantly. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk: During periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates of variable or floating rate securities may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield. In addition, investment in derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters, whose rates vary inversely with market rates of interest, or range floaters or capped floaters, whose rates are subject to periodic or lifetime caps, or in securities that pay a rate of interest determined by applying a multiple to the variable rate involves special risks as compared to investment in a fixed-rate security and may involve leverage. Floating rate notes are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, and their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such securities. 
Zero-Coupon Bond Risk: Zero-coupon bonds usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par values and are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current distributions of interest. 
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 9.97% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -10.93% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 0.68%.
 
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
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  One
Year
Since Inception
(04/13/16)
Return Before Taxes 3.55% 5.50%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 2.13% 3.33%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 2.06% 3.23%
JP Morgan Corporate Emerging Market Bond Index Broad Diversified (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.13% 6.53%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 9.20% 3.71%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. DoubleLine serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund, subject to supervision by the Adviser and oversight by the SSGA Active Trust's Board of Trustees. To the extent that a reference in this Prospectus refers to the Adviser, with respect to the Fund, such reference should also be read to refer to DoubleLine, where the context requires.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Luz Padilla, Mark Christensen and Su Fei Koo.
Luz Padilla is a Director and Lead Portfolio Manager at DoubleLine. Ms. Padilla joined DoubleLine in December 2009.
Mark Christensen is a Portfolio Manager at DoubleLine. Mr. Christensen joined DoubleLine in December 2009.
Su Fei Koo is a Portfolio Manager at DoubleLine. Ms. Koo joined DoubleLine in December 2009.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash. Creation Unit transactions may be conducted in exchange for cash only, which may cause the Fund to recognize capital gains and to pay out higher annual capital gain distributions to shareholders than if such transactions had been conducted in-kind.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® DoubleLine® Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize current income with a dollar-weighted average effective duration between one and three years.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees1 0.45%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1 0.45%
1 The Fund's “Management fees” and “Total annual Fund operating expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$46 $144 $252 $567
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 58% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
Under normal circumstances, DoubleLine Capital LP (the “Sub-Adviser” or “DoubleLine”) will invest at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities of any credit quality (subject to certain limits described below). The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to any change in this 80% investment policy. Fixed income securities in which the Fund principally invests are defined as securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations; inflation protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury (“TIPS”); securities issued or guaranteed by state or local governments or their agencies or instrumentalities (commonly known as municipal bonds) (the Fund may invest up to 20% of its portfolio in municipal bonds); asset-backed securities (“ABS”) (which include the following: agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), agency and non-agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”), and any other agency and non-agency asset-backed securities (“NAABS”)); collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”); collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”); collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”); collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”); and Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”) and Re-REMICs (which are REMICs that have been resecuritized); stripped securities (i.e., interest rate only and principal only securities); zero coupon securities; foreign (including emerging markets) and domestic corporate bonds; sovereign debt; bank loans; preferred securities; and exchange-traded 
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products, including exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes, that invest in fixed income securities. To the extent applicable, debt instruments that comprise fixed income securities may be either fixed rate securities, floating rate securities, or variable rate securities. The Fund may also invest in cash and other short-term instruments, as well as restricted securities. 
The Fund may invest up to 20% of the fixed income portion of its portfolio, in the aggregate, in non-agency ABS, which may include privately issued mortgage-backed securities of any rating assigned by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody's”) or by Standard & Poor's Rating Service (“S&P”) or assigned by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or in unrated securities that are determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its net assets in mortgage-backed securities of any maturity or type guaranteed by, or secured by collateral that is guaranteed by, the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations. The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities. The term “U.S. agency mortgage pass-through security” refers to a category of pass-through securities backed by pools of mortgages and issued by one of several U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises: Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The Fund may seek to obtain exposure to U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities through the use of “to-be-announced” or “TBA Transactions.”“TBA” refers to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, and not to a separate type of mortgage-backed security. Transactions in mortgage pass-through securities may occur through the use of TBA Transactions. TBA Transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted guidelines which establish commonly observed terms and conditions for execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and seller decide on general trade parameters, such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined prior to settlement date. 
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in corporate high yield securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). Under normal circumstances, the combined total of corporate, sovereign, non-agency and all other debt rated below investment-grade will not exceed 40% of the Fund's net assets. Below investment-grade securities are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered NRSRO or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser strives to allocate securities broadly by industry and issuer in an attempt to reduce the impact of negative events on an industry or issuer. 
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The Fund generally considers an issuer to be economically tied to an emerging market country if: (i) the issuer is organized under the laws of an emerging country; (ii) the issuer's securities are traded principally in an emerging country; or (iii) during the issuer's most recent fiscal year it derived at least 50% of its revenues, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or profits from goods produced or sold by, investments made in, or services performed in emerging countries, or it had at least 50% of its assets in emerging countries. 
The Sub-Adviser monitors the duration of the securities held by the Fund to seek to mitigate exposure to interest rate risk. Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser seeks to maintain an investment portfolio with a weighted average effective duration between 1 and 3 years. The duration of the portfolio may vary materially from its target, from time to time. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security's duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. 
The Sub-Adviser actively manages the Fund's asset class exposure using a top-down approach based on analysis of sector fundamentals and rotates Fund assets among sectors in various markets to attempt to maximize return. Individual securities within asset classes are selected using a bottom-up approach. Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser uses a controlled risk approach in managing the Fund's investments. The techniques of this approach attempt to control the principal risk components of the fixed income markets and include consideration of: 
security selection within a given sector;
relative performance of the various market sectors;
the shape of the yield curve; and
fluctuations in the overall level of interest rates. 
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Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk: Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial) represent interests in “pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. These securities, in most cases, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. These securities may be subject to liquidity risk as well as the risk of illiquidity and default on the underlying asset or mortgage, particularly during periods of economic downturn. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. In particular, during periods of falling interest rates, mortgage-backed securities will be called or prepaid, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of a mortgage-backed security may extend, which may lock in a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration, and reduce the value of the security. Enforcing rights against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult, or the underlying assets or collateral may be insufficient if the issuer defaults. The values of certain types of mortgage-backed securities, such as inverse floaters and interest-only and principal-only securities, may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates and prepayment rates. Transactions in mortgage pass through securities may occur through the use of TBA Transactions, as described above. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a TBA Transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA Transaction.
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
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Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Bank Loan Risk: The Fund may invest in secured and unsecured participations in bank loans and assignments of such loans. In making investments in such loans, which are made by banks or other financial intermediaries to borrowers, the Fund will depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest which will expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. The market for bank loans may not be highly liquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. The Fund may also experience settlement delays with respect to bank loan trades, resulting in the proceeds from the sale of such loans not being readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund's redemption obligations. Participations by the Fund in a lender's portion of a bank loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such lender, not with the borrower. The Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling a loan participation and only upon receipt by such lender of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender selling the participation. Further, loans held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans. 
Cash Transaction Risk: The Fund may sell portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash. In such cases, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. 
Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk: The risks of an investment in a collateralized debt obligation depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the debt obligation in which the Fund invests. Collateralized debt obligations are generally subject to many of the same risks of investing as debt securities and asset-backed securities, including credit, interest rate, valuation, liquidity, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying assets, particularly during periods of economic downturn. 
Collateralized Loan Obligation Risk: The risks of an investment in a collateralized loan obligation depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the debt obligation in which the Fund invests. Collateralized loan obligations are generally subject to credit, interest rate, valuation, liquidity, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Collateralized loan obligations carry additional risks including, but not limited to, (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest of other payments, (ii) the collateral may decline in value or default, (iii) the Fund may invest in obligations that are subordinate to other classes, and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. 
Collateralized Bond Obligation Risk: The pool of high yield securities underlying collateralized bond obligations is typically separated into groupings called tranches representing different degrees of credit quality. The higher quality tranches have greater degrees of protection and pay lower interest rates. The lower tranches, with greater risk, pay higher interest rates. 
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation Risk: The expected average life of collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) is determined using mathematical models that incorporate prepayment assumptions and other factors that involve estimates of future economic and market conditions. These estimates may vary from actual future results, particularly during periods of extreme market volatility. Further, under certain market conditions, the average weighted life of certain CMOs may not accurately reflect the price volatility of such 
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securities. For example, in periods of supply and demand imbalances in the market for such securities and/or in periods of sharp interest rate movements, the prices of CMOs may fluctuate to a greater extent than would be expected from interest rate movements alone. CMOs issued by private entities are not obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and are not guaranteed by any government agency, although the securities underlying a CMO may be subject to a guarantee. Therefore, if the collateral securing the CMO, as well as any third party credit support or guarantees, is insufficient to make payments when due, the holder could sustain a loss. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Exchange Traded Products Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by the ETPs in which it invests. In addition, the shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an exchange traded fund's (“ETF”) shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of an ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the ETF to deviate from the value of the ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. The value of an exchange traded note may also differ from the valuation of its reference market due to changes in the issuer's credit rating. By investing in ETPs, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund's proportionate share of any fees and expenses (e.g. management, custody, accounting, and administration) of the ETP, if applicable, in addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's operations. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Sub-Adviser. 
Interest Rate Only and Principal Only Securities Risk: Interest rate only and principal only securities are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments. These securities are volatile in price and may have lower liquidity. 
Investment in ETNs: The value of an exchanged traded note (“ETN”) may be influenced by time to maturity, supply and demand, volatility and lack of liquidity, changes in interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. There are typically no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and the amount of principal payable at maturity may decline, depending in part on the performance of an underlying index or asset. A Fund could lose all or some of the amount invested in an ETN. 
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LIBOR Risk: On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that after 2021, it will cease its active encouragement of banks to provide quotations needed to sustain the LIBOR rate. On March 5, 2021, the administrator of LIBOR announced a delay in the phase out of the majority of the USD LIBOR publications until June 30, 2023, with the remainder of LIBOR publications to still end on December 31, 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. The replacement and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. The unavailability and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could have adverse impacts on newly issued financial instruments and existing financial instruments that reference LIBOR. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any alternative methodology. In addition, the unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Sub-Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Municipal Obligations Risk: Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of municipal obligations may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. In addition, the values of municipal obligations that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. Municipal obligations may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. In addition, changes in federal tax laws or the activity of an issuer may adversely affect the tax-exempt status of municipal obligations. Loss of tax-exempt status may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal obligations. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
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Political Risk: A significant restructuring of federal income tax rates or even serious discussion on the topic in Congress could cause municipal bond prices to fall. The demand for municipal securities is strongly influenced by the value of tax-exempt income to investors. Lower income tax rates could reduce the advantage of owning municipals. 
Preferred Securities Risk: Generally, preferred security holders have no or limited voting rights with respect to the issuing company. In addition, preferred securities are generally senior to common stock, but may be subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure and therefore may be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In the event an issuer of preferred securities experiences economic difficulties, the issuer's preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the increased likelihood of deferred interest or dividend payments and the fact that the preferred security may be subordinated to other securities of the same issuer. Further, because many preferred securities pay interest or dividends at a fixed rate, their market price can be sensitive to changes in interest rates in a manner similar to bonds — that is, as interest rates rise, the value of the preferred securities held by the Fund are likely to decline. In addition, to the extent preferred securities allow holders to convert the preferred securities into common stock of the issuer, their market price can be sensitive to changes in the value of the issuer's common stock and, therefore, declining common stock values may also cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. Preferred securities often have call features which allow the issuer to redeem the security at its discretion. The redemption of a preferred security having a higher than average yield may cause a decrease in the Fund's yield. 
Privately Issued Securities Risk: The Fund will invest in privately-issued securities, including those which are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act. Privately-issued securities are securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act and as a result are subject to legal restrictions on resale. Privately-issued securities are not traded on established markets and may be illiquid, difficult to value and subject to wide fluctuations in value. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. 
REMIC Risk: The issuer of a series of mortgage pass-through securities may elect to be treated as a Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (“REMIC”). REMICs include governmental and/or private entities that issue a fixed pool of mortgages secured by an interest in real property. REMICs are similar to collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) in that they issue multiple classes of securities but, unlike CMOs, which are required to be structured as debt securities, REMICs may be structured as indirect ownership interests in the underlying assets of the REMICs themselves. The risks associated with an investment in a particular CMO or REMIC class vary substantially depending on the combination of rights associated with that class. An investment in the most subordinated classes of a CMO or REMIC bears a disproportionate share of the risks associated with mortgage-backed security generally, be it credit risk, prepayment or extension risk (the risk of a security's expected maturity being reduced or lengthened in duration due to a change of the timing of payment), interest rate risk, income risk, market risk, liquidity risk or any other risk associated with a debt or equity instrument with similar features to the relevant class. As a result, an investment in the most subordinated classes of a CMO or REMIC is often riskier than an investment in other types of mortgage-backed securities. 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
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Unconstrained Sector Risk: The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. Greater investment focus on one or more sectors or industries increases the potential for volatility and the risk that events negatively affecting such sectors or industries could reduce returns, potentially causing the value of the Fund's Shares to decrease, perhaps significantly. 
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks. 
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk: U.S. Treasury obligations may differ from other fixed income securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund's U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk: During periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates of variable or floating rate securities may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield. Floating rate notes are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, and their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such securities. 
Zero-Coupon Bond Risk: Zero-coupon bonds usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par values and are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current distributions of interest. 
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Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 2.90% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -1.78% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 0.29%.
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Since Inception
(04/13/16)
Return Before Taxes 2.65% 2.28%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 1.95% 1.31%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 1.56% 1.31%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate 1-3 Year Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 3.08% 2.08%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 3.98%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. DoubleLine serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund, subject to supervision by the Adviser and oversight by the SSGA Active Trust's Board of Trustees. To the extent that a reference in this Prospectus refers to the Adviser, with respect to the Fund, such reference should also be read to refer to DoubleLine, where the context requires.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Jeffrey Gundlach and Jeffrey Sherman.
Jeffrey Gundlach is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of DoubleLine. Mr. Gundlach co-founded DoubleLine in December 2009.
Jeffrey Sherman is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer and a portfolio manager at DoubleLine. Mr. Sherman joined DoubleLine in December 2009.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash. Creation Unit transactions may be conducted in exchange for cash only, which may cause the Fund to recognize capital gains and to pay out higher annual capital gain distributions to shareholders than if such transactions had been conducted in-kind.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary
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market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees1 0.55%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses1 0.55%
1 The Fund's “Management fees” and “Total annual Fund operating expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$56 $176 $307 $689
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 82% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
Under normal circumstances, DoubleLine Capital LP (the “Sub-Adviser” or “DoubleLine”) will invest at least 80% of the Fund's net assets in a portfolio of fixed income securities of any credit quality. Fixed income securities in which the Fund principally invests include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations; inflation protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury; agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”); agency and non-agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”); agency and non-agency asset-backed securities (“ABS”); domestic corporate bonds; fixed income securities issued by foreign corporations and foreign governments including emerging markets; bank loans (primarily senior loans, including loan participations or assignments whose loan syndication exceeds $300 million); municipal bonds; and other securities (such as perpetual bonds) bearing fixed interest rates of any maturity. The Fund may also invest in collateralized loan obligations, floating rate securities (including floating rate loans), variable rate securities, Rule 144A securities, and repurchase agreements and may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies).
The Fund intends to invest at least 20% of its net assets in mortgage-backed securities of any maturity or type guaranteed by, or secured by collateral that is guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations, or in privately issued mortgage-backed securities rated at the time of investment Aa3 or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody's”) or AA- or higher by Standard & Poor's Rating Service (“S&P”) or the equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or, if unrated by an NRSRO, 
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securities that are determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of the fixed income portion of its portfolio, in the aggregate, in non-agency RMBS, CMBS and ABS. The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities. The term “U.S. agency mortgage pass-through security” refers to a category of pass-through securities backed by pools of mortgages and issued by one of several U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises: Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The Fund may seek to obtain exposure to U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities through the use of “to-be-announced” or “TBA Transactions”. “TBA” refers to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, and not to a separate type of mortgage-backed securities. Transactions in mortgage pass-through securities may occur through the use of TBA Transactions. TBA Transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted guidelines which establish commonly observed terms and conditions for execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and seller decide on general trade parameters, such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined prior to settlement date. 
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in corporate high yield securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). Under normal circumstances, the combined total of corporate, sovereign, non-agency and all other debt rated below investment-grade will not exceed 40% of the Fund's net assets. The Sub-Adviser strives to allocate below investment-grade securities broadly by industry and issuer in an attempt to reduce the impact of negative events on an industry or issuer. Below investment-grade securities are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered NRSRO, or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser. 
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The Fund generally considers an issuer to be economically tied to an emerging market country if: (i) the issuer is organized under the laws of an emerging country; (ii) the issuer's securities are traded principally in an emerging country; or (iii) during the issuer's most recent fiscal year it derived at least 50% of its revenues, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or profits from goods produced or sold by, investments made in, or services performed in emerging countries, or it had at least 50% of its assets in emerging countries.  
The Sub-Adviser monitors the duration of the securities held by the Fund to seek to mitigate exposure to interest rate risk. Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser seeks to maintain an investment portfolio with a weighted average effective duration of no less than 1 year and no more than 8 years. The duration of the portfolio may vary materially from its target, from time to time. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security's duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. 
The Sub-Adviser actively manages the Fund's asset class exposure using a top-down approach based on analysis of sector fundamentals and rotates Fund assets among sectors in various markets to attempt to maximize return. Individual securities within asset classes are selected using a bottom-up approach. Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser uses a controlled risk approach in managing the Fund's investments. The techniques of this approach attempt to control the principal risk components of the fixed income markets and include consideration of: 
Security selection within a given sector;
Relative performance of the various market sectors;
The shape of the yield curve; and
Fluctuations in the overall level of interest rates. 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments. 
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Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities. 
Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk: Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial) represent interests in “pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. These securities, in most cases, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. These securities may be subject to liquidity risk as well as the risk of illiquidity and default on the underlying asset or mortgage, particularly during periods of economic downturn. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. In particular, during periods of falling interest rates, mortgage-backed securities will be called or prepaid, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of a mortgage-backed security may extend, which may lock in a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration, and reduce the value of the security. Enforcing rights against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult, or the underlying assets or collateral may be insufficient if the issuer defaults. The values of certain types of mortgage-backed securities, such as inverse floaters and interest-only and principal-only securities, may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates and prepayment rates. Transactions in mortgage pass through securities may occur through the use of TBA Transactions, as described above. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a TBA Transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA Transaction. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Bank Loan Risk: The Fund may invest in secured and unsecured participations in bank loans and assignments of such loans. In making investments in such loans, which are made by banks or other financial intermediaries to borrowers, the Fund will depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest which will expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. The market for bank loans may not be highly liquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. The Fund may also experience settlement delays with respect to bank loan trades, resulting in the proceeds from the sale of such loans not being readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund's redemption obligations. Participations by the Fund in a lender's portion of a bank loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such lender, not with the borrower. The Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling a loan participation and only upon receipt by such lender of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender selling the participation. Further, loans 
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held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Cash Transaction Risk: The Fund may sell portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash. In such cases, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. 
Collateralized Loan Obligation Risk: The risks of an investment in a collateralized loan obligation depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the debt obligation in which the Fund invests. Collateralized loan obligations are generally subject to credit, interest rate, valuation, liquidity, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Collateralized loan obligations carry additional risks including, but not limited to, (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest of other payments, (ii) the collateral may decline in value or default, (iii) the Fund may invest in obligations that are subordinate to other classes, and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. 
Counterparty Risk: The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and other transactions. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, or to recover collateral posted to the counterparty, resulting in a loss to the Fund. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Derivatives Risk: Derivative transactions can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. The counterparty to a derivatives contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. A derivatives transaction may not behave in the manner anticipated by the Sub-Adviser or may not have the effect on the Fund anticipated by the Sub-Adviser. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
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Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Sub-Adviser. 
LIBOR Risk: On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that after 2021, it will cease its active encouragement of banks to provide quotations needed to sustain the LIBOR rate. On March 5, 2021, the administrator of LIBOR announced a delay in the phase out of the majority of the USD LIBOR publications until June 30, 2023, with the remainder of LIBOR publications to still end on December 31, 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. The replacement and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. The unavailability and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could have adverse impacts on newly issued financial instruments and existing financial instruments that reference LIBOR. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any alternative methodology. In addition, the unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Sub-Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Municipal Obligations Risk: Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of municipal obligations may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. In addition, the values of municipal obligations that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. Municipal obligations may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. In addition, changes in federal tax laws or the activity of an issuer may adversely affect the tax-exempt status of municipal obligations. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed by the Fund to shareholders to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal obligations. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a “non-diversified” fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and 
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settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Perpetual Bond Risk: Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may have heightened sensitivity to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate.  Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer.  In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond. 
Repurchase Agreement Risk: Repurchase agreements may be viewed as loans made by the Fund which are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase. If the Fund's counterparty should default on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from recovering the collateral, or if the value of the collateral is insufficient, the Fund may realize a loss. 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk: Reverse repurchase agreements involve both counterparty risk and the risk that the value of securities that the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. Reverse repurchase agreements involve leverage risk; the Fund may lose money as a result of declines in the values both of the security subject to the reverse repurchase agreement and the instruments in which the Fund invested the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks. 
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk: U.S. Treasury obligations may differ from other fixed income securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund's U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. 
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Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk: During periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates of variable or floating rate securities may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield. In addition, investment in derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters, whose rates vary inversely with market rates of interest, or range floaters or capped floaters, whose rates are subject to periodic or lifetime caps, or in securities that pay a rate of interest determined by applying a multiple to the variable rate involves special risks as compared to investment in a fixed-rate security and may involve leverage. Floating rate notes are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade frequently, and their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such securities. 
When-Issued, TBA and Delayed Delivery Securities Risk: The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued, to-be-announced (“TBA”) or delayed delivery basis and may purchase securities on a forward commitment basis. The purchase price of the securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchase of securities on a when-issued, TBA, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis may give rise to investment leverage, and may result in increased volatility of the Fund's net asset value. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a when-issued, TBA or delayed delivery transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. rules impose mandatory margin requirements for certain types of when-issued, TBA delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, with limited exceptions. Such transactions require mandatory collateralization which may increase the cost of such transactions and impose added operational complexity. 
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 3.61% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -1.95% (Q4, 2016) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was -0.45%.
 
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
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  One
Year
Five
Years
Since Inception
(02/23/15)
Return Before Taxes 3.92% 3.51% 2.94%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 2.69% 2.15% 1.59%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 2.31% 2.08% 1.64%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 4.44% 3.73%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. DoubleLine serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund, subject to supervision by the Adviser and oversight by the SSGA Active Trust's Board of Trustees. To the extent that a reference in this Prospectus refers to the Adviser, with respect to the Fund, such reference should also be read to refer to DoubleLine, where the context requires.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals at the Sub-Adviser primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Jeffrey Gundlach and Jeffrey Sherman.
Jeffrey Gundlach is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of DoubleLine. Mr. Gundlach co-founded DoubleLine in December 2009.
Jeffrey Sherman is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer and a portfolio manager at DoubleLine. Mr. Sherman joined DoubleLine in December 2009.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash. Creation Unit transactions may be conducted in exchange for cash only, which may cause the Fund to recognize capital gains and to pay out higher annual capital gain distributions to shareholders than if such transactions had been conducted in-kind.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide current income that is exempt from regular federal income taxes. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective when consistent with the Fund's primary objective.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.40%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses1 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.40%
1 “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3
$41 $128
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  From the Fund's commencement of operations on February 3, 2021 to the most recent fiscal year end, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 51% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
In pursuing its investment objective, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds that pay income that is exempt from regular federal income tax.
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management” or the “Sub-Adviser”), the investment sub-adviser to the Fund, anticipates the Fund's investment portfolio will consist primarily of municipal bonds included in the Bloomberg 3-15 Year Blend (2-17) Municipal Bond Index (the “Index”), an index comprising investment-grade municipal securities ranging from 2 to 17 years in maturity. The municipal bonds selected by the Sub-Adviser may include tax-exempt municipal securities issued by states, cities, counties, districts, territories or possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their respective subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities. Municipal bonds may include state and local general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, pre-refunded bonds, insured bonds and municipal lease obligations. Securities selected by the Sub-Adviser may include when-issued securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund's investment portfolio will consist primarily of municipal bonds rated A3/A-/A- or higher by an independent rating agency; however the Fund may invest in municipal bonds of any credit quality, including up to 20% of its net assets in low- to medium-quality bonds rated Baa1/BBB+/BBB+ or 
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lower (or unrated bonds judged by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality), including below investment grade bonds (commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds). Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser will target a weighted average duration for the Fund's portfolio between 4.5 – 7 years and a weighted average maturity for the Fund's portfolio between 5 – 12 years. 
In selecting securities for the Fund, the Sub-Adviser utilizes a rules-based, value-oriented strategy which is designed to identify higher-yielding and undervalued municipal bonds that offer above-average total return potential. In constructing the Fund's portfolio, the Sub-Adviser may overweight/underweight individual bonds by up to 5% on an absolute basis compared to their weights in the Index, and may overweight/underweight the Fund's sector exposure by up to 10% on an absolute basis compared to the Index's sector exposure. The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell municipal bonds with deteriorating credit and/or limited upside potential compared to other available bonds. 
The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as money market funds (including money market funds advised by SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”), the investment adviser to the Fund). 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Municipal Obligations Risk: Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of municipal obligations may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. In addition, the values of municipal obligations that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. Municipal obligations may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. In addition, changes in federal tax laws or the activity of an issuer may adversely affect the tax-exempt status of municipal obligations. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed by the Fund to shareholders to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal obligations. 
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Political Risk: A significant restructuring of federal income tax rates or even serious discussion on the topic in Congress could cause municipal bond prices to fall. The demand for municipal securities is strongly influenced by the value of tax-exempt income to investors. Lower income tax rates could reduce the advantage of owning municipals. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Cash Position Risk: If the Fund holds a significant position in cash or cash equivalents, its investment returns may be adversely affected, and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Limited Track Record Risk: The Fund has a limited track record and there is no assurance that the Fund will grow quickly. When the Fund's size is small, the Fund may experience low trading volume, which could lead to wider bid/ask spreads. In addition, the Fund may face the risk of being delisted if the Fund does not meet certain conditions of the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund could cause elevated transaction costs for the Fund and negative tax consequences for its shareholders. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Sub-Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a “non-diversified” fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. 
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Tax Exemption Risk: There is no guarantee that the Fund's income will be exempt from federal or state income taxes. Events occurring after the date of issuance of a municipal bond or after the Fund's acquisition of a municipal bond may result in a determination that interest on that bond is includible in gross income for federal income tax purposes retroactively to its date of issuance. Such a determination may cause a portion of prior distributions by the Fund to its shareholders to be taxable to those shareholders in the year of receipt. Federal or state changes in income or alternative minimum tax rates or in the tax treatment of municipal bonds may make municipal bonds less attractive as investments and cause them to decline in value. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
When-Issued Securities Risk: The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. The purchase price of such securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, with delivery and payment taking place in the future. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis may give rise to investment leverage, and may result in increased volatility of the Fund's net asset value. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a when-issued transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. rules impose mandatory margin requirements for certain types of when-issued or forward commitment transactions, with limited exceptions. Such transactions require mandatory collateralization which may increase the cost of such transactions and impose added operational complexity. 
Fund Performance
The Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of operations and therefore does not report its performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's returns based on net assets and comparing the Fund's performance to an index. When available, updated performance information may be obtained by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting the Fund's website: https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSGA FM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund, subject to supervision by the Adviser and oversight by the SSGA Active Trust's Board of Trustees. To the extent that a reference in this Prospectus refers to the Adviser, with respect to the Fund, such reference should also be read to refer to Nuveen Asset Management, where the context requires.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Timothy Ryan and Joel Levy.
Timothy T. Ryan, CFA, is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Nuveen Asset Management. Mr. Ryan joined an affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management in 2010.
Joel H. Levy is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Nuveen Asset Management. Mr. Levy joined an affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management in 2011.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
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Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to pay income that is exempt from regular federal income tax, but which may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). A portion of the Fund's distributions may be subject to such taxes. Income from municipal securities of states other than the shareholder's state of residence generally will not qualify for tax-free treatment for such shareholder with respect to state and local taxes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide total return by focusing on investments in income and yield-generating assets.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.50%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$51 $160 $280 $628
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 79% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
The Fund is a “fund of funds,” meaning that it primarily invests its assets in securities of other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). In particular, the Fund allocates its assets among ETFs that each focus on one or more of the following sectors of the fixed income market: (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations; (ii) inflation protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury; (iii) U.S. corporate securities; (iv) U.S. mortgage-backed securities; (v) high yield securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”); (vi) international government and corporate securities, including emerging markets; (vii) first lien senior secured floating rate bank loans; (viii) floating and variable rate securities; and (ix) cash equivalents (i.e., securities maturing in less than one year) (each, a “Fixed Income Sector” and collectively, the “Fixed Income Sectors”).
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “SSGA FM”), the Fund's investment adviser, allocates the Fund's assets among the ETFs based on a proprietary sector selection model. The model first incorporates macroeconomic, financial and market data to arrive at a projected return forecast for each Fixed Income Sector. Using these projected return forecasts, the model then allocates the weightings of each Fixed Income Sector to construct a portfolio that seeks to maximize expected total return. The portfolio's final sector allocation is subject to the Adviser's risk and diversification constraints, which limit the amount a Fixed Income Sector may represent in the portfolio and the portfolio's duration relative to the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The Adviser may not fully implement the results of the model if it believes the model does not take into account all relevant data, or that a different evaluation or weighting of the data is more appropriate. It is possible the Fund may not have exposure to all Fixed Income Sectors 
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at all times. The Adviser typically rebalances the Fund's portfolio on a monthly basis, although rebalancing may occur more frequently depending on market conditions. The Adviser buys and sells securities for the Fund at each rebalancing based on the results of the process described above. As a result of frequent rebalances, the Fund may experience a high turnover rate. 
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investments purposes) directly, or indirectly through the underlying ETFs, in fixed income securities. The Fund may invest in ETFs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services. The Fund or ETFs in which the Fund invests may use derivative instruments (primarily options, futures contracts, options on futures, interest rate swaps and credit default swaps) to gain or hedge exposure to certain securities as an alternative to investing directly in such securities. 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund's exposure to the risks discussed below may be through the Fund's direct investments or indirect through the Fund's investments in the underlying ETFs. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Asset Allocation Risk: The Fund's investment performance depends upon the successful allocation by the Adviser of the Fund's assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that the Adviser's allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Modeling Risk: The Adviser uses quantitative models in an effort to enhance returns and manage risk. Any imperfections, errors or limitations in these models could limit any benefit to the Fund from the use of the models, or could result in incorrect outputs or in investment outcomes different from or opposite to those expected or desired by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the models will behave as expected in all market conditions. In addition, computer programming used to create quantitative models, or the data on which such models operate, might contain one or more errors.
Exchange-Traded Funds Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by an underlying ETF in which it invests. Also, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of an underlying ETF in which it invests. In addition, the shares of an underlying ETF may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETF's shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of 
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an underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the underlying ETF to deviate from the value of the underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. 
Affiliated ETF Risk: To the extent the Fund invests in an affiliated underlying ETF, the Fund's investment performance and risks may be directly related to the investment performance and risks of the affiliated ETF. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an affiliated ETF in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that affiliated ETF. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Counterparty Risk: The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and other transactions. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, or to recover collateral posted to the counterparty, resulting in a loss to the Fund. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Derivatives Risk: Derivative transactions can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. The counterparty to a derivatives contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. A derivatives transaction may not behave in the manner anticipated by the Adviser or may not have the effect on the Fund anticipated by the Adviser. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
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Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Adviser. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk: Investments in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risk of significant credit downgrades, illiquidity, and defaults to a greater extent than many other types of fixed-income investments. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. During periods of falling interest rates, mortgage- and asset-backed securities may be called or prepaid, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of mortgage- and asset-backed securities may extend, which may lock in a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration and interest rate sensitivity, and reduce the value of the security. Enforcing rights against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult, and the underlying assets or collateral may be insufficient if the issuer defaults. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
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Senior Loan Risk: Investments in Senior Loans are subject to credit risk and general investment risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the borrower of a Senior Loan will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its obligation. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and consequently a reduction in the value of the Fund's investments and a potential decrease in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund. Senior Loans are also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral securing a Senior Loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. In addition, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, loans held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some Senior Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the Senior Loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund, such as invalidation of Senior Loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. Senior Loans are also subject to high yield securities risks and liquidity risks described above. In addition, bank loans may be subject to extended settlement periods, which may impair the Fund's ability to sell or realize the full value of its loans in the event of a need to liquidate such loans in a compressed period of time. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks. 
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk: U.S. Treasury obligations may differ from other fixed income securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund's U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk: During periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates of variable or floating rate securities may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield. In addition, investment in derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters, whose rates vary inversely with market rates of interest, or range floaters or capped floaters, whose rates are subject to periodic or lifetime caps, or in securities that pay a rate of interest determined by applying a multiple to the variable rate involves special risks as compared to investment in a 
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fixed-rate security and may involve leverage. Floating rate notes are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, and their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans. 
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 3.44% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: 0.32% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was -2.03%.
 
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Since Inception
04/03/19
Return Before Taxes 6.04% 7.18%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 4.97% 5.82%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 3.56% 4.91%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 7.71%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Michael Martel, Jeremiah Holly and Leo Law.
Michael Martel is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Head of Portfolio Management in the Americas for the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1994.
Jeremiah Holly, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2005.
Leo Law, CFA, is a Principal of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2016.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary
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market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® SSGA Global Allocation ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.35%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.35%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$36 $113 $197 $443
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 110% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “SSGA FM”) primarily invests the assets of the Fund among exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that provide balanced exposure to domestic and international debt and equity securities. The Fund typically allocates approximately 60% of its assets to equity securities, though this percentage can vary based on the Adviser's tactical decisions. The Adviser's investment process relies on proprietary quantitative models as well as the Adviser's fundamental views regarding factors that may not be captured by the quantitative models. The allocations to each asset class will change over time as the Adviser's expectations of each asset class shift. The Fund's indirect holdings by virtue of investing in ETPs representing these asset classes consist of a diversified mix of domestic and international, including emerging market, equity securities across all market capitalizations, investment-grade and high yield government and corporate bonds (high yield bonds are commonly known as “junk bonds”), inflation protected securities, mortgage pass-through securities, commercial mortgage backed securities, asset backed securities, commodities and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund, through its investments in ETPs, will generally invest at least 30% of its assets in securities of issuers economically tied to countries other than the U.S. and will generally hold securities of issuers economically tied to at least three countries, including the U.S. In determining if a security is economically tied to a non-U.S. country, the Fund generally looks to the country of incorporation of the issuer as listed on Bloomberg L.P., a widely recognized provider of market information. However, the Adviser may determine a security is economically tied to a non-U.S. country based on other factors, such as an issuer's country of domicile, where more than 50% of an issuer's revenues are generated or where an issuer's primary exchange is located. As a result, a security may be economically tied to more than one country. 
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ETPs in which the Fund invests include exchange-traded funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (“Underlying ETFs”), exchange traded commodity trusts; and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in ETPs that are qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”). In addition, the Fund may invest in certain ETPs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services. In addition, the Fund may invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity.
Asset Allocation Risk: The Fund's investment performance depends upon the successful allocation by the Adviser of the Fund's assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that the Adviser's allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Modeling Risk: The Adviser uses quantitative models in an effort to enhance returns and manage risk. Any imperfections, errors or limitations in these models could limit any benefit to the Fund from the use of the models, or could result in incorrect outputs or in investment outcomes different from or opposite to those expected or desired by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the models will behave as expected in all market conditions. In addition, computer programming used to create quantitative models, or the data on which such models operate, might contain one or more errors.
Exchange Traded Products Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by the ETPs in which it invests. In addition, the shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETF's shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of an Underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the Underlying ETF to deviate from the value 
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of the Underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may also differ from the valuation of its reference market due to changes in the issuer's credit rating. By investing in ETPs, the Fund indirectly bears the Fund's proportionate share of any fees and expenses (e.g. management, custody, accounting, and administration) of the ETP, if applicable, in addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations. The Fund is subject to the following risks indirectly through its investments in ETPs: 
Affiliated ETP Risk: The Adviser may receive management or other fees from the ETPs (“Affiliated ETPs”) in which the Fund may invest, as well as a management fee for managing the Fund. It is possible that a conflict of interest among the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs could affect how the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary duties to the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs. Because the amount of the investment management fees to be retained by the Adviser may differ depending upon the Affiliated ETPs in which the Fund invests, there is a conflict of interest for the Adviser in selecting the Affiliated ETPs. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an Affiliated ETP in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that Affiliated ETP. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Cash Position Risk: If the Fund holds a significant position in cash or cash equivalents, its investment returns may be adversely affected, and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. 
Commodities Risk: Commodity prices can have significant volatility, and exposure to commodities can cause the net asset value of Fund Shares to decline or fluctuate in a rapid and unpredictable manner. A liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity investments, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at a desirable price or at the price at which it is carrying them. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities. 
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Depositary Receipts Risk: Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Equity Investing Risk: The market prices of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer and also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Adviser. 
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track 
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record of success. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of mid-sized issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may be volatile. 
Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. 
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk: Investments in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risk of significant credit downgrades, illiquidity, and defaults to a greater extent than many other types of fixed-income investments. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. During periods of falling interest rates, mortgage- and asset-backed securities may be called or prepaid, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of mortgage- and asset-backed securities may extend, which may lock in a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration and interest rate sensitivity, and reduce the value of the security. Enforcing rights against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult, and the underlying assets or collateral may be insufficient if the issuer defaults. 
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Frequent purchases and sales of portfolio securities may result in higher Fund expenses and may result in more significant distributions of short-term capital gains to investors, which are taxed to individuals as ordinary income. 
Real Estate Sector Risk: An investment in a real property company may be subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including, by way of example, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, environmental liability, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. Some real property companies have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. 
REIT Risk: REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate sector in general. In particular, a REIT may be affected by changes in the values of the properties that the REIT owns or operates or that underlie the mortgages or similar real estate interests in which the REIT invests. In addition, REITs may be affected by changes to interest rates or property taxes. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, and their investments may be concentrated in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and, as a result, are particularly reliant on the proper functioning of capital markets. In addition, a REIT could fail to qualify for favorable tax or regulatory treatment. Smaller capitalization REITs may be more volatile and may involve more risk than larger capitalization REITs. Equity REITs earn income from leasing properties and realize gains and losses from the sale of properties, and are therefore subject to the risk of extended vacancies, limitations on rents, the failure to collect rents, and the costs of obtaining financing for purchasing real estate. Mortgage REITs receive principal and interest payments from the owners of mortgage properties and are therefore subject to the credit risk of borrowers, lack of mortgage funds, and prepayment on underlying mortgage loans. 
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of smaller issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may have significant volatility. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies. 
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Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Tax Risk-Qualifying Income: Regulated investment companies are subject to favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources generating “qualifying income.” Income derived from direct and certain indirect investments in commodities is not qualifying income. Thus, income from the Fund's investments in certain commodities-related investments may cause the Fund not to qualify as a regulated investment company. The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs, including ETPs that are QPTPs and whose principal activities are the buying and selling of commodities or options, futures, or forwards with respect to commodities. Although income from QPTPs is generally qualifying income, if an ETP intending to qualify as a QPTP fails to qualify as a QPTP, the income generated from the Fund's investment in the ETP may not be qualifying income. 
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
When-Issued, TBA and Delayed Delivery Securities Risk: The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued, to-be-announced (“TBA”) or delayed delivery basis and may purchase securities on a forward commitment basis. The purchase price of the securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchase of securities on a when-issued, TBA, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis may give rise to investment leverage, and may result in increased volatility of the Fund's net asset value. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a when-issued, TBA or delayed delivery transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. rules impose mandatory margin requirements for certain types of when-issued, TBA delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, with limited exceptions. Such transactions require mandatory collateralization which may increase the cost of such transactions and impose added operational complexity. 
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Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 14.02% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -18.39% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 7.98%.
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Five
Years
Since Inception
(04/25/12)
Return Before Taxes 9.02% 8.05% 7.04%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 8.12% 7.09% 5.99%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 5.42% 5.92% 5.15%
MSCI ACWI IMI Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes other than withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 16.25% 12.15% 10.37%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 4.44% 3.39%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Michael Martel and Jeremiah Holly.
Michael Martel is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Head of Portfolio Management in the Americas for the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1994.
Jeremiah Holly, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2005.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
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Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® SSGA Income Allocation ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide total return by focusing on investments in income and yield-generating assets.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.50%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$51 $160 $280 $628
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 60% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “SSGA FM”) primarily invests the assets of the Fund among exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that provide exposure to five primary asset classes: (i) domestic and international equity securities; (ii) domestic and international investment-grade and high yield debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”); (iii) hybrid equity/debt securities (such as preferred stock and convertible securities); (iv) first lien senior secured floating rate bank loans, commonly referred to as “Senior Loans”; and (v) real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), including equity REITs and mortgage REITs. The Fund's allocation among those asset classes will be in proportions consistent with the Adviser's evaluation of the expected returns and risks of each asset class as well as the allocation that, in the Adviser's view, will best meet the Fund's investment objective. The Adviser's investment process relies on proprietary quantitative models as well as the Adviser's fundamental views regarding factors that may not be captured by the quantitative models. The allocations to each asset class will change over time as the Adviser's expectations of each asset class shift. The Fund's indirect holdings by virtue of investing in ETPs representing these asset classes will consist of a diversified mix of domestic and international, including emerging markets, equity securities, investment-grade and high yield government and corporate bonds, hybrid securities such as preferred stock and convertible securities, inflation protected securities, Senior Loans and REITs. 
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ETPs in which the Fund invests include exchange-traded funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (“Underlying ETFs”), and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in certain ETPs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services. In addition, the Fund may invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Asset Allocation Risk: The Fund's investment performance depends upon the successful allocation by the Adviser of the Fund's assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that the Adviser's allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Modeling Risk: The Adviser uses quantitative models in an effort to enhance returns and manage risk. Any imperfections, errors or limitations in these models could limit any benefit to the Fund from the use of the models, or could result in incorrect outputs or in investment outcomes different from or opposite to those expected or desired by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the models will behave as expected in all market conditions. In addition, computer programming used to create quantitative models, or the data on which such models operate, might contain one or more errors.
Exchange Traded Products Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by the ETPs in which it invests. In addition, the shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETF's shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of an Underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the Underlying ETF to deviate from the value of the Underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may also differ from the valuation of its reference market due to changes in the issuer's credit rating. By investing in ETPs, the Fund indirectly bears the Fund's proportionate share of any fees and expenses (e.g. management, custody, accounting, and administration) of the ETP, if applicable, in addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations. The Fund is subject to the following risks indirectly through its investments in ETPs: 
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Affiliated ETP Risk: The Adviser may receive management or other fees from the ETPs (“Affiliated ETPs”) in which the Fund may invest, as well as a management fee for managing the Fund. It is possible that a conflict of interest among the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs could affect how the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary duties to the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs. Because the amount of the investment management fees to be retained by the Adviser may differ depending upon the Affiliated ETPs in which the Fund invests, there is a conflict of interest for the Adviser in selecting the Affiliated ETPs. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an Affiliated ETP in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that Affiliated ETP. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Cash Position Risk: If the Fund holds a significant position in cash or cash equivalents, its investment returns may be adversely affected, and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. 
Convertible Securities Risk: Convertible securities may be subordinate to other debt securities issued by the same issuer. Issuers of convertible securities are often not as strong financially as issuers with higher credit ratings. Convertible securities typically provide yields lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Their values may be more volatile than those of non-convertible securities, reflecting changes in the values of the securities into which they are convertible. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Depositary Receipts Risk: Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
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Equity Investing Risk: The market prices of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer and also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Adviser. 
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of mid-sized issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may be volatile. 
Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative  
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difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Preferred Securities Risk: Generally, preferred security holders have no or limited voting rights with respect to the issuing company. In addition, preferred securities are generally senior to common stock, but may be subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure and therefore may be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In the event an issuer of preferred securities experiences economic difficulties, the issuer's preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the increased likelihood of deferred interest or dividend payments and the fact that the preferred security may be subordinated to other securities of the same issuer. Further, because many preferred securities pay interest or dividends at a fixed rate, their market price can be sensitive to changes in interest rates in a manner similar to bonds — that is, as interest rates rise, the value of the preferred securities held by the Fund are likely to decline. In addition, to the extent preferred securities allow holders to convert the preferred securities into common stock of the issuer, their market price can be sensitive to changes in the value of the issuer's common stock and, therefore, declining common stock values may also cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. Preferred securities often have call features which allow the issuer to redeem the security at its discretion. The redemption of a preferred security having a higher than average yield may cause a decrease in the Fund's yield. 
Real Estate Sector Risk: An investment in a real property company may be subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including, by way of example, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, environmental liability, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. Some real property companies have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. 
REIT Risk: REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate sector in general. In particular, a REIT may be affected by changes in the values of the properties that the REIT owns or operates or that underlie the mortgages or similar real estate interests in which the REIT invests. In addition, REITs may be affected by changes to interest rates or property taxes. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, and their investments may be concentrated in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and, as a result, are particularly reliant on the proper functioning of capital markets. In addition, a REIT could fail to qualify for favorable tax or regulatory treatment. Smaller capitalization REITs may be more volatile and may involve more risk than larger capitalization REITs. Equity REITs earn income from leasing properties and realize gains and losses from the sale of properties, and are therefore subject to the risk of extended vacancies, limitations on rents, the failure to collect rents, and the costs of obtaining financing for purchasing real estate. Mortgage REITs receive principal and interest payments from the owners of mortgage properties and are therefore subject to the credit risk of borrowers, lack of mortgage funds, and prepayment on underlying mortgage loans. 
Senior Loan Risk: Investments in Senior Loans are subject to credit risk and general investment risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the borrower of a Senior Loan will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its obligation. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and consequently a reduction in the value of the Fund's investments and a potential decrease in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund. Senior Loans are also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral securing a Senior Loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. In addition, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited  
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by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, loans held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some Senior Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the Senior Loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund, such as invalidation of Senior Loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. Senior Loans are also subject to high yield securities risks and liquidity risks described above. In addition, bank loans may be subject to extended settlement periods, which may impair the Fund's ability to sell or realize the full value of its loans in the event of a need to liquidate such loans in a compressed period of time. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans. 
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of smaller issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may have significant volatility. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies. 
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
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Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 11.70% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -18.92% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 6.32%.
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Five
Years
Since Inception
(04/25/12)
Return Before Taxes 2.98% 6.71% 5.37%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 1.45% 5.23% 3.90%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 1.88% 4.63% 3.59%
MSCI World Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes other than withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 15.90% 12.19% 11.01%
Bloomberg US Long Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 16.12% 9.35% 6.88%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 4.44% 3.39%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Michael Martel and Jeremiah Holly.
Michael Martel is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Head of Portfolio Management in the Americas for the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1994.
Jeremiah Holly, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2005.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary
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market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to achieve real return consisting of capital appreciation and current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.50%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$51 $160 $280 $628
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 49% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
Under normal circumstances, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “SSGA FM”) invests at least 80% of the net assets of the Fund among exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that provide exposure to the following primary asset classes: (i) inflation protected securities issued by the United States government, its agencies and/or instrumentalities, as well as inflation protected securities issued by foreign governments, agencies, and/or instrumentalities; (ii) domestic and international real estate securities; (iii) commodities; (iv) publicly-traded domestic and international infrastructure companies; and (v) publicly-traded companies in natural resources and/or commodities businesses. Publicly-traded companies in natural resources and/or commodities businesses may include agriculture, energy, and metals and mining companies. The Fund's allocation among these asset classes will be in proportions consistent with the Adviser's evaluation of the expected returns and risks of each asset class as well as the allocation that, in the Adviser's view, will best meet the Fund's investment objective. The Adviser's investment process relies on proprietary quantitative models as well as the Adviser's fundamental views regarding qualitative factors that may not be captured by the quantitative models. The allocations to each asset class will change over time as the Adviser's expectations of each asset class shift. The Fund's indirect holdings by virtue of investing in ETPs representing those asset classes will consist of a diversified mix of domestic and international equity securities, including emerging markets, government bonds, inflation protected securities, commodities and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may invest in ETPs that gain exposure to commodities through the use of derivatives. The Adviser considers real return to be a rate of return above the rate of inflation over a market cycle. 
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ETPs in which the Fund invests include exchange-traded funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (“Underlying ETFs”), exchange traded commodity trusts; and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in ETPs that are qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”). In addition, the Fund may invest in certain ETPs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services. In addition, the Fund may invest in cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Asset Allocation Risk: The Fund's investment performance depends upon the successful allocation by the Adviser of the Fund's assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that the Adviser's allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Modeling Risk: The Adviser uses quantitative models in an effort to enhance returns and manage risk. Any imperfections, errors or limitations in these models could limit any benefit to the Fund from the use of the models, or could result in incorrect outputs or in investment outcomes different from or opposite to those expected or desired by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the models will behave as expected in all market conditions. In addition, computer programming used to create quantitative models, or the data on which such models operate, might contain one or more errors.
Exchange Traded Products Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by the ETPs in which it invests. In addition, the shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETF's shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of an Underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the Underlying ETF to deviate from the value of the Underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may also differ from the valuation of its reference market due to changes in the issuer's credit rating. By investing in ETPs, the Fund indirectly bears the Fund's proportionate share of any fees and expenses (e.g. management, custody, accounting, and administration) of the ETP, if applicable, in addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations. The Fund is subject to the following risks indirectly through its investments in ETPs:
Affiliated ETP Risk: The Adviser may receive management or other fees from the ETPs (“Affiliated ETPs”) in which the Fund may invest, as well as a management fee for managing the Fund. It is possible that a conflict of interest among the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs could affect how the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary duties to the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs. Because the amount of the investment management fees to be retained by the Adviser may differ depending upon the Affiliated ETPs in which the Fund invests, there is a conflict of interest for the Adviser in selecting the Affiliated ETPs. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an Affiliated ETP in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that Affiliated ETP. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
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Agriculture Companies Risk: 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. 
Cash Position Risk: If the Fund holds a significant position in cash or cash equivalents, its investment returns may be adversely affected, and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. 
Commodities Risk: Commodity prices can have significant volatility, and exposure to commodities can cause the net asset value of Fund Shares to decline or fluctuate in a rapid and unpredictable manner. A liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity investments, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at a desirable price or at the price at which it is carrying them. 
Counterparty Risk: The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and other transactions. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, or to recover collateral posted to the counterparty, resulting in a loss to the Fund. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. 
Currency Risk: The value of the Fund's assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and delays, restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. 
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities. 
Depositary Receipts Risk: Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. 
Derivatives Risk: Derivative transactions can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and it may be difficult to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. The counterparty to a derivatives 
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contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. A derivatives transaction may not have the effect or behave in the manner anticipated. 
Emerging Markets Risk: Risks of investing in emerging markets include, among others, greater political and economic instability, greater volatility in currency exchange rates, less developed securities markets, possible trade barriers, currency transfer restrictions, a more limited number of potential buyers and issuers, an emerging market country's dependence on revenue from particular commodities or international aid, less governmental supervision and regulation, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, and less developed legal systems. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as expropriation, nationalization, embargo, and acts of war. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. These risks are generally greater for investments in frontier market countries, which typically have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries. 
Energy Sector Risk: Issuers in energy-related industries can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels. Markets for various energy-related commodities can have significant volatility, and are subject to control or manipulation by large producers or purchasers. Companies in the energy sector may need to make substantial expenditures, and to incur significant amounts of debt, in order to maintain or expand their reserves. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters as well as changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation, world events and economic conditions. These companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims. 
Equity Investing Risk: The market prices of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer and also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Industrial Sector Risk: Industrial companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Government regulation, world events, exchange rates and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies. Aerospace and defense companies, a component of the industrial sector, can be significantly affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on U.S. and foreign government demand for their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense spending policies which are typically under pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government budgets. Transportation securities, a component of the industrial sector, are cyclical and have occasional sharp price movements which may result from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs. 
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk: The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, the Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Adviser. 
Infrastructure-Related Companies Risk: Infrastructure-related companies include companies that primarily own, manage, develop and/or operate infrastructure assets, including transportation, utility, energy and/or telecommunications assets. Investment in infrastructure-related securities entails exposure to adverse economic, regulatory, political, legal, and other conditions or events affecting the issuers of such securities. Certain infrastructure-related entities, particularly telecommunications and utilities companies, are subject to extensive regulation by various governmental authorities. The costs of complying with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive required regulatory approvals or the enactment of new adverse regulatory requirements may adversely affect infrastructure-related companies. Infrastructure-related companies may also be affected by 
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service interruption and/or legal challenges due to environmental, operational or other conditions or events, and the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards. 
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Materials Sector Risk: 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: Metals and mining companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and may be subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. Risks of metals and mining investments include: changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions that can affect the supply of precious metals and consequently the value of metals and mining company investments; the United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metals investments for strategic or other policy reasons; and increased environmental or labor costs may depress the value of metals and mining investments. 
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of mid-sized issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may be volatile. 
Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. 
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Natural Resources Risk: Investments in companies in natural resources industries can be significantly affected by (often rapid) changes in supply of, or demand for, various natural resources. They may also be affected by changes in energy prices, international political and economic developments, environmental incidents, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Real Estate Sector Risk: An investment in a real property company may be subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including, by way of example, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, environmental liability, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. Some real property companies have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. 
REIT Risk: REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate sector in general. In particular, a REIT may be affected by changes in the values of the properties that the REIT owns or operates or that underlie the mortgages or similar real estate interests in which the REIT invests. In addition, REITs may be affected by changes to interest rates or property taxes. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, and their investments may be concentrated in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and, as a result, are particularly reliant on the proper functioning of capital markets. In addition, a REIT could fail to qualify for favorable tax or regulatory treatment. Smaller capitalization REITs may be more volatile and may involve more risk than larger capitalization REITs. Equity REITs earn income from leasing properties and realize gains and losses from the sale of properties, and are therefore subject to the risk of extended vacancies, limitations on rents, the failure to collect rents, and the costs of obtaining financing for purchasing real estate. Mortgage REITs receive principal and interest payments from the owners of mortgage properties and are therefore subject to the credit risk of borrowers, lack of mortgage funds, and prepayment on underlying mortgage loans. 
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk: The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Some securities of smaller issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale, and their values may have significant volatility. The Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies. 
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Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk: Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. Many sovereign debt obligations may be rated below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by the Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. 
Tax Risk-Qualifying Income: Regulated investment companies are subject to favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources generating “qualifying income.” Income derived from direct and certain indirect investments in commodities is not qualifying income. Thus, income from the Fund's investments in certain commodities-related investments may cause the Fund not to qualify as a regulated investment company. The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs, including ETPs that are QPTPs and whose principal activities are the buying and selling of commodities or options, futures, or forwards with respect to commodities. Although income from QPTPs is generally qualifying income, if an ETP intending to qualify as a QPTP fails to qualify as a QPTP, the income generated from the Fund's investment in the ETP may not be qualifying income. 
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk: U.S. Treasury obligations may differ from other fixed income securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund's U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. 
Utilities Sector Risk: Utility companies are affected by supply and demand, operating costs, government regulation, environmental factors, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, and rate caps or rate changes. Although rate changes of a regulated utility usually fluctuate in approximate correlation with financing costs, due to political and regulatory factors rate changes ordinarily occur only following a delay after the changes in financing costs. This factor will tend to favorably affect a regulated utility company's earnings and dividends in times of decreasing costs, but conversely, will tend to adversely affect earnings and dividends when costs are rising. The value of regulated utility equity securities may tend to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies are frequently more similar to industrial companies in that they are subject to greater competition and have been permitted by regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business. These opportunities may permit certain utility companies to earn more than their traditional regulated rates of return. Some companies, however, may be forced to defend their core business and may be less profitable. In addition, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, government intervention or other factors may render a utility company's equipment unusable or obsolete and negatively impact profitability. 
Among the risks that may affect utility companies are the following: risks of increases in fuel and other operating costs; the high cost of borrowing to finance capital construction during inflationary periods; restrictions on operations and increased costs and delays associated with compliance with environmental and nuclear safety regulations; and the difficulties involved in obtaining natural gas for resale or fuel for generating electricity at reasonable prices. Other risks include those related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, the effects of energy conservation and the effects of regulatory changes. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
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Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 14.13% (Q4, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -24.99% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 17.44%.
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Five
Years
Since Inception
(04/25/12)
Return Before Taxes -0.86% 4.64% 0.01%
Return After Taxes on Distributions -1.61% 3.76% -0.74%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -0.37% 3.30% -0.22%
Bloomberg U.S. Government Inflation-Linked Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 11.54% 5.30% 2.71%
DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -7.87% 2.15% -6.56%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 4.44% 3.39%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Robert Guiliano and Michael Narkiewicz.
Robert Guiliano is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1997.
Michael Narkiewicz is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2013.
Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary
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market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize current income consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.20%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.20%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$20 $64 $113 $255
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 76% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “SSGA FM”) invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in a portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated investment-grade fixed income securities. Investment-grade fixed income securities are instruments that are rated at the time of purchase BBB- or higher by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and/or Fitch Inc., or Baa3 or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of equivalent quality. The Fund invests in fixed and floating rate securities of varying maturities, such as corporate obligations (including bonds, commercial paper of U.S. and foreign entities, master notes, and medium term notes); government bonds (including U.S. Treasury Bills, notes, and bonds); agency securities; privately-issued securities; asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities; money market instruments (including U.S. and foreign bank time deposits, certificates of deposit, and banker acceptances); and other investment companies. The Fund may invest up to 10% of the Fund's net assets in high yield securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). The Fund may also invest in exchange traded products (“ETPs”). ETPs include exchange traded funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (“Underlying ETFs”) and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). In addition, the Fund may invest in certain ETPs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services.
Under normal circumstances, the effective duration of the Fund is expected to be one year or less. Effective duration is a measure of the Fund's price sensitivity to changes in yields or interest rates; however, investors should be aware that effective duration is not an exact measurement and may not reliably predict a particular security's price sensitivity to 
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changes in yield or interest rates. In addition, under normal circumstances the Fund expects to maintain a weighted average maturity that is two and a half years or less. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the Fund. For the purposes of determining the Fund's weighted average maturity, a security's final maturity date, or for amortizing securities such as asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, its weighted average life will be used for calculation purposes. The Adviser buys and sells securities for the Fund based on its analysis of credit quality and overall portfolio duration. The Adviser may also use derivative instruments (primarily futures contracts, interest rate and credit default swaps, and options on treasury futures) to manage yield, interest rate exposure (also known as duration), weighted average maturity, and exposure to credit quality. As of July 31, 2021, a significant portion of the Fund comprised securities of companies in the financial and industrial sectors, although this may change from time to time. The Fund is not a money market fund and does not seek to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share. 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Exchange Traded Products Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by the ETPs in which it invests. In addition, the shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETF's shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of an Underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the Underlying ETF to deviate from the value of the Underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may also differ from the valuation of its reference market due to changes in the issuer's credit rating. By investing in ETPs, the Fund indirectly bears the Fund's proportionate share of any fees and expenses (e.g. management, custody, accounting, and administration) of the ETP, if applicable, in addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's own operations.
Affiliated ETP Risk: The Adviser may receive management or other fees from the ETPs (“Affiliated ETPs”) in which the Fund may invest, as well as a management fee for managing the Fund. It is possible that a conflict of interest among the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs could affect how the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary duties to the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs. Because the amount of the investment management fees to be retained by the Adviser may differ depending upon the Affiliated ETPs in which the Fund invests, there is a conflict of interest for the Adviser in selecting the Affiliated ETPs. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the 
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effect on an Affiliated ETP in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that Affiliated ETP. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund. 
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. 
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk: Lower-quality debt securities (“high yield” or “junk” bonds) are considered predominantly speculative, and can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher quality debt securities. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. They can be illiquid, and their values can have significant volatility and may decline significantly over short periods of time. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general. 
Cash Transaction Risk: The Fund may sell portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash. In such cases, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. 
Counterparty Risk: The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and other transactions. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, or to recover collateral posted to the counterparty, resulting in a loss to the Fund. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. 
Derivatives Risk: Derivative transactions can create investment leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a much greater loss than the principal amount invested, and the Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. The counterparty to a derivatives contract may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund's margin, or otherwise honor its obligations. A derivatives transaction may not behave in the manner anticipated by the Adviser or may not have the effect on the Fund anticipated by the Adviser. 
Financial Sector Risk: Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate. 
Income Risk: The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by the Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by the Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. 
Industrial Sector Risk: Industrial companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Government regulation, world events, exchange rates and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil 
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liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies. Aerospace and defense companies, a component of the industrial sector, can be significantly affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on U.S. and foreign government demand for their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense spending policies which are typically under pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government budgets. Transportation securities, a component of the industrial sector, are cyclical and have occasional sharp price movements which may result from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs. 
LIBOR Risk: On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that after 2021, it will cease its active encouragement of banks to provide quotations needed to sustain the LIBOR rate. On March 5, 2021, the administrator of LIBOR announced a delay in the phase out of the majority of the USD LIBOR publications until June 30, 2023, with the remainder of LIBOR publications to still end on December 31, 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. The replacement and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. The unavailability and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could have adverse impacts on newly issued financial instruments and existing financial instruments that reference LIBOR. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any alternative methodology. In addition, the unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. 
Liquidity Risk: Lack of a ready market, stressed market conditions, or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price or at all. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. If the liquidity of the Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Illiquidity of the Fund's holdings may also limit the ability of the Fund to obtain cash to meet redemptions on a timely basis.  In addition, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in any illiquid investments and/or the difficulty in purchasing and selling such investments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain market or sector. 
Low Short-Term Interest Rates Risk: During market conditions in which short-term interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be very low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). During these conditions, it is possible that the Fund will generate an insufficient amount of income to pay its expenses, and will not be able to pay its scheduled dividend. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. 
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk: Investments in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risk of significant credit downgrades, illiquidity, and defaults to a greater extent than many other types of fixed-income investments. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. During periods of falling interest rates, mortgage- and asset-backed securities may be called or prepaid, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of mortgage- and asset-backed securities may extend, which may lock in a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration and interest rate sensitivity, and 
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reduce the value of the security. Enforcing rights against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult, and the underlying assets or collateral may be insufficient if the issuer defaults. 
Non-Diversification Risk: As a “non-diversified” fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds. 
Non-U.S. Securities Risk: Non-U.S. securities are subject to political, regulatory, and economic risks not present in domestic investments. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, legal and financial report standards comparable to those in the United States. Further, such entities and/or their securities may be subject to risks associated with currency controls; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. To the extent underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Securities traded on foreign markets may be less liquid (harder to sell) than securities traded domestically. Foreign governments may impose restrictions on the repatriation of capital to the U.S. In addition, to the extent the Fund buys securities denominated in a foreign currency, there are special risks such as changes in currency exchange rates and the risk that a foreign government could regulate foreign exchange transactions. In addition, to the extent investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity. 
Restricted Securities Risk: The Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. 
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Certain U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and involve increased credit risks. 
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk: U.S. Treasury obligations may differ from other fixed income securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund's U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. 
Valuation Risk: Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of the Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value 
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established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. 
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk: During periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates of variable or floating rate securities may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield.  Floating rate notes are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, and their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such securities.  
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of relevant broad-based securities indexes. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 3.24% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -2.63% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 0.39%. 
 
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Five
Years
Since Inception
(10/09/13)
Return Before Taxes 1.55% 1.91% 1.40%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 0.99% 1.23% 0.88%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 0.91% 1.16% 0.84%
Bloomberg US Treasury Bellwether 3 Month Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.67% 1.21% 0.86%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.51% 4.44% 3.94%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are James Palmieri and John Mele.
James Palmieri, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Adviser, a Senior Portfolio Manager, and Head of Structured Credit for the Fundamental Active Fixed Income Team. He joined the Adviser in 2016 through the acquisition of GE Asset Management Incorporated (“GEAM”) by State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”).
John Mele is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager on the Fundamental Active Investment Grade Credit Team. He joined the Adviser in 2016 through the acquisition of GEAM by SSGA.
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Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash. Creation Unit transactions may be conducted in exchange for cash only, which may cause the Fund to recognize capital gains and to pay out higher annual capital gain distributions to shareholders than if such transactions had been conducted in-kind.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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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SPDR® SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF
Investment Objective
The SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management fees 0.70%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.70%
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 Fund 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 costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
$72 $224 $390 $871
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 263% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy
The Fund is a “fund of funds,” meaning that it primarily invests its assets in securities of other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). In particular, the Fund allocates its assets among ETFs that each focus on common stocks of companies included in an individual sector of the S&P 500® Index, as determined by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) (each, an “Equity Sector” and collectively, the “Equity Sectors”). As of the date of this Prospectus, the Equity Sectors include: communication services, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, healthcare, industrials, materials, real estate, information technology and utilities. Components of the S&P 500 Index, and the sector classifications as determined by GICS, are subject to change and are not controlled by the Fund or the Adviser.
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. (the “Adviser” or “SSGA FM”), the Fund's investment adviser, allocates the Fund's assets among the ETFs based on a proprietary sector selection model. The model first incorporates macroeconomic, financial and market data to arrive at a projected return forecast for each Equity Sector. Using these projected return forecasts, the model then allocates the weightings of each Equity Sector to construct a portfolio that seeks to maximize expected return. The portfolio's final sector allocation is subject to the Adviser's risk and diversification constraints, which limit the amount an Equity Sector may represent in the portfolio. The Adviser may not fully implement the results of the model if it believes the model does not take into account all relevant data, or that a different evaluation or weighting of the data is more appropriate. It is possible the Fund may not have exposure to all Equity Sectors at all times. The Adviser typically rebalances the Fund's portfolio on a monthly basis, although rebalancing may occur more frequently depending on market conditions. The Adviser buys and sells securities for the Fund at each rebalancing based on the results of the process described above. As a result of frequent rebalances, the Fund may experience a high turnover rate. 
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Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investments purposes) directly or indirectly through the underlying ETFs, in securities of U.S. companies. The Fund may invest in ETFs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services. 
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund's exposure to the risks discussed below may be through the Fund's direct investments or indirect through the Fund's investments in the underlying ETFs. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. 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 the Fund and its investments.
Equity Investing Risk: The market prices of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer and also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Asset Allocation Risk: The Fund's investment performance depends upon the successful allocation by the Adviser of the Fund's assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that the Adviser's allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Modeling Risk: The Adviser uses quantitative models in an effort to enhance returns and manage risk. Any imperfections, errors or limitations in these models could limit any benefit to the Fund from the use of the models, or could result in incorrect outputs or in investment outcomes different from or opposite to those expected or desired by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the models will behave as expected in all market conditions. In addition, computer programming used to create quantitative models, or the data on which such models operate, might contain one or more errors.
Exchange-Traded Funds Risk: The Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities represented by an underlying ETF in which it invests. Also, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of an underlying ETF in which it invests. In addition, the shares of an underlying ETF may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETF's shares) for a number of reasons. For example, supply and demand for shares of an underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the underlying ETF to deviate from the value of the underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets.
Affiliated ETF Risk: To the extent the Fund invests in an affiliated underlying ETF, the Fund's investment performance and risks may be directly related to the investment performance and risks of the affiliated ETF. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an affiliated ETF in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that affiliated ETF. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk: As with all exchange-traded funds, Fund Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of Fund Shares in the secondary market may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value per share and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the net asset value per share (premium) or less than the net asset value per share (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.
Communication Services Sector Risk: Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advancement and the innovation of competitors. Companies in the communication services sector may also be affected by other competitive 
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pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Additionally, fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer tastes can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. While all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses. 
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk: The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall global economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their respective profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services in the marketplace. 
Consumer Staples Sector Risk: Consumer staples companies are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. For instance, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods of companies that make food products, which could affect company profitability. Tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Also, the success of food, beverage, household and personal product companies may be strongly affected by consumer interest, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand, including performance of the overall domestic and global economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence and spending. 
Energy Sector Risk: Issuers in energy-related industries can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels. Markets for various energy-related commodities can have significant volatility, and are subject to control or manipulation by large producers or purchasers. Companies in the energy sector may need to make substantial expenditures, and to incur significant amounts of debt, in order to maintain or expand their reserves. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters as well as changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation, world events and economic conditions. These companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims. 
Financial Sector Risk: Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate. 
Health Care Sector Risk: Companies in the health care sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services. Companies in the health care sector are heavily dependent on obtaining and defending patents, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of patents may also adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Health care companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to industry innovation, changes in technologies or other market developments. Many new products in the health care sector require significant research and development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, all of which may be time consuming and costly with no guarantee that any product will come to market. 
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Industrial Sector Risk: Industrial companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Government regulation, world events, exchange rates and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies. Aerospace and defense companies, a component of the industrial sector, can be significantly affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on U.S. and foreign government demand for their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense spending policies which are typically under pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government budgets. Transportation securities, a component of the industrial sector, are cyclical and have occasional sharp price movements which may result from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs. 
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. 
Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause the Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. 
Materials Sector Risk: 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. 
Portfolio Turnover Risk: Frequent purchases and sales of portfolio securities may result in higher Fund expenses and may result in more significant distributions of short-term capital gains to investors, which are taxed to individuals as ordinary income. 
Real Estate Sector Risk: An investment in a real property company may be subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including, by way of example, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, environmental liability, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. Some real property companies have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. 
Technology Sector Risk: Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund's investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. 
Utilities Sector Risk: Utility companies are affected by supply and demand, operating costs, government regulation, environmental factors, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, and rate caps or rate changes. Although rate changes of a regulated utility usually fluctuate in approximate correlation with financing costs, due to political and regulatory factors rate changes ordinarily occur only following a delay after the changes in financing costs. This factor will tend to favorably affect a regulated utility company's earnings and dividends in times of decreasing costs, but conversely, will tend to adversely affect earnings and dividends when costs are rising. The value of regulated utility equity securities may tend to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies are frequently more similar to industrial companies in that they are subject to greater 
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competition and have been permitted by regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business. These opportunities may permit certain utility companies to earn more than their traditional regulated rates of return. Some companies, however, may be forced to defend their core business and may be less profitable. In addition, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, government intervention or other factors may render a utility company's equipment unusable or obsolete and negatively impact profitability. 
Among the risks that may affect utility companies are the following: risks of increases in fuel and other operating costs; the high cost of borrowing to finance capital construction during inflationary periods; restrictions on operations and increased costs and delays associated with compliance with environmental and nuclear safety regulations; and the difficulties involved in obtaining natural gas for resale or fuel for generating electricity at reasonable prices. Other risks include those related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, the effects of energy conservation and the effects of regulatory changes. 
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide an 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 returns of a relevant broad-based securities index. 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 by calling 1-866-787-2257 or visiting our website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Annual Total Returns (years ended 12/31)*
  
Highest Quarterly Return: 18.16% (Q2, 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -17.54% (Q1, 2020) 
* As of  9/30/2021, the Fund's Calendar Year-To-Date return was 10.01%.
 
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/20)
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using highest historical 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 specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund Shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The returns after taxes can exceed the returns before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit for a shareholder from realizing a capital loss on a sale of Fund Shares.
  One
Year
Since Inception
04/03/19
Return Before Taxes 20.38% 19.95%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 19.83% 19.36%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 12.17% 15.18%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 18.40% 18.94%
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Michael Martel, Michael Narkiewicz and Jeremiah Holly.
Michael Martel is a Managing Director of the Adviser and Head of Portfolio Management in the Americas for the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 1994.
Michael Narkiewicz is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2013.
Jeremiah Holly, CFA, is a Vice President of the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group. He joined the Adviser in 2005.
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Purchase and Sale Information
The Fund will issue (or redeem) Fund Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of Fund Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities and/or cash.
Individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca, Inc., other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at net asset value (“NAV”), Fund Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling Fund Shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Fund Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Fund Shares (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for certain activities related to the Fund, including educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. 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 Strategies Information
Principal Strategies
Please see each Fund's respective “The Fund's Principal Investment Strategy” section under “Fund Summaries” above for a complete discussion of its principal investment strategies. The Funds may invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment techniques which are not the principal focus of the Funds and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. These securities, techniques and practices, together with their risks, are described in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) which you may obtain free of charge by contacting shareholder services (see the back cover of this Prospectus for the address and phone number).
The Board of Trustees of SSGA Active Trust (the “Board”) may change each Fund's investment objective, investment strategy and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise noted in this Prospectus or in the SAI.
With respect to the SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF, SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF and SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF, the Adviser, in constructing each portfolio of securities, periodically establishes specific percentage targets for each asset class based on the Adviser's outlook for the economy and the financial markets. The Adviser then selects one or more ETPs for each asset class and allocates Fund assets based primarily on those percentage targets. ETPs include exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) registered under the 1940 Act (including actively-managed ETFs, such as the Funds, and index-based ETFs, which seek to provide investment results that match the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index), exchange traded commodity trusts, and ETNs. An exchange traded commodity trust is a pooled trust that invests in physical commodities or commodity futures, and issues shares that are traded on a securities exchange that may trade at a discount or premium to the value of the holdings of the trusts. ETNs are debt obligations of investment banks which are traded on exchanges and the returns of which are linked to the performance of market indexes. The Adviser periodically reallocates Fund assets based on its reassessment of the economy and the financial markets. In certain circumstances, a Fund may invest in securities other than ETPs, for example, to manage its cash balances.
The SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF has adopted a fundamental investment policy and certain of the other Funds, as described in the SAI, have adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of their respective net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes, in investments suggested by their respective names, measured at the time of investment. A Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to any change in this non-fundamental 80% investment policy. Any change to the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF's fundamental 80% investment policy will require shareholder approval. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) may change a Fund's investment strategy and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus or in the SAI. The Board may also change a Fund's investment objective without shareholder approval.
Non-Principal Strategies
Temporary Defensive Positions. In response to actual or perceived adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions, a Fund may (but will not necessarily), without notice, depart from its principal investment strategies by temporarily investing for defensive purposes. Temporary defensive positions may include, but are not limited to, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements collateralized by such securities, money market funds, and high-quality debt investments. If a Fund invests for defensive purposes, it may not achieve its investment objective. In addition, the defensive strategy may not work as intended.
Borrowing Money. Each Fund may borrow money from a bank as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund, but only for temporary or emergency purposes.
The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Each Fund may also invest in reverse repurchase agreements, which are considered borrowings under the 1940 Act. Although there is no percentage limit on Fund assets that can be used in connection with reverse
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repurchase agreements, each Fund does not expect to engage, under normal circumstances, in reverse repurchase agreements with respect to more than 33 1/3% (or 10% with respect to the SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF and SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF) of its total assets.
Lending of Securities. Each Fund (except the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF) may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets via a securities lending program through its securities lending agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street” or the “Lending Agent”), to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. A securities lending program allows a Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral. A Fund will receive collateral for each loaned security which is at least equal to the market value of that security, marked to market each trading day. In the securities lending program, the borrower generally has the right to vote the loaned securities; however, a Fund may call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund's economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Security loans may be terminated at any time by a Fund.
Additional Risk Information
The following section provides information regarding the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each Fund Summary along with additional risk information. The Funds' exposure to the risks discussed below may be through a Fund's direct investments or indirect through a Fund's investments in any underlying ETFs or ETPs. Risk information is applicable to all Funds unless otherwise noted.
Principal Risks
The table below identifies the principal risks of investing in each Fund.
SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF (SRLN)
SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF (EMTL)
SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF (STOT)
SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL)
SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF (MBND)
SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF (FISR)
SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF (GAL)
SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF (INKM)
SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF (RLY)
SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST)
SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF (XLSR)

    
Fund Name SRLN EMTL STOT TOTL MBND FISR GAL INKM RLY ULST XLSR
Affiliated ETF Risk           x         x
Affiliated ETP Risk             x x x x  
Agriculture Companies Risk                 x    
Asset Allocation Risk           x x x x   x
Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk     x x              
Bank Loan Risk   x x x              
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk x x x x x x x x   x  
Call/Prepayment Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Cash Position Risk         x   x x x    
Cash Transaction Risk x x x x           x  
Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk     x                
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Fund Name SRLN EMTL STOT TOTL MBND FISR GAL INKM RLY ULST XLSR
Collateralized Bond Obligation Risk     x                
Collateralized Loan Obligation Risk     x x              
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation Risk     x                
Commodities Risk             x   x    
Communication Services Sector Risk                     x
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk                     x
Consumer Staples Sector Risk                     x
Convertible Securities Risk               x      
Counterparty Risk   x   x   x     x x  
Credit Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Currency Risk   x x x   x x x x    
Currency Hedging Risk   x                  
Debt Securities Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Defaulted Securities Risk   x x x              
Depositary Receipts Risk   x         x x x    
Derivatives Risk   x   x   x     x x  
Forward Currency Contracts Risk   x   x              
Futures Contract Risk; Other Exchange-Traded Derivatives Risk   x               x  
Options Risk   x               x  
Swaps Risk   x               x  
Emerging Markets Risk   x x x   x x x x    
Energy Sector Risk                 x   x
Equity Investing Risk   x         x x x   x
Exchange Traded Funds Risk           x x x x x x
Exchange Traded Products Risk     x       x x x x  
Extension Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Financial Sector Risk x                 x x
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Geographic Focus Risk   x                  
Asia Risk   x                  
Latin America Risk   x                  
Pacific Region Risk   x                  
Health Care Sector Risk                     x
Income Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Industrial Sector Risk                 x x x
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Fund Name SRLN EMTL STOT TOTL MBND FISR GAL INKM RLY ULST XLSR
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk     x x   x x x x    
Infrastructure-Related Companies Risk                 x    
Interest Rate Only and Principal Only Securities Risk     x                
Interest Rate Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Investment in ETNs     x       x x x x  
Investments in Exchange Traded Commodity Trusts             x   x    
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk             x x x   x
Lender Liability Risk x                    
Leveraging Risk   x   x   x     x    
LIBOR Risk x   x x           x  
Limited Track Record Risk         x            
Liquidity Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Low Short-Term Interest Rates Risk                   x  
Management Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Market Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Materials Sector Risk                 x   x
Metals and Mining Companies Risk                 x    
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk             x x x    
Modeling Risk           x x x x   x
Money Market Risk         x   x x x x  
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk           x x     x  
Municipal Obligations Risk     x x x            
Natural Resources Risk                 x    
Non-Diversification Risk       x x         x  
Non-Senior Loans and Other Debt Securities Risk x                    
Non-U.S. Securities Risk x x x x   x x x x x  
Pass-Through Securities Risk   x                  
Perpetual Bond Risk   x   x              
Political Risk     x   x            
Portfolio Turnover Risk x           x       x
Preferred Securities Risk   x x         x      
Privately Issued Securities Risk     x                
Real Estate Sector Risk             x x x   x
REIT Risk             x x x    
Reinvestment Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
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Fund Name SRLN EMTL STOT TOTL MBND FISR GAL INKM RLY ULST XLSR
REMIC Risk     x                
Repurchase Agreement Risk       x              
Restricted Securities Risk x x x x   x       x  
Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk       x              
Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations x                    
Senior Loan Risk x         x   x      
Settlement Risk x x x x   x x x x x  
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk             x x x    
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk   x x x   x x x x    
Structured Securities Risk   x                  
Tax Risk-Qualifying Income             x   x    
Tax Exemption Risk         x            
Technology Sector Risk                     x
Unconstrained Sector Risk   x x                
U.S. Government Securities Risk     x x   x x x   x  
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk     x x   x     x x  
Utilities Sector Risk                 x   x
Valuation Risk x x x x x x x x x x  
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk   x x x   x       x  
When-Issued, TBA and Delayed Delivery Securities Risk       x x   x        
Zero-Coupon Bond Risk   x x                
Affiliated ETF Risk. To the extent a Fund invests in an affiliated ETF, the Fund's investment performance and risks may be directly related to the investment performance and risks of the affiliated ETF. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an affiliated ETF in which a Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that affiliated ETF. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact a Fund.
Affiliated ETP Risk. The Adviser may receive management or other fees from Affiliated ETPs, as well as a management fee for managing the Fund. It is possible that a conflict of interest among the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs could affect how the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary duties to the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs. Because the amount of the investment management fees to be retained by the Adviser may differ depending upon the Affiliated ETPs in which the Fund invests, there is a conflict of interest for the Adviser in selecting the Affiliated ETPs. In addition, the Adviser may have an incentive to take into account the effect on an Affiliated ETP in which the Fund may invest in determining whether, and under what circumstances, to purchase or sell shares in that Affiliated ETP. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund.
Agriculture Companies Risk. Economic forces, including forces affecting agricultural markets, as well as government policies and regulations affecting agriculture companies, could adversely impact a 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
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production, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded and the volume and types of imports and exports. In addition, agriculture companies 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, agricultural and livestock businesses may be significantly affected by adverse weather, pollution and/or disease which could limit or halt production.
Asset Allocation Risk. A Fund's investment performance depends upon the successful allocation of the Fund's assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that a Fund's allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. It is possible to lose money on an investment in a Fund as a result of these allocation decisions.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial) represent interests in “pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. These securities, in most cases, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. These securities are subject to the risk of default on the underlying asset or mortgage, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. In particular, during periods of falling interest rates, mortgage-backed securities will be called or prepaid, which may result in a Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of a mortgage-backed security may extend, which may lock in a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration, and reduce the value of the security. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. Enforcing rights against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult, or the underlying assets or collateral may be insufficient if the issuer defaults. The values of certain types of mortgage-backed securities, such as inverse floaters and interest-only and principal-only securities, may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates and prepayment rates.
Transactions in mortgage pass-through securities may occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage pools to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlement, referred to as a “to-be-announced transaction” or “TBA Transaction”. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and seller agree upon general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount and price. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a TBA Transaction would expose a Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA Transaction. To minimize this risk, to the extent a Fund enters into TBA Transactions, it will do so only with established counterparties (such as major broker-dealers) and the Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of such counterparties. Each Fund may enter into such contracts on a regular basis. A Fund, pending settlement of such contracts, will invest its assets in high-quality, liquid short term instruments, including shares of affiliated money market funds.
Bank Loan Risk. A Fund may invest in secured and unsecured participations in bank loans and assignments of such loans. In making investments in such loans, which are made by banks or other financial intermediaries to borrowers, a Fund will depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest which will expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. The market for bank loans may not be highly liquid and a Fund may have difficulty selling them. A Fund may also experience settlement delays with respect to bank loan trades, resulting in the proceeds from the sale of such loans not being readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund's redemption obligations. Participations by the Fund in a lender's portion of a bank loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such lender, not with the borrower. A Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling a loan participation and only upon receipt by such lender of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-off against the borrower, and a Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender selling the participation. Further, loans held by a Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as a Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some of the loans in which a Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite
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loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. A Fund may experience relatively greater realized or unrealized losses or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans than its holdings of loans with the usual covenants.
Below Investment-Grade Securities Risk. Securities rated below investment-grade and unrated securities of comparable credit quality (commonly known as “high-yield bonds” or “junk bonds”) lack strong investment-grade characteristics, are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments, and are subject to greater levels of credit, liquidity and market risk than higher-rated securities. They can involve a substantially greater risk of default than higher-rated securities, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time. Issuers of lower-quality debt securities may have substantially greater risk of insolvency or bankruptcy than issuers of higher-quality debt securities. In the event the issuer of a debt security held by a Fund defaults on its payments or becomes insolvent or bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised on the investment and could lose its entire investment. The lower ratings of junk bonds reflect a greater possibility that actual or perceived adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. If this were to occur, the values of such securities held by a Fund may fall substantially and a Fund could lose some or all of the value of its investment. Lower-quality debt securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general, than higher quality debt securities. The market for lower quality debt securities can be less liquid than for higher quality debt securities, especially during periods of recession or general market decline, which could make it difficult at times for a Fund to sell certain securities at prices used in calculating a Fund's net asset value. These securities may have significant volatility.
Call/Prepayment Risk. Call/prepayment risk is the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by a Fund earlier than expected or required. This may occur, for example, when there is a decline in interest rates, and an issuer of bonds or preferred stock redeems the bonds or stock in order to replace them with obligations on which it is required to pay a lower interest or dividend rate. It may also occur when there is an unanticipated increase in the rate at which mortgages or other receivables underlying mortgage- or asset-backed securities held by a Fund are prepaid. In any such case, a Fund may be forced to invest the prepaid amounts in lower-yielding investments, resulting in a decline in the Fund's income.
Cash Position Risk. A Fund may hold a significant portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in the Adviser's discretion. If a Fund holds a significant cash position, its investment returns may be adversely affected, and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent a Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk. The risks of an investment in a collateralized debt obligation depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the debt obligation in which the Fund invests. Collateralized debt obligations are generally subject to many of the same risks of investing as debt securities and asset-backed securities, including credit, interest rate, valuation, liquidity, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying assets, particularly during periods of economic downturn.
Collateralized Bond Obligation Risk. The pool of high yield securities underlying collateralized bond obligations is typically separated into groupings called tranches representing different degrees of credit quality. The higher quality tranches have greater degrees of protection and pay lower interest rates. The lower tranches, with greater risk, pay higher interest rates.
Collateralized Loan Obligation Risk. The risks of an investment in a collateralized loan obligation depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the debt obligation in which a Fund invests. Collateralized loan obligations are generally subject to credit, interest rate, valuation, liquidity, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Collateralized loan obligations carry additional risks including, but not limited to, (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest of other payments, (ii) the collateral
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may decline in value or default, (iii) a Fund may invest in obligations that are subordinate to other classes, and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation Risk. The expected average life of collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) is determined using mathematical models that incorporate prepayment assumptions and other factors that involve estimates of future economic and market conditions. These estimates may vary from actual future results, particularly during periods of extreme market volatility. Further, under certain market conditions, the average weighted life of certain CMOs may not accurately reflect the price volatility of such securities. For example, in periods of supply and demand imbalances in the market for such securities and/or in periods of sharp interest rate movements, the prices of CMOs may fluctuate to a greater extent than would be expected from interest rate movements alone. CMOs issued by private entities are not obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and are not guaranteed by any government agency, although the securities underlying a CMO may be subject to a guarantee. Therefore, if the collateral securing the CMO, as well as any third party credit support or guarantees, is insufficient to make payments when due, the holder could sustain a loss.
Commodities Risk. Commodity prices can have significant volatility, and exposure to commodities can cause the net asset value of Fund Shares to decline or fluctuate in a rapid and unpredictable manner. The values of physical commodities may be affected by changes in overall market movements, real or perceived inflationary trends, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates, population growth and changing demographics, international economic, political and regulatory developments, and factors affecting a particular region, industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, or other weather conditions, livestock disease, changes in storage costs, trade embargoes, competition from substitute products, transportation bottlenecks or shortages, fluctuations in supply and demand, and tariffs. Also, a liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity investments, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at a desirable price or at the price at which it is carrying them. The commodity markets are subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to, among other factors, lack of liquidity, the participation of speculators, and government regulation and other actions.
Communication Services Sector Risk. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advancement and the innovation of competitors. Companies in the communication services sector may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Additionally, fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer tastes can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. While all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall global economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their respective profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services in the marketplace.
Consumer Staples Sector Risk. Consumer staples companies are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. For instance, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods of companies that make food products, which could affect company profitability. Tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Also, the success of food, beverage, household and personal products companies may be strongly affected by consumer interest, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand, including performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence and spending.
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Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer, depending on the terms of the securities) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. Convertible securities may be subordinate to other debt securities issued by the same issuer. Issuers of convertible securities are often not as strong financially as issuers with higher credit ratings. Convertible securities typically provide yields lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Their values may be more volatile than those of non-convertible securities, reflecting changes in the values of the securities into which they are convertible.
Counterparty Risk. A Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts and other transactions such as repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements. A Fund's ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. A Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving its counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If a Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if a Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, a Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of its securities and, if a Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, such Fund may also be similarly impacted.
Credit Risk (other than SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF). Credit risk is the risk that an issuer, guarantor or liquidity provider of a fixed-income security held by a Fund may be unable or unwilling, or may be perceived (whether by market participants, ratings agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. It includes the risk that the security will be downgraded by a credit rating agency; generally, lower credit quality issuers present higher credit risks. An actual or perceived decline in creditworthiness of an issuer of a fixed-income security held by a Fund may result in a decrease in the value of the security. It is possible that the ability of an issuer to meet its obligations will decline substantially during the period when a Fund owns securities of the issuer or that the issuer will default on its obligations or that the obligations of the issuer will be limited or restructured.
The credit rating assigned to any particular investment does not necessarily reflect the issuer's current financial condition and does not reflect an assessment of an investment's volatility or liquidity. Securities rated in the lowest category of investment-grade are considered to have speculative characteristics. If a security held by a Fund loses its rating or its rating is downgraded, the Fund may nonetheless continue to hold the security in the discretion of the Adviser. In the case of asset-backed or mortgage-related securities, changes in the actual or perceived ability of the obligors on the underlying assets or mortgages to make payments of interest and/or principal may affect the values of those securities.
Credit Risk (SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF only). Issuers may not be able to repay the principal or interest on securities (including loans), which may result in a Fund losing money. There may be economic or political changes that impact the ability of issuers to repay principal and to make interest payments on securities. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of issuers may also adversely affect the value of the assets of a Fund.
Currency Risk. Investments in issuers in different countries are often denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in the values of those currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may have a positive or negative effect on the values of a Fund's investments denominated in those currencies. The values of other currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may fluctuate in response to, among other factors, interest rate changes, intervention (or failure to
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intervene) by national governments, central banks, or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, the imposition of currency controls, and other political or regulatory developments. Currency values can decrease significantly both in the short term and over the long term in response to these and other developments. Continuing uncertainty as to the status of the Euro and the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “EMU”) has created significant volatility in currency and financial markets generally. Any partial or complete dissolution of the EMU, or any continued uncertainty as to its status, could have significant adverse effects on currency and financial markets, and on the values of a Fund's portfolio investments.
Currency Hedging Risk. If a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that a Fund holds, any gain generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by losses on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between a derivative and its reference asset. Furthermore, while a Fund may hedge against currency fluctuations, it is possible that a degree of currency exposure may remain even at the time a hedging transaction is implemented. As a result, changes in currency exchange rates may affect Fund returns even when the hedge works as intended. The effectiveness of a Fund's currency hedging strategy will also generally be affected by the volatility of both the securities that a Fund holds, and the volatility of the U.S. dollar relative to the currencies to be hedged. Increased volatility may reduce the effectiveness of a Fund's currency hedging strategy and may impact the costs associated with hedging transactions. The effectiveness of a Fund's currency hedging strategy and the costs associated with hedging transactions may also in general be affected by interest rates. Significant differences between U.S. dollar interest rates and foreign currency interest rates may further impact the effectiveness of a Fund's currency hedging strategy. There can be no assurance that a Fund's hedging transactions will be effective. A Fund's currency hedging activities will potentially increase or accelerate distributions to shareholders, increase distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income, result in the re-characterization of prior ordinary income distributions as return of capital, or generate losses that cannot be used to offset income or capital gain in subsequent years. A Fund will bear the costs associated with any such hedging transaction, regardless of any gain or loss experienced on the hedging transaction.
Debt Securities Risk. The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments or illiquidity in debt securities markets; the risk of low rates of return due to reinvestment of securities during periods of falling interest rates or repayment by issuers with higher coupon or interest rates; and/or the risk of low income due to falling interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of a Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, a decline in a Fund's income and yield, an adverse impact on the liquidity of a Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. The current historically low interest rate environment heightens the risks associated with rising interest rates. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, a Fund's yield can be low, and a Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by a Fund may decline. Changes in interest rates will likely have a greater effect on the values of debt securities of longer durations. Returns on investments in debt securities could trail the returns on other investment options, including investments in equity securities.
Defaulted Securities Risk. Defaulted securities risk is the significant risk of the uncertainty of repayment of defaulted securities (e.g., a security on which a principal or interest payment is not made when due) and obligations of distressed issuers (including insolvent issuers or issuers in payment or covenant default, in workout or restructuring or in bankruptcy or similar proceedings). Such investments entail high risk and have speculative characteristics.
Depositary Receipts Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are typically trust receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence an indirect interest in underlying securities issued by a foreign entity. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and other types of depositary receipts are typically issued by non-U.S. banks or financial institutions to evidence an interest in underlying securities issued by either a U.S. or a non-U.S. entity. Investments in non-U.S. issuers through ADRs, GDRs, EDRs, and other types of depositary receipts generally involve risks applicable to other types of investments in non-U.S. issuers. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a
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depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, a Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. There may be less publicly available information regarding the issuer of the securities underlying a depositary receipt than if those securities were traded directly in U.S. securities markets. Depositary receipts may or may not be sponsored by the issuers of the underlying securities, and information regarding issuers of securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts may be more limited than for sponsored depositary receipts. The values of depositary receipts may decline for a number of reasons relating to the issuers or sponsors of the depositary receipts, including, but not limited to, insolvency of the issuer or sponsor. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based.
Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. Derivative transactions typically involve leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a loss greater than the principal amount invested, and a Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. Risks associated with derivative instruments include potential changes in value in response to interest rate changes or other market developments or as a result of the counterparty's credit quality; the potential for the derivative transaction not to have the effect the Adviser anticipated or a different or less favorable effect than the Adviser anticipated; the failure of the counterparty to the derivative transaction to perform its obligations under the transaction or to settle a trade; possible mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument; imperfect correlation in the value of a derivative with the asset, rate, or index underlying the derivative; the risk that a Fund may be required to post collateral or margin with its counterparty, and will not be able to recover the collateral or margin in the event of the counterparty's insolvency or bankruptcy; the risk that a Fund will experience losses on its derivatives investments and on its other portfolio investments, even when the derivatives investments may be intended in part or entirely to hedge those portfolio investments; the risks specific to the asset underlying the derivative instrument; lack of liquidity for the derivative instrument, including without limitation absence of a secondary trading market; the potential for reduced returns to a Fund due to losses on the transaction and an increase in volatility; the potential for the derivative transaction to have the effect of accelerating the recognition of gain; and legal risks arising from the documentation relating to the derivative transaction.
Forward Currency Contracts Risk. In a forward currency contract, a Fund agrees to buy in the future an amount in one currency in return for another currency, at an exchange rate determined at the time the contract is entered into. If currency exchange rates move against a Fund's position during the term of the contract, the Fund will lose money on the contract. There is no limit on the extent to which exchange rates may move against a Fund's position. The markets for certain currencies may at times become illiquid, and a Fund may be unable to enter into new forward contracts or to close out existing contracts. Forward currency contracts are entered into in the over-the-counter market, and a Fund's ability to profit from a contract will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract. Use by a Fund of foreign currency forward contracts may give rise to investment leverage.
Futures Contract Risk; Other Exchange-Traded Derivatives Risk. The risk of loss relating to the use of futures contracts and other exchange-traded derivatives is potentially unlimited. The ability to establish and close out positions in futures contracts and other exchange-traded derivatives will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract or other exchange-traded derivative or at any particular time. In the event no such market exists for a particular derivative, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, and the Fund will be unable to terminate the derivative. In using futures contracts and other exchange-traded derivatives, the Fund will be reliant on the ability of the Adviser to predict market and price movements correctly; the skills needed to use such derivatives successfully are different from those needed for traditional portfolio management. If the Fund uses futures contracts or other exchange-traded derivatives for hedging purposes, there is a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the derivatives and movements in the securities or index underlying the derivatives or movements in the prices of the Fund's investments that are the subject of such hedge. The prices of futures and other exchange-traded derivatives, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the securities or index underlying them. For example, participants in the futures markets and in markets for other exchange-traded derivatives are subject to margin deposit requirements. Such requirements may cause investors to take actions with respect to their derivatives positions that they would
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not otherwise take. The margin requirements in the derivatives markets may be less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general, and as a result those markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets do. Increased participation by speculators in those markets may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Adviser still may not result in a successful derivatives activity over a very short time period. The risk of a position in a futures contract or other exchange-traded derivative may be very large compared to the relatively low level of margin the Fund is required to deposit. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Fund will incur brokerage fees in connection with its exchange-traded derivatives transactions. The Fund will typically be required to post margin with its futures commission merchant in connection with its transactions in futures contracts and other exchange-traded derivatives. In the event of an insolvency of the futures commission merchant or a clearing house, the Fund may not be able to recover all (or any) of the margin it has posted with the futures commission merchant, or to realize the value of any increase in the price of its positions, or it may experience a significant delay in doing so. The Fund also may be delayed or prevented from recovering margin or other amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant or futures clearinghouse. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short positions that any person and certain affiliated entities may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are imposed on the number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose sanctions or restrictions. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act requires the CFTC to establish speculative position limits on certain commodity futures contracts and their economically equivalent futures, options and swaps. Regulatory action taken by the CFTC to establish these additional position limits may adversely affect the market liquidity of the futures, options and economically equivalent derivatives in which the Fund may invest. It is possible that, as a result of such limits, the Fund's Adviser will be precluded from taking positions in certain futures contracts or over-the-counter derivatives as a result of positions held by other clients of the Adviser or by the Adviser or its affiliates themselves.
Futures contracts and other exchange-traded derivatives traded on markets outside the U.S. are not generally subject to the same level of regulation by the CFTC or other U.S. regulatory entities as contracts traded in the U.S., including without limitation as to the execution, delivery, and clearing of transactions. U.S. regulators neither regulate the activities of a foreign exchange, nor have the power to compel enforcement of the rules of the foreign exchange or the laws of the foreign country in question. Margin and other payments made by a Fund may not be afforded the same protections as are afforded those payments in the U.S., including in connection with the insolvency of an executing or clearing broker or a clearinghouse or exchange. Certain foreign futures contracts and other exchange-traded derivatives may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. contracts.
Options Risk. The successful use of the Fund's options strategies depends on the ability of the Adviser to forecast market movements correctly. For example, if the Fund were to write a call option on a security based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the Fund were to write a put option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price. When the Fund purchases an option, it runs the risk that it will lose its entire investment in the option in a relatively short period of time, unless the Fund exercises the option or enters into a closing sale transaction before the option's expiration. If the price of the underlying security does not rise (in the case of a call) or fall (in the case of a put) to an extent sufficient to cover the option premium and transaction costs, the Fund will lose part or all of its investment in the option. This contrasts with an investment by the Fund in the underlying security, since the Fund will not realize a loss if the security's price does not change over a relatively short time period. The effective use of options also depends on the Fund's ability to terminate option positions at times when the Adviser deems it desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. The sale of options by the Fund may create investment leverage.
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Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates one party to pay the positive return and the other party to pay the negative return on a specified reference security, basket of securities, security index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk of a counterparty's defaulting on the obligation or bankruptcy), credit risk and pricing risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for a Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging markets are generally subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This may be due to, among other things, the possibility of greater market volatility, lower trading volume and liquidity, greater risk of expropriation, nationalization, and social, political and economic instability, greater reliance on a few industries, international trade or revenue from particular commodities, less developed accounting, legal and regulatory systems, higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, greater risk of market shut down, and more significant governmental limitations on investment policy as compared to those typically found in a developed market. There may be limited legal rights and remedies for investors in companies domiciled in emerging markets. In addition, issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may have less financial stability than in other countries. The securities of emerging market companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. Market disruptions or substantial market corrections may limit very significantly the liquidity of securities of certain companies in a particular country or geographic region, or of all companies in the country or region. A Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet the Fund's obligations. There is also the potential for unfavorable action such as embargo and acts of war. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility in investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar. Settlement and asset custody practices for transactions in emerging markets may differ from those in developed markets. Such differences may include possible delays in settlement and certain settlement practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a “failed settlement.” Failed settlements can result in losses. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.
Energy Sector Risk. Issuers in energy-related industries can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels caused by geopolitical events, energy conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, the success of exploration projects, weather or meteorological events, taxes, increased governmental or environmental regulation, resource depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, or terrorist threats or attacks, among others. Markets for various energy-related commodities can have significant volatility, and are subject to control or manipulation by large producers or purchasers. Companies in the energy sector may need to make substantial expenditures, and to incur significant amounts of debt, in order to maintain or expand their reserves through exploration of new sources of supply, through the development of existing sources, through acquisitions, or through long-term contracts to acquire reserves. Factors adversely affecting producers, refiners, distributors, or others in the energy sector may affect adversely companies that service or supply those entities, either because demand for those services or products is curtailed, or those services or products come under price pressure.
Equity Investing Risk. The market prices of equity securities owned by a Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, non-compliance with regulatory requirements, and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services. The values of equity securities also may decline due to general industry or market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
Exchange Traded Funds Risk. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund relies on that investment company to achieve its investment objective. If the investment company fails to achieve its objective, the value of a Fund's investment could decline, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance. In addition, a Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities or other assets represented by an underlying ETF in which it invests. By investing in another investment company, a Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of any fees and expenses of the other investment company, if applicable, in addition to
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the fees and expenses that such Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's operations. A Fund may invest in ETFs that are not registered or regulated under the 1940 Act. These instruments typically hold commodities, such as gold or oil, currency or other property that is itself not a security (see also “Investments in Exchange Traded Commodity Trusts” below). Federal securities laws impose limitations on a Fund's ability to invest in other investment companies.
Because ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange, their shares potentially may trade at a discount or premium. Investments in ETFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to a Fund. In addition, because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market and such value may deviate from the net asset value of the ETF, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate a Fund's holdings at the most optimal time, especially times of extreme market stress, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Exchange Traded Products Risk. A Fund is subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of the securities or other assets represented by the ETPs in which a Fund invests. The shares of certain ETPs may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. For example, supply and demand for shares of an underlying ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the underlying ETF to deviate from the value of the underlying ETF's investments, which may be exacerbated in less liquid markets. By investing in ETPs, a Fund bears the proportionate share of any fees and expenses (e.g. management, custody, accounting, and administration) of the ETP, if applicable, in addition to the fees and expenses that a Fund and its shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund's operations.
Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of slower-than-expected principal payments. This may increase the period of time during which an investment earns a below-market interest rate, increase the security's duration and reduce the value of the security. Extension risk may be heightened during periods of adverse economic conditions generally, as payment rates decline due to higher unemployment levels and other factors.
Financial Sector Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition. Adverse economic, business or political developments could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value, Share Premiums and Discounts Risk. The net asset value of Fund Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of a Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in a Fund's net asset value and supply and demand of Fund Shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether Fund Shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value. Each Fund and its holdings in ETFs are subject to the same market forces. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Fund Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Fund Shares may deviate significantly from the net asset value of Fund Shares during periods of market volatility. However, given that Fund Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser (and Sub-Adviser, as applicable) believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Fund Shares should not be sustained over long periods. While
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the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Fund Shares normally will trade close to a Fund's net asset value, disruptions to creations and redemptions or market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from such Fund's net asset value. If an investor purchases Fund Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value of Fund Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value of Fund Shares, then the investor may sustain losses.
Geographic Focus Risk. The performance of a fund that is less diversified across countries or geographic regions will be closely tied to market, currency, economic, political, environmental, or regulatory conditions and developments in the countries or regions in which the fund invests, and may be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically-diversified fund.
Asia. Certain Asian economies have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Many Asian economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. During the recent global recession, many of the export-driven Asian economies experienced the effects of the economic slowdown in the United States and Europe, and certain Asian governments implemented stimulus plans, low-rate monetary policies and currency devaluations. Economic events in any one Asian country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region, as well as on major trading partners outside Asia. Any adverse event in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the countries in which a Fund invests. Many Asian countries are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many Asian countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions. These risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of a Fund's investments.
Latin America. Latin American economies are generally considered emerging markets and are generally characterized by high interest, inflation, and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations in any one Latin American country can have a significant effect on the entire Latin American region. Because commodities such as oil and gas, minerals, and metals represent a significant percentage of the region's exports, the economies of Latin American countries are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. A relatively small number of Latin American companies represents a large portion of Latin America's total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements.
Pacific Region. Many of the Pacific region economies can be exposed to high inflation rates, undeveloped financial services sectors, and heavy reliance on international trade. The region's economies are also dependent on the economies of Asia, Europe and the United States and, in particular, on the price and demand for agricultural products and natural resources. Currency devaluations or restrictions, political and social instability, and deteriorating economic conditions may result in significant downturns and increased volatility in the economies of countries of the Pacific region, as it has in the past.
Health Care Sector Risk. Companies in the health care sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services. Companies in the health care sector are heavily dependent on obtaining and defending patents, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of patents may also adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Health care companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to industry innovation, changes in technologies or other market developments. Many new products in the health care sector require significant research and development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, all of which may be time consuming and costly with no guarantee that any product will come to market.
Income Risk. A Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates or other factors. Issuers of securities held by a Fund may call or redeem the securities during periods of falling interest rates, and the Fund would likely be required to reinvest in securities paying lower interest rates. If an obligation held by a Fund is prepaid, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment in other obligations paying income at lower rates. A reduction in the income earned by a Fund may limit the Fund's ability to achieve its objective.
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Industrial Sector Risk. Industrial companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Government regulation, world events, exchange rates and economic conditions, technological developments and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies. Aerospace and defense companies, a component of the industrial sector, can be significantly affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on U.S. and foreign government demand for their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense spending policies which are typically under pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government budgets. Transportation securities, a component of the industrial sector, are cyclical and have occasional sharp price movements which may result from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk. The principal amount of an inflation-indexed security typically increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by a specified index. It is possible that, in a period of declining inflation rates, a Fund could receive at maturity less than the initial principal amount of an inflation-indexed security. Although the holders of U.S. TIPS receive no less than the par value of the security at maturity, if a Fund purchases U.S. TIPS in the secondary market whose principal values have previously been adjusted upward and there is a period of subsequent declining inflation rates, a Fund may receive at maturity less than it invested. Depending on the changes in inflation rates during the period a Fund holds an inflation-indexed security, a Fund may earn less on the security than on a conventional bond. Changes in the values of inflation-indexed securities may be difficult to predict, and it is possible that an investment in such securities will have an effect different from that anticipated by the Adviser. The principal amounts of inflation-indexed securities are typically only adjusted periodically, and changes in the values of the securities may only approximately reflect changes in inflation rates and may occur substantially after the changes in inflation rates in question occur.
Infrastructure-Related Companies Risk. Infrastructure-related companies include companies that primarily own, manage, develop and/or operate infrastructure assets, including transportation, utility, energy and/or telecommunications assets. Infrastructure-related businesses are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, insurance costs, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of an economic slowdown, surplus capacity or technological obsolescence, industry competition, labor relations, rate caps or rate changes, uncertainties concerning availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other factors. Certain infrastructure-related entities, particularly telecommunications and utilities companies, are subject to extensive regulation by various governmental authorities. The costs of complying with governmental regulations, delays or failures to receive required regulatory approvals or the enactment of new adverse regulatory requirements may adversely affect infrastructure-related companies. Infrastructure-related companies may also be affected by service interruption and/or legal challenges due to environmental, operational or other conditions or events, and the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards. There is also the risk that corruption may negatively affect publicly-funded infrastructure projects, especially in non-U.S. markets, resulting in work stoppage, delays and cost overruns. Other risks associated with infrastructure-related companies include uncertainties resulting from such companies' diversification into new domestic and international businesses, as well as agreements by any such companies linking future rate increases to inflation or other factors not directly related to the actual operating profits of the enterprise.
Interest Rate Only and Principal Only Securities Risk. Interest rate only and principal only securities are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments. Principal only instruments generally increase in value if interest rates decline, but are also subject to the risk of prepayment. Interest rate only instruments generally increase in value in a rising interest rate environment when fewer of the underlying obligations are prepaid. Interest rate only instruments could lose their entire value in a declining interest rate environment if the underlying obligations are prepaid. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can severely depress the price of interest rate only securities, while a rapid or unexpected decrease in prepayments could have the same effect on principal only securities. These securities are volatile in price and may have lower liquidity.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the securities held by a Fund will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. Debt securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates,
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usually making them more volatile than debt securities with shorter durations. For example, the value of a security with a duration of five years would be expected to decrease by 5% for every 1% increase in interest rates. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in a Fund's income and yield. Interest-only and principal-only securities are especially sensitive to interest rate changes, which can affect not only their prices but can also change the income flows and repayment assumptions about those investments. Variable and floating rate securities also generally increase or decrease in value in response to changes in interest rates, although generally to a lesser degree than fixed-rate securities. A substantial increase in interest rates may also have an adverse impact on the liquidity of a security, especially those with longer durations. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable, and are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply and demand for bonds. Changes in government or central bank policy, including changes in tax policy or changes in a central bank's implementation of specific policy goals, may have a substantial impact on interest rates. This could lead to heightened levels of interest rate, volatility and liquidity risks for the fixed income markets generally and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of a Fund's investments. There can be no guarantee that any particular government or central bank policy will be continued, discontinued or changed, nor that any such policy will have the desired effect on interest rates.
Investments in ETNs. Exchange traded notes (“ETNs”) generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or becomes insolvent or bankrupt, a Fund may not receive the return it was promised and could lose its entire investment. If a rating agency lowers the credit rating of the issuer of an ETN, the value of the ETN may decline; a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There are typically no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and the amount of principal payable at maturity may decline, depending in part on the performance of an underlying index or asset. As is the case with ETFs, an investor could lose some of or the entire amount invested in ETNs. A Fund's decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.
Investments in Exchange Traded Commodity Trusts. An exchange traded commodity trust is a pooled trust that invests in physical commodities or commodity futures, and issues shares that are traded on a securities exchange. Shares may trade at a discount or premium to the value of the holdings of the trusts. Investments in exchange traded commodity trusts are subject to brokerage and other trading costs. Exchange traded commodity trusts are not investment companies registered under the 1940 Act and are not subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936 (the “CEA”). As a result, in connection with any such investments, a Fund will not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act or the protections afforded by the CEA. As with other investments in commodities, investments in exchange traded commodity trusts may increase the risk that investors in a Fund may not qualify as “regulated investment companies” under the Internal Revenue Code. If an investment company investing in a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company, that investment company may be subject to tax, potentially reducing returns to shareholders. Such a failure will also alter the treatment of distributions to its shareholders. These risks are described more thoroughly under “Tax Risk-Qualifying Income.”
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk. Securities issued by large-capitalization companies may present risks not present in smaller companies. For example, larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial, or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies, especially during strong economic periods. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies.
Lender Liability Risk. A number of U.S. judicial decisions have upheld judgments of borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or shareholders. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability.
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In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender or bondholder (a) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower; (b) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors; (c) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors or (d) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called “equitable subordination.”
Because affiliates of, or persons related to, the Adviser may hold equity or other interests in obligors of a Fund, the Fund could be exposed to claims for equitable subordination or lender liability or both based on such equity or other holdings.
Leveraging Risk. Borrowing transactions, reverse repurchase agreements, certain derivatives transactions, securities lending transactions and other investment transactions such as when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward commitment transactions may create investment leverage. If a Fund engages in transactions that have a leveraging effect on the Fund's investment portfolio, the value of the Fund will be potentially more volatile and all other risks will tend to be compounded. This is because leverage generally creates investment risk with respect to a larger base of assets than a Fund would otherwise have and so magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund's underlying assets. The use of leverage is considered to be a speculative investment practice and may result in losses to a Fund. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. The use of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy repayment, interest payment, or margin obligations or to meet asset segregation or coverage requirements.
LIBOR Risk. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that after 2021, it will cease its active encouragement of banks to provide quotations needed to sustain the LIBOR rate. On March 5, 2021, the administrator of LIBOR announced a delay in the phase out of the majority of the USD LIBOR publications until June 30, 2023, with the remainder of LIBOR publications to still end on December 31, 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future of LIBOR and whether it will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. There is also uncertainty surrounding the nature of any replacement rate. Certain alternatives to LIBOR have been established or are in development in most major currencies, including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), which is intended to replace the U.S. Dollar LIBOR. The replacement and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. The unavailability and/or discontinuation of LIBOR could have adverse impacts on newly issued financial instruments and existing financial instruments that reference LIBOR. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any alternative methodology. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. In addition, the unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to a Fund's investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect the Fund's performance and/or NAV.
Limited Track Record Risk. The Fund has a limited track record and there is no assurance that the Fund will grow quickly. When the Fund's size is small, the Fund may experience low trading volume, which could lead to wider bid/ask spreads. In addition, the Fund may face the risk of being delisted if the Fund does not meet certain conditions of the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund could cause elevated transaction costs for the Fund and negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a Fund may not be able to dispose of securities or close out derivatives transactions readily at a favorable time or prices (or at all) or at prices approximating those at which a Fund currently values them. For example, certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, may trade in the over-the-counter market or in limited volume, or may not have an active trading market. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. It may be difficult for a Fund to value illiquid investments accurately. The market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. If the liquidity of a Fund's holdings deteriorates, it may lead to differences between the market price
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of Fund Shares and the net asset value of Fund Shares, and could result in the Fund Shares being less liquid. Disposal of illiquid investments may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for liquid securities. A Fund may seek to borrow money to meet its obligations (including among other things redemption obligations) if it is unable to dispose of illiquid investments, resulting in borrowing expenses and possible leveraging of the Fund.
Furthermore, with respect to the SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF, if the Fund's principal investment strategies involve investing in municipal securities or high yield securities, the Fund's portfolio may have greater exposure to liquidity risk since the markets for such securities may be less liquid than the traditional bond markets. There may also be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of these types of securities than for public corporations. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell such securities, especially on short notice, and these securities may be more difficult for the Fund to value accurately than securities of public corporations.
Low Short-Term Interest Rates Risk. During market conditions in which short-term interest rates are at low levels, a Fund's yield can be very low, and a Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). During these conditions, it is possible that a Fund will generate an insufficient amount of income to pay its expenses, and will not be able to pay its scheduled dividend.
Management Risk. Each Fund is actively managed. The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, relative value, or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security, commodity or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect, and may cause a Fund to incur losses. There can be no assurance that the Adviser's investment techniques and decisions will produce the desired results.
Market Risk. Market prices of investments held by a Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. A Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile, and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, changes in actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers and general market liquidity. Even if general economic conditions do not change, the value of an investment in a Fund could decline if the particular industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests do not perform well or are adversely affected by events. Further, legal, political, regulatory and tax changes also may cause fluctuations in markets and securities prices. 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 Fund and its investments.
An outbreak of a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19) first detected in China in December 2019 has resulted in a global pandemic and major disruptions to economies and markets around the world, including the United States. Financial markets experienced and may continue to experience extreme volatility and severe losses, and trading in many instruments was and may continue to be disrupted as a result. Liquidity for many instruments was and may continue to be greatly reduced for periods of time. 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, have taken extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. The impact of these measures, and whether they will be effective to mitigate the economic and market disruption, will not be known for some time. In addition, the outbreak of COVID-19, and measures taken to mitigate its effects, could result in disruptions to the services provided to a Fund by its service providers.
Materials Sector Risk. 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. Metals and mining companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and may be subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. Risks of
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metals and mining investments include: changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions that can affect the supply of precious metals and consequently the value of metals and mining company investments; the United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metals investments for strategic or other policy reasons; and increased environmental or labor costs may depress the value of metals and mining investments.
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. The prices of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and a Fund may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in these securities than in the case of larger companies, both of which can cause significant price volatility. Some securities of mid-sized issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale. Returns on investments in securities of mid-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger or smaller companies.
Modeling Risk. The Adviser uses quantitative models in an effort to enhance returns and manage risk. Any imperfections, errors or limitations in these models could limit any benefit to a Fund from the use of the models, or could result in incorrect outputs or in investment outcomes different from or opposite to those expected or desired by the Adviser. These models may make simplifying assumptions that limit their effectiveness and may draw from historical data that does not adequately identify or reflect factors necessary to an appropriate or useful output. There can be no assurance that the models will behave as expected in all market conditions. In addition, computer programming used to create quantitative models, or the data on which such models operate, might contain one or more errors. Such errors might never be detected, or might be detected only after a Fund has sustained a loss (or reduced performance) related to such errors.
Money Market Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. It is possible that such a money market fund will issue and redeem shares at $1.00 per share at times when the fair value of the money market fund's portfolio per share is more or less than $1.00. None of State Street Corporation, State Street Bank and Trust Company, State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”), SSGA FM or their affiliates (“State Street Entities”) guarantee the value of an investment in a money market fund at $1.00 per share. Investors should have no expectation of capital support to a money market fund from State Street Entities. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. A money market fund may be permitted or required to impose redemption fees or to impose limitations on redemptions during periods of high illiquidity in the markets for the investments held by it.
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Investments in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risk of significant credit downgrades, illiquidity, and defaults to a greater extent than many other types of fixed income investments. The liquidity of mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may change over time. Mortgage-related securities represent a participation in, or are secured by, mortgage loans. Other asset-backed securities are typically structured like mortgage-related securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include, for example, items such as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases on various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. During periods of falling interest rates, mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, which typically provide the issuer with the right to prepay the security prior to maturity, may be prepaid, which may result in a Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in other investments at lower interest rates. During periods of rising interest
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rates, the average life of mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities may extend because of slower-than expected principal payments. This may lock in a below market interest rate, increase the security's duration and interest rate sensitivity, and reduce the value of the security. As a result, mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other debt securities of comparable maturities, although they may have a similar risk of decline in market values during periods of rising interest rates. Prepayment rates are difficult to predict and the potential impact of prepayments on the value of a mortgage-related or other asset-backed security depends on the terms of the instrument and can result in significant volatility. The price of a mortgage-related or other asset-backed security also depends on the credit quality and adequacy of the underlying assets or collateral. Defaults on the underlying assets, if any, may impair the value of a mortgage-related or other asset-backed security. For some asset-backed securities in which a Fund invests, such as those backed by credit card receivables, the underlying cash flows may not be supported by a security interest in a related asset. Moreover, the values of mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities may be substantially dependent on the servicing of the underlying asset pools, and are therefore subject to risks associated with the negligence or malfeasance by their servicers and to the credit risk of their servicers. In certain situations, the mishandling of related documentation may also affect the rights of securities holders in and to the underlying collateral. There may be legal and practical limitations on the enforceability of any security interest granted with respect to underlying assets, or the value of the underlying assets, if any, may be insufficient if the issuer defaults.
In a “forward roll” transaction, a Fund will sell a mortgage-related security to a bank or other permitted entity and simultaneously agree to purchase a similar security from the institution at a later date at an agreed upon price. The mortgage securities that are purchased will bear the same interest rate as those sold, but generally will be collateralized by different pools of mortgages with different prepayment histories than those sold. The values of such transactions will be affected by many of the same factors that affect the values of mortgage-related securities generally. In addition, forward roll transactions may have the effect of creating investment leverage in a Fund.
Municipal Obligations Risk. The U.S. municipal securities market is volatile and can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, or political changes and the financial condition of the issuers of municipal securities. Municipal obligations include revenue obligations, which are generally backed by the revenues generated from a specific project or facility and include private activity bonds and industrial development bonds. Private activity and industrial development bonds are dependent on the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and on the value of any real or personal property pledged as security for such payment. Private activity and industrial development bonds, although issued by industrial development authorities, may be backed only by the assets of the non-governmental user. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects relating to education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal securities market. In addition, municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific asset can be negatively affected by the discontinuance or reduction in the rate of the taxation supporting the project or asset or the inability to collect revenues for the project or from the assets. If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) determines the issuer of a municipal security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could become taxable, and the security could decline in value. Municipal obligations may also be subject to prepayment risk and extension risk. Certain states and other governmental entities have experienced, and may continue to experience, extreme financial pressures in response to financial, economic and other factors, and may be, or be perceived to be, unable to meet all of their obligations under municipal bonds issued or guaranteed by them; such factors may result in substantial volatility in municipal securities markets and losses to the Fund. Additionally, a Fund's portfolio may have greater exposure to liquidity risk since the markets for such securities may be less liquid than the traditional bond markets. There may also be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of these types of securities than for public corporations. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell such securities, especially on short notice, and these securities may be more difficult for a Fund to value accurately than securities of public corporations.
Natural Resources Risk. Investments in companies in natural resources industries can be significantly affected by (often rapid) changes in supply of, or demand for, various natural resources. They may also be affected by changes in energy prices, international political and economic developments, environmental incidents, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations.
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Non-Diversification Risk. As a “non-diversified” fund, a Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent a Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Fund Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds.
Non-Senior Loans and Other Debt Securities Risk. Secured loans that are not first lien, loans that are unsecured and debt securities are subject to many of the same risks that affect Senior Loans; however they are often unsecured and/or lower in the issuer's capital structure than Senior Loans, and thus may be exposed to greater risk of default and lower recoveries in the event of a default. This risk can be further heightened in the case of below investment-grade instruments. Additionally, most fixed-income securities are fixed-rate and thus are generally more susceptible than floating rate loans to price volatility related to changes in prevailing interest rates.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) entail risks not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Similar risks may apply to securities traded on a U.S. securities exchange that are issued by entities with significant exposure to non-U.S. countries. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with regard to U.S. investments. Because non-U.S. securities are typically denominated and traded in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, the value of the Fund's assets, to the extent they are non-U.S. dollar denominated, may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations, and restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of non-U.S. currencies. To the extent underlying securities held by a Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there may be deviations between the current price of an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security on the closed foreign market. These deviations could result in the Fund experiencing premiums or discounts greater than those of ETFs that invest in domestic securities. Income and gains with respect to investments in certain countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. entity than about a U.S. entity, and many non-U.S. entities are not subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, regulatory framework and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some non-U.S. entities are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. entities, and could become subject to sanctions or embargoes that adversely affect a Fund's investment. Non-U.S. transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions and custody costs may be higher than in the U.S. In addition, there may be a possibility of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of currency exchange controls, confiscatory taxation, and diplomatic developments that could adversely affect the values of a Fund's investments in certain non-U.S. countries. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers also are subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with U.S. investments, meaning that political events (civil unrest, national elections, changes in political conditions and foreign relations, imposition of exchange controls and repatriation restrictions), social and economic events (labor strikes, rising inflation) and natural disasters occurring in a country where a Fund invests could cause the Fund's investments in that country to experience gains or losses. Certain countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income securities, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions.  Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may magnify a Fund's susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance, and such investments may be subject to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity.
Pass-Through Securities Risk. Pass-through securities are debt obligations backed by a pool of assets, such as mortgages. In addition to the risks associated with investing in debt securities generally, pass-through securities are subject to changes in the payment patterns of borrowers of the underlying debt. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to refinance or prepay their debt before its stated maturity. This may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities, effectively reducing the Fund's income. Conversely, if interest rates rise and borrowers repay their debt more slowly than expected, the time in which pass-through securities are paid off could be extended, reducing the Fund's cash available for reinvestment in higher yielding securities.
Perpetual Bond Risk. Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may have heightened sensitivity to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate.  Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer.  In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond.
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Political Risk. A significant restructuring of federal income tax rates or even serious discussion on the topic in Congress could cause municipal bond prices to fall. The demand for municipal securities is strongly influenced by the value of tax-exempt income to investors. Lower income tax rates could reduce the advantage of owning municipals.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. A Fund may engage in frequent trading of its portfolio securities. Fund turnover generally involves a number of direct and indirect costs and expenses to a Fund, including, for example, brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and bid/asked spreads, and transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities. The costs related to increased portfolio turnover may have the effect of reducing a Fund's investment return, and the sale of securities by the Fund may result in the realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains.
Preferred Securities Risk. Generally, preferred security holders have no or limited voting rights with respect to the issuing company. In addition, preferred securities are generally senior to common stock, but may be subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure and therefore may be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In the event an issuer of preferred securities experiences economic difficulties, the issuer's preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the increased likelihood of deferred interest or dividend payments and the fact that the preferred security may be subordinated to other securities of the same issuer. Further, because many preferred securities pay interest or dividends at a fixed rate, their market price can be sensitive to changes in interest rates in a manner similar to bonds - that is, as interest rates rise, the value of the preferred securities held by a Fund are likely to decline. Therefore, to the extent that a Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in fixed rate preferred securities, rising interest rates may cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline significantly. In addition, to the extent preferred securities allow holders to convert the preferred securities into common stock of the issuer, their market price can be sensitive to changes in the value of the issuer's common stock and, therefore, declining common stock values may also cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline. Preferred securities often have call features which allow the issuer to redeem the security at its discretion. The redemption of a preferred security having a higher than average yield may cause a decrease in a Fund's yield.
Privately Issued Securities Risk. The Fund will invest in privately-issued securities, including those which are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act. Privately-issued securities are securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act and as a result are subject to legal restrictions on resale. Privately-issued securities are not traded on established markets and may be illiquid, difficult to value and subject to wide fluctuations in value. Limitations on the resale of these securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices.
Real Estate Sector Risk. There are special risks associated with investment in securities of companies engaged in real property markets, including without limitation real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and real estate operating companies. An investment in a real property company may be subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including, by way of example, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, environmental liability, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. An investment in a real property company is subject to additional risks, such as poor performance by the manager of the real property company, adverse changes in tax laws, difficulties in valuing and disposing of real estate, and the effect of general declines in stock prices. Some real property companies have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. Also, the organizational documents of a real property company may contain provisions that make changes in control of the company difficult and time-consuming. As a shareholder in a real property company, a Fund, and indirectly a Fund's shareholders, would bear their ratable shares of the real property company's expenses and would at the same time continue to pay their own fees and expenses.
REIT Risk. REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate sector in general. In particular, a REIT may be affected by changes in the values of the properties that the REIT owns or operates or that underlie the mortgages or similar real estate interests in which the REIT invests. In addition, REITs may be affected by changes to interest rates or property taxes. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, and their investments may be concentrated in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and, as a result, are particularly reliant on the proper functioning of capital markets. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in
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enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments. Investments in REITs are also subject to the risks affecting equity markets generally. In addition, a REIT could fail to qualify for favorable tax or regulatory treatment, which could have adverse consequences for a Fund. Smaller capitalization REITs may be more volatile and may involve more risk than larger capitalization REITs. Equity REITs earn income from leasing properties and realize gains and losses from the sale of properties. Equity REITs may be affected by conditions in the real estate rental market and by changes in the value of the properties they own. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, limitations on rents, failure to collect rents or increased competition from other rental properties. In addition, rising interest rates may increase the costs of obtaining financing for real estate projects, which may cause the value of an equity REIT to decline. Mortgage REITs receive principal and interest payments from the owners of mortgage properties. Accordingly, mortgage REITs are subject to the credit risk of the borrowers, which refers to the possibility that the borrower will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on the loan to the mortgage REIT when due. If a mortgage REIT is required to foreclose on a borrower, the amount recovered in connection with the foreclosure may be less than the amount owed to the mortgage REIT. In addition, if a borrower refinances or prepays a mortgage, a mortgage REIT's yield may decline.
Reinvestment Risk. Income from a Fund may decline when the Fund invests the proceeds from investment income, sales of portfolio securities or matured, traded or called debt obligations. For instance, during periods of declining interest rates, an issuer of debt obligations may exercise an option to redeem securities prior to maturity, forcing a Fund to reinvest the proceeds in lower-yielding securities. A decline in income received by a Fund from its investments is likely to have a negative effect on the yield and total return of the Fund Shares.
REMIC Risk. The issuer of a series of mortgage pass-through securities may elect to be treated as a Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (“REMIC”). REMICs include governmental and/or private entities that issue a fixed pool of mortgages secured by an interest in real property. REMICs are similar to collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) in that they issue multiple classes of securities but, unlike CMOs, which are required to be structured as debt securities, REMICs may be structured as indirect ownership interests in the underlying assets of the REMICs themselves. The risks associated with an investment in a particular CMO or REMIC class vary substantially depending on the combination of rights associated with that class. An investment in the most subordinated classes of a CMO or REMIC bears a disproportionate share of the risks associated with mortgage-backed security generally, be it credit risk, prepayment or extension risk (the risk of a security's expected maturity being reduced or lengthened in duration due to a change of the timing of payment), interest rate risk, income risk, market risk, liquidity risk or any other risk associated with a debt or equity instrument with similar features to the relevant class. As a result, an investment in the most subordinated classes of a CMO or REMIC is often riskier than an investment in other types of mortgage-backed securities.
Repurchase Agreement Risk. A repurchase agreement is an agreement to buy a security from a seller at one price and a simultaneous agreement to sell it back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price, typically representing the purchase price plus interest. Repurchase agreements may be viewed as loans made by a Fund which are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase. A Fund's investment return on such transactions will depend on the counterparty's willingness and ability to perform its obligations under a repurchase agreement. If a Fund's counterparty should default on its obligations and a Fund is delayed or prevented from recovering the collateral, or if the value of the collateral is insufficient, a Fund may realize a loss.
Restricted Securities Risk. A Fund may hold securities that have not been registered for sale to the public under the U.S. federal securities laws pursuant to an exemption from registration. These securities may be less liquid than securities registered for sale to the general public. The liquidity of a restricted security may be affected by a number of factors, including, among others: (i) the creditworthiness of the issuer; (ii) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (iii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (iv) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (v) the nature of any legal restrictions governing trading in the security; and (vi) the nature of the security and the nature of marketplace trades. There can be no assurance that a liquid trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility.
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Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a portfolio security by a Fund, coupled with its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the value of securities that a Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. When a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it is subject to the risk that the buyer (counterparty) may default on its obligations to the Fund, potentially resulting in delays, costs, and losses to the Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements involve leverage risk; a Fund may lose money as a result of declines in the values both of the security subject to the reverse repurchase agreement and the instruments in which the Fund invested the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement. Use of reverse repurchase agreements by a Fund will increase the volatility and potential losses of the Fund.
Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations. A Fund, as the purchaser of an assignment, typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation. However, a Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. Because assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by the Fund as the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become a partial owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. A Fund may be required to pass along to a purchaser that buys a loan from the Fund by way of assignment, a portion of any fees to which the Fund is entitled under the loan. When purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.
Senior Loan Risk. Investments in Senior Loans are subject to credit risk and general investment risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the borrower of a Senior Loan will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its obligation. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and consequently a reduction in the value of a Fund's investments and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Fund. Senior Loans are also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral securing a Senior Loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. In addition, a Fund's access to the collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, loans held by the Fund may not be considered securities and, therefore, purchasers, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Some Senior Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the Senior Loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including a Fund, such as invalidation of Senior Loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. Senior Loans are also subject to high yield securities risks and liquidity risks described above. In addition, bank loans may be subject to extended settlement periods, which may impair the Fund's ability to sell or realize the full value of its loans in the event of a need to liquidate such loans in a compressed period of time. Some of the loans in which a Fund may invest or obtain exposure to may be “covenant-lite” loans. Covenant-lite loans may contain fewer or no maintenance covenants compared to other loans and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. A Fund may experience relatively greater realized or unrealized losses or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans than its holdings of loans with the usual covenants.
Settlement Risk. Markets in different countries have different clearance and settlement procedures and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of transactions. Delays in settlement may increase credit risk to a Fund, limit the ability of a Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a sale of securities, hinder the ability of a Fund to lend its portfolio securities, and potentially subject a Fund to penalties for its failure to deliver to on-purchasers of securities whose delivery to a Fund was delayed. Delays in the settlement of securities purchased by a Fund may limit the ability of a Fund to sell those securities at times and prices it considers
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desirable, and may subject a Fund to losses and costs due to its own inability to settle with subsequent purchasers of the securities from it. A Fund may be required to borrow monies it had otherwise expected to receive in connection with the settlement of securities sold by it, in order to meet its obligations to others.
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and may involve more risk than the securities of larger companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, and may depend on a few key employees. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely held securities. The prices of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and a Fund may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in these securities than in the case of larger companies, both of which can cause significant price volatility. Some securities of smaller issuers may be illiquid or may be restricted as to resale. A Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at any time, or at a favorable price, in order to meet a Fund's obligations. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.
Sovereign Debt Obligations Risk. Investments in debt securities issued by governments or by government agencies and instrumentalities involve the risk that the governmental entities responsible for repayment may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to pay interest and repay principal in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow, the size of its reserves, its access to foreign exchange, the relative size of its debt service burden to its economy as a whole, and political constraints. A governmental entity may default on its obligations or may require renegotiation or reschedule of debt payments. Any restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation held by a Fund will likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of the obligation. In the event of default of sovereign debt, the Fund may be unable to pursue legal action against the sovereign issuer or to realize on collateral securing the debt. The sovereign debt of many non-U.S. governments, including their sub-divisions and instrumentalities, is rated below investment-grade. Sovereign debt risk may be greater for debt securities issued or guaranteed by emerging and/or frontier countries.
Structured Securities Risk. Structured securities generally include privately-issued and publicly-issued structured securities, including certain publicly-issued structured securities that are not agency securities. An investment in a structured product may decline in value due to changes in the underlying instruments on which the product is based. The cash flow or rate of return on a structured investment may be determined by applying a multiplier to the rate of total return on the underlying investments or referenced indicator. Application of a multiplier is comparable to the use of financial leverage, a speculative technique. Holders of structured products indirectly bear risks associated with the underlying investments, index or reference obligation, and are subject to counterparty risk. Structured products are generally privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. Certain structured products may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market and may have the effect of increasing the Fund's illiquidity to the extent that the Fund, at a particular point in time, may be unable to find qualified buyers for these securities. Structured notes are derivative securities for which the amount of principal repayment and/or interest payments is based on the movement of one or more “factors.” Investments in structured notes, including credit-linked notes, involve risks including interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. Where the Fund's investments in structured notes are based upon the movement of one or more factors, depending on the factor used and the use of multipliers or deflators, changes in interest rates and movement of the factor may cause significant price fluctuations.
Tax Exemption Risk. There is no guarantee that any of a Fund's income will be exempt from federal or state income taxes. Events occurring after the date of issuance of a municipal bond or after a Fund's acquisition of a municipal bond may result in a determination that interest on that bond is includible in gross income for federal income tax purposes retroactively to its date of issuance. Such a determination may cause a portion of prior distributions by a Fund to its shareholders that is attributable to municipal bonds to be taxable to those shareholders in the year of receipt. Federal or state changes in income or alternative minimum tax rates or in the tax treatment of municipal bonds may make municipal bonds less attractive as investments and cause them to decline in value.
Tax Risk-Qualifying Income. Regulated investment companies are subject to favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company, a Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources generating “qualifying income.” Income derived from direct and certain indirect
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investments in commodities is not qualifying income. Thus, income from a Fund's investments in certain commodities-related investments may cause the Fund not to qualify as a regulated investment company. To the extent a Fund invests in exchange traded commodity trusts, or makes other commodities-related investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund's non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income. However, a Fund might generate more non-qualifying income than anticipated, might not be able to generate qualifying income in a particular taxable year at levels sufficient to meet the qualifying income test, or might not be able to determine the percentage of qualifying income it derives for a taxable year until after year-end. A Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs, including ETPs that are QPTPs and whose principal activities are the buying and selling of commodities or options, futures, or forwards with respect to commodities. Although income from QPTPs is generally qualifying income, if an ETP intending to qualify as a QPTP fails to qualify as a QPTP, the income generated from a Fund's investment in the ETP may not be qualifying income. There can be no guarantee that any ETP will be successful in qualifying as a QPTP. In addition, there is little regulatory guidance concerning the application of the rules governing qualification as a QPTP, and it is possible that future guidance may adversely affect the qualification of ETPs as QPTPs.
Under certain circumstances, a Fund may be able to cure a failure to meet the qualifying income test, but in order to do so the Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes, which would effectively reduce (and could eliminate) the Fund's returns. If a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund will be subject to tax, which will reduce returns to shareholders. Such a failure will also alter the treatment of distributions to shareholders.
Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund's investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.
Unconstrained Sector Risk. A Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets within one or more economic sectors or industries, which may change from time to time. When a Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not focused its assets in that industry, market, or economic sector, which may increase the volatility of the Fund.
U.S. Government Securities Risk. U.S. government securities, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds and mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury nor supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. There is no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so. In addition, certain governmental entities have been subject to regulatory scrutiny regarding their accounting policies and practices and other concerns that may result in legislation, changes in regulatory oversight and/or other consequences that could adversely affect the credit quality, availability, or investment character of securities issued by these entities. The value and liquidity of U.S. government securities may be affected adversely by changes in the ratings of those securities. Securities issued by the U.S. Treasury historically have been considered to present minimal credit risk. The downgrade in the long-term U.S. credit rating by at least one major rating agency has introduced greater uncertainty about the ability of the U.S. to repay its obligations. A further credit rating downgrade or a U.S. credit default could decrease the value and increase the volatility of a Fund's investments.
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U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations may differ from other fixed income securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of a Fund‘s U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the recent financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. In the worst case, unsustainable debt levels can cause a decline in the value of the dollar (which may lead to inflation), and can prevent the U.S. government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns. U.S. Treasury securities are currently given the top rating by all major ratings agencies except Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, which rates them AA+, one grade below their top rating. Since downgrading U.S. Treasury securities from AAA to AA+ in 2011, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has affirmed its rating. A downgrade of the ratings of U.S. government debt obligations, such as U.S. Treasury obligations, which are often used as a benchmark for other borrowing arrangements, could result in higher interest rates for individual and corporate borrowers, cause disruptions in the international bond markets and have a substantial negative effect on the U.S. economy. A downgrade of U.S. Treasury securities from another ratings agency or a further downgrade below AA+ rating by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services may cause the value of a Fund's U.S. Treasury obligations to decline.
Utilities Sector Risk. Utility companies are affected by supply and demand, operating costs, government regulation, environmental factors, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, and rate caps or rate changes. Although rate changes of a regulated utility usually fluctuate in approximate correlation with financing costs, due to political and regulatory factors, rate changes ordinarily occur only following a delay after the changes in financing costs. This factor will tend to favorably affect a regulated utility company's earnings and dividends in times of decreasing costs, but conversely, will tend to adversely affect earnings and dividends when costs are rising. The value of regulated utility equity securities may tend to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies are frequently more similar to industrial companies in that they are subject to greater competition and have been permitted by regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business. These opportunities may permit certain utility companies to earn more than their traditional regulated rates of return. Some companies, however, may be forced to defend their core business and may be less profitable. In addition, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, government intervention or other factors may render a utility company's equipment unusable or obsolete and negatively impact profitability.
Among the risks that may affect utility companies are the following: risks of increases in fuel and other operating costs; the high cost of borrowing to finance capital construction during inflationary periods; restrictions on operations and increased costs and delays associated with compliance with environmental and nuclear safety regulations; and the difficulties involved in obtaining natural gas for resale or fuel for generating electricity at reasonable prices. Other risks include those related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, the effects of energy conservation and the effects of regulatory changes.
Valuation Risk. Some portfolio holdings, potentially a large portion of a Fund's investment portfolio, may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur more often in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. Technological issues or other service disruption issues involving third-party service providers may cause a Fund to value its investments incorrectly. In addition, there is no assurance that a Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that a Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by a Fund at that time.
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Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk. Variable or floating rate securities are debt securities with variable or floating interest rates payments. Variable or floating rate securities bear rates of interest that are adjusted periodically according to formulae intended generally to reflect market rates of interest and allow a Fund to participate (determined in accordance with the terms of the securities) in increases in interest rates through upward adjustments of the coupon rates on the securities. However, during periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield. A Fund may also invest in variable or floating rate equity securities, whose dividend payments vary based on changes in market rates of interest or other factors.
In addition, investment in derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters, whose rates vary inversely with market rates of interest, or range floaters or capped floaters, whose rates are subject to periodic or lifetime caps, or in securities that pay a rate of interest determined by applying a multiple to the variable rate involves special risks as compared to investment in a fixed-rate security and may involve leverage. The extent of increases and decreases in the values of derivative variable rate securities and the corresponding change to the net asset value of a Fund in response to changes in market rates of interest generally may be larger than comparable changes in the value of an equal principal amount of a fixed-rate security having similar credit quality, redemption provisions, and maturity. The markets for such securities may be less developed and may have less liquidity than the markets for conventional securities.
When-Issued, TBA and Delayed Delivery Securities Risk. A Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued, TBA or delayed delivery basis and may purchase securities on a forward commitment basis. The purchase price of the securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment. The prices of the securities so purchased or sold are subject to market fluctuations. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchase of securities on a when-issued, TBA, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis may give rise to investment leverage, and may result in increased volatility of a Fund's net asset value. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a when-issued, TBA or delayed delivery transaction would expose a Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. rules impose mandatory margin requirements for certain types of when-issued, TBA delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, with limited exceptions. Such transactions require mandatory collateralization which may increase the cost of such transactions and impose added operational complexity.
Zero-Coupon Bond Risk. Zero-coupon bonds are debt obligations that are generally issued at a discount and payable in full at maturity, and that do not provide for current payments of interest prior to maturity. Zero-coupon bonds usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par values and are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current distributions of interest. When interest rates rise, the values of zero-coupon bonds fall more rapidly than securities paying interest on a current basis, because a Fund is unable to reinvest interest payments at the higher rates.
Non-Principal Risks
Each risk discussed below is a non-principal risk of a Fund to the extent it is not identified as a principal risk for such Fund in the preceding “ADDITIONAL RISK INFORMATION - PRINCIPAL RISKS” section.
Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. A Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”), which are responsible for the creation and redemption activity for a 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, Fund Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs 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.
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Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent a Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
Conflicts of Interest Risk. An investment in a Fund may be subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, the Adviser, Sub-Advisers or their affiliates may provide services to the Fund, such as securities lending agency services, custodial, administrative, bookkeeping, and accounting services, transfer agency and shareholder servicing, securities brokerage services, and other services for which the Fund would compensate the Adviser, Sub-Advisers and/or such affiliates. Each Fund may invest in other pooled investment vehicles sponsored, managed, or otherwise affiliated with the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser. There is no assurance that the rates at which a Fund pays fees or expenses to the Adviser, Sub-Advisers or their affiliates, or the terms on which it enters into transactions with the Adviser, a Sub-Adviser or their affiliates will be the most favorable available in the market generally or as favorable as the rates the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser makes available to other clients. Because of its financial interest, the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser may have an incentive to enter into transactions or arrangements on behalf of a Fund with itself or its affiliates in circumstances where it might not have done so in the absence of that interest.
The Adviser, Sub-Advisers and their affiliates serve as investment advisers to other clients and may make investment decisions that may be different from those that will be made by the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser on behalf of a Fund. For example, the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser may provide asset allocation advice to some clients that may include a recommendation to invest in or redeem from particular issuers while not providing that same recommendation to all clients invested in the same or similar issuers. The Adviser or a Sub-Adviser may (subject to applicable law) be simultaneously seeking to purchase (or sell) investments for a Fund and to sell (or purchase) the same investment for accounts, funds, or structured products for which it serves as asset manager, or for other clients or affiliates. The Adviser, Sub-Advisers and their affiliates may invest for clients in various securities that are senior, pari passu or junior to, or have interests different from or adverse to, the securities that are owned by a Fund. The Adviser, Sub-Advisers or their affiliates, in connection with its other business activities, may acquire material non-public confidential information that may restrict the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser from purchasing securities or selling securities for itself or its clients (including the Funds) or otherwise using such information for the benefit of its clients or itself.
The foregoing does not purport to be a comprehensive list or complete explanation of all potential conflicts of interests which may affect the Funds. The Funds may encounter circumstances, or enter into transactions, in which conflicts of interest that are not listed or discussed above may arise.
Costs of Buying and Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Fund 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 Fund Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Fund Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Fund 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 Fund Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Fund Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Fund 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 Fund Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Fund Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Fund Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Counterparty Risk. A Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into derivatives contracts and other transactions such as repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements. A Fund's ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions will depend on the willingness and ability of its counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. A Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving its counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If a Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may
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be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if a Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, a Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of securities and, if a Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, such Fund may also be similarly impacted.
Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform business and operational functions, funds (such as the Funds) and their service providers (including the Adviser) may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological malfunctions. In general, cyber-attacks are deliberate, but unintentional events may have similar effects. Cyber-attacks include, among others, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, preventing legitimate users from accessing information or services on a website, releasing confidential information without authorization, and causing operational disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, a Fund, the Adviser, a sub-adviser or a custodian, transfer agent, or other affiliated or third-party service provider may adversely affect a Fund or its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may interfere with the processing of shareholder or other transactions, affect a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject a Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance costs. Cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may render records of Fund assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of a Fund inaccessible or inaccurate or incomplete. A Fund may also incur substantial costs for cybersecurity risk management in order to prevent cyber incidents in the future. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. While the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser have established business continuity plans and systems designed to minimize the risk of cyber-attacks through the use of technology, processes and controls, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, given the evolving nature of this threat. Each Fund relies on third-party service providers for many of its day-to-day operations, and will be subject to the risk that the protections and protocols implemented by those service providers will be ineffective to protect the Fund from cyber-attack. The Adviser does not control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Adviser or the Funds. Similar types of cybersecurity risks or technical malfunctions also are present for issuers of securities in which each Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund's investment in such securities to lose value.
Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. Derivative transactions typically involve leverage and may have significant volatility. It is possible that a derivative transaction will result in a loss greater than the principal amount invested, and a Fund may not be able to close out a derivative transaction at a favorable time or price. Risks associated with derivative instruments include potential changes in value in response to interest rate changes or other market developments or as a result of the counterparty's credit quality; the potential for the derivative transaction not to have the effect the Adviser anticipated or a different or less favorable effect than the Adviser anticipated; the failure of the counterparty to the derivative transaction to perform its obligations under the transaction or to settle a trade; possible mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument; imperfect correlation in the value of a derivative with the asset, rate, or index underlying the derivative; the risk that a Fund may be required to post collateral or margin with its counterparty, and will not be able to recover the collateral or margin in the event of the counterparty's insolvency or bankruptcy; the risk that a Fund will experience losses on its derivatives investments and on its other portfolio investments, even when the derivatives investments may be intended in part or entirely to hedge those portfolio investments; the risks specific to the asset underlying the derivative instrument; lack of liquidity for the derivative instrument, including without
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limitation absence of a secondary trading market; the potential for reduced returns to a Fund due to losses on the transaction and an increase in volatility; the potential for the derivative transaction to have the effect of accelerating the recognition of gain; and legal risks arising from the documentation relating to the derivative transaction.
Leveraging Risk. Borrowing transactions, reverse repurchase agreements, certain derivatives transactions, securities lending transactions and other investment transactions such as when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward commitment transactions may create investment leverage. If a Fund engages in transactions that have a leveraging effect on the Fund's investment portfolio, the value of the Fund will be potentially more volatile and all other risks will tend to be compounded. This is because leverage generally creates investment risk with respect to a larger base of assets than a Fund would otherwise have and so magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund's underlying assets. The use of leverage is considered to be a speculative investment practice and may result in losses to a Fund. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. The use of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy repayment, interest payment, or margin obligations or to meet asset segregation or coverage requirements.
Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates Risk (SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF only). The 1940 Act limits the Fund's ability to enter into certain transactions with certain of its affiliates, including affiliates of the Sub-Adviser. As a result of these restrictions, the Fund may be prohibited from buying or selling any security directly from or to any portfolio company of one or more private equity funds managed by Blackstone Inc., the Sub-Adviser or any of their respective affiliates. However, the Fund may under certain circumstances purchase any such portfolio company's loans or securities in the secondary market, which could create a conflict for the Sub-Adviser between the interests of the Fund and the portfolio company, in that the ability of the Sub-Adviser to recommend actions in the best interest of the Fund might be impaired. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Sub-Adviser's affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times). These limitations may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to the Fund.
Money Market Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds seek to preserve the value of their shares at $1.00 per share, although there can be no assurance that they will do so, and it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. A major or unexpected change in interest rates or a decline in the credit quality of an issuer or entity providing credit support, an inactive trading market for money market instruments, or adverse market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, and other conditions could cause the share price of such a money market fund to fall below $1.00. It is possible that such a money market fund will issue and redeem shares at $1.00 per share at times when the fair value of the money market fund's portfolio per share is more or less than $1.00. None of State Street Corporation, State Street Bank and Trust Company, State Street Global Advisors (“SSGA”), SSGA FM or their affiliates (“State Street Entities”) guarantee the value of an investment in a money market fund at $1.00 per share. Investors should have no expectation of capital support to a money market fund from State Street Entities. Other money market funds price and transact at a “floating” NAV that will fluctuate along with changes in the market-based value of fund assets. Shares sold utilizing a floating NAV may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Recent changes in the regulation of money market funds may affect the operations and structures of money market funds. A money market fund may be permitted or required to impose redemption fees or to impose limitations on redemptions during periods of high illiquidity in the markets for the investments held by it.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. A Fund may engage in frequent trading of its portfolio securities. Fund turnover generally involves a number of direct and indirect costs and expenses to a Fund, including, for example, brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and bid/asked spreads, and transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities. The costs related to increased portfolio turnover may have the effect of reducing a Fund's investment return, and the sale of securities by the Fund may result in the realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains.
Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk (SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF only). The Sub-Adviser will be subject to certain conflicts of interest in its management of the Fund. In the ordinary course of their business activities, the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates may engage in activities where the interests of certain divisions of the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates or the interests of their clients may conflict with the interests of the Funds or its shareholders. As part of its regular business, the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates provide a broad range of investment management, advisory, and
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other services. Because of such relationships, there may be certain investments that the Sub-Adviser will decline or be unable to make. In addition, employees of such affiliates may possess information relating to such issuers that is not known to the individuals at the Sub-Adviser. Those employees of the Sub-Adviser's affiliates will not be obligated to share any such information with the Sub-Adviser and may be prohibited by law or contract from doing so. The Sub-Adviser or certain of its affiliates may come into possession of material non-public information with respect to an issuer. Should this occur, the Sub-Adviser would be restricted from buying or selling securities or loans of the issuer on behalf of the Fund until such time as the information became public or was no longer deemed material, so as to preclude the Fund from participating in an investment.
Securities Lending Risk. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 40% of the value of its net assets. For these purposes, net assets shall exclude the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan. Such loans may be terminated at any time. Any such loans must be continuously secured by collateral maintained on a current basis in an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned by a Fund, marked to market each trading day. In a loan transaction, as compensation for lending its securities, a Fund will receive a portion of the dividends or interest accrued on the securities held as collateral or, in the case of cash collateral, a portion of the income from the investment of such cash. In addition, a Fund will receive the amount of all dividends, interest and other distributions on the loaned securities. However, the borrower has the right to vote the loaned securities. A Fund will call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the investment is to be voted upon. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities, and may involve expenses to a Fund. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays in recovering the securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the securities lending agent to be of good financial standing. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities provided as collateral or acquired with cash collateral. Each Fund will attempt to minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to high quality instruments of short maturity either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser. In addition, a Fund will be subject to the risk that any income generated by lending its securities or reinvesting cash collateral is lower than any fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower. The Adviser will take into account the tax impact to shareholders of substitute payments for dividends when overseeing a Fund's securities lending activity.
Trading Issues. Although Fund Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Fund Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Similar to the shares of operating companies listed on a stock exchange, Fund Shares may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility in the trading price of the Fund's shares. While each Fund expects that the ability of Authorized Participants to create and redeem Fund Shares at net asset value should be effective in reducing any such volatility, there is no guarantee that it will eliminate the volatility associated with such short sales. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that Fund Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange.
Management
Investment Adviser
SSGA FM serves as the investment adviser to each Fund and, subject to the oversight of the Board, is responsible for the investment management of each Fund. The Adviser provides an investment management program for each Fund and manages the investment of each Fund's assets. The Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., which itself is a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Street Corporation. The Adviser is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser and certain other affiliates of State Street
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Corporation make up SSGA. SSGA is one of the world's largest institutional money managers and the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. As of June 30, 2021, the Adviser managed approximately $788.65 billion in assets and SSGA managed approximately $3.90 trillion in assets. The Adviser's principal business address is One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
For the services provided to each Fund under the Investment Advisory Agreement, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, each Fund paid the Adviser the annual fees based on a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets as set forth below. With respect to each Fund, the management fee is reduced by any acquired fund fees and expenses attributable to the Funds' investments in other investment companies.
SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF

0.70%
SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF

0.65%(1)
SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF

0.45%(2)
SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF

0.55%(3)
SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF

0.40%(4)
SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF

0.39%
SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF

0.17%
SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF

0.16%
SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF

0.08%
SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF

0.20%
SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF

0.52%
(1) Effective March 24, 2021, the Adviser agreed to reduce the Fund's management fee from 0.75% to 0.65% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Prior to March 24, 2021, the Adviser had contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses so that the net annual fund operating expenses, before application of any fees and expenses not paid by the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, if any, of the SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF were limited to 0.65% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The contractual fee waiver and/or reimbursement did not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any fees the Adviser previously waived.
(2) Effective March 24, 2021, the Adviser agreed to reduce the Fund's management fee from 0.50% to 0.45% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Prior to March 24, 2021, the Adviser had contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses so that the net annual fund operating expenses, before application of any fees and expenses not paid by the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, if any, of the SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF were limited to 0.45% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The contractual fee waiver and/or reimbursement did not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any fees the Adviser previously waived.
(3) Effective March 24, 2021, the Adviser agreed to reduce the Fund's management fee from 0.65% to 0.55% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Prior to March 24, 2021, the Adviser had contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses so that the net annual fund operating expenses, before application of any fees and expenses not paid by the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, if any, of the SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF were limited to 0.55% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The contractual fee waiver and/or reimbursement did not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any fees the Adviser previously waived.
(4) The Fund commenced operations on February 3, 2021.
From time to time, the Adviser may waive all or a portion of its management fee. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses in an amount equal to any acquired fund fees and expenses (excluding holdings in acquired funds for cash management purposes, if any) for each Fund until October 31, 2022. This waiver and/or reimbursement does not provide for the recoupment by the Adviser of any amounts waived or reimbursed. This waiver and/or reimbursement may not be terminated prior to October 31, 2022 except with the approval of the Board. The Adviser pays all expenses of each Fund other than the management fee, brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustee's counsel fees), litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.
Investment Sub-Advisers. The Adviser may hire one or more sub-advisers to oversee the day-to-day investment activities of the Funds. The sub-advisers are subject to oversight by the Adviser. The Adviser and the SSGA Active Trust (the “Trust”) have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, with the approval of the Independent Trustees of the Trust, to retain and amend existing sub-advisory agreements with unaffiliated investment sub-advisers for a Fund without submitting the sub-advisory agreement to a vote of the Fund's shareholders. The Trust will notify shareholders in the event of any change in the identity of such sub-adviser or sub-advisers. The Adviser has ultimate responsibility for the investment performance of the Funds due to its responsibility to oversee each sub-adviser and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The Adviser is not required to disclose fees paid to any unaffiliated sub-adviser retained pursuant to the order.
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Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC serves as the investment sub-adviser to the SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF, and is responsible for providing the investment program for the Fund. Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blackstone Alternative Credit Advisors LP (collectively with its affiliates in the credit-focused business of Blackstone Inc., “Blackstone Credit”). Blackstone Credit is part of the credit platform of Blackstone Inc. (collectively with its affiliates, “Blackstone”). Blackstone is a leading manager of private capital and provider of financial advisory services. It is one of the largest independent managers of private capital in the world, with assets under management of approximately $684 billion as of June 30, 2021. As of June 30, 2021, Blackstone Credit's asset management operations had aggregate assets under management of approximately $163 billion across multiple strategies within the leveraged finance marketplace, including Senior Loans, high yield bonds, investment grade corporate credit, distressed and mezzanine debt. Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC's principal business address is 345 Park Avenue, 31st Floor, New York, New York 10154.
In accordance with the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC, the Adviser pays Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC a portion of the advisory fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser (after deducting payments to the fund service providers and fund expenses) based on a percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets managed by Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC. The Fund is not responsible for the fees paid to Blackstone Liquid Credit Strategies LLC.
DoubleLine Capital LP serves as the investment sub-adviser to the SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF and SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF, and is responsible for providing the investment program for each Fund. DoubleLine's principal office is located at 333 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, California 90071. As of June 30, 2021, DoubleLine had approximately $137.2 billion of assets under management.
In accordance with the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and DoubleLine, the Adviser pays DoubleLine a portion of the advisory fee paid by the Funds to the Adviser (after deducting the applicable operating expenses of the Fund) based on a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets managed by DoubleLine; such fee will be reduced pro rata by the Adviser to the extent that the Adviser waives or reimburses fees payable to the Adviser under a contractual waiver or reimbursement with respect to each Fund. The Funds are not responsible for the fees paid to DoubleLine.
Nuveen Asset Management serves as the sub-adviser to the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's investments. Nuveen Asset Management is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen LLC (“Nuveen”). Nuveen is the asset management division of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”). TIAA is a leading financial services provider that provides a wide range of financial solutions, including investing, banking, advice and education, and retirement services. TIAA was originally founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Nuveen Asset Management offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of fund clients and has extensive experience in managing municipal securities. As of June 30, 2021, Nuveen Asset Management managed approximately $262.3 billion in assets. Nuveen Asset Management's principal business address is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
In accordance with the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and Nuveen Asset Management, the Adviser pays Nuveen Asset Management a portion of the advisory fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser (after deducting payments to the fund service providers and fund expenses) based on a percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets managed by Nuveen Asset Management. The Fund is not responsible for the fees paid to Nuveen Asset Management.
A discussion regarding the Board's consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements is provided in the Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended June 30, 2021.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF and SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF (the “Sector Rotation ETFs”); SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF, SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF and SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF (the “Asset Allocation ETFs”); SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF
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The Adviser manages each Fund using a team of investment professionals. The team approach is used to create an environment that encourages the flow of investment ideas. The portfolio managers within each team work together in a cohesive manner to develop and enhance techniques that drive the investment process for the respective investment strategy. This approach requires portfolio managers to share a variety of responsibilities including investment strategy and analysis while retaining responsibility for the implementation of the strategy within any particular portfolio. The approach also enables the team to draw upon the resources of other groups within SSGA. Each portfolio management team is overseen by the SSGA Investment Committee.
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund are:
Portfolio Managers Fund
Michael Martel, Jeremiah Holly and Leo Law

SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF
Michael Martel and Jeremiah Holly

SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF, SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF
Robert Guiliano and Michael Narkiewicz

SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF
James Palmieri and John Mele

SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF
Michael Martel, Michael Narkiewicz and Jeremiah Holly

SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF
Robert Guiliano is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group (ISG). He joined SSGA in 1997 and his responsibilities include the management of real asset, tactical, and strategic multi-asset allocation strategies. Mr. Guiliano earned a Master of Business Administration from Boston University with a concentration in Finance and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Minor in Economics. He is a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute and CFA Society Boston, Inc.
Jeremiah Holly, CFA, is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group (ISG). In this role, he is responsible for managing a variety of multi-asset class portfolios, including tactical asset allocation strategies and model portfolio strategies. He is actively involved in the investment research that underpins the team's views across capital markets and also plays a key role in articulating those perspectives and ideas to clients. Before joining ISG, Mr. Holly was a member of the firm's Consultant Relations department supporting asset allocation and fixed income investment strategies. Prior to joining SSGA in 2005, Mr. Holly worked as a research analyst at Chmura Economics & Analytics, an economic research firm in Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Holly graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of both CFA Society Boston, Inc. and CFA Institute. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Tutoring Plus of Cambridge, a nonprofit tutoring and mentoring organization based in Cambridge, MA.
Leo Law, CFA, is a Principal of SSGA and the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group (ISG). He is responsible for the portfolio management of several investment strategies, including strategic and tactical global asset allocation. He is also actively involved in the business development of SSGA's model portfolio and defined contribution research. Prior to joining SSGA in 2016, Mr. Law worked as a portfolio analyst at Manulife Asset Management and a derivative analyst at Sun Life Financial, conducting industry wide fundamental research and implementing derivatives strategy to manage variable annuity products. Mr. Law holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Mathematics from Boston College. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager designations. He is a member the CFA Institute and CFA Society Boston, Inc.
Michael Martel is a Managing Director of SSGA and the Adviser and Head of Portfolio Management in the Americas for SSGA's Investment Solutions Group (ISG). In this role, he is responsible for the design and management of multi-asset class strategies geared towards meeting the investment objectives of a broad and diverse client base. His work with clients includes aligning assets with long and short-term investment objectives, tactical asset allocation, and employing overlay strategies to enhance return and better manage risks. Prior to this role, Mr. Martel led ISG's Exposure Management Team. He has been working in the investment management field since 1992. Mr. Martel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross and Master degrees in both Finance and Business Administration from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
John Mele is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager on the Fundamental Active Investment Grade Credit Team. He is responsible for the investment grade credit allocation within several actively managed fixed income strategies. Mr. Mele joined SSGA in 2016 through its acquisition of GE Asset Management (GEAM). He also held roles in Private Equity and Finance while with GEAM. Prior to joining GEAM, Mr. Mele worked at Citigroup as a portfolio manager/research analyst in Citigroup's Private Client Group. His responsibilities included managing discretionary equity and balanced portfolios for high net worth clients. Mr. Mele's prior work experience also
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includes several years in investment management compliance and investment product development. Mr. Mele holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Connecticut, a Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University and a Master of Business Administration with specializations in Economics and Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business.
Michael Narkiewicz is a Vice President of SSGA and the Adviser and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Investment Solutions Group (ISG), where he is responsible for the development and investment management of a variety of customized multi-asset class portfolios, including strategic, tactical, and real asset strategies. Prior to his current role, Mr. Narkiewicz was a portfolio specialist within the Global Equity Beta Solutions Group. His responsibilities included investment research and analysis as well as product positioning and messaging across multiple index equity investment strategies. Before joining SSGA in 2013, Mr. Narkiewicz was a senior portfolio analyst at Shepherd Kaplan, a Boston based registered investment advisor, and an equity trader at Congress Asset Management Company. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Bentley University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University.
James Palmieri, CFA, is a Managing Director of SSGA and the Adviser, a Senior Portfolio Manager, and Head of Structured Credit for the Fundamental Active Fixed Income Team. In his role, he is the lead portfolio manager and trader for the Structured Products Group servicing all total rate of return and insurance accounts managed in Stamford, CT. In addition to his portfolio management responsibilities, Mr. Palmieri is a member of the Fixed Income Currency and Cash Senior Leadership Team, and the Fundamental Active Core and Core Plus Fixed Income Team. He joined SSGA in 2016 through its acquisition of GE Asset Management. Prior to joining SSGA, Mr. Palmieri worked at GE Asset Management for eleven years as a senior portfolio manager and trader for all fixed income total rate of return and insurance accounts for GE. Prior to joining GE Asset Management, he worked at Constitution State Corporate Credit Union for one year as an investment director and CIGNA Investment Management for five years as a fixed income portfolio manager. He received his Bachelor of Science from Central Connecticut State University, is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder, and has twenty years of investment experience.
SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Daniel T. McMullen, Gordon McKemie and Bonnie Brookshaw:
Daniel T. McMullen is a Senior Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager with Blackstone Credit, the parent company of the Sub-Adviser, and serves as lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. McMullen also serves as a member of the Sub-Adviser's Liquid Credit Strategies' (“LCS”) Management Committee, LCS's U.S. Syndicated Credit Investment Committee, Global Structured Credit Investment Committee, and Asset Allocation Committee. Mr. McMullen is also the senior portfolio manager for the Sub-Adviser's U.S. loan separately managed accounts and commingled funds. Before joining Blackstone Inc., the parent company of Blackstone Credit, in 2002, Mr. McMullen worked at CIBC World Markets, most recently as a Director and Senior Investment Analyst for the structured investment vehicles managed by Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C. Prior to that, Mr. McMullen was a Director in the Investment Banking Group at CIBC, specializing in the aerospace and defense industries. Before joining CIBC in 1996, Mr. McMullen was employed at The Chase Manhattan Bank where he worked in the Corporate Finance Healthcare Group. Mr. McMullen received a B.A. from the University of Rochester where he graduated cum laude, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Gordon McKemie is a Principal and a Portfolio Manager with Blackstone Credit and serves as a Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. McKemie is also a U.S. credit research analyst involved with the ongoing analysis and evaluation of primary and secondary fixed income investments. Mr. McKemie also serves as a member of the Sub-Adviser's LCS's U.S. Syndicated Credit Investment Committee. Prior to joining Blackstone Credit in 2012, Mr. McKemie was an Associate in Leveraged Finance at Citigroup and an Assistant Vice President in high yield research at Barclays Capital.  He began his career at Lehman Brothers. Mr. McKemie received a B.B.A. from Goizueta Business School at Emory University, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Bonnie Brookshaw is a Managing Director and a Portfolio Manager for Blackstone Credit's U.S. loan separately managed accounts, commingled funds and exchange-traded funds. Previously, Ms. Brookshaw was responsible for the management and implementation of the day-to-day investment strategy for the U.S. CLOs. Prior to joining Blackstone
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in 2002, Ms. Brookshaw worked at CIBC World Markets and was responsible for the transaction logistics and settlement functions for the structured investment vehicles managed by Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C. Ms. Brookshaw received a B.A. from the State University of New York at Oswego.
SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF and SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund are:
Portfolio Managers Fund
Luz Padilla, Mark Christensen and Su Fei Koo

SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF
Jeffrey Gundlach and Jeffrey Sherman

SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF
Mark Christensen is a Portfolio Manager at DoubleLine. Mr. Christensen joined DoubleLine in 2009 as a portfolio manager and senior corporate analyst on the Emerging Markets Fixed Income team. As part of his research responsibilities, he covers corporate credits in the following sectors: banking, financial services, gaming and conglomerates. He also participates on the Fixed Income Asset Allocation committee. Mr. Christensen graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Business Management with an emphasis in International Finance.
Jeffrey Gundlach is co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of DoubleLine. Mr. Gundlach has been Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of DoubleLine since its inception in December 2009. Mr. Gundlach has a B.A. in Mathematics and Philosophy from Dartmouth College.
Su Fei Koo is a Portfolio Manager at DoubleLine. Ms. Koo joined DoubleLine in 2009 as an Emerging Markets portfolio manager and senior corporate analyst. As part of her research responsibilities, she covers corporate credits in the following sectors: metals & mining and industrials. She also participates on the Fixed Income Asset Allocation committee. Ms. Koo holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Houston and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California.
Luz Padilla is a Director and Lead Portfolio Manager at DoubleLine. Ms. Padilla joined DoubleLine in 2009 as the Director of the Emerging Markets Group and is the lead Portfolio Manager. Ms. Padilla attended University of California at Berkeley as a fellow of the Robert A. Toigo Foundation and graduated with an MBA in 1994. Ms. Padilla received her BA in Economics in 1989 from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
Jeffrey Sherman is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer and a portfolio manager at DoubleLine. He joined DoubleLine in December 2009. Mr. Sherman holds a BS in Applied Mathematics from the University of the Pacific and a MS in Financial Engineering from the Claremont Graduate School.
SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Timothy Ryan and Joel Levy:
Timothy T. Ryan, CFA, is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Nuveen Asset Management. Mr. Ryan joined an affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management in 2010. Prior to joining Nuveen Asset Management, Mr. Ryan was a principal of SSGA FM and a Vice President of SSGA and responsible for managing the series of the Trust that invest primarily in municipal securities. Prior to joining SSGA, Mr. Ryan was a lead portfolio manager in the municipal bond group at Deutsche Bank Asset Management, formally Scudder Insurance Asset Management. His clients included nuclear decommissioning trusts, insurance portfolios and corporate cash. Mr. Ryan began working at Deutsche Bank in 1991 as a municipal bond analyst covering high yield, transportation, higher education, general obligation, and money market sectors. He joined Deutsche Bank with 8 years of experience as vice president and investment banker at Mesirow Financial and vice president and financial consultant at Speer Financial. Mr. Ryan has a BS from University of Wisconsin and a Master of Management from JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management Northwestern University. Mr. Ryan has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Joel H. Levy is a Managing Director and a member of Nuveen's municipal investment team. Prior to the TIAA – Nuveen merger, Mr. Levy lead TIAA's legacy municipal research and municipal investment strategies. Mr. Levy joined TIAA in 2011 after working for Bank of America's credit, product and pricing group. He has extensive experience in government and is the former Assistant City Treasurer and municipal debt manager for the City of Charlotte, North Carolina. He began his municipal finance career working for U.S. Congressman Michael Forbes and subsequently held analyst positions with the Albany County Comptroller's Office and the New York Association of Homes and Services
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for the Aging (NYAHSA). Mr. Levy graduated with a B.A. and an M.A. in Economics from The State University of New York – Albany, an M.B.A. from Wake Forest University and a J.D. from the Charlotte School of Law. He has also earned a post-graduate certificate in Corporate Treasury Management from Duke University and has nearly completed a second law degree (LLM) from Georgetown University in Securities and Financial Regulation. He is a former board member for the Southern Municipal Finance Society (SMFS) and a licensed attorney in the State of North Carolina.
Additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of the Funds is available in the SAI.
Administrator, Sub-Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Adviser serves as Administrator for each Fund. State Street, part of State Street Corporation, is the Sub-Administrator for each Fund and the Custodian for each Fund's assets, and serves as Transfer Agent to each Fund.
Lending Agent. State Street is the securities lending agent for the Trust. For its services, the lending agent would typically receive a portion of the net investment income, if any, earned on the collateral for the securities loaned.
Distributor. State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC serves as the Funds' distributor (“SSGA FD” or the “Distributor”) pursuant to the Distribution Agreement between SSGA FD and the Trust. The Distributor will not distribute Fund Shares in less than Creation Units, and it does not maintain a secondary market in Fund Shares. The Distributor may enter into selected dealer agreements with other broker-dealers or other qualified financial institutions for the sale of Creation Units of Fund Shares.
Additional Information. The Board oversees generally the operations of the Funds and the Trust. The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others the Funds' investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, and accountants, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them directly against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them directly against the service providers.
This Prospectus provides information concerning the Trust and the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund Shares. Neither this Prospectus nor the related SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Funds and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.
Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers
Bloomberg (defined below) is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Funds' Administrator, Sub-Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, SSGA FD or any of their respective affiliates. State Street Global Advisors and its affiliates (the “Licensee”) have entered into a license agreement with Bloomberg Index Services Limited (“BISL”) pursuant to which the Licensee pays a fee to use the Bloomberg 3-15 Year Blend (2-17) Municipal Bond Index (the “Bloomberg Index”). The Licensee is sublicensing rights to the Bloomberg Index to the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF at no charge.
“Bloomberg®” and the Bloomberg Index are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including BISL, the administrator of the Bloomberg Index (collectively, “Bloomberg”), and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by the Licensee.
The SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF (the “Product”) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of or counterparties to the Product or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Product particularly. The only relationship of Bloomberg to the Licensee in respect of the Bloomberg Index is the licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks and of the Bloomberg Index, which is determined, composed and calculated by BISL without regard to the Licensee or the Product. Bloomberg has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Product into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Bloomberg Index. Bloomberg is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Product to be issued. Bloomberg shall not have any obligation or liability, including, without limitation, to the Product's customers, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Product.
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BLOOMBERG DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BLOOMBERG INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO AND SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE PRODUCT OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BLOOMBERG INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, BLOOMBERG, ITS LICENSORS, AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND VENDORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES—WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE—ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRODUCT OR BLOOMBERG INDEX OR ANY DATA OR VALUES RELATING THERETO—WHETHER ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.
SPDR Trademark. The “SPDR” trademark is used under license from Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). No Fund offered by the Trust or its affiliates is sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by S&P or its affiliates. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of any Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in any determination or calculation made with respect to issuance or redemption of Fund Shares. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.
WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S&P HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Blackstone Trademark. Blackstone is the registered trademark of Blackstone Inc.
DoubleLine Trademark. DoubleLine is a registered trademark of DoubleLine Capital LP.
Additional Purchase and Sale Information
Fund Shares are listed for secondary trading on the Exchange and individual Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Exchange may close early on the business day before certain holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Exchange holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. If you buy or sell Fund Shares in the secondary market, you will pay the secondary market price for Fund Shares. In addition, 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 trading prices of Fund Shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than the relevant Fund's net asset value, which is calculated at the end of each business day. Fund Shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may be above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount), to varying degrees, the daily net asset value of Fund Shares. The trading prices of Fund Shares may deviate significantly from the relevant Fund's net asset value during periods of market volatility. Given, however, that Fund Shares can be issued and redeemed daily in Creation Units, the Adviser believes that large discounts and premiums to net asset value should not be sustained over long periods.
The Exchange will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an indicative optimized portfolio value (“IOPV”) relating to each Fund. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of each Fund's net asset value per Fund Share. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the net asset value per Fund Share. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the published basket of portfolio securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit and does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of a Fund's actual portfolio at a particular point in time. Moreover, the IOPV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries and valuations based on current market rates. The IOPV may not be
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calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which (i) is computed only once a day, (ii) unlike the calculation of the IOPV, takes into account Fund expenses, and (iii) may be subject, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IOPV. The IOPV price is based on quotes and closing prices from the securities' local market converted into U.S. dollars at the current currency rates and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market's close. Therefore, the IOPV may not reflect the best possible valuation of a Fund's current portfolio. Neither the Funds nor the Adviser or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.
The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions; however, the Funds reserve 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 market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of a Fund's investment strategy, or whether they would cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Fund Shares are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units, available only from a Fund directly, and that most trading in a 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 (a) market timing would be attempted by a Fund's shareholders or (b) any attempts to market time a Fund by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders.
Distributions
Dividends and Capital Gains. As a Fund shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the applicable Fund's income and net realized gains on its investments. Each Fund pays out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as “distributions.”
Each Fund may earn dividends from stocks, interest from debt securities and, if participating, securities lending income. These amounts, net of expenses and taxes (if applicable), are passed along to Fund shareholders as “income dividend distributions.” Each Fund will generally be treated as realizing short-term capital gains or losses whenever it sells or exchanges assets held for one year or less. Net short-term capital gains will generally be treated as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders. Each Fund will generally be treated as realizing long-term capital gains or losses whenever it sells or exchanges assets held for more than one year. Net capital gains (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are distributed to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.”
Income dividend distributions, if any, for the following Funds are generally distributed to shareholders quarterly, but may vary significantly from period to period: Asset Allocation ETFs and SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF. Income dividend distributions, if any, for the following Funds are generally distributed to shareholders monthly, but may vary significantly from period to period: SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF, SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF, SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF and SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF.
Net capital gains for each Fund are distributed at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently or at any other time to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.
Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Fund Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Fund Shares makes such option available. Distributions which are reinvested will nevertheless be taxable to the same extent as if such distributions had not been reinvested.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Funds' portfolio holdings disclosure policy is described in the SAI. In addition, the identities and quantities of the securities held by each Fund are disclosed on the Funds' website.
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Additional Tax Information
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to an investment in a Fund. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about federal, state, local, foreign or other tax laws applicable to you. Investors, including non-U.S. investors, may wish to consult the SAI tax section for additional disclosure.
Each Fund has elected or will elect to be a regulated investment company and intends to qualify each year to be treated as such. A regulated investment company is generally not subject to tax at the corporate level on income and gains that are distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund's failure to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company may result in corporate level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Taxes On Distributions (SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF only). Dividends paid by the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF (the “Municipal Bond ETF”) that are reported as exempt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular federal income tax. The Municipal Bond ETF intends to invest its assets in a manner such that dividend distributions to its shareholders will generally be exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax, although distributions from the Municipal Bond ETF may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax and will not necessarily be exempt from state and local taxation. Dividends paid by the Municipal Bond ETF will be exempt from regular federal income tax to the extent of its net tax-exempt interest income as long as 50% or more of the value of its assets at the end of each quarter is invested in state, municipal and other bonds the interest on which is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes and as long as it reports such dividends as exempt-interest dividends. The Municipal Bond ETF, however, is able to invest up to 20% of its net assets in taxable securities, the income from which is subject to regular federal income tax.
Because the Municipal Bond ETF may invest in private activity bonds (within the meaning of Section 141 of the Code), the interest on which is not exempt from U.S. federal income tax for persons who are “substantial users” of the facilities financed by such bonds or “related persons” of such “substantial users,” the Municipal Bond ETF may not be an appropriate investment for shareholders who are considered either a “substantial user” or “related person” within the meaning of the Code. In addition, interest on certain municipal securities that meet the definition of private activity bonds under the Code is included as an item of tax preference in determining the amount of a taxpayer's alternative minimum taxable income. To the extent the Municipal Bond ETF receives income from private activity bonds, a portion of the dividends paid by it, although otherwise exempt from federal income tax, will be taxable to those shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax regime. The Municipal Bond ETF will annually supply shareholders with a report indicating the percentage of its income attributable to municipal securities required to be included in calculating the federal alternative minimum tax.
Exempt-interest dividends from the Municipal Bond ETF are taken into account in determining the taxable portion of any Social Security or railroad retirement benefits that you receive. If you receive Social Security or railroad retirement benefits, you should consult your tax advisor about how an investment in the Municipal Bond ETF may affect the taxation of your benefits.
Exempt-interest dividends attributable to interest on municipal securities issued by a state or its political subdivisions may be exempt in the hands of a shareholder from income tax imposed by that state, but exempt-interest dividends attributable to interest on municipal securities issued by another state generally will not be exempt from such income tax.
All Funds. In general, your distributions (other than exempt-interest dividends) are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in a Fund. The income dividends and short-term capital gains distributions you receive from a Fund will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Subject to certain limitations, dividends that are reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income are taxable to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Any distributions of a Fund's net capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gain regardless of how long you have owned Fund Shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced rates. Although the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF does not seek to realize taxable income or capital gains, it may realize and distribute taxable income or capital gains from time to time as a result of its normal investment activities. Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the applicable Fund's shares, and, in general, as capital gain thereafter.
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In general, dividends may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund, which, in general, includes dividend income from taxable U.S. corporations and certain foreign corporations (i.e., certain foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, and certain other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States), provided that the Fund satisfies certain holding period requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations and has not hedged its position in the stock in certain ways. A dividend generally will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held by a Fund for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or, in the case of certain preferred stock, for fewer than 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date. These holding period requirements will also apply to your ownership of Fund Shares. Holding periods may be suspended for these purposes for stock that is hedged. Since the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF, SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF, SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF, SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF and SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF primarily hold investments that do not pay dividends, it is not expected that a substantial portion of the dividends paid by these Funds will qualify for either the dividends-received deduction for corporations or the favorable income tax rates available to individuals on qualified dividend income. Additionally, income derived in connection with a Fund's securities lending activities will not be treated as qualified dividend income.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions (but not exempt-interest dividends paid by the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF) and capital gains realized upon the sale of Fund Shares but does not include exempt-interest dividends paid by the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Certain tax-exempt educational institutions will be subject to a 1.4% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions (but not exempt-interest dividends paid by the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF), and certain gains from the disposition of Fund Shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.
If you lend your Fund Shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements you may lose the ability to treat Fund dividends (paid while the Fund Shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. You should consult your financial intermediary or tax advisor to discuss your particular circumstances.
Distributions paid in January, but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year, payable to shareholders of record in such a month, may be taxable to you in the calendar year in which they were declared. The Funds will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.
A distribution will reduce a Fund's net asset value per Fund 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.
Original Issue Discount. Investments by a Fund in zero coupon or other discount securities will result in income to the Fund equal to a portion of the excess face value of the securities over their issue price (the “original issue discount” or “OID”) each year that the securities are held, even though the Fund may receive no cash interest payments or may receive cash interest payments that are less than the income recognized for tax purposes. In other circumstances, whether pursuant to the terms of a security or as a result of other factors outside the control of a Fund, a Fund may recognize income without receiving a commensurate amount of cash. A Fund‘s share of such income is included in determining the amount that the Fund must distribute to maintain its eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company and to avoid the payment of federal tax, including the nondeductible 4% excise tax. Where such income is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by a Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to enable the Fund to make distributions to its shareholders in order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and eliminate taxes at the Fund level, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund.
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Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Special rules apply if a Fund holds inflation-indexed bonds. Generally, all stated interest on inflation-indexed bonds is taken into income by a Fund under its regular method of accounting for interest income. The amount of any positive inflation adjustment for a taxable year, which results from an increase in the inflation-adjusted principal amount of the bond, is treated as OID. The amount of a Fund's OID in a taxable year with respect to a bond will increase the Fund's taxable income for such year without a corresponding receipt of cash until the bond matures. As a result, a Fund may need to use other sources of cash to satisfy its distribution requirements for such year. The amount of any negative inflation adjustments, which result from a decrease in the inflation-adjusted principal amount of the bond, first reduces the amount of interest (including stated interest, OID, and market discount, if any) otherwise includible in a Fund's income with respect to the bond for the taxable year; any remaining negative adjustments will be either treated as ordinary loss or, in certain circumstances, carried forward to reduce the amount of interest income taken into account with respect to the bond in future taxable years.
Market Discount (Municipal Securities). If the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF purchases a municipal security at a market discount, any gain realized by the SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF upon sale or redemption of the municipal security will be treated as taxable interest income to the extent of the market discount, and any gain realized in excess of the market discount will be treated as capital gains.
Market Discount (For Securities Other than Municipal Securities). Any market discount recognized on a market discount bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or below adjusted issue price if the bond was issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, the gain on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount. Where the income required to be recognized as a result of the market discount rules is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by the Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to enable the Fund to make distributions to its shareholders in order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and eliminate taxes at the Fund level, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund.
Derivatives and Other Complex Securities. A Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by a Fund. You should consult your personal tax advisor regarding the application of these rules.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A Fund's transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Foreign Income Taxes. Investment income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries which may entitle a Fund to a reduced rate of such taxes or exemption from taxes on such income. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax for a Fund in advance since the amount of the assets to be invested within various countries is not known. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the close of its taxable year consist of certain foreign stocks or securities, the Fund may elect to “pass through” to you certain foreign income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund. If at least 50% of a Fund's assets consist of stock of other regulated investment companies, the Fund may also make such an election. If a Fund in which you hold Fund Shares makes such an election, you will be considered to have received as an additional dividend your share of such foreign taxes, but you may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating your taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating your federal income tax. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. If a Fund does not so elect, the Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by the Fund. Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of Fund Shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.
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Real Estate Investments. Non-U.S. persons are generally subject to U.S. tax on a disposition of a “United States real property interest” (a “USRPI”). Gain on such a disposition is generally referred to as “FIRPTA gain.” The Internal Revenue Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of so-called FIRPTA gain by a Fund if certain requirements are met. If the look-through rule applies, certain distributions attributable to income received by a Fund, e.g., from U.S. REITs, may be treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at rates of up to 21%, and requiring non-U.S. investors to file nonresident U.S. income tax returns. Also, gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a foreign stockholder that is treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Under certain circumstances, Shares may qualify as USRPIs, which could result in 15% withholding on certain distributions and gross redemption proceeds paid to certain non-U.S. shareholders.
For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, a noncorporate taxpayer is generally eligible for a deduction of up to 20% of the taxpayer's “qualified REIT dividends.”  If a Fund receives dividends (other than capital gain dividends) in respect of REIT shares, the Fund may report its own dividends as eligible for the 20% deduction, to the extent the Fund's income is derived from such qualified REIT dividends, as reduced by allocable Fund expenses. In order for a Fund's dividends to be eligible for this deduction when received by a noncorporate shareholder, the Fund must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the REIT shares on which the Fund received the eligible dividends, and the noncorporate shareholder must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the Fund Shares.
Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Fund Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if Fund Shares have been held for one year or less, except that any capital loss on the sale of Fund Shares held for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of exempt-interest dividends received with respect to those Fund Shares, and to the extent not disallowed will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid with respect to such Fund Shares.
Taxes on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units. 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 each 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.
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Certain Tax-Exempt Investors. A Fund, if investing in certain limited real estate investments and other publicly traded partnerships, may be required to pass through certain “excess inclusion income” and other income as “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”). Prior to investing in a Fund, tax-exempt investors sensitive to UBTI should consult their tax advisors regarding this issue and IRS pronouncements addressing the treatment of such income in the hands of such investors.
Investments In Certain Foreign Corporations. A Fund may invest in foreign entities classified as passive foreign investment companies or “PFICs” or controlled foreign corporations or “CFCs” under the Internal Revenue Code. PFIC and CFC investments are subject to complex rules that may under certain circumstances adversely affect a Fund. Accordingly, investors should consult their own tax advisors and carefully consider the tax consequences of PFIC and CFC investments by a Fund before making an investment in such Fund. Fund dividends attributable to dividends received from PFICs generally will not be treated as qualified dividend income. Additional information pertaining to the potential tax consequences to the Funds, and to the shareholders, from the Funds' potential investment in PFICs and CFCs can be found in the SAI.
Non-U.S. Investors. Ordinary income dividends paid by a Fund to shareholders who are non-resident aliens or foreign entities will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (other than distributions reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends), unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. In general, a Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S. source interest and a 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.  Gains on the sale of Fund Shares and dividends that are, in each case, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. will generally be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates. Non-U.S. shareholders that own, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of a Fund's shares are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning special tax rules that may apply to their investment.
Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund 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 distributions (other than exempt-interest dividends) payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
Backup Withholding. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts (including exempt-interest dividends) payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States.
Other Tax Issues. A Fund may be subject to tax in certain states where the Fund does business (or is treated as doing business as a result of its investments). Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Funds and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Funds may differ from federal tax treatment.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current federal income tax law of an investment in the Funds. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Funds under all applicable tax laws.
General Information
The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on March 30, 2011. If shareholders of any Fund are required to vote on any matters, shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Fund Share they own. Annual meetings of shareholders will not be held except as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable law. See the SAI for more information concerning the Trust's form of organization.
Management and Organization
Each Fund is a separate series of the Trust, which is an open-end registered management investment company.
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For purposes of the 1940 Act, Fund Shares are issued by the respective series of the Trust and the acquisition of Fund Shares by investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.
The Trust has received exemptive relief from Section 12(d)(1) to allow registered investment companies to invest in certain Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions as set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust. This order will be rescinded by the SEC on January 19, 2022. However, effective January 19, 2021, new Rule 12d1-4 permits other investment companies to invest in the Funds beyond the limits in Section 12(d)(1), subject to similar conditions.
From time to time, a Fund may advertise yield and total return figures. Yield is a historical measure of dividend income, and total return is a measure of past dividend income (assuming that it has been reinvested) plus capital appreciation. Neither yield nor total return should be used to predict the future performance of a Fund.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP serves as counsel to the Trust, including the Funds. Ernst & Young LLP serves as the independent registered public accounting firm and will audit the Funds' financial statements annually.
Financial Highlights
These financial highlight tables are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the period since each Fund's inception. Certain information reflects the performance results for a single Fund Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with each Fund's financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the annual report to shareholders, which is available upon request. Any references to Notes in these financial highlight tables refer to the “Notes to Financial Statements” section of each Fund's financial statements, and the financial information included in these tables should be read in conjunction with the financial statements incorporated by reference in the SAI.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/19(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/18(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/17(a)
Net asset value, beginning of period

$43.36   $46.25   $47.04   $47.41   $46.64
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (b)

1.98   2.34   2.48   2.04   1.85
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c)

3.02   (3.06)   (0.86)   (0.50)   0.73
Total from investment operations

5.00   (0.72)   1.62   1.54   2.58
Net equalization credits and charges (b)

0.06   (0.04)   (0.03)   0.04   0.05
Contribution from Affiliate (Note 4)

0.00(d)   0.01      
Other capital (b)

0.02   0.21   0.09   0.02   0.02
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(2.14)   (2.35)   (2.47)   (1.97)   (1.88)
Net asset value, end of period

$46.30   $43.36   $46.25   $47.04   $47.41
Total return (e)

11.97%(f)   (1.23)%(f)   3.68%   3.43%   5.77%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$6,294,196   $1,433,094   $2,222,400   $3,189,624   $1,820,505
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses

0.70%   0.70%   0.70%   0.70%   0.70%
Net investment income (loss)

4.31%   5.17%   5.33%   4.30%   3.91%
Portfolio turnover rate

176%   195%(g)   124%(g)   90%(g)   68%(g)
    
(a) The per share amounts and percentages include the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of the Portfolio prior to discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f) If an affiliate had not made a contribution during the years ended June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2020, the total return would have remained 11.97% and (1.23)%, respectively.
(g) Portfolio turnover rate is from the affiliated Portfolio prior to the discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18
  Year
Ended
6/30/17
Net asset value, beginning of period

$49.09   $51.02   $48.25   $50.45   $51.52
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (a)

1.48   1.87   1.98   1.31   1.77
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

1.83   (2.06)   2.60   (1.74)   1.91
Total from investment operations

3.31   (0.19)   4.58   (0.43)   3.68
Net equalization credits and charges (a)

0.03   0.04   0.03   0.04   0.01
Other capital (a)

0.09   0.13   0.08   0.10   0.05
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(1.53)   (1.91)   (1.92)   (1.36)   (1.81)
Net realized gains

      (0.55)   (3.00)
Total distributions

(1.53)   (1.91)   (1.92)   (1.91)   (4.81)
Net asset value, end of period

$50.99   $49.09   $51.02   $48.25   $50.45
Total return (b)

7.09%   (0.04)%   9.99%   (0.65)%   7.67%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$123,643   $94,494   $65,050   $48,253   $27,748
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses

0.72%   0.75%   0.75%   0.76%   0.75%
Net expenses

0.65%   0.65%   0.65%   0.65%   0.65%
Net investment income (loss)

2.95%   3.77%   4.06%   2.64%   3.46%
Portfolio turnover rate (c)

77%   54%   37%   55%   141%
    
(a) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(b) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(c) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR DoubleLine Short Duration Total Return Tactical ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18
  Year
Ended
6/30/17
Net asset value, beginning of period

$49.57   $49.53   $48.81   $49.61   $50.40
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (a)

0.68   1.08   1.30   1.02   1.04
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

0.14   0.07   0.62   (0.99)   (0.53)
Total from investment operations

0.82   1.15   1.92   0.03   0.51
Net equalization credits and charges (a)

0.01   0.00(b)   0.03   0.05   0.00(b)
Other capital (a)

0.01   0.03   0.06   0.12   0.06
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(0.72)   (1.14)   (1.29)   (1.00)   (1.13)
Net realized gains

        (0.23)
Total distributions

(0.72)   (1.14)   (1.29)   (1.00)   (1.36)
Net asset value, end of period

$49.69   $49.57   $49.53   $48.81   $49.61
Total return (c)

1.70%   2.43%   4.18%   0.43%   1.14%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$160,239   $142,519   $121,344   $82,984   $34,725
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses

0.49%   0.50%   0.50%   0.50%   0.50%
Net expenses

0.45%   0.45%   0.45%   0.45%   0.45%
Net investment income (loss)

1.36%   2.18%   2.65%   2.07%   2.10%
Portfolio turnover rate (d)

58%   43%   62%   50%   123%
    
(a) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(b) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(c) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(d) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/17(a)
Net asset value, beginning of period

$49.40   $48.96   $47.60   $49.03   $49.87
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (b)

1.09   1.37   1.56   1.34   1.33
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c)

(0.70)   0.59   1.44   (1.34)   (0.66)
Total from investment operations

0.39   1.96   3.00   0.00   0.67
Net equalization credits and charges (b)

0.00(d)   (0.00)(d)   0.00(d)   0.00(d)   0.01
Contribution from Affiliate (Note 4)

0.00(d)        
Other capital (b)

0.00   0.03   0.04   0.02   0.04
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(1.33)   (1.55)   (1.68)   (1.45)   (1.48)
Net realized gains

        (0.08)
Total distributions

(1.33)   (1.55)   (1.68)   (1.45)   (1.56)
Net asset value, end of period

$48.46   $49.40   $48.96   $47.60   $49.03
Total return (e)

0.81%(f)   4.13%   6.53%   0.04%   1.55%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$3,188,671   $3,191,242   $3,336,881   $3,182,239   $3,353,801
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses

0.62%   0.65%   0.65%   0.65%   0.66%
Net expenses

0.55%   0.55%   0.55%   0.55%   0.55%
Net investment income (loss)

2.22%   2.80%   3.27%   2.78%   2.70%
Portfolio turnover rate

82%(g)   25%(g)   47%(g)   34%(h)   72%(h)
    
(a) The per share amounts and percentages include the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of the Portfolio prior to discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f) If an affiliate had not made a contribution during the year ended June 30, 2021, the total return would have remained 0.81%.
(g) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(h) Portfolio turnover is from the Fund's Portfolio prior to discontinuance of master-feeder structure.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR SSGA Fixed Income Sector Rotation ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  For the
Period
4/3/2019*-
6/30/19
Net asset value, beginning of period

$31.98   $31.08   $30.10
Income (loss) from investment operations:          
Net investment income (loss) (a)

0.63   0.81   0.15
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (b)

(0.37)   1.31   0.99
Total from investment operations

0.26   2.12   1.14
Net equalization credits and charges (a)

(0.16)   (0.17)   0.00(c)
Distributions to shareholders from:          
Net investment income

(0.77)   (1.05)   (0.16)
Net asset value, end of period

$31.31   $31.98   $31.08
Total return (d)

0.29%   6.42%   3.81%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:          
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$82,974   $47,014   $10,877
Ratios to average net assets:          
Total expenses (e)

0.39%   0.31%   0.31%(f)
Net investment income (loss)

1.99%   2.57%   1.98%(f)
Portfolio turnover rate (g)

79%   150%   32%(h)
    
* Commencement of operations.
(a) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the period.
(b) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(c) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(d) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(e) Does not include expenses of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
(f) Annualized.
(g) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(h) Not annualized.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF
  For the
Period
2/3/21*-
6/30/21
Net asset value, beginning of period

$30.00
Income (loss) from investment operations:  
Net investment income (loss) (a)

0.07
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (b)

0.11
Total from investment operations

0.18
Net equalization credits and charges (a)

0.00(c)
Other capital (a)

0.03
Distributions to shareholders from:  
Net investment income

(0.10)
Net asset value, end of period

$30.11
Total return (d)

0.69%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$45,164
Ratios to average net assets:  
Total expenses

0.40%(e)
Net investment income (loss)

0.57%(e)
Portfolio turnover rate (f)

51%(g)
    
* Commencement of operations.
(a) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(b) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(c) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(d) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(e) Annualized.
(f) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(g) Not annualized.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR SSGA Global Allocation ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/17(a)
Net asset value, beginning of period

$36.88   $38.33   $37.72   $35.52   $33.35
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (b)

0.91   1.07   1.03   0.81   0.99
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c)

9.16   (1.44)   0.57   2.18   2.03
Total from investment operations

10.07   (0.37)   1.60   2.99   3.02
Net equalization credits and charges (b)

(0.00)(d)   0.00(d)   0.01   0.01   0.00(d)
Other capital (b)

  0.00(d)      
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(0.91)   (1.08)   (1.00)   (0.80)   (0.85)
Total distributions

(0.91)   (1.08)   (1.00)   (0.80)   (0.85)
Net asset value, end of period

$46.04   $36.88   $38.33   $37.72   $35.52
Total return (e)

27.51%   (1.00)%   4.37%   8.46%   9.14%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$282,690   $237,850   $255,687   $248,929   $207,780
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses (f)

0.17%   0.09%   0.15%   0.20%   0.20%
Net expenses

0.17%   0.09%   0.15%   0.09%   0.01%
Net investment income (loss)

2.16%   2.84%   2.76%   2.14%   2.91%
Portfolio turnover rate

110%   94%   71%   43%   90%(g)
    
(a) The per share amounts and percentages include the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of the Portfolio prior to discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f) Does not include expenses of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
(g) Portfolio turnover is from the Fund's Portfolio prior to discontinuance of master-feeder structure.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR SSGA Income Allocation ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/17(a)
Net asset value, beginning of period

$30.37   $33.32   $32.42   $32.33   $31.23
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (b)

1.35   1.43   1.53   1.02   1.10
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c)

5.18   (2.95)   0.91   0.09   0.98
Total from investment operations

6.53   (1.52)   2.44   1.11   2.08
Net equalization credits and charges (b)

0.04   0.03   0.03   (0.01)   (0.01)
Other capital (b)

    0.00(d)    
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(1.32)   (1.46)   (1.57)   (1.01)   (0.97)
Net asset value, end of period

$35.62   $30.37   $33.32   $32.42   $32.33
Total return (e)

21.90%   (4.56)%   7.93%   3.34%   6.78%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$125,039   $126,039   $104,613   $92,389   $95,376
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses (f)

0.16%   0.18%   0.18%   0.39%   0.37%
Net investment income (loss)

4.02%   4.41%   4.71%   3.07%   3.49%
Portfolio turnover rate

60%   38%   71%   29%   47%(g)
    
(a) The per share amounts and percentages include the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of the Portfolio prior to discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f) Does not include expenses of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
(g) Portfolio turnover is from the Fund's Portfolio prior to discontinuance of master-feeder structure.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/17(a)
Net asset value, beginning of period

$21.25   $25.18   $26.62   $23.97   $24.38
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (b)

0.65   0.78   0.69   0.53   0.56
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c)

7.15   (3.89)   (1.43)   2.64   (0.44)
Total from investment operations

7.80   (3.11)   (0.74)   3.17   0.12
Net equalization credits and charges (b)

0.02   (0.02)   0.00(d)   (0.00)(d)   0.01
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(0.55)   (0.80)   (0.70)   (0.52)   (0.54)
Net asset value, end of period

$28.52   $21.25   $25.18   $26.62   $23.97
Total return (e)

37.12%   (12.71)%   (2.71)%   13.26%   0.56%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$130,358   $53,750   $112,792   $143,742   $115,075
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses (f)

0.08%   0.08%   0.12%   0.22%   0.22%
Net investment income (loss)

2.56%   3.30%   2.76%   2.04%   2.28%
Portfolio turnover rate

49%   30%   28%   44%   46%(g)
    
(a) The per share amounts and percentages include the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of the Portfolio prior to discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f) Does not include expenses of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
(g) Portfolio turnover is from the Fund's Portfolio prior to discontinuance of master-feeder structure.
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SSGA ACTIVE TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR SSGA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  Year
Ended
6/30/19
  Year
Ended
6/30/18(a)
  Year
Ended
6/30/17(a)
Net asset value, beginning of period

$40.26   $40.41   $40.27   $40.26   $40.06
Income (loss) from investment operations:                  
Net investment income (loss) (b)

0.27   0.81   1.02   0.68   0.44
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c)

0.25   (0.11)   0.04   (0.14)   0.13
Total from investment operations

0.52   0.70   1.06   0.54   0.57
Net equalization credits and charges (b)

0.00(d)   0.02   0.03   0.04   (0.00)(d)
Other capital (b)

0.01   0.03   0.02   0.06   0.05
Distributions to shareholders from:                  
Net investment income

(0.33)   (0.90)   (0.97)   (0.63)   (0.42)
Total distributions

(0.33)   (0.90)   (0.97)   (0.63)   (0.42)
Net asset value, end of period

$40.46   $40.26   $40.41   $40.27   $40.26
Total return (e)

1.34%   1.86%   2.79%   1.60%   1.53%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                  
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$402,603   $298,907   $167,719   $50,344   $18,117
Ratios to average net assets:                  
Total expenses

0.20%   0.20%   0.20%   0.20%   0.20%
Net investment income (loss)

0.67%   2.02%   2.54%   1.70%   1.09%
Portfolio turnover rate

76%   71%   100%   76%   83%(f)
    
(a) The per share amounts and percentages include the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of the Portfolio prior to discontinuance of the master feeder structure.
(b) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year.
(c) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(e) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at net asset value per share on the respective payment dates of each distribution. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(f) Portfolio turnover is from the Fund's Portfolio prior to discontinuance of master-feeder structure.
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Table of Contents
SPDR SERIES TRUST
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period

  SPDR SSGA US Sector Rotation ETF
  Year
Ended
6/30/21
  Year
Ended
6/30/20
  For the
Period
4/3/2019*-
6/30/19
Net asset value, beginning of period

$32.83   $30.73   $30.09
Income (loss) from investment operations:          
Net investment income (loss) (a)

0.36   0.57   0.23
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (b)

11.62   1.98   0.55
Total from investment operations

11.98   2.55   0.78
Net equalization credits and charges (a)

(0.04)   0.03   (0.03)
Distributions to shareholders from:          
Net investment income

(0.39)   (0.48)   (0.11)
Net asset value, end of period

$44.38   $32.83   $30.73
Total return (c)

36.48%   8.52%   2.50%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:          
Net assets, end of period (in 000s)

$174,396   $68,617   $14,136
Ratios to average net assets:          
Total expenses (d)

0.52%   0.49%   0.49%(e)
Net investment income (loss)

0.89%   1.79%   3.12%(e)
Portfolio turnover rate (f)

263%   154%   39%(g)
    
* Commencement of operations.
(a) Per share numbers have been calculated using average shares outstanding, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the period.
(b) Amounts shown in this caption for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund.
(c) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of Units at net asset value per Unit on the first day and a sale at net asset value per Unit on the last day of each period reported. Distributions are assumed, for the purposes of this calculation, to be reinvested at the net asset value per Unit on the respective payment dates of the Trust. Broker commission charges are not included in this calculation.
(d) Does not include expenses of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
(e) Annualized.
(f) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creations or redemptions.
(g) Not annualized.
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Where to Learn More About the Funds
This Prospectus does not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to Fund Shares. An SAI and the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, each of which has been or will be filed with the SEC, provide more information about the Funds. The Prospectus and SAI may be supplemented from time to time. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund's performance during the Fund's last fiscal year, as applicable.  The SAI is incorporated herein by reference (i.e., it is legally part of this Prospectus). These materials may be obtained without charge, upon request, by writing to the Distributor, State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, by visiting the Funds' website at https://www.ssga.com/spdrs or by calling the following number:
Investor Information: 1-866-787-2257
The Registration Statement, including this Prospectus, the SAI, and the exhibits as well as any shareholder reports may be reviewed on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). You may also obtain copies of this and other information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: [email protected].
Shareholder inquiries may be directed to the Funds in writing to State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC, One Iron Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, or by calling the Investor Information number listed above.
No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Prospectus in connection with the offer of Fund Shares, and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust or the Funds. Neither the delivery of this Prospectus nor any sale of Fund Shares shall under any circumstance imply that the information contained herein is correct as of any date after the date of this Prospectus.
Dealers effecting transactions in Fund Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.
ACTSTATPRO The Trust's Investment Company Act Number is 811-22542.