ck0001540305-20221031





PROSPECTUS

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AAM S&P 500 HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
(SPDV)

AAM S&P EMERGING MARKETS HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
(EEMD)

AAM S&P DEVELOPED MARKETS HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
(DMDV)

AAM LOW DURATION PREFERRED AND INCOME SECURITIES ETF
(PFLD)

AAM BAHL & GAYNOR SMALL/MID CAP INCOME GROWTH ETF
(SMIG)

AAM TRANSFORMERS ETF
(TRFM)

Listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.
February 28, 2023

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.




TABLE OF CONTENTS
AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF
AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF
AAM Transformers ETF
Temporary Defensive Positions





AAM S&P 500 HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
Investment Objective
The AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P 500 Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index (the “Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.29%
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.29%
Expense 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 continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$30 $93 $163 $368
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 68% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
S&P 500 Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index
The Index is a rules-based, equal-weighted index that is designed to provide exposure to the constituents of the S&P 500® Index that exhibit both high dividend yield and sustainable dividend distribution characteristics, while maintaining diversified sector exposure. The Index was developed in 2017 by S&P Dow Jones Indices, a division of S&P Global. The S&P 500 Index consists of approximately 500 leading U.S.-listed companies representing approximately 80% of the U.S. equity market capitalization, and may include real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).
Construction of the Index begins with the universe of equity securities that are included in the S&P 500 Index. For each equity security in the S&P 500 Index, the security’s dividend yield and free-cash-flow yield (i.e., a company’s cash flow from operations less capital expenditures divided by its market capitalization) are adjusted to account for outliers. If a security’s dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield is in the top or bottom 2.5% of the S&P 500 Index, the dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield, as applicable, for such security is replaced with the dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield of the security nearest to such top or bottom 2.5% threshold. The universe is then screened to keep only equity securities with a positive indicated annual dividend yield (i.e., yield based on a company’s most recent dividend amount) and free-cash-flow yield. The remaining securities are referred to as the “Selection Pool”.
For each security in the Selection Pool, the security’s dividend yield and free-cash-flow yield are then scored using a statistical normalization model (i.e., a tool to compare how close each yield is to the average yield for the Selection Pool) to assign a dividend yield score and free-cash-flow yield score from zero to one for each company. The equity securities in the Selection Pool are then ranked by the product of their dividend yield score and free-cash-flow yield score, and the top five scoring securities are selected from each sector (collectively, the “Index Constituents”). The Index uses Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standards to define companies within one of the following sectors: consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, health care,
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industrials, information technology, materials, real estate, communication services, and utilities. Fewer than five securities may be selected if there are fewer than five securities in the Selection Pool for a given sector.
The Index is reconstituted (i.e., Index Constituents are added or deleted and weights are reset to equal-weight) semi-annually after the close of the last business day in January and July. At the time of each reconstitution of the Index, Index Constituents are added or deleted based on company data as of the last business day of December and June, respectively, and the Index Constituents are equally-weighted based on closing prices as of five business days prior to the last business day of the reconstitution month. If an Index Constituent is removed from the S&P 500 Index, such security will simultaneously be removed from the Index. Additions to the Index Constituents only take place during the semi-annual reconstitutions.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in approximately the same proportion as in the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s sub-adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund may invest in securities or other investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s sub-adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in equity securities that (i) are included in the S&P 500 Index and (ii) have had a positive indicated annual dividend yield within the past year.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds.”
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, rising inflation, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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
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liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
High Dividend Investing Risk. Companies with a high yield or payout ratio may reduce their dividend or stop paying dividends entirely while they are included in the Index. Such events could lower the price or yield of such company’s equity securities. Additionally, equity securities with a high yield or payout ratio may underperform other securities in certain market conditions.
Market Risk. The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and its sub-adviser would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution or rebalancing of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology.
REIT Investment Risk. Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects. In addition, the performance of a U.S. REIT may be affected by changes in the tax laws or by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year, 5-year, and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
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Calendar Year Total Returns
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During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 18.53% for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and the lowest quarterly return was -33.03% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2022
AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF
1 Year
5 Years
Since Inception
(11/28/17)
Return Before Taxes -2.22% 6.08% 6.88%
Return After Taxes on Distributions -3.08% 5.12% 5.91%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -0.73% 4.59% 5.23%
S&P 500 Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-1.92% 6.43% 7.23%
S&P 500® Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-18.11% 9.42% 9.67%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.
Portfolio Management
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“VIA” or the “Sub-Adviser”)
Portfolio Managers Austin Wen, CFA, Portfolio Manager for VIA, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since November 2017, and Rafael Zayas, CFA, SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading for VIA, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since June 2020.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask
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spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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AAM S&P EMERGING MARKETS HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
Investment Objective
The AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P Emerging Markets Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index (the “Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.49%
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.49%
Expense 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 continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$50 $157 $274 $616
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 123% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
S&P Emerging Markets Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index
The Index is a rules-based, equal-weighted index that is designed to provide exposure to the constituents of the S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index that exhibit both high dividend yield and sustainable dividend distribution characteristics, while maintaining diversified sector exposure. The Index was developed in 2017 by S&P Dow Jones Indices, a division of S&P Global. The S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index is designed to measure the performance of large- and mid-capitalization securities in emerging markets. The S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index is comprised of equity securities, including common stock and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), that are listed in Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (collectively, the “Emerging Markets”).
Construction of the Index begins with the universe of equity securities that are included in the S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index, have a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization of US$300 million, and have a median daily traded value of at least US$1 million. For each equity security in the S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index, the security’s dividend yield and free-cash-flow yield (i.e., a company’s cash flow from operations less capital expenditures divided by its market capitalization) are then adjusted to account for outliers. If a security’s dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield is in the top or bottom 2.5% of the S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index, the dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield, as applicable, for such security is replaced with the dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield of the security nearest to such top or bottom 2.5% threshold. The universe is then screened to keep only equity securities with a positive realized dividend yield (i.e., yield based on the total dividends paid for the most recent 12-month period) and free-cash-flow yield. The remaining securities are referred to as the “Selection Pool”.
For each security in the Selection Pool, the security’s dividend yield and free-cash-flow yield are then scored using a statistical normalization model (i.e., a tool to compare how close each yield is to the average yield for the Selection Pool) to assign a dividend
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yield score and free-cash-flow yield score from zero to one for each company. The equity securities in the Selection Pool are then ranked by the product of their dividend yield score and free-cash-flow yield score, and the top five scoring securities are selected from each sector (collectively, the “Index Constituents”). The Index uses Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standards to define companies within one of the following sectors: consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, health care, industrials, information technology, materials, real estate, communication services, and utilities. Fewer than five securities may be selected if there are fewer than five securities in the Selection Pool for a given sector.
The Index is reconstituted (i.e., Index Constituents are added or deleted and weights are reset to equal-weight) semi-annually after the close of the last business day in January and July. At the time of each reconstitution of the Index, Index Constituents are added or deleted based on company data as of the last business day of December and June, respectively, and the Index Constituents are equally-weighted based on closing prices as of five business days prior to the last business day of the reconstitution month. If an Index Constituent is removed from the S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap Index, such security will simultaneously be removed from the Index. Additions to the Index Constituents only take place during the semi-annual reconstitutions. If multiple share classes of a single company qualify for inclusion in the Index, only the share class with the highest liquidity, measured by median daily value traded, is selected. As of December 31, 2022, the Index included significant exposure to companies in China, Taiwan, and Turkey.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in approximately the same proportion as in the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s sub-adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund generally may invest in securities or other investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s sub-adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in equity securities that (i) are tied economically to Emerging Markets countries and (ii) have had a positive realized annual dividend yield within the past year.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds.”
Capital Controls and Sanctions Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to foreign government intervention (including intervention by the U.S. government with respect to foreign governments, economic sectors, foreign companies and related securities and interests) and the imposition of capital controls and/or sanctions, which may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Capital controls and/or sanctions include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Capital controls and/or sanctions may also impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such instruments, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund invests primarily in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.
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Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund invests primarily in companies organized in emerging market nations. Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares and cause the Fund to decline in value. Less information may be available about companies in emerging markets than in developed markets because such emerging markets companies may not be subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or to other regulatory practices required by U.S. companies. Additionally, limitations on the availability of financial and business information about companies in emerging markets may affect the Index Provider’s ability to accurately determine the companies that meet the Index’s criteria.
Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, rising inflation, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
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Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.
Risks of Investing in China. Investments in Chinese issuers subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the past 25 years, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and is expanding the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. China is also vulnerable economically to the impact of a public health crisis, which could depress consumer demand, reduce economic output, and potentially lead to market closures, travel restrictions, and quarantines, all of which would negatively impact China’s economy and could affect the economies of its trading partners.
Risks of Investing in Taiwan. Investments in Taiwanese issuers may subject the Fund to risks specific to Taiwan. Taiwan is a small island state with few raw material resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Taiwanese economy. Also, continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s economy is intricately linked with economies of Asian countries that have experienced over-extensions of credit, frequent and pronounced currency fluctuations, currency devaluations, currency repatriation, rising unemployment and fluctuations in inflation. The Taiwanese economy is dependent on the economies of Japan and China, as well as the United States, and negative changes in their economies or a reduction in purchases by any of them of Taiwanese products and services would likely have an adverse impact on the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s geographic proximity to China and Taiwan’s history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions with China, including the risk of war with China. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and securities markets.
Risks of Investing in Turkey. There are legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks specific to Turkey. Among other things, the Turkish economy is heavily dependent on relationships with certain key trading partners, including European Union countries, China and Russia, and changes in the price or demand for Turkish exports may have an adverse impact on the Turkish economy. The Turkish economy has certain other significant economic weaknesses, such as its relatively high current account deficit, which may contribute to prolonged periods of recession or lower Turkey’s sovereign debt rating. Turkey has historically experienced acts of terrorism and strained relations related to border disputes and other geopolitical events with certain neighboring countries. Turkey may be subject to considerable social and political instability, in part due to the influence asserted by its military over the national government. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the Turkish stock or currency market and, as a result, adversely affect the Fund’s investments. In addition, the earthquakes that struck Turkey in February 2023 could adversely affect the economy or the business operations of the companies located there, causing an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments in, or which are exposed to, Turkey.
Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.
High Dividend Investing Risk. Companies with a high yield or payout ratio may reduce their dividend or stop paying dividends entirely while they are included in the Index. Such events could lower the price or yield of such company’s equity securities. Additionally, equity securities with a high yield or payout ratio may underperform other securities in certain market conditions.
Market Risk. The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and its sub-adviser would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution or rebalancing of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology.
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Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may trade all or a significant portion of the securities in its portfolio in connection with each rebalance and reconstitution of its Index. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses. Frequent trading may also cause adverse tax consequences for investors in the Fund due to an increase in short-term capital gains.
REIT Investment Risk. Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by changes in the tax laws or by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income.
Smaller Companies Risk. The equity securities of smaller companies have historically been subject to greater investment risk than securities of larger companies. The prices of equity securities of smaller companies tend to be more volatile and less liquid than the prices of equity securities of larger companies.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year, 5-year, and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Calendar Year Total Returns
ck0001540305-20221031_g3.jpg
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 25.51% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 and the lowest quarterly return was -30.76% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
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Average Annual Total Returns
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2022
AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF
1 Year
5 Years
Since Inception
(11/28/17)
Return Before Taxes -11.54% -2.25% -1.34%
Return After Taxes on Distributions -12.92% -3.32% -2.40%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -5.65% -1.46% -0.76%
S&P Emerging Markets Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-11.03% -1.48% -0.59%
S&P Emerging Plus LargeMidCap® Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-19.65% -0.97% -0.70%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.
Portfolio Management
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“VIA” or the “Sub-Adviser”)
Portfolio Managers Austin Wen, CFA, Portfolio Manager for VIA, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since November 2017, and Rafael Zayas, CFA, SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading for VIA, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since June 2020.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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AAM S&P DEVELOPED MARKETS HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
Investment Objective
The AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index (the “Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.39%
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.39%
Expense 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 continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$40 $125 $219 $493
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 100% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
S&P Developed Ex-U.S. Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index
The Index is a rules-based, equal-weighted index that is designed to provide exposure to the constituents of the S&P Developed BMI Ex-U.S. & Korea LargeMidCap Index (the “BMI Index”) that exhibit both high dividend yield and sustainable dividend distribution characteristics, while maintaining diversified sector exposure. The Index was developed in 2018 by S&P Dow Jones Indices, a division of S&P Global. The BMI Index is a comprehensive benchmark including stocks from developed markets excluding the United States and Korea. The BMI Index is comprised of equity securities, including common stock and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), that are listed in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (collectively, the “Developed ex-U.S. & Korea Markets”).
Construction of the Index begins with the universe of equity securities that are included in the BMI Index, have a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization of US$1 billion, and have a median daily traded value of at least US$5 million. For each equity security in the BMI Index, the security’s dividend yield and free-cash-flow yield (i.e., a company’s cash flow from operations less capital expenditures divided by its market capitalization) are then adjusted to account for outliers. If a security’s dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield is in the top or bottom 2.5% of the BMI Index, the dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield, as applicable, for such security is replaced with the dividend yield or free-cash-flow yield of the security nearest to such top or bottom 2.5% threshold. The universe is then screened to keep only equity securities with a positive realized dividend yield (i.e., yield based on the total dividends paid for the most recent 12-month period) and free-cash-flow yield. These remaining securities are referred to as the “Selection Pool”.
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For each security in the Selection Pool, the security’s dividend yield and free-cash-flow yield are then scored using a statistical normalization model (i.e., a tool to compare how close each yield is to the average yield for the Selection Pool) to assign a dividend yield score and free-cash-flow yield score from zero to one for each company. The equity securities in the Selection Pool are then ranked by the product of their dividend yield score and free-cash-flow yield score, and the top five scoring securities are selected from each of the eleven sectors for a total of 55 securities (collectively, the “Index Constituents”). The Index uses Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standards to define companies within one of the following sectors: communication services, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, health care, industrials, information technology, materials, real estate, and utilities. Fewer than five securities may be selected if there are fewer than five securities in the Selection Pool for a given sector. At the time of each reconstitution of the Index, up to 25% of the Index’s weight (i.e., 13 stocks) may be from any individual country.
The Index is reconstituted (i.e., Index Constituents are added or deleted and weights are reset to equal-weight) semi-annually after the close of the third business day in January and July. At the time of each reconstitution of the Index, Index Constituents are added or deleted based on company data as of the last business day of December and June, respectively, and the Index Constituents are equally-weighted based on closing prices as of five business days prior to the last business day of the reconstitution month. If an Index Constituent is removed from the BMI Index, such security will simultaneously be removed from the Index. Additions to the Index Constituents only take place during the semi-annual reconstitutions. If multiple share classes of a single company qualify for inclusion in the Index, only the share class with the highest liquidity, measured by median daily value traded, is selected. As of December 31, 2022, the Index included significant exposure to companies in Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s sub-adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund generally may invest in securities or other investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s sub-adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in equity securities that (i) are traded principally on an exchange in a Developed ex-U.S. & Korea Markets country and (ii) have had a positive realized annual dividend yield within the past year.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds.”
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund invests primarily in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.
Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,
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acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, rising inflation, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.
Risks Related to Investing in Australia. The Australian economy is heavily dependent on the price and demand for commodities and natural resources as well as its exports from the agricultural and mining sectors. Declines in the demand for such products may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s returns. Australia is also dependent on trading with key trading partners. The Fund is susceptible to loss due to adverse market, political, regulatory, and other events affecting Australia. These events may in turn adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares and cause the Fund to decline in value.
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Risks Related to Investing in Europe. The economies and markets of European countries are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one country in Europe can have an adverse impact on other European countries. The Fund makes investments in securities of issuers that are domiciled in, or have significant operations in, member countries of the European Union (“EU”) that are subject to economic and monetary controls that can adversely affect the Fund’s investments. The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends in recent years and these events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect other European countries. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners, including some or all of the European countries in which the Fund invests. Acts of war in Europe, including Russia’s large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting sanctions by and against European nations could also have a severe adverse effect on both European and global economies, which in turn could affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
The United Kingdom (“UK”) formally exited from the EU on January 31, 2020 (known as “Brexit”), and effective December 31, 2020, the UK ended a transition period during which it continued to abide by the EU’s rules and the UK’s trade relationships with the EU were generally unchanged. Following this transition period, the impact on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth of markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
Risk Related to Investing in Germany. Investments in German issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Germany. Recently, new concerns have emerged in relation to the economic health of the EU, which have led to downward pressure on the earnings of certain financial institutions, including German financial services companies. Germany has an export dependent economy and therefore relies heavily on trade with key trading partners, including the Netherlands, China, the U.S., the UK, France, Italy and other European countries. Germany is dependent on the economies of these other countries, and any change in the price or demand for German exports may have an adverse impact on its economy.
Risks Related to Investing in Japan. The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese securities. While the Japanese economy has recently emerged from a prolonged economic downturn, Japan’s economic growth rate may remain relatively low in the future. In addition, Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons and tsunamis. Additionally, decreasing U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates, a recession in the United States or continued increases in foreclosure rates may have an adverse impact on the economy of Japan. Japan also has few natural resources, and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japanese securities.
Risks Related to Investing in the United Kingdom. The Fund is subject to certain risks specifically associated with investments in the securities of United Kingdom issuers. Investments in issuers located in the United Kingdom may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risk specific to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe and is heavily dependent on trade with the European Union (“EU”), and to a lesser extent the United States and China. As a result, the economy of the United Kingdom may be impacted by changes to the economic health of EU member countries, the United States and China. In 2016, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to leave the EU (“Brexit”). After years of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the EU, a withdrawal agreement was reached whereby the United Kingdom formally left the EU. The precise impact on the United Kingdom’s economy as a result of its departure from the EU depends to a large degree on its ability to conclude favorable trade deals with the EU and other countries, including the United States, China, India and Japan. While new trade deals may boost economic growth, such growth may not be able to offset the increased costs of trade with the EU resulting from the United Kingdom’s loss of its membership in the EU single market. Certain sectors within the United Kingdom’s economy may be particularly affected by Brexit, including the automotive, chemicals, financial services and professional services.
High Dividend Investing Risk. Companies with a high yield or payout ratio may reduce their dividend or stop paying dividends entirely while they are included in the Index. Such events could lower the price or yield of such company’s equity securities. Additionally, equity securities with a high yield or payout ratio may underperform other securities in certain market conditions.
Market Capitalization Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.
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Market Risk. The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and its sub-adviser would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution or rebalancing of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology.
REIT Investment Risk. Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by changes in the tax laws or by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Calendar Year Total Returns
ck0001540305-20221031_g4.jpg
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 18.82% for the quarter ended December 31, 2022 and the lowest quarterly return was -33.11% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
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Average Annual Total Returns
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2022
AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF
1 Year
Since Inception
(11/27/18)
Return Before Taxes -8.00% 0.16%
Return After Taxes on Distributions -8.64% -0.59%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -3.34% 0.52%
S&P Developed Ex-U.S. Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-7.85% 0.53%
S&P Developed BMI Ex-U.S. & Korea LargeMidcap Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-14.84% 4.78%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.
Portfolio Management
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“VIA” or the “Sub-Adviser”)
Portfolio Managers Austin Wen, CFA, Portfolio Manager for VIA, and Rafael Zayas, CFA, SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading for VIA, have been portfolio managers of the Fund since June 2020.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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AAM LOW DURATION PREFERRED AND INCOME SECURITIES ETF
Investment Objective
The AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the ICE 0-5 Year Duration Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index (the “Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.45%
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.45%
Expense 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 continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$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 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. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 154% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
ICE 0-5 Year Duration Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index
The Index measures the performance of exchange-listed, U.S. dollar-denominated preferred securities and hybrid securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or NASDAQ Capital Market (“NASDAQ”) with an option-adjusted duration of less than five years. The Index was developed by ICE Data Indices, LLC (“IDI”), the Fund’s index provider (the “Index Provider”) and an affiliate of the NYSE.
Duration is a measure of a security’s price sensitivity to changes in yields or interest rates and a lower duration indicates less sensitivity to interest rates. For example, the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. A security’s “option-adjusted duration” is a measure of its sensitivity to changes in interest rates, while factoring in the call features associated with such security.
Preferred stock generally refers to a unit of ownership in a company (like common stock) that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and in the event of a company’s liquidation. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Preferred stock in the Index includes U.S.-listed preferred stock and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) representing preferred stock issued by non-U.S. companies.
“Hybrid” securities are those that have characteristics of both equity and fixed income securities. Hybrid securities typically have preference over an issuer’s common stock with respect to the payment of dividends and in the event of a company’s liquidation and are issued and traded in a similar manner to traditional preferred stock. Holders of hybrid securities may be eligible to receive fixed, periodic payments from the issuer of a hybrid security, although the issuer may have the right to defer such payments or extend the
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hybrid security’s maturity date. Preferred stocks and hybrid securities generally are issued with a fixed par value and pay dividends based on a percentage of that par value at a fixed or variable rate.
Additionally, preferred stocks and hybrid securities often have a liquidation value that generally equals the original purchase price of such security at the date of issuance. The Index may include many different categories of preferred stock and hybrid securities, such as floating and fixed rate preferreds, fixed-to-floating rate securities, callable preferreds, convertible preferreds, cumulative and non-cumulative preferreds, certain capital securities, preferred real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) or hybrid REITs, trust preferreds or various other preferred stock and hybrid securities. The Index may include preferred and hybrid securities of any quality, including high-yield securities (also known as junk bonds), and securities that are not rated by any rating agencies. The Index uses a market capitalization weighted methodology subject to certain constraints and is rebalanced monthly.
At the time of each monthly rebalance and reconstitution of the Index, the Index includes issuances of preferred stocks and notes with at least $100 million face amount outstanding and hybrid securities with at least $250 million face amount outstanding that meet minimum price, liquidity, trading volume, maturity, and other requirements, as applicable, as determined by the Index methodology. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, corporate hybrid debt must have at least 18 months to final maturity at the time of issuance. Additionally, to qualify for inclusion in the Index a security must be priced at no more than 105% of its face value. Once included in the Index, a security remains eligible for inclusion so long as its option-adjusted duration is less than six years.
The Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies and includes preferred stocks of non-U.S. issuers. As of December 31, 2022, a significant portion of the Index was represented by securities of companies in the real estate and financials service sectors. Also as of December 31, 2022, the Index was comprised of 177 components and had an effective duration of 1.64 years.
The Index uses a market capitalization weighted methodology subject to certain constraints, including a maximum allocation of 4.75% to any individual issuer. The Index is rebalanced on the last calendar day of each month, based on closing prices as of three business days prior to the last business day of the month.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in approximately the same proportion as in the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s sub-adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund generally may invest in securities or other investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s sub-adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions and deletions).
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in preferred and income securities.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds.”
Call Risk. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable security held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, and the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.
Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption 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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Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Credit Risk. Debt issuers and other counterparties may not honor their obligations or may have their debt downgraded by ratings agencies. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer.
Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary Receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies. Depositary Receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”). When the Fund invests in Depositary Receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the Depositary Receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the Underlying Shares.
Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. There is no guarantee that issuers of the securities held by the Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if declared, they will either remain at current levels or increase over time.
Equity Market Risk. Equity securities, including preferred stocks, and hybrid securities that have equity characteristics may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Preferred stocks and hybrid securities generally are subject to more risks than debt securities because stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of debt securities upon the bankruptcy of the issuer. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income and potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
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Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in ADRs that provide exposure to non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, the value of non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of decline due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in ADRs also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be indirectly subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
High-Yield Securities Risk. High-yield securities (also known as “junk bonds”) carry a greater degree of risk and are considered speculative by the major credit rating agencies. High-yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy, or are more highly indebted than other companies. This means that they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. Changes in the value of high-yield securities are influenced more by changes in the financial and business position of the issuing company than by changes in interest rates when compared to investment grade securities. High-yield securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled. The Fund’s investments in high-yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. These investments are considered speculative under traditional investment standards. Prices of high-yield securities will rise and fall primarily in response to actual or perceived changes in the issuer's financial health, although changes in market interest rates also will affect prices. High-yield securities may experience reduced liquidity and sudden and substantial decreases in price.
Hybrid Securities Risk. Hybrid securities are subject to the risks of equity securities and debt securities. The claims of holders of hybrid securities of an issuer are generally subordinated to those of holders of traditional debt securities in bankruptcy, and thus hybrid securities may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than traditional debt securities, and may in certain circumstances even be more volatile than traditional equity securities. At the same time, hybrid securities may not fully participate in gains of their issuer and thus potential returns of such securities are generally more limited than traditional equity securities, which would participate in such gains.
Interest Rate Risk. Generally, the value of fixed income securities, as well as hybrid securities with fixed income characteristics, will change inversely with changes in interest rates. An increase in interest rates may cause the value of fixed income securities and such hybrid securities to decline. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities and such hybrid securities tend to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities.
Issuer-Specific Risk. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.
Market Capitalization Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.
Market Risk. The trading prices of preferred stocks and hybrid securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and its sub-adviser would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution or rebalancing of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may trade all or a significant portion of the securities in its portfolio in connection with each rebalance and reconstitution of its Index. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses. Frequent trading may also cause adverse tax consequences for investors in the Fund due to an increase in short-term capital gains.
Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred stocks are subject to the risks of equity securities generally and also risks associated with fixed income securities, such as interest rate risk. A company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to creditors. As a result, the value of a company’s preferred stock will react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred stock may be less liquid than many other types of securities, such as common stock, and generally has limited or no voting rights. In addition, preferred stock is subject to the risks that a company may defer or not pay dividends, and, in certain situations, may call or redeem its preferred stock or convert it to common stock.
Prepayment Risk. This is the risk that a borrower will prepay some or the entire principal owed to the Fund. If that happens, the Fund may have to replace the security by investing the proceeds in a security with a lower yield. This could reduce the share price and income distributions of the Fund.
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REIT Investment Risk. Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by changes in the tax laws or by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
Financial Sector Risk. Companies in the financial sector may be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in this sector and have caused significant losses.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may vary somewhat for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for the most recent calendar year ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Calendar Year Total Returns
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During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 10.75% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and the lowest quarterly return was -14.62% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
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Average Annual Total Returns
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2022
AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF

1 Year
Since Inception
(11/19/19)
Return Before Taxes -13.24% -1.13%
Return After Taxes on Distributions -14.55% -2.61%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -7.20% -1.09%
ICE 0-5 Year Duration Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-12.97% -0.76%
ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-18.08% -0.82%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.
Portfolio Management
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“VIA” or the “Sub-Adviser”)
Portfolio Managers Austin Wen, CFA, Portfolio Manager for VIA, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since November 2019, and Jeff Kernagis, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager for VIA, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since June 2022.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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AAM BAHL & GAYNOR SMALL/MID CAP INCOME GROWTH ETF
Investment Objective
The AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF (the “Fund”) seeks current and growing dividend income, downside protection, and long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.60%
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.60%
Expense 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 continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$61 $192 $335 $750
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 31% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that invests in U.S.-listed equity securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in small- and mid-capitalization companies. The Fund defines a small- or mid-capitalization company as an issuer whose market capitalization at the time of purchase is between $200 million and the market capitalization of the largest company in the Russell 2500 Index (as of December 31, 2022, $20.4 billion). The equity securities held by the Fund must be listed on a U.S. exchange and may include common stocks of U.S. companies, American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) (i.e., receipts evidencing ownership of foreign equity securities), and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).
In selecting securities, Bahl & Gaynor, Inc., the Fund’s sub-adviser (the “Sub-Adviser”), employs a bottom‑up approach that considers, among other factors, a company’s historical earnings and dividends growth, as well as its balance sheet and cash flow generation, competitive position, and prospects for future cash flow and dividend growth. Weightings of individual sectors are based on the Sub-Adviser’s assessment of company fundamentals, valuations, and overall economic conditions. The Sub-Adviser targets companies that, in its judgement, have high-quality business models, strong competitive advantages, reasonable valuations, and sound capital allocation policies or approaches. The Sub-Adviser believes that the securities identified using such strategies have the potential to provide improved downside protection relative to the broader equity market.
The Sub-Adviser generally sells a security when, in its opinion one or more of the following occurs, among other reasons: 1) the security’s dividend is reduced to what the Sub-Adviser believes is an unacceptable amount per share, 2) the Sub-Adviser believes the company’s fundamentals deteriorate, 3) the Sub-Adviser believes the company’s stock has become a greater weight of the Fund’s portfolio than desired due to market appreciation or other factors, or 4) the Sub-Adviser identifies a more attractive investment opportunity for the Fund.
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Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Fund.”
Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary Receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies. Depositary Receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by banks or trust companies and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”). When the Fund invests in Depositary Receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the Depositary Receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the Underlying Shares.
Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. There is no guarantee that issuers of the securities held by the Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if declared, they will either remain at current levels or increase over time.
Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, rising inflation, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in ADRs that provide exposure to non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, the value of non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of decline due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in ADRs also may be subject to withholding or
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other taxes and may be indirectly subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Limited Operating History Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
Market Capitalization Risk. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.
REIT Investment Risk. Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by changes in the tax laws or by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors.
Financial Sector Risk. This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. Insurance companies, in particular, may be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, catastrophic events, price and market competition, the imposition of premium rate caps, or other changes in government regulation or tax law and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in this sector and have caused significant losses.
Industrial Sector Risk. The industrial sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, worldwide economic growth, supply and demand for specific products and services, rapid technological developments, international political and economic developments, environmental issues, tariffs and trade barriers, and tax and governmental regulatory policies. As the demand for, or prices of, industrials increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally would be expected to also increase. Conversely, declines in the demand for, or prices of, industrials generally would be expected to contribute to declines in the value of such securities. Such declines may occur quickly and without warning and may negatively impact the value of the Fund and your investment.
Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information 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 information 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. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.
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Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for the calendar year ended December 31. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is also available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Calendar Year Total Return
ck0001540305-20221031_g6.jpg
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 9.39% for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, and the lowest quarterly return was -9.05% for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Period Ended December 31, 2022
AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF

1 Year
Since Inception
(8/25/2021)
Return Before Taxes -11.74% -5.57%
Return After Taxes on Distributions -12.15% -5.98%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -6.65% -4.22%
Russell 2500 Total Return Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-18.37% -12.97%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.
Portfolio Management
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser
Bahl & Gaynor, Inc. (“Bahl & Gaynor” or the “Sub-Adviser”)
Portfolio Managers
Scott D. Rodes, CFA, CIC, Vice President and Principal of Bahl & Gaynor, and Robert S. Groenke, President, CEO and Principal of Bahl & Gaynor, are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception in 2021.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
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The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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AAM TRANSFORMERS ETF
Investment Objective
The AAM Transformers ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pence Transformers Index (the “Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.49%
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.49%
Expense 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 continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$50 $157 $274 $616
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period July 11, 2022 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategy
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
Pence Transformers Index
The Index is a rules-based index that measures the performance of U.S.-listed common equity securities, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) for foreign securities, of companies poised to benefit from a significant disruption and/or transformation of consumer behavior and technological innovation. Examples of significant disruptions and/or transformation of consumer behavior and technological innovation include, but are not limited to, (i) advancements in autonomous driving capabilities and electric vehicle technology disrupting the automobile manufacturers and trucking sub-industries; (ii) changes in consumer behavior shifting retail sales from brick and mortar businesses to digital channels transforming the internet and digital marketing retail sub-industry; (iii) recent developments in cellular data speeds and improvements in mobile technologies disrupting the interactive media and services sub-industry; and (iv) new technologies that provide carbon offsets for existing business models or the development of greener alternatives to existing energy production transforming the renewable electricity producers sub-industry.
Securities eligible for inclusion in the Index must be classified in one of the following sub-industries of the Global Industry Classification Standard (“GICS”):
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Sub-Industries
Aerospace & Defense Electronic Components IT Consulting & Other Services
Alternative Carriers Electronic Equipment & Instruments Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing
Application Software Heavy Electrical Equipment Renewable Electricity Producers
Automobile Manufacturers Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines Semiconductor Equipment
Communications Equipment Industrial Machinery Semiconductors
Consumer Electronics Interactive Home Entertainment Specialty Chemicals
Copper Interactive Media & Services Systems Software
Data Processing & Outsourced Services Internet & Direct Marketing Retail Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
Electrical Components & Equipment Internet Services & Infrastructure Trucking
Companies are screened from the universe of eligible securities based on descriptions of a company in regulatory filings (e.g., financial statements, annual reports), investor presentations, analyst reports, and industry-specific publications. In seeking companies that are expected to have market dominance, the Index analyzes the following quantitative factors that, in the opinion of Pence Capital Management, LLC (the “Index Provider”), provide an indication of a significant disruption and/or transformation of consumer behavior and technological innovation: research and development (“R&D”) spending as a percentage of sales, projected sales, and projected sales growth. The screening of the Index is performed by the Index Provider, and the Index was developed in 2021 by the Index Provider.
To be included in the Index, a company must have (i) a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization of $2 billion, (ii) a minimum liquidity threshold of an average daily traded value of $2 million over a three-month period, and (iii) a consensus analyst rating above 3.0. Broker-dealers issue ratings based on an analyst’s measure of a stock’s expected performance in a given time period, where a rating of 5.0 is the strongest ranking (e.g., buy) and 1.0 is the weakest ranking (e.g., sell). A consensus rating is the average of all brokers’ recommendations which have updated their recommendation in a given time period. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, there must be at least five analysts making a recommendation for the company (except for ADRs and newly-listed securities). An ADR may be included in the Index with fewer than five analysts’ ratings, if the underlying security for which the ADR is based on has at least five analysts making a recommendation for the company. Newly-listed securities may also be included in the Index with fewer than five analysts’ ratings (i.e., a company that is post-IPO but may not have wide analyst coverage due to IPO lock-up periods) if a company is in one of the specified industries, has a minimum market capitalization over $2 billion, and has projected revenue over $200 million.
The Index is reconstituted (i.e., Index constituents are added or deleted and weightings within each category are reset to equal-weight) after the close of business on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December. At the time of each reconstitution of the Index, Index constituents are added or deleted based on company data as of the last business day of February, May, August, and November, respectively, and the Index constituents are equally weighted within the following categories based on closing prices as of ten business days prior to the reconstitution date.
Category 1 (20% weight) U.S.-based companies with over $100 billion market capitalization
Category 2 (30% weight) U.S.-based companies with $20 billion to $100 billion market capitalization
Category 3 (25% weight) U.S.-based companies with $2 billion to $20 billion market capitalization
Category 4 (15% weight) international companies with over $30 billion market capitalization
Category 5 (10% weight) international companies with $2 billion to $30 billion market capitalization
The aggregate weight of U.S.-based companies (companies in Categories 1, 2, and 3) is capped at 75%. If the Index does not identify any companies in one or more of those categories, the excess weight will be equally distributed to the remaining category or categories (e.g., if there are no Category 2 companies identified, then Category 1 would be weighted at 35% and Category 3 would be weighted at 40%). If the Index does not identify any U.S.-based companies, then Category 4 would be weighted at 60% and Category 5 would be weighted at 40%.
The remaining 25% of the Index is made up of international companies (Categories 4 and 5). If the Index does not identify any companies in either category, the excess weight will be distributed to the other category (e.g., if there are no Category 4 companies identified, then Category 5 would be weighted 25%). If the Index does not identify any international companies, the excess weight will be equally distributed among Categories 1, 2 and 3 (e.g., Category 1 would be weighted 28.3%, Category 2 would be weighted 38.3%, and Category 3 would be weighted 33.4%).
As of December 31, 2022, there were 180 companies in the Index, with a market capitalization ranging from $1.8 billion to $2.06 trillion. The Index consists only of mid- and large-capitalization companies greater than $2 billion at the time of each reconstruction.
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The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund will generally invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportions as in the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s sub-adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund generally may invest in securities or other investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s sub-adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions).
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index. As of December 31, 2022, the Index was concentrated in the software industry and had significant exposure to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, as well as the Information Technology sector, more generally.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Fund.”
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Software Companies Risk. The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence. Companies in the software industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become obsolete rapidly.
Semiconductor Companies Risk. Semiconductor companies are subject to the cyclical nature of the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry, and, as a result, their securities’ prices may fluctuate significantly and rapidly. In addition, the companies in the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry are subject to the risks of rapid obsolescence of products; substantial capital equipment expenditures; improper functioning of internal processes and information technology systems; changes in industry standards or regulations; inability to meet customer demand; unreliability of manufacturers and subcontractors to manufacture, assemble, and test companies’ products; and disruptions in companies’ activities such as acquisitions, divestitures, strategic investments and partnerships. The research and development efforts of these companies are focused on a limited number of new technologies and products. Any delay in the development or discontinuation of these technologies or products by companies in the industry, or their failure to achieve market acceptance, may compromise the competitive position of companies. These companies depend on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of these rights.
Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary Receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies. Depositary Receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by banks or trust companies and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”). When the Fund invests in Depositary Receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the Depositary Receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the Underlying Shares.
Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,
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acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, rising inflation, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in ADRs that provide exposure to non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, the value of non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of decline due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in ADRs also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be indirectly subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Index Provider Risk. There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated accurately. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to compile, determine, maintain, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate (or arrange for an agent to calculate), and disseminate the Index accurately. Any losses or costs associated with errors made by the Index Provider or its agents generally will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.
Limited Operating History Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.
Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.
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Models and Data Risk. The composition of the Index is heavily dependent on proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by third parties (“Models and Data”). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to securities being included in or excluded from the Index that would have been excluded or included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. If the composition of the Index reflects such errors, the Fund’s portfolio can be expected to reflect the errors, too.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and its sub-adviser would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution or rebalancing of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information 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 information 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. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may vary somewhat for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index. The Fund may use a representative sampling strategy to achieve its investment objective, if the Fund’s Sub-Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund, which generally can be expected to produce a greater non-correlation risk.
Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Portfolio Management
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“VIA” or the “Sub-Adviser”)
Portfolio Managers Austin Wen, CFA, Portfolio Manager for VIA, and Rafael Zayas, CFA, SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading for VIA, have been portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception in 2022.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
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Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDEXES
S&P 500 Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index, S&P Emerging Markets Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index, and S&P Developed Ex-U.S. Dividend and Free Cash Flow Yield Index (each, an “S&P Index”)
The Adviser has licensed each S&P Index for use by the applicable Fund from S&P Opco, LLC, such Funds’ index provider and a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global. Each S&P Index is calculated by an independent third-party calculation agent that is not affiliated with the applicable Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, distributor, or any of their affiliates.
ICE 0-5 Year Duration Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index (the “ICE Index”)
The Adviser has licensed the ICE Index from IDI for use by the AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF. The ICE Index is calculated by an independent third-party calculation agent that is not affiliated with the applicable Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, distributor, or any of their affiliates. IDI provides information to the Fund about the ICE Index constituents and does not provide investment advice with respect to the desirability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities.
Pence Transformers Index (the “Transformers Index”)
The Adviser has licensed the Transformers Index from Pence Capital Management, LLC for use by the AAM Transformers ETF. The Index is calculated by an independent third-party calculation agent that is not affiliated with the Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, distributor, or any of their affiliates. The Index Provider provides information to the Fund about the Index constituents and does not provide investment advice with respect to the desirability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities.
To be included in the Transformers Index, a company must have a minimum float-adjusted market capitalization of $2 billion; meet the minimum liquidity threshold of an average daily traded value of $2 million over a three-month period; have a consensus analyst rating above a 3.0; and meet the following criteria according to the Index Provider’s review of a company’s regulatory filings:
Projected sales greater than $200 million during the next two fiscal years;
Projected research and development and capital expenditures greater than 3% of net sales during the next two fiscal years; and
Projected sales growth greater than zero during the next two fiscal years.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Investment Objectives
Each Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon written notice to shareholders.
Principal Investment Strategies
Each Fund, except the AAM Transformers ETF, has adopted a policy to comply with Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). Such policies have been adopted as non-fundamental investment policies and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. With respect to the policies below, the Funds define “equity securities” to mean common and preferred stocks, rights, warrants, depositary receipts, equity interests in REITs, and master limited partnerships. With respect to the policies below, the AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF defines “preferred and income” to mean preferred stocks (including ADRs representing foreign preferred stocks) and securities that distributed income (e.g., dividends or interest) during the past 12 months, and the AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF defines a small- or mid-capitalization company as an issuer whose market capitalization at the time of purchase is between $200 million and the market capitalization of the largest company in the Russell 2500 Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, of the AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF will be invested in equity securities that (i) are included in the S&P 500 Index and (ii) have had a positive indicated annual dividend yield within the past year.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, of the AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF will be invested in equity securities that (i) are tied economically to Emerging Markets countries and (ii) have had a positive realized annual dividend yield within the past year.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, of the AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF will be invested in equity securities that (i) are traded principally on an exchange in a Developed ex-U.S. & Korea Markets country and (ii) have had a positive realized annual dividend yield within the past year.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, of the AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF will be invested in preferred and income securities.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, of the AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF will be invested in small- and mid-capitalization companies.
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Temporary Defensive Positions (AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF only)
When the Sub-Adviser believes that current market, economic, political or other conditions are unsuitable and would impair the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objectives, the Fund may invest some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, including but not limited to obligations of the U.S. government, money market fund shares, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and/or bankers acceptances, as well as other interest bearing or discount obligations or debt instruments that carry an investment grade rating by a national rating agency. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objectives.
Principal Investment Risks
This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in each Fund Summary. As in each Fund Summary, the principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the applicable Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the applicable Fund’s performance and trading prices.
Call Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable bond held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.
Capital Controls and Sanctions Risk (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions, may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention (including intervention by the U.S. government with respect to foreign governments, economic sectors, foreign companies and related securities and interests) and the imposition of capital controls and/or sanctions, which may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Capital controls and/or sanctions include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls and/or sanctions may also impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such instruments, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.
Cash Redemption Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). When the Fund’s investment strategy requires it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds, it may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind (i.e., distribute securities as payment of redemption proceeds). As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
Concentration Risk (All Funds other than AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF). Each Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Fund’s Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Software Companies Risk (AAM Transformers ETF only). The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence. Companies in the software industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become obsolete rapidly. These factors can affect the profitability of these companies and, as a result, the value of their securities. Also, patent protection is integral to the success of many companies in this industry, and profitability can be affected materially by, among other things, the cost of obtaining (or failing to obtain) patent approvals, the cost of litigating patent infringement and the loss of patent protection for products (which significantly increases pricing pressures and can materially reduce profitability with respect to such products). In addition, many software companies have limited operating histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Semiconductor Companies Risk (AAM Transformers ETF only). Semiconductor companies are subject to the cyclical nature of the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry, and, as a result, their securities’ prices may fluctuate significantly and rapidly. In addition, the companies in the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry subject to the risks of rapid obsolescence of products; substantial capital equipment expenditures; improper functioning of internal processes and information technology systems; changes in industry standards or regulations; inability to meet customer demand; unreliability of manufacturers and subcontractors to manufacture, assemble, and test companies’ products; and disruptions in companies’ activities such as acquisitions, divestitures, strategic investments and partnerships. The research and development efforts of these companies are focused on a limited number of new technologies and products. Any delay in the development or discontinuation of these technologies or products by
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companies in the industry, or their failure to achieve market acceptance, may compromise the competitive position of companies. These companies depend on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of these rights.
Credit Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Credit risk is the risk that an issuer or guarantor of debt instruments or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments or to otherwise honor its obligations. Debt instruments are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which may be reflected in their credit ratings. There is the chance that the Fund’s portfolio holdings will have their credit ratings downgraded or will default (i.e., fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the Fund’s income level or share price.
Currency Exchange Rate Risk (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF and AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the value of your Shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you may lose money.
Depositary Receipt Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, and AAM Transformers ETF only). Each of the AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF and the AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). The AAM Transformers ETF may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of ADRs. ADRs are negotiable certificates issued by a U.S. financial institution that represent a specified number of shares in a foreign stock and trade on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as the NYSE. Sponsored ADRs are issued with the support of the issuer of the foreign stock underlying the ADRs and carry all of the rights of common shares, including voting rights. GDRs are similar to ADRs but may be issued in bearer form and are typically offered for sale globally and held by a foreign branch of an international bank. The underlying issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not contractually obligated to disclose material information in the U.S. and, therefore, such information may not correlate to the market value of the unsponsored depositary receipt. The underlying securities of the ADRs and GDRs in a Fund’s portfolio are usually denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. As a result, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of a Fund’s portfolio. In addition, because the underlying securities of ADRs and GDRs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and GDRs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for Shares.
Dividend-Paying Securities Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF and AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF only). There is no guarantee that issuers of the securities held by the Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if declared, they will either remain at current levels or increase over time. The Fund may also underperform similar funds that invest without considering a company’s dividend payments. Companies that pay dividends historically may not participate in a broad market advance to the same extent as other companies that do not pay dividends. Such companies may also be sensitive to a sharp rise in interest rates or an economic downturn that leads to the elimination or reduction of dividend payments to investors.
Emerging Markets Risk (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments. For example, developing and emerging markets may be subject to (i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume and liquidity, (iii) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (iv) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital, (v) lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards, (vi) fewer protections of property rights, (vii) fewer investor rights and limited legal or practical remedies available to investors against emerging market companies, (viii) restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency, and (ix) settlement and
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trading practices that differ from those in U.S. markets. Each of these factors may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares and cause the Fund to decline in value. In addition, investors in emerging market companies may have limited rights relative to investors in U.S. companies. Investors may also have limited avenues of recourse against emerging market companies in the form of shareholder claims, such as class action lawsuits and fraud claims, which may be difficult or impossible to pursue in emerging markets as a matter of law or practicality.
Equity Market Risk. Equity securities, including common stocks and preferred stocks, and hybrid securities that have equity characteristics are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and, in many cases, unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, and supply chain disruptions affecting the United States and many other countries. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses as a result of these disruptions, and such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. In response, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary actions to support the domestic economy and financial markets. Many countries, including the U.S., are subject to few restrictions related to the spread of COVID-19. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.
(All Funds other than AAM Low Duration Preferred, Income Securities ETF, and AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF). If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers.
(AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Preferred stocks and hybrid securities generally are subject to more risks than debt securities because stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of debt securities upon the bankruptcy of the issuer.
ETF Risks. Each Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares 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.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. The market price of Fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-
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traded security, includes a “bid-ask” spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade the Fund shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Fund shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Fund shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your Fund shares. The Adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities. Because securities held by the AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF and AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when such Funds’ primary listing exchange is open, these Funds are likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs.
Trading. Although 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 Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
Extension Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). During periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income and potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments.
Foreign Markets Risk (All Funds other than AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF). Investments in non-U.S. companies or investments in depositary receipts that provide exposure to non-U.S. companies involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. companies. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Geographic Investment Risk (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF and AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). To the extent that a Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on a Fund’s performance. Currency developments or restrictions, political and social instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted in significant market volatility.
Risks of Investing in Australia (AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). The economy of Australia is heavily dependent on the price and the demand for commodities and natural resources as well as its exports from the energy, agricultural and mining sectors. As a result, the Australian economy is susceptible to fluctuations in the commodity markets. Conditions that weaken demand for Australian products worldwide could have a negative impact on the Australian economy as a whole. Australia is also increasingly dependent on the economies of its key trading partners, including China, the United States, and Japan.
Risks of Investing in China (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). The Chinese economy is subject to a considerable degree of economic, political and social instability:
Political and Social Risk: The Chinese government is authoritarian and has periodically used force to suppress civil dissent. Disparities of wealth and the pace of economic liberalization may lead to social turmoil, violence and labor unrest. In addition, China continues to experience disagreements related to integration with Hong Kong and religious and nationalist disputes in Tibet and Xinjiang. There is also a greater risk in China than in many other countries of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation as a result of internal social
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unrest or conflicts with other countries. Unanticipated political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses. China’s growing income inequality and worsening environmental conditions also are factors that may affect the Chinese economy. China is also vulnerable economically to the impact of a public health crisis, which could depress consumer demand, reduce economic output, and potentially lead to market closures, travel restrictions, and quarantines, all of which would negatively impact China’s economy and could affect the economies of its trading partners.
Government Control and Regulations: The Chinese government has implemented significant economic reforms in order to liberalize trade policy, promote foreign investment in the economy, reduce government control of the economy and develop market mechanisms. There can be no assurance these reforms will continue or that they will be effective. Despite recent reform and privatizations, significant regulation of investment and industry is still pervasive, and the Chinese government may restrict foreign ownership of Chinese corporations and/or repatriate assets. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies that may be connected to governmental influence, a lack of publicly-available information and/or political and social instability.
Economic Risk: The Chinese economy has grown rapidly during the past several years and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. In fact, the Chinese economy may experience a significant slowdown as a result of, among other things, a deterioration in global demand for Chinese exports, as well as contraction in spending on domestic goods by Chinese consumers. In addition, China may experience substantial rates of inflation or economic recessions, which would have a negative effect on the economy and securities market. Delays in enterprise restructuring, slow development of well-functioning financial markets and widespread corruption have also hindered performance of the Chinese economy. China continues to receive substantial pressure from trading partners to liberalize official currency exchange rates. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that the U.S. government or other governments may sanction Chinese issuers or otherwise prohibit U.S. persons or funds from investing in certain Chinese issuers and a lack of transparency with respect to economic activity and transactions in China. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. It is unclear whether further tariffs and sanctions may be imposed or other escalating actions may be taken in the future.
Expropriation Risk: The Chinese government maintains a major role in economic policymaking, and investing in China involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested.
Hong Kong Political Risk: Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997 as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC under the principle of “one country, two systems.” Although China is obligated to maintain the current capitalist economic and social system of Hong Kong through June 30, 2047, the continuation of economic and social freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong is dependent on the government of China. Any attempt by China to tighten its control over Hong Kong’s political, economic, legal or social policies may result in an adverse effect on Hong Kong’s markets. In addition, the Hong Kong dollar trades at a fixed exchange rate in relation to (or, is “pegged” to) the U.S. dollar, which has contributed to the growth and stability of the Hong Kong economy. However, it is uncertain how long the currency peg will continue or what effect the establishment of an alternative exchange rate system would have on the Hong Kong economy. Because the Fund’s NAV is denominated in U.S. dollars, the establishment of an alternative exchange rate system could result in a decline in the Fund’s NAV.
Risks Related to Investing in Europe (AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). The economies of Europe are highly dependent on each other, both as key trading partners and as in many cases as fellow members maintaining the euro. Reduction in trading activity among European countries may cause an adverse impact on each nation’s individual economies. European countries that are part of the Economic and Monetary Union of the EU are required to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels, and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and recessions in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners. Recent market events affecting several of the EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide. Acts of war in Europe, including Russia’s large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting sanctions by and against European nations could also have a severe adverse effect on both European and global economies, which in turn could affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
The United Kingdom (“UK”) formally exited from the EU on January 31, 2020 (known as “Brexit”), and effective December 31, 2020, the UK ended a transition period during which it continued to abide by the EU’s rules and the UK’s trade
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relationships with the EU were generally unchanged. Following this transition period, the impact on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, potentially lower economic growth on markets in the UK, Europe, and globally, and changes in legal and regulatory regimes to which certain Fund assets are or become subject, any of which may adversely affect the value of Fund investments.
The effects of Brexit will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets, including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. Brexit could lead to legal and tax uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations, as the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. The extent of the impact of the withdrawal negotiations in the UK and in global markets, as well as any associated adverse consequences, remain unclear, and the uncertainty may have a significant negative effect on the value of a Fund investments. If one or more other countries were to exit the EU or abandon the use of the euro as a currency, the value of investments tied to those countries or the euro could decline significantly and unpredictably.
Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has led to various countries imposing economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities. A number of jurisdictions have also instituted broader sanctions on Russia, including banning Russia from global payments systems that facilitate cross-border payments. In response, the government of Russia has imposed capital controls to restrict movements of capital entering and exiting the country. As a result, the value and liquidity of Russian securities and the Russian currency have experienced significant declines. Further, as of the date of this Prospectus, the Russian securities markets effectively remain closed for trading by foreign investors and have not been open to foreign investors since February 28, 2022. Russia’s military incursion and resulting sanctions could have a severe adverse effect on both regional and global economies, which in turn could affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
Risk of Investing in Germany (AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). Investment in German issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Germany. Recently, new concerns have emerged in relation to the economic health of the EU. These concerns have led to downward pressure on the earnings of certain financial institutions, including German financial services companies. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain and the independence movement in Scotland, may have an adverse effect on the EU economy and, in turn, the German economy. The German economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including the Netherlands, China, the U.S., the UK, France, Italy and other European countries. Reduction in spending on German products and services, or changes in any of the economies may have an adverse impact on the German economy. In addition, heavy regulation of labor, energy and product markets in Germany may have an adverse impact on German issuers. Such regulations may negatively impact economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession.
Risks Related to Investing in Japan (AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese securities. While the Japanese economy has recently emerged from a prolonged economic downturn, Japan’s economic growth rate may remain relatively low in the future. In addition, Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons and tsunamis. Additionally, decreasing U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rates, a recession in the United States or continued increases in foreclosure rates may have an adverse impact on the economy of Japan. Japan also has few natural resources, and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japanese securities.
Risks of Investing in Taiwan (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). Investments in Taiwanese issuers may subject the Fund to risks specific to Taiwan. Taiwan is a small island state with few raw material resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Taiwanese economy. Also, continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s economy is intricately linked with economies of Asian countries that have experienced over-extensions of credit, frequent and pronounced currency fluctuations, currency devaluations, currency repatriation, rising unemployment and fluctuations in inflation. The Taiwanese economy is dependent on the economies of Japan and China, as well as the United States, and negative changes in their economies or a reduction in purchases by any of them of Taiwanese products and services would likely have an adverse impact on the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s geographic proximity to China and Taiwan’s history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions with China, including the risk of war with China. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and securities markets.
Risks of Investing in Turkey (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). There are legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks specific to Turkey. Among other things, the Turkish economy is heavily dependent on relationships with certain key trading partners, including European Union countries, China and Russia, and changes in the price or demand for Turkish exports may have an adverse impact on the Turkish economy. The Turkish
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economy has certain other significant economic weaknesses, such as its relatively high current account deficit, which may contribute to prolonged periods of recession or lower Turkey’s sovereign debt rating. Turkey has historically experienced acts of terrorism and strained relations related to border disputes and other geopolitical events with certain neighboring countries. Turkey may be subject to considerable social and political instability, in part due to the influence asserted by its military over the national government. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the Turkish stock or currency market and, as a result, adversely affect a Fund’s investments. In addition, the earthquakes that struck Turkey in February 2023 could adversely effect the economy or the business operations of the companies located there, causing an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments in, or which are exposed to, Turkey.
Risks of Investing in the United Kingdom (AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). The Fund may invest significantly in the securities of UK issuers. The United Kingdom’s economy relies heavily on the export of both goods and services to EU member countries, and to a lesser extent the United States and China. The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe and is heavily dependent on trade with EU member countries. Trade between the United Kingdom and the EU is highly integrated through supply chains and trade in services, as well as through multinational companies. As a result, the economy of the United Kingdom may be impacted by changes to the economic health of EU member countries, the United States and China. In 2016, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to leave the EU. After years of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the EU, a withdrawal agreement was reached whereby the United Kingdom formally left the EU. The precise impact on the United Kingdom’s economy as a result of its departure from the EU depends to a large degree on its ability to conclude favorable trade deals with the EU and other countries, including the United States, China, India and Japan. While new trade deals may boost economic growth, such growth may not be able to offset the increased costs of trade with the EU resulting from the United Kingdom’s loss of its membership in the EU single market. Certain sectors within the United Kingdom’s economy may be particularly affected by Brexit, including the automotive, chemicals, financial services and professional services. A particularly contentious element of the United Kingdom’s negotiated withdrawal from the EU was the treatment of Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom) following the United Kingdom’s departure. Under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, Northern Ireland would maintain regulatory alignment with the EU (essentially creating a customs border in the Irish Sea) to maintain an open border with the Republic of Ireland (an EU member state) while safeguarding the rules of the EU single market. The ultimate effects of this arrangement on Northern Ireland’s economy remain to be seen.
Geopolitical Risk (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF only). Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Such geopolitical and other events may also disrupt securities markets and, during such market disruptions, the Fund’s exposure to the other risks described herein will likely increase. Each of the foregoing may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.
High Dividend Investing Risk (All Funds other than AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF and AAM Transformers ETF). Companies with a high yield or payout ratio may reduce their dividend or stop paying dividends entirely while they are included in the Index. Such events could lower the price or yield of such company’s equity securities. Additionally, equity securities with a high yield or payout ratio may underperform other securities in certain market conditions.
High-Yield Securities Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Below investment grade instruments are commonly referred to as “junk” or high-yield instruments and are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Lower grade instruments may be particularly susceptible to economic downturns. It is likely that a prolonged or deepening economic recession could adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such instruments to repay principal and pay interest thereon, increase the incidence of default for such instruments and severely disrupt the market value of such instruments.
Lower grade instruments, though higher yielding, are characterized by higher risk. They may be subject to certain risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations than certain lower yielding, higher rated instruments. The retail secondary market for lower grade instruments may be less liquid than that for higher rated instruments. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the value and liquidity of these high-yield securities. Adverse conditions could make it difficult at times for the Fund to sell certain instruments or could result in lower prices than those used in calculating the Fund’s NAV. Because of the substantial risks associated with investments in lower grade instruments, investors could lose money on their investment in the Fund, both in the short-term and the long-term.
The Fund’s investments in distressed and defaulted securities may be considered speculative and involve substantial risks in addition to the risks of investing in junk bonds. The Fund will generally not receive interest payments on the distressed securities and the principal may also be at risk. These securities may present a substantial risk of default or may be in default at the time of investment, requiring the Fund to incur additional costs.
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Hybrid Securities Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Hybrid securities are subject to the risks of equity securities and debt securities. The claims of holders of hybrid securities of an issuer are generally subordinated to those of holders of traditional debt securities in bankruptcy, and thus hybrid securities may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than traditional debt securities, and may in certain circumstances even be more volatile than traditional equity securities. At the same time, hybrid securities may not fully participate in gains of their issuer and thus potential returns of such securities are generally more limited than traditional equity securities, which would participate in such gains.
Index Provider Risk (AAM Transformers ETF only). There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated accurately. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to compile, determine, maintain, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate (or arrange for an agent to calculate), and disseminate the Index accurately. Any losses or costs associated with errors made by the Index Provider or its agents generally will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.
Interest Rate Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Generally, the value of fixed income securities, as well as hybrid securities with fixed income characteristics, will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities and such hybrid securities held by the Fund is likely to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities and such hybrid securities tend to increase. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. For example, the price of a bond with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. To the extent the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in fixed income securities and hybrid securities with longer-term durations, rising interest rates may cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline significantly.
Issuer-Specific Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can affect a security’s or instrument’s value. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers. Issuer-specific events can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.
Limited Operating History Risk (AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF and AAM Transformers ETF only). Each Fund is a recently organized investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Management Risk (AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF only). The Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Bahl & Gaynor’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Large-Capitalization Investing (All Funds other than Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF). The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.
Mid-Capitalization Investing (All Funds other than the AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF). The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies, but they may also be subject to slower growth than small-capitalization companies during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole, but they may also be nimbler and more responsive to new challenges than large-capitalization companies. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.
Small-Capitalization Investing (AAM Low Duration Preferred, Income Securities ETF and AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF only). The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings.
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Market Risk (All Funds other than AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF and AAM Transformers ETF). The trading prices of equity securities, preferred stocks, debt securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments, as well as events that impact specific issuers. A Fund’s NAV and market price, like security and commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
Models and Data Risk (AAM Transformers ETF only). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to securities being included in or excluded from the Index that would have been excluded or included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. If the composition of the Index reflects such errors, the Fund’s portfolio can be expected to reflect the errors, too.
Passive Investment Risk (All Funds other than AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF). Each Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, its Index regardless of their investment merit. Each Fund does not attempt to outperform its Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, a Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to its Index. The returns from the types of securities in which a Fund invests may underperform returns from the various general securities markets or different asset classes. This may cause a Fund to underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes. Different types of securities (for example, large-, mid- and small-capitalization stocks) tend to go through cycles of doing better – or worse – than the general securities markets. In the past, these periods have lasted for as long as several years.
Portfolio Turnover Risk (AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF and AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Each Fund may trade all or a significant portion of the securities in its portfolio in connection with each rebalance and reconstitution of the Index. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase a Fund’s expenses. Frequent trading may also cause adverse tax consequences for investors in a Fund due to an increase in short-term capital gains.
Preferred Securities Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). Preferred stocks are subject to the risks of equity securities generally and also risks associated with fixed income securities, such as interest rate risk. A company’s preferred stock, which may pay fixed or variable rates of return, generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to creditors, including vendors, depositors, counterparties, holders of its bonds and other fixed income securities. As a result, the value of a company’s preferred stock will react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred stock may be less liquid than many other types of securities, such as common stock, and generally has limited or no voting rights. In addition, preferred stock is subject to the risks that a company may defer or not pay dividends, and, in certain situations, may call or redeem its preferred stock or convert it to common stock. To the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in convertible preferred stocks, declining common stock values may also cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline.
Prepayment Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF only). This is the risk that a borrower will prepay some or the entire principal owed to the Fund. If that happens, the Fund may have to replace the security by investing the proceeds in a security with a lower yield. This could reduce the share price and income distributions of the Fund.
REIT Investment Risk (All Funds other than AAM Transformers ETF). Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, to the extent the Fund holds interests in REITs, it is expected that investors in the Fund will bear two layers of asset-based management fees and expenses (directly at the Fund level and indirectly at the REIT level). The risks of investing in REITs include certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general, regional and local economic conditions; fluctuations in interest rates and property tax rates; shifts in zoning laws, environmental regulations and other governmental action such as the exercise of eminent domain; cash flow dependency; increased operating expenses; lack of availability of mortgage funds; losses due to natural disasters; overbuilding; losses due to casualty or condemnation; changes in property values and rental rates; and other factors.
In addition to these risks, residential/diversified REITs and commercial equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the beneficial tax treatment available to REITs under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund expects that dividends received from a REIT and distributed to Fund shareholders generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting investments.
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Sector Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, and AAM Transformers ETF only). Each Fund’s investing approach may result in an emphasis on certain sectors or sub-sectors of the market at any given time. To the extent a Fund invests more heavily in one sector or sub-sector of the market, it thereby presents a more concentrated risk and its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors or sub-sectors. In addition, the value of a Fund’s shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a fund with investments in a more diversified mix of sectors and industries. An individual sector or sub-sector of the market may have above-average performance during particular periods but may also move up and down more than the broader market. The several industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. A Fund’s performance could also be affected if the sectors or sub-sectors do not perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or sub-sectors may adversely affect performance.
Financial Sector Risk (AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF and AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF only). This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. Insurance companies, in particular, may be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, catastrophic events, price and market competition, the imposition of premium rate caps, or other changes in government regulation or tax law and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in this sector and have caused significant losses.
Industrial Sector Risk (AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF only). The industrial sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, worldwide economic growth, supply and demand for specific products and services, rapid technological developments, international political and economic developments, environmental issues, tariffs and trade barriers, and tax and governmental regulatory policies. As the demand for, or prices of, industrials increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally would be expected to also increase. Conversely, declines in the demand for, or prices of, industrials generally would be expected to contribute to declines in the value of such securities. Such declines may occur quickly and without warning and may negatively impact the value of the Fund and your investment.
Information Technology Sector Risk (AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF and AAM Transformers ETF only). Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information 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 information 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. Information 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.
Tracking Error Risk (All Funds other than AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF). As with all index funds, the performance of each Fund and its respective Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Funds incur operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by an Index. In addition, the Funds may not be fully invested in the securities of their respective Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index. A Fund may use a representative sampling strategy to achieve its investment objective, if the Fund’s Sub-Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund, which generally can be expected to produce a greater non-correlation risk.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about each Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.aamlive.com/ETF. A complete description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (“AAM” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Funds. AAM also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, distribution and all other services necessary for the Funds to operate. AAM provides oversight of each Sub-Adviser, monitoring of each Sub-Adviser’s buying and selling of securities for the Fund(s), and review of each Sub-Adviser’s performance. For
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the services it provides to the Funds, each Fund pays AAM a unified management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on the applicable Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth in the table below.
Name of Fund Management Fee
AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF 0.29%
AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF 0.49%
AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF 0.39%
AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF
0.45%
AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF 0.60%
AAM Transformers ETF 0.49%
On February 1, 2023, AAM underwent a change in control that automatically terminated the previous investment advisory agreement with respect to the Funds. As of the date of this Prospectus, with respect to the AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, the AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, the AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, and the AAM Low Duration Preferred Income Securities ETF, AAM continues to serve as investment adviser to these Funds pursuant to an Interim Investment Advisory Agreement. The Funds’ Board of Trustees has also approved a New Investment Advisory Agreement with AAM, which will become effective pending shareholder approval. The terms and compensation payable to AAM under the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement and the New Investment Advisory Agreement (together, the “Advisory Agreements”) are materially identical to those of the previous investment advisory agreement, except with respect to the agreement’s effective date, termination date, and certain terms identified under Rule 15a-4(b)(2) of the 1940 Act.
With respect to the AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF and the AAM Transformers ETF, shareholders of these Funds approved a New Investment Advisory Agreement at a special meeting held on January 19, 2023.
AAM has agreed to pay all expenses of the Funds, except for: the unified management fee paid to AAM, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends, and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution (12b‑1) fees and expenses. AAM, in turn, compensates the Sub-Advisers from the management fee it receives.
AAM shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions arising out of the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties under the Advisory Agreements or its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreements or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of any security.
AAM’s headquarters is located at 18925 Base Camp Road, Suite 203, Monument, Colorado 80132. AAM is a registered broker dealer, member FINRA and SIPC, and SEC registered investment adviser. AAM provides portfolio supervisory and evaluation services to AAM-sponsored unit investment trusts registered under the 1940 Act and provides investment advisory services to separately managed accounts, mutual funds, and the Funds.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement, as well as the New Investment Advisory Agreement, will be available in the Funds’ Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ending April 30, 2023. The basis for the Funds’ Board of Trustees (the “Board”) approval of the previous investment advisory agreement for each Fund is available in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended October 31, 2022.
Sub-Advisers
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC
The Adviser has retained Vident Investment Advisory, LLC to serve as sub-adviser for AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, and AAM Transformers ETF (collectively, the “Funds”). VIA is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds. VIA is an SEC registered investment adviser. Its principal office is located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. VIA was formed in 2014 and provides investment advisory services to ETFs, including the Funds.
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As a result of AAM’s change in control and the automatic termination of the previous investment advisory agreement with respect to the Funds, the sub-advisory agreement between AAM and VIA automatically terminated. With respect to the AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, the AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, the AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, and the AAM Low Duration Preferred Income Securities ETF, VIA continues to serve as sub-adviser pursuant to an Interim Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Funds’ Board of Trustees has also approved a New Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Funds between the Adviser and VIA, which will become effective pending shareholder approval. The terms and compensation payable to VIA under the Interim Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement and the New Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement are materially identical to those of the previous investment sub-advisory agreement, except with respect to the agreement’s effective date and termination date.
With respect to the AAM Transformers ETF, shareholders approved a New Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between AAM and VIA at a special meeting held on January 19, 2023.
The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Indexes, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For its services, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by the Adviser, which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of each Fund, and subject to a minimum annual fee as follows:
Name of Fund Sub-Advisory Fee Minimum
Annual Fee
AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF
0.04% on the first $250 million;
0.03% on the next $250 million; and
0.02% on net assets in excess of $500 million
$12,000
AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF
0.06% on the first $250 million;
0.05% on the next $250 million; and
0.04% on net assets in excess of $500 million
$25,000
AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF 0.05% on the first $250 million in net assets;
0.04% on the next $250 million in net assets; and
0.03% on net assets in excess of $500 million
$18,000
AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF 0.04% on the first $250 million;
0.03% on the next $250 million; and
0.02% on net assets in excess of $500 million
$20,000
AAM Transformers ETF
0.055% on the first $250 million;
0.045% on the next $250 million; and
0.035% on net assets in excess of $500 million
$30,000
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Interim Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, as well as the New Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, will be available in the Funds’ Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ending April 30, 2023. The basis for the Board’s approval of the previous sub-advisory agreement for each Fund is available in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2022.
Bahl & Gaynor, Inc.
The Adviser has retained Bahl & Gaynor, Inc. to serve as sub-adviser for the AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF (the “Fund”). Bahl & Gaynor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Bahl & Gaynor is a registered investment adviser. Its principal office is located at 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 2700, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Bahl & Gaynor was formed in 1990 and provides investment advisory services to institutional clients, high net worth individuals, mutual funds, and the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board.
As a result of AAM’s change in control and the automatic termination of the previous investment advisory agreement with respect to the Fund, the sub-advisory agreement between AAM and Bahl & Gaynor automatically terminated. The Fund’s shareholders approved a New Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between AAM and Bahl & Gaynor at a special meeting held on January 19, 2023.
For its services, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by the Adviser, which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly. With respect to net assets of the Fund excluding shares of the Fund held in accounts where the Sub-Adviser has an investment management agreement directly with the owner of the account (the “B&G Account Assets”), the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by the Adviser at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the Fund of 0.23% on the first $300 million of net assets and 0.28% on net assets in excess of $300 million. With respect to the B&G Account Assets, in lieu of the foregoing sub-advisory fee, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by the Adviser equal to (a) 0.60% (the management fee rate paid by the Fund to the Adviser) multiplied by the average net asset value of the B&G Account Assets, minus (b) the Fund’s total administration, accounting, transfer agency, custody, distributor, and Rule 24f-2 costs, fees, or expenses paid by the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement (collectively, the “Fund Expenses”), plus (c) the
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Fund Expenses calculated as if the Fund’s average daily net asset value was reduced by the average net asset value of the B&G Account Assets.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the New Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Fund is available in the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended October 31, 2022.
Manager of Managers Structure
The Funds and the Adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC permitting the Adviser (subject to certain conditions and the approval of the Board) to change or select sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The relief also permits the Adviser to materially amend the terms of agreements with a sub-adviser (including an increase in the fee paid by the Adviser to the sub-adviser (and not paid by the applicable Fund)) or to continue the employment of a sub-adviser after an event that would otherwise cause the automatic termination of services with Board approval, but without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any sub-adviser changes.

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Portfolio Managers
AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, and AAM Transformers ETF
The AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, and AAM Transformers ETF (collectively, the “Funds”) are managed by VIA’s portfolio management team. The individual members of the team responsible for the day-today management of the Funds’ portfolio are listed below.
Austin Wen, CFA, is a portfolio manager for each Fund. Mr. Wen has been a Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser since 2016 and has eight years of investment management experience. His focus at VIA is on portfolio management and trading, risk monitoring and investment analysis. Previously, he was an analyst for Vident Financial beginning in 2014, working on the development and review of investment solutions. He began his career in 2011 as a State Examiner for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Mr. Wen obtained a BA in Finance from the University of Georgia and holds the CFA designation.
Rafael Zayas, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager for AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, and AAM Transformers ETF. Mr. Zayas has over 15 years of trading and portfolio management experience in global equity products and ETFs. He is SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading. Mr. Zayas specializes in managing and trading of developed, emerging, and frontier market portfolios. Prior to joining VIA in 2017, he was a Portfolio Manager at Russell Investments for over $5 billion in quantitative strategies across global markets, including emerging, developed, and frontier markets and listed alternatives. Before that, he was an equity Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Asset Management, where he was responsible for $150 million in internationally listed global equity ETFs and assisted in managing $3 billion of global ETF assets. Mr. Zayas holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He also holds the CFA designation.
Jeff Kernagis, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager for the AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF. Mr. Kernagis has 32 years of investment experience. Prior to joining VIA in 2022, Mr. Kernagis was a Senior Vice President at Northern Trust Asset Management. Before that, Mr. Kernagis spent almost 14 years at Invesco/PowerShares, whereas Senior Portfolio Manager he directed the fixed income ETF PM team and helped grow assets to $40 billion in bond ETFs globally. Mr. Kernagis was also a PM at Claymore (Guggenheim) Securities where he managed both equity ETFs and bond Unit Investment Trusts. In addition, he was a senior bond trader at Mid-States (Alloya) Corporate Federal Credit Union. Prior to working in investment management, Mr. Kernagis held institutional derivative sales positions at ABN Amro, Bear Stearns, and Prudential Securities. Mr. Kernagis earned a BBA degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from DePaul University. He also holds the CFA designation.
The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares of each Fund.
AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF
The below individuals are the AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF’s (the “Fund”) Portfolio Managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Scott D. Rodes, CFA, CIC is Vice President, Principal, and Portfolio Manager of Bahl & Gaynor. Mr. Rodes is responsible for portfolio management, investment research, and client service. Prior to joining Bahl & Gaynor in 2001, Mr. Rodes was a Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for Northern Trust in Chicago. Prior to joining Northern Trust in 1998, Mr. Rodes was a research analyst for Waddell & Reed in Kansas City. From 1989 through 1997, Mr. Rodes was an Assistant Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati. Mr. Rodes earned an M.B.A. from Xavier University and a B.E.M.E. from Vanderbilt University.
Robert S. Groenke is President, CEO, Principal, and Portfolio Manager of Bahl & Gaynor. Mr. Groenke is responsible for portfolio management, investment research, and client service. Prior to joining Bahl & Gaynor in 2019, Mr. Groenke was Vice President and Research Analyst with Franklin Templeton Investments. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton in 2012, he served as Private Equity Associate with Industrial Growth Partners. Prior to joining Industrial Growth Partners in 2008, Mr. Groenke worked as an Investment Banking Analyst within the Technology Group at Thomas Wiesel Partners in New York. Mr. Groenke earned an M.B.A, with honors, from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to a Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that
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has been accepted by a Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Share Trading Prices on the Exchange (all Funds other than AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF and AAM Transformers ETF)
Trading prices of Shares on the Exchange may differ from the applicable Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares. To provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, or other widely disseminated means an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for Shares as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Funds are not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs. If the calculation of the IIV is based on the basket of Deposit Securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash, such IIV may not represent the best possible valuation of a Fund’s portfolio because the basket of Deposit Securities does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current Fund portfolios at a particular point in time and does not include a reduction for the fees, operating expenses, or transaction costs incurred by the Fund. The IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of a Fund’s NAV because the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed only once a day, typically at the end of the business day. The IIV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the Deposit Securities.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with a Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Funds employ fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Funds and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of NAV
Each Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. Each NAV for a Fund is calculated by dividing the applicable Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, each Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. The values of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities are converted to U.S. dollars using foreign currency exchange rates generally determined as of 4:00 p.m., London time. If such information is not available for a security held by a Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
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Fair Value Pricing
The Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Funds pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. The Board has appointed the Adviser as each Fund’s valuation designee to perform all fair valuations of the Funds’ portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. Accordingly, the Adviser has established procedures for its fair valuation of each Fund’s portfolio investments. Generally, when fair valuing a security held by a Fund, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies established by the Adviser. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, a Fund may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Funds is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with a Fund.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
Each Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. Each Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. This summary does not apply to Shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are generally not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to Shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change.
Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”). If a Fund meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
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Taxes on Distributions
Each Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by such Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. Since the AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF and AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF invest primarily in securities of non-U.S. issuers, it is not expected that a significant portion of the dividends received from these Funds will qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such REIT, however, dividends received by a Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income.
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from a Fund.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). 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.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If a Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from the sale of the Shares.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by a Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of Shares by non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Each Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage (currently 24%) of the taxable distributions and sale proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.
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Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Provided that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of a Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market its holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss might be deductible.
Each Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. Such Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause such Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, such Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Taxation of REIT Investments
The AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, and AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF may invest in REITs. “Qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by a Fund to its shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received by such Fund and which the Fund properly reports as “section 199A dividends,” are treated as “qualified REIT dividends” in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. A section 199A dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. A Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as section 199A dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so.
REITs in which a Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to a Fund until after the time that such Fund issues a tax reporting statement. As a result, a Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, a Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
Foreign Investments by the Funds
Interest and other income received by a Fund with respect to foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the close of a taxable year more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s assets consists of certain foreign stock or securities, each such Fund will be eligible to elect to “pass through” to investors the amount of foreign income and similar taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by such Fund during that taxable year. This means that investors would be considered to have received as additional income their
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respective Shares of such foreign taxes, but may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating federal income tax. If a Fund does not so elect, each such Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by such Fund. A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in each Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is 111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of Fund assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares are traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV per Share is available, free of charge, on the Funds’ website at www.aamlive.com/ETF.
ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Funds to track the total return performance of their respective Index or the ability of the Indexes identified herein to track the performance of their constituent securities. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Indexes, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
The Exchange does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Indexes or the data included therein. The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Funds, owners of the Shares, or any other person or entity from the use of the Indexes or the data included therein. The Exchange makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Indexes or the data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
The Adviser, each Sub-Adviser, the Exchange, and each Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of an Index to track general stock market performance. The Funds, the Adviser, and the Sub-Advisers do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of an Index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or Index calculation. The Index Calculation Agent maintains and calculates the Index used by each Fund. The Index Calculation Agent shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating an Index.
Each S&P Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, or its affiliates (“SPDJI”), and has been licensed for use by the Adviser. Standard & Poor’s®, S&P®, and S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by the Adviser. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly. Past performance of an index is not an indication or guarantee of future results. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship
55



to the Adviser with respect to each Index is the licensing of each Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. Each Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to the Adviser or the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation to take the needs of the Adviser or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating each Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of shares of the Funds or the timing of the issuance or sale of shares of the Funds or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which shares of the Funds are to be converted into cash, surrendered or redeemed, as the case may be. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds. There is no assurance that investment products based on each Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment or tax advisor. A tax advisor should be consulted to evaluate the impact of any tax-exempt securities on portfolios and the tax consequences of making any particular investment decision. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF EACH S&P INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ADVISER, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF EACH S&P INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THE ADVISER, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
Source ICE Data Indices, LLC (“ICE Data”), is used with permission. “ICESM/®” is a service/trade mark of ICE Data Indices, LLC or its affiliates and has been licensed, along with the ICE 0-5 Year Duration Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index (“Index”) for use by the Adviser in connection with the Fund. Neither the Adviser, ETF Series Solutions (the “Trust”), nor the Fund, as applicable, is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by ICE Data Indices, LLC, its affiliates or its Third Party Suppliers (“ICE Data and its Suppliers”). ICE Data and its Suppliers make no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally, in the Fund particularly, the Trust or the ability of the Index to track general stock market performance. ICE Data’s only relationship to the Adviser is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names and the Index or components thereof. The Index is determined, composed and calculated by ICE Data without regard to the Adviser or the Fund or its holders. ICE Data has no obligation to take the needs of the Adviser or the holders of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. ICE Data is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Fund to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be priced, sold, purchased, or redeemed. Except for certain custom index calculation services, all information provided by ICE Data is general in nature and not tailored to the needs of the Adviser or any other person, entity or group of persons. ICE Data has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Fund. ICE Data is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by ICE Data to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.
ICE DATA AND ITS SUPPLIERS DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS AND/OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE, INCLUDING THE INDICES, INDEX DATA AND ANY INFORMATION INCLUDED IN, RELATED TO, OR DERIVED THEREFROM (“INDEX DATA”). ICE DATA AND ITS SUPPLIERS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INDICES AND THE INDEX DATA, WHICH ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS AND YOUR USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for each Fund’s five most recent fiscal years (or the life of the Fund, if shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Funds’ financial statements, is included in the Funds’ annual report, which is available upon request.
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AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the year/period
Year Ended October 31,
Period Ended
October 31,
2018(1)
2022 2021 2020 2019
Net asset value, beginning of year/period
$ 29.90  $ 21.14  $ 26.54  $ 25.83  $ 25.00 
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)
1.07  0.91  0.95  0.97  0.75 
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (1.44) 8.79  (5.28) 0.64  0.76 
Total from investment operations
(0.37) 9.70  (4.33) 1.61  1.51 
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
Distributions from:
Net investment income (1.08) (0.94) (1.07) (0.90) (0.68)
Total distributions to shareholders (1.08) (0.94) (1.07) (0.90) (0.68)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Transaction fees —  —  — 

0.00 
(3)
Net asset value, end of year/period
$ 28.45  $ 29.90  $ 21.14  $ 26.54  $ 25.83 
Total return
-1.37  % 46.23  % -16.47  % 6.44  % 5.98  %
(4)
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of year/period (000’s)
$ 67,568  $ 45,600  $ 23,788  $ 37,150  $ 19,370 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets
0.29  % 0.29  % 0.29  % 0.29  % 0.29  %
(5)
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets
3.57  % 3.19  % 4.06  % 3.78  % 3.05  %
(5)
Portfolio turnover rate(6)
68  % 69  % 84  % 42  % 38  %
(4)
(1)
Commencement of operations on November 28, 2017.
(2)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)
Less than $0.005.
(4)
Not annualized.
(5)
Annualized
(6)
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
58



AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the year/period
Year Ended October 31,
Period Ended
October 31,
2018(1)
2022 2021 2020 2019
Net asset value, beginning of year/period
$ 22.07  $ 17.49  $ 21.39  $ 21.75  $ 25.00 
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)
1.47  1.32  0.93  1.01  1.13 
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (6.74)
(3)
4.36  (3.57) (0.51) (3.55)
Total from investment operations
(5.27) 5.68  (2.64) 0.50  (2.42)
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
Distributions from:
Net investment income (1.51) (1.13) (1.26) (0.87) (0.93)
Tax return of capital to shareholders (0.05) —  —  —  — 
Total distributions to shareholders (1.56) (1.13) (1.26) (0.87) (0.93)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Transaction fees 0.00 
(4)
0.03  —  0.01  0.10 
Net asset value, end of year/period $ 15.24  $ 22.07  $ 17.49  $ 21.39  $ 21.75 
Total return
-25.14  %
(5)
32.74  % -12.83  % 2.40  % -9.65  %
(6)
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of year/period (000’s)
$ 5,713  $ 7,725  $ 5,686  $ 3,209  $ 2,175 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets
0.49  % 0.49  % 0.49  % 0.49  % 0.49  %
(7)
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets
7.46  % 5.89  % 4.99  % 4.61  % 4.95  %
(7)
Portfolio turnover rate(8)
123  % 139  % 121  % 124  % 104  %
(6)
(1)
Commencement of operations on November 28, 2017.
(2)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)
Includes $0.14 gain per share derived from payment from Sub-Adviser.
(4)
Less than $0.005.
(5)
The Fund had a trade error during the year resulting in a loss to the Fund of $47,299, which was subsequently reimbursed to the Fund by the Sub-Adviser. The total return for the year would have been -25.80% before the reimbursement.
(6)
Not annualized.
(7)
Annualized.
(8)
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
59



AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the year/period
Year Ended October 31,
Period Ended
October 31, 2019(1)
2022 2021 2020
Net asset value, beginning of year/period $ 23.99  $ 18.49  $ 25.35  $ 24.83 
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)
1.14  0.99  0.64  1.07 
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (5.63) 5.53  (6.18) 0.29 
Total from investment operations
(4.49) 6.52  (5.54) 1.36 
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
Distributions from:
Net investment income (1.16) (1.02) (1.32) (0.84)
Total distributions to shareholders (1.16) (1.02) (1.32) (0.84)
Net asset value, end of year/period
$ 18.34  $ 23.99  $ 18.49  $ 25.35 
Total return
-19.34  % 35.49  % -22.83  % 5.64  %
(3)
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of year/period (000’s) $ 1,834  $ 2,399  $ 1,849  $ 2,535 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets
0.39  % 0.39  % 0.39  % 0.39  %
(4)
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets
5.22  % 4.14  % 3.03  % 4.65  %
(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(5)
100  % 96  % 106  % 87  %
(3)

(1)
Commencement of operations on November 27, 2018.
(2)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)
Not annualized.
(4)
Annualized.
(5)
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
60



AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF


FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the year/period
Year Ended October 31,
Period Ended
October 31, 2020(1)
2022 2021
Net asset value, beginning of year/period $ 25.23  $ 24.07  $ 24.97 
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)
1.18  1.05  1.17 
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (4.56) 1.35  (0.98)
Total from investment operations
(3.38) 2.40  0.19 
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
Distributions from:
Net investment income (1.14) (1.24) (1.10)
Total distributions to shareholders (1.14) (1.24) (1.10)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Transaction fees —  0.00 
(3)
0.01 
Net asset value, end of year/period $ 20.71  $ 25.23  $ 24.07 
Total return
-13.72  % 10.08  % 0.98  %
(4)
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of year/period (000’s) $ 157,364  $ 95,232  $ 3,611 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets
0.45  % 0.45  % 0.45  %
(5)
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets
5.74  % 4.33  % 5.15  %
(5)
Portfolio turnover rate(6)
154  % 199  % 202  %
(4)

(1)
Commencement of operations on November 19, 2019.
(2)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)
Less than $0.005.
(4)
Not annualized.
(5)
Annualized.
(6)
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
61



AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the year/period
Year Ended
October 31,
2022
Period Ended October 31, 2021(1)
Net asset value, beginning of year/period $ 24.96  $ 25.10 
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)
0.48  0.08 
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (2.01) (0.15)
Total from investment operations
(1.53) (0.07)
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
Distributions from:
Net investment income (0.42) (0.07)
Total distributions to shareholders (0.42) (0.07)
Net asset value, end of year/period $ 23.01  $ 24.96 
Total return
-6.16  % -0.27  %
(3)
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of year/period (000’s) $ 141,490  $ 6,740 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets
0.60  % 0.60  %
(4)
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets
2.08  % 1.70  %
(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(5)
31  % %
(3)

(1)
Commencement of operations on August 25, 2021.
(2)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)
Not annualized.
(4)
Annualized.
(5)
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
62



AAM Transformers ETF

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
Period Ended October 31, 2022(1)
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 24.00 
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)(2)
(0.03)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (1.46)
Total from investment operations
(1.49)
Net asset value, end of period $ 22.51 
Total return
-6.20  %
(3)
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Net assets at end of period (000’s) $ 3,377 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS:
Expenses to average net assets
0.49  %
(4)
Net investment income (loss) to average net assets
-0.34  %
(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(5)
27  %
(3)

(1)
Commencement of operations on July 11, 2022.
(2)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(3)
Not annualized.
(4)
Annualized.
(5)
Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
63



AAM S&P 500 HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
AAM S&P EMERGING MARKETS HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
AAM S&P DEVELOPED MARKETS HIGH DIVIDEND VALUE ETF
AAM LOW DURATION PREFERRED AND INCOME SECURITIES ETF
AAM BAHL & GAYNOR SMALL/MID CAP INCOME GROWTH ETF
AAM TRANSFORMERS ETF
Adviser
Advisors Asset Management, Inc.
18925 Base Camp Road, Suite 203
Monument, Colorado 80132
Transfer Agent,
Index Receipt
Agent, and Administrator
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
d/b/a U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Index Providers
S&P Opco, LLC
c/o S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC
55 Water Street
New York, New York 10041

ICE Data Indices, LLC
5660 New Northside Drive NW, 3rd Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30328

Pence Capital Management, LLC
5000 Birch Street
West Tower, Suite 8000-817
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Sub-Advisers
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC
1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009

Bahl & Gaynor, Inc.
255 East Fifth Street, Suite 2700
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Custodian
U.S. Bank National Association
1555 N. Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Distributor
Quasar Distributors, LLC
111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen & Company, Ltd.
342 North Water Street, Suite 830
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Legal Counsel
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-2541
Investors may find more information about the Funds in the following documents:
Statement of Additional Information: The Funds’ SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 28, 2023, as supplemented from time to time is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance.
You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make general inquiries about the Fund by contacting the Fund at c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701 or by calling 1-800-617-0004.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund are also available:
Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; or
Free of charge from the Funds’ Internet web site at https://www.aamlive.com/ETF; or
For a fee, by e-mail request to [email protected].

(SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-22668)
64