ck0001467831-20220630
ETFMG
Breakwave Sea Decarbonization Tech ETF
(BSEA)
Listed
on NYSE Arca, Inc.
A
series of ETF Managers Trust
PROSPECTUS
October 31,
2022
THE
SEC HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY
OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL
OFFENSE.
About
This Prospectus
This
prospectus has been arranged into different sections so that you can easily
review this important information. For detailed information about the Fund,
please see:
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ETFMG Breakwave Sea Decarbonization Tech ETF - Fund
Summary |
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Additional
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ETFMG
BREAKWAVE SEA DECARBONIZATION TECH ETF — FUND SUMMARY
Investment
Objective
The ETFMG Breakwave Sea Decarbonization Tech ETF (the “Fund” or
the “Decarbonization ETF”) seeks to provide investment results that, before fees
and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the Marine
Money Decarbonization Index (the “Index”).
Fees and
Expenses
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.
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Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
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Management
Fee |
0.75 |
% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees |
None |
Other
Expenses |
0.00 |
% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.75 |
% |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then 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. This Example does not take into account the brokerage
commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of
Shares. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would
be:
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1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
$77 |
$240 |
$417 |
$930 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.
For
the fiscal period September 20, 2021 (commencement of operations) through June
30, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 34% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal
Investment Strategies
The
Fund uses a “passive” or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
“beat” the Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets
decline or appear overvalued.
The
Marine Money Decarbonization Index
The
Index was created by Maritime Transformation Partners, LLC (the “Index
Provider”) and tracks the performance of the equity securities of a diversified
set of global companies that develop technologies, manufacture equipment or
provide services related to marine or ocean decarbonization.
Construction
of the Index begins with the universe of global companies with a minimum market
capitalization of $75 million. In addition, the Index components are common
stock (or corresponding American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or Global
Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)) listed on an exchange in a developed market and
have a six-month average trading volume of $500 thousand. The business
descriptions of and other information regarding companies that meet the
eligibility criteria are reviewed for specific factors related to technologies,
equipment or services involved in cleaner propulsion (including alternative
fuels, batteries and fuel cells), carbon capture technologies and offshore wind
development. The universe of companies that may be considered eligible for
potential Index inclusion is determined by an index committee based on factors
such as a company’s business description, product lines, investment growth
plans, exposure to the maritime sector, and its most recent reported revenue by
segment.
The
universe of companies is then divided by the Index Provider to two tiers: the
Core tier (“Core”) and the Tracking tier (“Tracking”). The Core tier has an 80%
weighting in the Index, while the Tracking tier has a 20% weighting in the
Index. The Core tier is currently comprised of approximately 20 companies that
are leaders in their respective business sectors. In addition, to be considered
for inclusion in the Core tier, a potential constituent must (i) derive the
majority of its revenues from sales of technology, equipment or services related
to marine decarbonization, which includes marine infrastructure modernization
that has the effect of
reducing
carbon emissions; (ii) have made substantial investment commitment, typically a
majority of their research and development budget, in marine decarbonization
technologies, equipment or services, including lower carbon fuel development,
distribution or consumption; or (iii) be a stakeholder in a marine
decarbonization demonstration project recognized by the Global Maritime Forum,
an international not-for-profit organization committed to shaping the future of
global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and
human well being, or a similar successor organization. The 20 constituents will
be equally weighted in the Core tier of the Index. The Tracking tier of the
Index is comprised of companies with promising developments or significant
investment in relevant business sectors that have not yet reached the
development stage or scale targeted as it relates to decarbonization efforts or
sufficient materiality to the company’s overall business. The constituents will
be equally weighted in the Tracking tier of the Index. The Tracking tier
generally includes, but is not limited to, 20 to 40 constituents based on
eligibility. The Core tier constituents must have a minimum market
capitalization of $250 million and the Tracking tier constituents must have a
minimum market capitalization of $75 million. The weight of each security is
capped at 10%. All excess weight is proportionally redistributed to all uncapped
constituents within the relevant index tier.
The
Index follows a quarterly rebalance and reconstitution schedule. Adjustments are
made on the third Friday of March, June, September and December which is deemed
the effective day. Weights are calculated and Index shares are frozen at the
close of that specific day. The selection list is created based on the data as
of the effective day.
The
Index is calculated by Solactive AG, which is independent of the Index Provider,
the Fund, its adviser and distributor.
The
Index is not limited to a minimum or maximum number of constituents; rather, its
composition is determined by the index committee based on the criteria outlined
in the Index’s methodology. The Index may include companies of any market
capitalization, including small capitalization companies, subject to meeting the
Index eligibility criteria. The Index Provider anticipates that the Index will
generally include between 40 and 60 companies. As of September 30, 2022, the
Index included the securities of 43 companies with minimum and maximum market
capitalizations of $75 million and $50 billion, respectively.
The
Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies
The
Fund generally expects to use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is
an indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Index in
approximately the same proportions as in the Index. However, the Fund may
utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the Index when a
replication strategy might be detrimental to shareholders, such as when there
are practical difficulties or substantial costs involved in compiling a
portfolio of equity securities to follow the Index, in instances in which a
security in the Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid,
or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Index.
Under
normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus
borrowings for investment purposes, in Core tier companies or companies that
derive a majority of their revenues or profits from, or invest a majority of
their assets in, technologies (including their equipment and directly related
services) for marine or ocean decarbonization
(the
“80% Policy”). The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers
and other financial organizations. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed
33 1/3% of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). By
lending its securities, the Fund may increase its income by receiving payments
from the borrower. The Fund rebalances its portfolio in accordance with its
Index, and, therefore, any changes to the Index’s rebalance schedule will result
in corresponding changes to the Fund’s rebalance schedule.
Correlation:
Correlation
is the extent to which the values of different types of investments move in
tandem with one another in response to changing economic and market conditions.
An index is a theoretical financial calculation, while the Fund is an actual
investment portfolio. The performance of the Fund and the Index may vary
somewhat due to transaction costs, asset valuations, foreign currency
valuations, market impact, corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs),
legal restrictions or limitations, illiquid or unavailable securities, and
timing variances.
The
Fund’s investment adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the
Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed
95%. A correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the
Fund uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation
to the Index than if it uses a representative sampling strategy.
Industry
Concentration: The
Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e.,
hold 25% or more of its net assets) in a particular industry or group of related
industries to approximately the same extent that the Index is concentrated. As
of September 30, 2022, the Index was concentrated in companies in the
industrials industry group.
Principal
Risks
As with all
funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could
lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’
investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC
or any government agency.
Associated
Risk of Investing in Decarbonization Companies:
The underlying Index’s decarbonization criteria, and thus the Fund’s investment
strategy, limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to
the Fund, and, as a result, the Fund’s returns may be lower than other funds
that do not seek to invest in companies based on decarbonization criteria. In
addition, decarbonization investing may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain
companies or industries and the Fund will forgo certain investment opportunities
that
are screened out of the decarbonization methodology. Finally, some of the
companies are developing new technologies that have not yet achieved full
commercialization.
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 such as
political, market and economic developments, as well as events that impact
specific issuers. Additionally, natural or environmental disasters, widespread
disease or other public health issues, war, acts of terrorism or other events
could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
The
remaining risks are presented in alphabetical order. Each risk summarized below
is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the
order in which it appears.
Concentration
Risk: The
Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to
the extent the Index is so concentrated. To the extent the Fund invests more
heavily in particular industries, groups of industries, or sectors of the
economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that
significantly affect those industries, groups of industries, or sectors of the
economy, and the value of Fund shares may rise and fall more than the value of
shares that invest in securities of companies in a broader range of industries
or sectors.
Cybersecurity
Risk.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser, the
Sub-Adviser and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial
intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally,
cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Fund’s other service providers, market makers,
Authorized Participants (“APs”), the Fund’s primary listing exchange, or the
issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to disrupt and
negatively affect the Fund’s business operations, including the ability to
purchase and sell Fund Shares, potentially resulting in financial losses to the
Fund and its shareholders.
ETF
Risks:
Absence
of an Active Market: Although
the Fund’s shares are approved for listing on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the
“Exchange”), there can be no assurance that an active trading market will
develop and be maintained for Fund shares. There can be no assurance that the
Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the
Fund may experience greater tracking error to its Index than it otherwise would
at higher asset levels or the Fund may ultimately liquidate.
Authorized
Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers
Concentration: 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 net asset value (“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.
Cash
Transactions:
While not likely, the Fund may effect its creations and redemptions primarily
for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Paying redemption proceeds in cash
rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the
Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments at an inopportune time to
obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the
Fund to incur certain costs such as brokerage costs, and to recognize gains or
losses that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a
result, the Fund may pay out higher or lower annual capital gains distributions
than ETFs that redeem in-kind. In addition, the costs imposed on the Fund will
decrease the Fund’s NAV unless the costs are offset by a transaction fee payable
by an AP.
Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares: Investors
buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage
commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker.
Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant
proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts
of shares.
Fluctuation
of NAV: The
NAV of Fund shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of
the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of shares will generally
fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of
shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade
below, at or above their NAV. During periods of unusual volatility or market
disruptions, market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the
market value of the Fund’s securities holdings or the NAV of Fund shares. As a
result, investors in the Fund may pay significantly more or receive
significantly less for Fund shares than the value of the Fund’s underlying
securities or the NAV of Fund shares.
Market
Trading:
An investment in the Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the
potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in
secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the
creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of these factors, among others, may
lead to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV.
Trading
Issues:
Although
Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance
that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained.
Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons
that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. There can
be no assurance that the requirements of
the
Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met
or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at
all. Further, secondary markets may be subject to erratic trading activity, wide
bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods in times of market stress
because market makers and APs may step away from making a market in Fund shares
and in executing creation and redemption orders, which could cause a material
deviation in the Fund’s market price from its NAV.
Foreign
Investment Risk:
Returns on investments in foreign stocks could be more volatile than, or trail
the returns on, investments in U.S. stocks. Since foreign exchanges may be open
on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in
the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign
exchanges are closed. 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. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more
volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Currency
Risk:
Indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk
that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency
rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of
time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the
imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or
abroad.
Depositary
Receipts Risk:
The
Fund may invest in depositary receipts. Investment in ADRs and GDRs may be less
liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many
of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile and
less liquid than depositary receipts issued by companies in more developed
markets.
Foreign
Market and Trading Risk:
The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S.
markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight. Foreign markets
also may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the
Fund to buy and sell securities. These factors could result in a loss to the
Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an
attractive investment opportunity, or by causing Fund assets to be uninvested
for some period of time.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets directly in securities of
issuers based outside of the U.S., or in depositary receipts that represent such
securities. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks
that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as
risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic
instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to
investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly
available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also
be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting
and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.
Political
and Economic Risk:
The Fund is subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with
U.S. investments, meaning that political events, social and economic events and
natural disasters occurring in a country where the Fund invests could cause the
Fund’s investments in that country to experience gains or losses. The Fund also
could be unable to enforce its ownership rights or pursue legal remedies in
countries where it invests.
Privatization
Risk:
Several
foreign countries in which the Fund invests have begun a process of privatizing
certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be
re-nationalized.
Geographic
Investment Risk:
To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the
securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be
impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example,
political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic
policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in
surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s
performance. Currency developments or restrictions, political and social
instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted in significant
market volatility.
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 (the “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.
The
risk of investing in Europe may be heightened due to steps taken by the United
Kingdom (“UK”) to exit the EU. On January 31, 2020, the UK officially
withdrew from the EU and entered a transition period, which ended on December
31, 2020. On December 30, 2020, the EU and the UK signed the EU-UK Trade and
Cooperation Agreement (“TCA”), an agreement on the terms governing certain
aspects of the EU’s and the UK’s relationship following the end of the
transition period. Notwithstanding the TCA, following the transition period,
there is likely to be considerable uncertainty as to the UK’s post transition
framework.
The
impact on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be
significant, resulting in increased volatility and illiquidity, currency
fluctuations, impacts on arrangements for trading and on other existing
cross-border cooperation arrangements (whether economic, tax, fiscal, legal,
regulatory or otherwise), and in potentially lower growth for companies in the
UK, Europe and globally, which could have an adverse effect on the value of the
Fund’s investments. In addition, 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.
These events and the resulting market volatility may have an adverse effect on
the performance of the Fund.
Management
Risk: While
the Fund is not actively managed, the Fund is subject to the risks associated
with decisions made by the Fund’s investment adviser if the Fund utilizes a
representative sampling strategy or to the extent the Fund’s investment adviser
makes decisions regarding the investment of collateral from securities on loan.
Models
and Data Risk: The
Index relies heavily on proprietary 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 by the Index made in reliance thereon
expose the Fund to potential risks as the Fund tracks the Index.
Natural
Disaster/Epidemic Risk:
Natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods,
hurricanes, tsunamis and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and
widespread disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and may be
highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual
companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation
rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value
of the Fund’s investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global
economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are
increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign
exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. Any such events could have
a significant adverse impact on the value of the Fund’s investments.
New
Fund Risk: The
Fund is a recently organized investment company with limited operating history.
As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on
which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the Fund
will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.
Non-Diversification
Risk:
Because the
Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in
the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a
diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment in a
single issuer or a small number of issuers could cause the Fund’s overall value
to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified
portfolio. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and have a greater impact on
the Fund’s performance.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed and therefore would not sell an equity security
due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector,
unless that security is removed from the Index. Unlike with an actively managed
fund, the Fund’s investment adviser does not use techniques or defensive
strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility or to reduce the
impact of periods of market decline. This means that, based on market and
economic conditions, the Fund’s performance could be lower than other types of
funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market
opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline.
Securities
Lending Risk:
The Fund may engage in securities lending. The Fund may lose money if the
borrower of the loaned securities delays returning in a timely manner or fails
to return the loaned securities. Securities lending involves the risk that the
Fund could lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral
provided for loaned securities. In addition, the Fund bears the risk of loss in
connection with its investment of the cash collateral it receives from a
borrower. To the extent that the value or return of the Fund’s investment of the
cash collateral declines below the amount owed to the borrower, the Fund may
incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending the security.
Smaller
Companies Risk:
The Fund’s Index may be composed primarily of, or have significant exposure to,
securities of smaller companies. Smaller companies may be more vulnerable to
adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and
may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole.
The securities of smaller companies also are often traded in the
over-the-counter market and tend to be bought and sold less frequently and at
significantly lower trading volumes than the securities of larger companies. As
a result, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell a significant
amount of the securities of a smaller company without an adverse impact on the
price of the company’s securities, or the Fund may have to sell such securities
in smaller quantities over a longer period of time, which may increase the
Fund’s tracking error.
Tax
Risk:
To qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated
investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain diversification requirements
under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In particular,
the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the
acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets would be invested
in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5%
of the Fund’s assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding
voting securities are owned by the Fund. When the Index is concentrated in a
relatively small number of securities, it may not be possible for the Fund to
fully implement a replication strategy or a representative sampling strategy
while satisfying these diversification requirements. The Fund’s efforts to
satisfy the diversification requirements may cause the Fund’s return to deviate
from that of the Index, and the Fund’s efforts to replicate the Index may cause
it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the diversification requirements. If the
Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be
taxed in the same
manner
as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be
deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income.
Tracking
Error Risk:
The Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the
return of the Index. To the extent the Fund utilizes a sampling approach, it may
experience tracking error to a greater extent than if the Fund sought to
replicate the Index. In addition, in order to minimize the market impact of an
Index rebalance, the Fund may begin trading to effect the rebalance in advance
of the effective date of the rebalance and continue trading after the effective
date of the rebalance, which may contribute to tracking error.
Valuation
Risk: The sales price that the Fund could
receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security and
may differ from the value used by the Index, particularly for securities that
trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value
methodology. In addition, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio
may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the
Fund’s shares.
Performance
Information
The Fund is
new and therefore does not have performance history for a full calendar
year. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of
operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some
indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of
the Fund’s returns and comparing the Fund’s performance to a broad measure of
market performance. Updated performance information is available at
www.etfmg.com.
Investment
Adviser
ETF
Managers Group LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio
Managers
Samuel
R. Masucci, III, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, and Frank Vallario,
Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser, have been the Fund’s portfolio managers
since the Fund’s inception in September 2021.
Purchase
and Sale of Fund 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 (the “Deposit 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.etfmg.com.
Except
when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable
securities.
Tax
Information
The
distributions made by the Fund are taxable, and will be taxed 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. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a
tax-advantaged account may be subject to federal income tax. You should consult
your tax advisor about your specific tax situation.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its 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 the Fund’s 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.
Additional
Information about the Index
The
Index Provider is a collaboration between Marine Money, Inc., Breakwave Advisors
LLC, and Sea/Switch Partners. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the ETF
Managers Trust or the Fund’s adviser, distributor, or any of their respective
affiliates.
A
committee composed of staff of the Index Provider member organizations (the
“Committee”) is responsible for decisions regarding the composition of the Index
as well as any amendments to the rules. The future composition of the Index is
determined by the Committee via the rebalancing and reconstitution process on
the selection days according to the procedure outlined in the Index’s
methodology. The Committee shall also decide about the future composition of the
Index, if any extraordinary events should occur and the implementation of any
necessary adjustments. Members of the Committee can recommend changes to the
guidelines and submit them to the entire Committee for approval.
Additional
Information about the Fund’s Investment Objective and Strategies
The
Fund uses an “indexing” investment approach, and seeks to provide investment
results that, before fees and expenses, corresponds generally to the price and
yield performance of the Index. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s
ability to achieve a high correlation with the Index, including the degree to
which the Fund utilizes a sampling methodology. There can be no guarantee that
the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. The Fund’s investment
adviser (“Adviser”) may sell securities that are represented in the Index or
purchase securities not yet represented in the Index, in anticipation of their
removal from or addition to the Index. There may also be instances in which the
Adviser may choose to overweight securities in the Index, thus causing the Fund
to purchase or sell securities not in the Index, but which the Adviser believes
are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Index. The Fund will
not take defensive positions.
The
Fund may invest in securities that are not in the Fund’s Index to the extent
that the Fund’s Adviser believes that such investments should help the Fund’s
overall portfolio track its Index. The Fund will also concentrate its
investments (i.e.,
hold 25% or more of its net assets) in a particular industry or group of related
industries to approximately the same extent that the Index is concentrated.
The
Fund, as part of its securities lending program, may invest collateral in an
affiliated series of ETF Managers Trust, ETFMG Sit Ultra Short ETF (“Ultra Short
ETF”). ETF Managers Group LLC serves as the investment adviser to Ultra Short
ETF. Other investment companies, including Ultra Short ETF, in which the Fund
may invest cash collateral can be expected to incur fees and expenses for
operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees, which would be
in addition to those incurred by the Fund, and which, with respect to Ultra
Short ETF, will be received in full or in part by the Adviser.
The
Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment
policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon reasonable notice to
shareholders. Additionally, in accordance with rules under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Fund’s 80% Policy has been
adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without
shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Additional
Risk Information
The
following section provides additional information regarding the principal risks
identified under “Principal Risks” in the Fund’s summary.
Associated
Risk of Investing in Decarbonization Companies:
The underlying Index’s decarbonization criteria, and thus the Fund’s investment
strategy, limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to
the Fund, and, as a result, the Fund’s returns may be lower than other funds
that do not seek to invest in companies based on decarbonization criteria. In
addition, decarbonization investing may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain
companies or industries and the Fund will forgo certain investment opportunities
that are screened out of the decarbonization methodology. Finally, some of the
companies are developing new technologies that have not yet achieved full
commercialization.
Concentration
Risk: The
Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to
the extent the Index is so concentrated. To the extent the Fund invests more
heavily in particular industries, groups of industries, or sectors of the
economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that
significantly affect those industries, groups of industries, or sectors of the
economy, and the value of Fund shares may rise and fall more than the value of
shares that invest in securities of companies in a broader range of industries
or sectors.
Cybersecurity
Risk.
With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence
on computer systems to perform business and operational functions, funds (such
as the Fund) and their service providers may be prone to operational and
information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological
malfunctions. In general, cyber-attacks are deliberate, but unintentional events
may have similar effects. Cyber-attacks include, among others, stealing or
corrupting data maintained online or digitally, preventing legitimate users from
accessing information or services on a website, releasing confidential
information without authorization, and causing operational disruption.
Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund
assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser, and/or other
service providers (including custodians and financial intermediaries) to suffer
data breaches or data corruption. Additionally, cybersecurity failures or
breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Adviser, or the Fund’s other
service providers, market makers, APs, the Fund’s primary listing exchange, or
the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to disrupt
and negatively affect the Fund’s business operations, including the
ability
to purchase and sell Fund Shares, potentially resulting in financial losses to
the Fund and its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks or technical
malfunctions may interfere with the processing of shareholder or other
transactions, affect the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release
of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede
trading, cause reputational damage, and subject the Fund to regulatory fines,
penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and
additional compliance costs. Cyber-attacks or technical malfunctions may render
records of Fund assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund Shares,
and other data integral to the functioning of the Fund inaccessible or
inaccurate or incomplete. The Fund also may incur substantial costs for
cybersecurity risk management in order to prevent cyber incidents in the future.
The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a
result.
Equity
Market Risk:
An investment in the Fund involves risks of investing in equity securities, such
as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political
developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities
prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could
underperform other investments. Different types of equity securities tend to go
through cycles of out-performance and under-performance in comparison to the
general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to
factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and
debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have
generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with
the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks
issued by, the issuer. Additionally, natural or environmental disasters,
widespread disease or other public health issues, war, acts of terrorism or
other events could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
ETF
Risks:
Absence
of an Active Market Risk: Although
the Fund’s shares are approved for listing on the Exchange, there can be no
assurance that an active trading market will develop and be maintained for Fund
shares. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an
economically viable size, in which case the Fund may experience greater tracking
error to its Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels or the Fund
may ultimately liquidate.
APs,
Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs,
none of which are obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption
transactions. 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, there may be a significantly diminished trading market for Fund
shares and 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. The risks associated with limited APs may be
heightened in scenarios where APs have limited or diminished access to the
capital required to post collateral.
Cash
Transactions Risk:
While not likely, the Fund may effect its creations and redemptions primarily
for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Paying redemption proceeds in cash
rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the
fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments at an inopportune time to
obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the
Fund to incur certain costs such as brokerage costs, and to recognize gains or
losses that it might not have incurred if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a
result, the Fund may pay out higher or lower annual capital gains distributions
than ETFs that redeem in-kind. In addition, the costs imposed on the Fund will
decrease the Fund’ NAV unless the costs are offset by a transaction fee payable
by an AP.
Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares Risk: Investors
buying or selling the Fund’s shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage
commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by the applicable
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 that an investor is willing to pay for 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 is generally lower if the
Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the
Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further,
increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the
costs of buying or selling shares, 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.
Fluctuation
of NAV Risk: The
NAV of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market
value of the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of shares will
generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and
demand of shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether the Fund’s
shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in
large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary
trading market for shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the
same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Index trading
individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of the
Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during
periods of market volatility. While the creation/redemption
feature
is designed to make it likely that the Fund’s shares normally will trade close
to the Fund’s NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in
trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund’s NAV. As a result,
investors in the Fund may pay significantly more or receive significantly less
for Fund shares than the value of the Fund’s underlying securities or the NAV of
Fund shares. If an investor purchases the Fund’s shares at a time when the
market price is at a premium to the NAV of the shares or sells at a time when
the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the shares, then the investor
may sustain losses.
Market
Trading Risk:
An investment in the Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the
potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in
secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the
creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of these
factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares
trading at a premium or discount to NAV.
Trading
Issues Risk:
Although
the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no
assurance that an active trading market for such shares will be maintained.
Trading in the Fund’s 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 is subject to trading halts caused by
extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the 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 Fund shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings
in the market price of Fund shares. There can be no assurance that the
requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will
continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with
any volume, or at all. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of the
Fund’s shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying
portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than the Fund’s
shares, potentially causing the market price of the Fund’s shares to deviate
from their NAV.
Further,
secondary markets may be subject to erratic trading activity, wide bid/ask
spreads and extended trade settlement periods in times of market stress because
market makers and APs may step away from making a market in Fund shares and in
executing creation and redemption orders, which could cause a material deviation
in the Fund’s market price from its NAV. Decisions by market makers or APs
to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market
stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining
the relationship between the underlying value of the Fund’s portfolio securities
and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund
shares trading at a price which differs materially from NAV and also in greater
than normal intraday bid/ask spreads for Fund shares. During a “flash crash,”
the market prices of the Fund’s shares may decline suddenly and significantly.
Such a decline may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held
by the Fund. Flash crashes may cause APs and other market makers to limit or
cease trading in the Fund’s shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders
could suffer significant losses to the extent that they sell shares at these
temporarily low market prices.
Foreign
Investment Risk:
Returns on investments in foreign stocks could be more volatile than, or trail
the returns on, investments in U.S. stocks. Since foreign exchanges may be open
on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in
the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign
exchanges are closed. 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. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more
volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of
investments.
Currency
Risk:
Indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies subject the Fund to the risk
that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency
rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of
time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the
imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or
abroad. The Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars and,
therefore, the Fund may lose value if the local currency of a foreign market
depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of the
Fund’s holdings goes up.
Depositary
Receipts Risk:
The
Fund may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts include ADRs and
GDRs. ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of
foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies,
and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on
the underlying foreign shares. GDRs are depositary receipts which are similar to
ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by
international banks in one or more markets around the world. Investment in ADRs
and GDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading
market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may
be more volatile and less liquid than depositary receipts issued by companies in
more developed markets.
Depositary
receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Sponsored depositary receipts are
established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas
unsponsored depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without
participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of an unsponsored depositary
receipt generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the
unsponsored depositary receipt. In addition, the issuers of the securities
underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose
material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less
information
available
regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such
information and the market value of the depositary receipts.
Depositary
receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. The Fund’s investments also
may include ADRs and GDRs that are not purchased in the public markets and
are restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to “qualified
institutional buyers” under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. The Adviser will determine the liquidity of such investments pursuant
to guidelines established by the Board. If a particular investment in such ADRs
or GDRs is deemed illiquid, that investment will be included within the Fund’s
limitation on investment in illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market
conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund’s decision to sell
these types of ADRs or GDRs and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able
to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the
price that prevailed when it decided to sell.
Foreign
Market and Trading Risk:
The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S.
markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight. Foreign markets
also may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the
Fund to buy and sell securities. These factors could result in a loss to the
Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an
attractive investment opportunity, or by causing Fund assets to be uninvested
for some period of time. Where all or a part of the Fund’s underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the Exchange is open, there may be changes
between the last quotation from its closed foreign market and the value of such
securities during the Fund’s domestic trading day. This could lead to
differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the value of the
Fund’s underlying securities.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund invests in foreign securities, including non-U.S. dollar-denominated
securities traded outside of the United States and U.S. dollar-denominated
securities of foreign issuers traded in the United States. Investment in foreign
securities may involve higher costs than investment in U.S. securities,
including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of
additional taxes by foreign governments. Foreign investments may also involve
risks associated with the level of currency exchange rates, less complete
financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity, more market
volatility and political instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements
applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. Future political and economic
developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on dividend income,
the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible
establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency,
or the adoption of other governmental restrictions might adversely affect an
investment in foreign securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject
to less stringent regulation, and to different accounting, auditing and
recordkeeping requirements.
Political
and Economic Risk:
The Fund is subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with
U.S. investments, meaning that political events (civil unrest, national
elections, changes in political conditions and foreign relations, imposition of
exchange controls and repatriation restrictions), social and economic events
(labor strikes, rising inflation) and natural disasters occurring in a country
where the Fund invests could cause the Fund’s investments in that country to
experience gains or losses. The Fund also could be unable to enforce its
ownership rights or pursue legal remedies in countries where it invests.
Privatization
Risk:
Some countries in which the Fund invests have begun a process of privatizing
certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be
re-nationalized.
Risks
Related to Investing in Europe:
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.
The
European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse
trends due to concerns about rising government debt levels of several European
countries, including Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal. These events
have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to
significantly affect every country in Europe. For some countries, the ability to
repay sovereign debt is in question, and default is possible, which could affect
their ability to borrow in the future. For example, Greece has been required to
impose harsh austerity measures on its population to receive financial aid from
the International Monetary Fund and EU member countries. These
austerity measures have also led to social uprisings within Greece, as citizens
have protested – at times violently – the actions of their government. The
persistence of these factors may seriously reduce the economic performance of
Greece and pose serious risks for the country’s economy in the future.
Furthermore, there is the possibility of contagion that could occur if one
country defaults on its debt, and that a default in one country could trigger
declines and possible additional defaults in other countries in the region.
Responses
to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others,
including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social
unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other
unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and
other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies,
financial markets, and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or
more countries may abandon the euro, the common currency of the EU, and/or
withdraw from the EU alongside the UK, as discussed below. The impact of these
actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but
could be significant and far-reaching.
The
risk of investing in Europe may be heightened due to steps taken by the United
Kingdom (“UK”) to exit the EU. On January 31, 2020, the UK officially withdrew
from the EU and entered a transition period, which ended on December 31, 2020.
On December 30, 2020, the EU and the UK signed the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation
Agreement (“TCA”), an agreement on the terms governing certain aspects of the
EU’s and the UK’s relationship following the end of the transition period.
Notwithstanding the TCA, following the transition period, there is likely to be
considerable uncertainty as to the UK’s post transition framework. The impact on
the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be
significant, resulting in increased volatility and illiquidity, currency
fluctuations, impacts on arrangements for trading and on other existing
cross-border cooperation arrangements (whether economic, tax, fiscal, legal,
regulatory or otherwise), and in potentially lower growth for companies in the
UK, Europe and globally, which could have an adverse effect on the value of the
Fund’s investments. In addition, 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.
These events and the resulting market volatility may have an adverse effect on
the performance of the Fund.
Geographic
Investment Risk:
To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the
securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be
impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example,
political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic
policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in
surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s
performance. Currency developments or restrictions, political and social
instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted in significant
market volatility.
Management
Risk: While
the Fund is not actively managed, the Fund is subject to the risks associated
with decisions made by the Adviser if the Fund utilizes a representative
sampling strategy or to the extent the Adviser makes decisions regarding the
investment of collateral from securities on loan.
Models
and Data Risk:
When models and data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in
reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks as the Fund tracks the
Index. For example, by relying on models and data, the Index, and consequently
the Fund, may add or remove certain investments at prices that are too high or
too low or to miss favorable opportunities altogether.
Models
may have aspects that are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has
inherent risks. For example, such models may incorrectly forecast future
behavior, leading to potential losses on a cash flow and/or a mark-to-market
basis. In addition, in unforeseen or certain low-probability scenarios (often
involving a market disruption of some kind), such models may produce unexpected
results, which can result in losses for the Fund. Furthermore, because
predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by
third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend heavily on the
accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data.
All
models rely on correct market data inputs. If incorrect market data is entered
into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect.
However, even if market data is input correctly, “model prices” will often
differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex
characteristics, such as derivative instruments.
Natural
Disaster/Epidemic Risk:
Natural
or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes,
tsunamis and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and widespread
disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and may be highly
disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies,
sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit
ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s
investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and
markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to
adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other
countries, including the U.S. Any such events could have a significant adverse
impact on the value of the Fund’s investments.
New
Fund Risk: The
Fund is a recently organized investment company with limited operating history.
As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on
which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the Fund
will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.
Non-Diversification
Risk:
Because
the Fund is “non-diversified,” the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its
assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if
it was a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment
in a single issuer or a small number of issuers could cause the Fund’s overall
value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified
portfolio. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and have a greater impact on
the Fund’s performance.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed. Therefore, unless a specific security is
removed from the Fund’s Index, the Fund generally would not sell a security
because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. If a specific security
is removed
from
the Fund’s Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune
time or for a price other than the security’s current market value. An
investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any
equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by
such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates
and perceived trends in security prices. It is anticipated that the value of the
Fund’s shares will decline, more or less, in correspondence with any decline in
value of the Fund’s Index. The Index may not contain the appropriate mix of
securities for any particular economic cycle, and the timing of movements from
one type of security to another in seeking to replicate the Index could have a
negative effect on the Fund. Unlike with an actively managed fund, the Adviser
does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects
of market volatility or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. This
means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund’s performance
could be lower than other types of funds that may actively shift their portfolio
assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a
market decline.
Securities
Lending Risk:
The Fund may engage in securities lending. The Fund may lose money if the
borrower of the loaned securities delays returning in a timely manner or fails
to return the loaned securities. Securities lending involves the risk that the
Fund could lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral
provided for loaned securities. In addition, the Fund bears the risk of loss in
connection with its investment of the cash collateral it receives from a
borrower. When the Fund invests cash collateral in other investment companies,
such investments of cash collateral will be subject to substantially the same
risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such
investment companies. To the extent that the value or return of the Fund’s
investment of the cash collateral declines below the amount owed to the
borrower, the Fund may incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending
the security. The Fund may borrow money to repay the applicable borrower the
amount of cash collateral owed to the borrower upon return of the loaned
securities. This will result in financial leverage, which may cause the Fund to
be more volatile because financial leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of
any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
Smaller
Companies Risk:
The Fund’s Index may be composed primarily of, or have significant exposure to,
securities of smaller companies. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the
risk that securities of smaller companies represented in the Index may
underperform securities of larger companies or the equity market as a whole. In
addition, in comparison to securities of companies with larger capitalizations,
securities of smaller-capitalization companies may experience more price
volatility, greater spreads between their bid and ask prices, less frequent
trading, significantly lower trading volumes, and cyclical or static growth
prospects. As a result of the differences between the securities of smaller
companies and those of companies with larger capitalizations, it may be more
difficult for the Fund to buy or sell a significant amount of the securities of
a smaller company without an adverse impact on the price of the company’s
securities, or the Fund may have to sell such securities in smaller quantities
over a longer period of time, which may increase the Fund’s tracking error.
Smaller-capitalization companies often have limited product lines, markets or
financial resources, and may therefore be more vulnerable to adverse
developments than larger capitalization companies. These securities may or may
not pay dividends.
Tax
Risk:
To qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated
investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain diversification requirements
under the Code. In particular, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if,
as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets
would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested
more than 5% of the Fund’s assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose
outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. When the Index is
concentrated in a relatively small number of securities, it may not be possible
for the Fund to fully implement a replication strategy or a representative
sampling strategy while satisfying these diversification requirements. The
Fund’s efforts to satisfy the diversification requirements may cause the Fund’s
return to deviate from that of the Index, and the Fund’s efforts to replicate
the Index may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the diversification
requirements.
If
the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be
taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its
shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable
income. Distributions to the Fund’s shareholders would generally be taxed as
ordinary dividends. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a
failure to qualify as a regulated investment company, but in order to do so the
Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of
certain assets. Relief is provided for certain de
minimis
failures of the diversification requirements where the Fund corrects the failure
within a specified period. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated
investment company in any taxable year, the Fund would be required to pay out
its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify for
treatment as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year. If the Fund
failed to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than
two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to pay the Fund-level
tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a
disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a regulated
investment company in a subsequent year.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error refers to the risk that the Adviser may not be able to cause the
Fund’s performance to match or correlate to that of the Fund’s Index, either on
a daily or aggregate basis. There are a number of factors that may contribute to
the Fund’s tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between
the Fund’s investments and those of the Index, rounding of share prices, changes
to the composition of the Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio
turnover rate. In addition, mathematical compounding may prevent the Fund from
correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of
the Index. In addition, in order to minimize the market impact of the Index
rebalance, the Fund may begin trading to effect the rebalance in advance of the
effective date of the rebalance and continue trading after the effective date of
the rebalance. This may
contribute
to tracking error if the weights of the Fund’s portfolio securities diverge from
the weights of the securities in the Index during the rebalancing. Tracking
error in such circumstances may be greater if the Fund is trading in securities
that are less liquid or lightly traded. Tracking error may cause the Fund’s
performance to be less than expected.
Valuation
Risk:
The sales price that the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the
Fund’s valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the
Index, particularly for securities that trade in low volume or volatile markets
or that are valued using a fair value methodology. In addition, the value of the
securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not
be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.
Portfolio
Holdings
Information
about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings will be available at www.etfmg.com. A
summarized description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the
disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement
of Additional Information (“SAI”).
Fund
Management
Adviser.
ETF
Managers Group LLC, the investment adviser to the Fund, is a Delaware
limited liability company located at 30 Maple Street, 2nd
Floor, Summit, New Jersey 07901. The Adviser provides investment advisory
services to exchange-traded funds. The Adviser serves as investment adviser to
the Fund with overall responsibility for the day-to-day portfolio management of
the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Board. For its services, the Adviser
receives a fee that is equal to 0.75% per annum of the average daily net assets
of the Fund, calculated daily and paid monthly.
Under
the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has overall responsibility for
the general management and administration of the Fund and arranges for transfer
agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending, and all other
non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate.
Additionally, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to
pay all expenses of the Fund, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant
to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, 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 (such
as, among other things and subject to Board approval, certain proxy solicitation
costs and non-standard Board-related expenses and litigation against the Board,
Trustees, Fund, Adviser, and officers of the Adviser), and distribution (12b-1)
fees and expenses (collectively, “Excluded Expenses”).
A
discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment
Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report
to Shareholders for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2021.
Manager
of Managers Structure.
The Adviser and the Trust have received an exemptive order (the “Order”) from
the SEC that permits the Adviser to enter into investment sub-advisory
agreements with sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The
Adviser, subject to the review and approval of the Board, may select one or more
sub-advisers for the Fund and supervise, monitor and evaluate the performance of
each sub-adviser.
The
Order also permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, to replace
sub-advisers and amend investment sub-advisory agreements, including fees,
without shareholder approval whenever the Adviser and the Board believe such
action will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Adviser thus has the
ultimate responsibility (subject to the ultimate oversight of the Board) to
recommend the hiring and replacement of sub-advisers as well as the discretion
to terminate any sub-adviser and reallocate the Fund’s assets for management
among any other sub-adviser(s) and itself. This means that the Adviser may be
able to reduce the sub-advisory fees and retain a larger portion of the
management fee, or increase the sub-advisory fees and retain a smaller portion
of the management fee. The Adviser will compensate each sub-adviser out of its
management fee. The Fund is required to provide shareholders with certain
information regarding any new sub-adviser within 90 days of the hiring of any
new sub-adviser. Such information generally includes the information that would
have been provided to shareholders in the form of a proxy statement in the
absence of the Order.
The
Adviser’s reliance on such Order with respect to the Fund is contingent on the
holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities approving the
Fund’s use of a manager of managers structure and the Adviser’s reliance on such
Order. Prior to the date of this Prospectus, shareholders of the Fund approved
the use by the Fund of a manager of managers structure and the Adviser’s
reliance on such Order.
Portfolio
Managers
The
Fund’s portfolio managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Fund. The portfolio managers are responsible for various
functions related to portfolio management, including, but not limited to,
investing cash inflows, implementing investment strategy, researching and
reviewing investment strategy.
The
Fund is managed by Samuel R. Masucci, III, Chief Executive Officer of the
Adviser, and Frank Vallario, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser.
Samuel
Masucci, III has more than 25 years’ experience in investment banking,
structured product development, sales and trading. He founded ETF Managers Group
(ETFMG) in 2014. Prior to ETFMG he has held senior positions at Bear Stearns,
UBS, SBC Warburg, and Merrill Lynch and has experience in creating, building and
managing businesses for the issuance, sales and trading of: ETFs, index
products, commodity products, hedge funds, ABS, and OTC structured products in
the U.S. and Europe.
Frank
Vallario serves in the role of Chief Investment Officer for the Adviser. Mr.
Vallario is responsible for the portfolio construction, trading, risk management
and portfolio analysis processes associated with ETF strategies. Prior to his
current role at the Adviser, Mr. Vallario has had a variety of senior roles
over his 25-year career in financial services. He joined Oppenheimer Funds in
2017 where he was Head of Equity Portfolio Management for Smart Beta ETFs. Prior
to that he was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Threadneedle from
September 2015 to June 2017 where he was responsible for the day to day
management of the firm’s ETF business, which was acquired from his previous
firm, Emerging Global Advisors (EGA). From September 2010 to September 2015, he
was relationship manager at MSCI responsible for providing investment solutions
to complex problems using MSCI Barra’s fundamental models and portfolio
construction tools. Previously, he was a partner in a start-up asset management
firm where he served as the director of portfolio management. Mr. Vallario
began his career at UBS Global Asset Management where he spent over a decade in
various quantitative portfolio management equity roles including equity market
neutral, tactical asset allocation, structured active equities, enhanced index,
passive management and factor research. Mr. Vallario served on the
Investment Committee for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut and was a University
Affiliate at the University of Utah – David Eccles School of Business. He
received a B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University and a M.B.A. with a
concentration in Finance from Rutgers University.
The
SAI provides additional information about each Portfolio Manager’s compensation,
other accounts managed, and ownership of the Fund’s shares.
Buying
and Selling the Fund
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may
acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for
redemption directly to the 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
has been accepted by the 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.
The
Fund’s shares are listed for secondary trading on the Exchange. When you buy or
sell the Fund’s shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the
market price. You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may
pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the
secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.
The shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying
degrees from the daily NAV of the shares. The Exchange is generally open Monday
through Friday and is closed weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s
Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas
Day.
NAV
per share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of
the Fund (i.e.,
the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by its total number of
shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including management and distribution
fees, if any, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of
determining NAV. NAV is determined each business day, normally as of the close
of regular trading of the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern
time).
When
determining NAV, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities is based on market
prices of the securities, which generally means a valuation obtained from an
exchange or other market (or based on a price quotation or other equivalent
indication of the value supplied by an exchange or other market) or a valuation
obtained from an independent pricing service. If a security’s market price is
not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of
the security, the security will be valued by another method that the Adviser
believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Adviser’s
valuation policies and procedures. The Board has designated the Adviser as the
“valuation designee” for the Fund under Rule 2a-5 of the 1940 Act, subject to
its oversight. Fair value pricing may be used in a variety of circumstances,
including, but not limited to, situations when the value of a security in the
Fund’s portfolio has been materially affected by events occurring after the
close of the market on which the security is principally traded but prior to the
close of the Exchange (such as in the case of a corporate action or other news
that may materially affect the price of a security) or trading in a security has
been suspended or halted. Accordingly, the Fund’s NAV may reflect certain
portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices.
Fair
value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value
determination for a security will materially differ from the value that could be
realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could
result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and
the prices used by the Index. This may result in a difference between the Fund’s
performance and the performance of the Index.
The
Fund invests in non-U.S. securities. Non-U.S. securities held by the Fund may
trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares. As a
result, the Fund’s NAV may change on days when Authorized Participants will not
be able to purchase or redeem Fund shares.
Frequent
Purchases and Redemptions of the Fund’s Shares
Unlike
frequent trading of shares of a traditional open-end mutual fund’s (i.e.,
not exchange-traded) shares, frequent trading of shares of the Fund on the
secondary market does not disrupt portfolio management, increase the Fund’s
trading costs, lead to realization of capitalization gains, or otherwise harm
the Fund’s shareholders because these trades do not involve the Fund directly.
Certain institutional investors are authorized to purchase and redeem the Fund’s
shares directly with the Fund. Because these trades are effected in-kind
(i.e.,
for securities, and not for cash), they do not cause any of the harmful effects
noted above that may result from frequent cash trades. Moreover, the Fund
imposes transaction fees on in-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units
to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting in-kind
trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole
for Creation Units, reflecting the fact that the Fund’s trading costs increase
in those circumstances. For these reasons, the Board has determined that it is
not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter frequent
trading and market-timing in shares of the Fund.
Dividends,
Distributions, and Taxes
Fund
Distributions
The
Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, quarterly and distribute any net
realized capital gains to its shareholders annually.
Dividend
Reinvestment Service
Brokers
may make available to their customers who own the Fund’s shares the DTC
book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used,
dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be
reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund. Without this service,
investors would receive their distributions in cash. In order to achieve the
maximum total return on their investments, investors are encouraged to use the
dividend reinvestment service. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment
service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using
this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require the Fund’s shareholders
to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available
and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be
automatically reinvested in additional whole shares issued by the Fund at NAV
per share.
Tax
Information
The
following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its
shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by
legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this
summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the
tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. The summary is very general, and
does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold
shares through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-deferred account. More information
about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser
regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.
Tax
Status of the Fund
The
Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to
qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies
under the Code. As long as the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company,
it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.
Tax
Status of Distributions
•The
Fund will, for each year, distribute substantially all of its net investment
income and net capital gains.
•The
Fund’s distributions from income will generally be taxed to you as ordinary
income or qualified dividend income. For non-corporate shareholders, dividends
reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income are generally eligible for
reduced tax rates.
•Corporate
shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion
of dividends they receive that are attributable to dividends received by the
Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. The Fund’s
strategies may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the
dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.
•Any
distributions of net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term
capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) that you receive from the
Fund are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have
owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are currently taxed to non-corporate
shareholders at reduced maximum rates.
•Dividends
and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash
or in additional shares through a broker’s dividend reinvestment service. If you
receive dividends or distributions in the form of additional shares through a
broker’s dividend reinvestment service, you will be required to pay applicable
federal, state or local taxes on the reinvested dividends but you will not
receive a corresponding cash distribution with which to pay any applicable
tax.
•The
Fund may be able to pass through to you foreign tax credits for certain taxes
paid by the Fund, provided the Fund meets certain requirements.
•Distributions
paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the
previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year.
•The
Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified
dividend income, foreign tax credits and net capital gain distributions received
from the Fund shortly after the close of each calendar year.
Taxes
on Exchange-Listed Share Sales. Any
capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares will generally be treated as
long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one
year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one
year or less, except that any capital loss on the sale of shares held for six
months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of
amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gains to the shareholder
with respect to such shares.
Investment
in Foreign Securities.
The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income it may earn from
investing in foreign securities, which may reduce the return on such
investments. In addition, the Fund’s investments in foreign securities or
foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary
income and may affect the timing or amount of its distributions. The Fund may be
eligible to file an election that would permit shareholders who are U.S.
citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or
deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns for their pro rata
portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of
foreign securities held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code.
For the purposes of the foreign tax credit, each such shareholder would include
in gross income from foreign sources its pro rata share of such taxes. Certain
limitations imposed by the Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full
foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of such taxes.
Medicare
Tax. U.S.
individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing
jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net
investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including
capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares). This 3.8% tax also
applies to all or a portion of the net investment income of certain shareholders
that are estates and trusts which the estate or trust has not distributed to its
beneficiaries.
Non-U.S.
Investors. If
you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, the Fund’s
ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding
tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively
connected with a U.S. trade or business. This 30% withholding tax generally will
not apply to distributions of net capital gain.
Distributions
paid to a shareholder that is a “foreign financial institution” as defined in
Section 1471 of the Code and that does not meet the requirements imposed on
foreign financial institutions by Section 1471 will generally be subject to
withholding tax at a 30% rate. Distributions to a non-U.S. shareholder that is
not a foreign financial institution will generally be subject to such
withholding tax if the shareholder fails to make certain required
certifications. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding
described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement
between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the
applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
Backup
Withholding. The
Fund or your broker will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup
withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided
either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is
subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to
properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to
certify that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or
(4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a
U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup
withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to
the 30% withholding tax applicable to shareholders who are neither citizens nor
residents of the United States.
Distribution
The
Distributor, ETFMG Financial LLC, an affiliate of the Adviser, is a
broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The
Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does
not maintain a secondary market in the Fund’s shares. The Distributor has no
role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are
purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal business address is
30 Maple Street, 2nd
Floor, Summit, New Jersey 07901.
The
Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act with respect to the Fund. In accordance with the
Plan, the 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 Fund, 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 the Fund’s assets, over time these fees
will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain
other types of sales charges.
Fund
Service Providers
Sullivan
& Worcester LLP, 1666 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as legal
counsel to the Fund.
WithumSmith
+ Brown, PC, with offices located at 1411 Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, New
York 10018, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.
The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing
the annual financial statements of the Fund.
Index/Trademark
Licenses/Disclaimers
Marine
Transformation Partners LLC (“MTP”) creates and manages financial indexes,
including the Marine Money Decarbonization Index, pursuant to a mutual licensing
agreement with International Marketing Strategies, Inc., publisher of Marine
Money. Breakwave Advisors LLC is a member of MTP. MTP has licensed the Marine
Money Decarbonization Index and Breakwave trademarks (the “Trademarks”) to the
Adviser for use in connection with the Fund. The Index is calculated and
maintained by Solactive AG (the “Calculation Agent”). The Decarbonization ETF is
not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MTP or its Calculation Agent. MTP
and the Calculation Agent make no representation regarding the advisability of
trading in such products. MTP has entered into a licensing and marketing support
agreement with Exchange Traded Managers Group LLC (“ETFMG”), the parent company
of the Adviser (the “MTP Agreement”). Pursuant to the MTP Agreement, MTP has
agreed to (i) license the Trademarks for the use of the Adviser; (ii) consult
with the Adviser and prepare educational materials, research materials, and
updates on regulation of the global shipping technology ecosystem; and (iii)
provide support in connection with phone calls, appearances, and written content
relating to the marketing of the Fund (the “Services”). In exchange for the
Services, the Adviser, from the management fee it receives from the Fund, will
share certain profits with MTP. MTP will also assume the obligation of the
Adviser to pay certain expenses of the Fund. Although MTP has agreed to be
responsible for the payment of certain expenses of the Fund, the Adviser retains
the ultimate obligation to the Fund to pay such expenses.
MTP
AND THE CALCULATION AGENT DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS
OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND THEY SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR
ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. MTP AND THE CALCULATION AGENT
MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE
ADVISER, OWNERS OR USERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE
OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. MTP AND THE CALCULATION AGENT MAKE NO
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE
INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO
EVENT SHALL MTP OR THE CALCULATION AGENT HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL,
PUNITIVE, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF
NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. The Fund is not sponsored,
endorsed, sold or promoted by MTP or the Calculation Agent. MTP and the
Calculation Agent make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the
owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of
investing in securities generally or in the Fund in particular or the ability of
the Index to track general stock market performance. The Index is determined,
composed and calculated by MTP or its Calculation Agent without regard to the
Adviser or the Fund. MTP and the Calculation Agent have no obligation to take
the needs of the Adviser or the owners of the Fund into consideration in
determining, composing or calculating the Index. MTP and the Calculation Agent
are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the
prices and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund
or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is
converted into cash. MTP and the Calculation Agent have no obligation or
liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the
Fund.
Shares
of the Trust 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 of the Fund. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it
participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of
the shares of the Fund to be issued, or 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 of the Fund in
connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of the
Fund. 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 and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to
the owners of shares of the Fund or any members of the public regarding the
advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund
particularly.
Premium/Discount
Information
Information
regarding the number of days the Fund’s market price was a price above
(i.e.,
at a premium) or below (i.e.,
at a discount) its NAV for the most recently completed calendar year and the
most recently completed calendar quarters since that year, are provided, free of
charge, on the Fund’s website at www.etfmg.com.
Litigation
The
Trust, the Adviser, and certain officers and affiliated persons of the Adviser
(together with the Adviser, the “Adviser Defendants”) were named as defendants
in an action filed December 21, 2021, in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Union
County, captioned PureShares,
LLC, d/b/a PureFunds et al. v. ETF Managers Group, LLC et al.,
Docket No. UNN-C-152-21 (the “NJ Action”). The NJ Action asserted breach of
contract and other tort claims and sought damages in unspecified amounts and
injunctive relief. On May 25, 2022, the court in the NJ Action dismissed with
prejudice all claims asserted against the Trust, as well as all contract claims
and all except one tort claim asserted against the Adviser
Defendants.
Financial
Highlights
The
financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s
financial performance for the period of the Fund’s operations. Certain
information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total
returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have gained (or
lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and
distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements
audited by WithumSmith+Brown, PC, an independent registered public accounting
firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in
the Fund’s Annual
Report
dated June 30, 2022, which is available upon request.
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS
For
a capital share outstanding throughout the period
For
the Period Ended June 30, 20221
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
Asset Value, Beginning Period |
|
|
|
|
|
| $ |
25.00 |
| |
Income
Loss from Investment Operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
investment income2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.13 |
| |
Net
realized and unrealized loss on investments |
|
|
|
|
|
| (5.54) |
| |
Total
from investment operations |
|
|
|
|
|
| (5.41) |
| |
Less
Distributions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
From
net investment income |
|
|
|
|
|
| (0.06) |
| |
Total
distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
| (0.06) |
| |
Net
asset value, end period |
|
|
|
|
|
| $ |
19.53 |
| |
Total
Return |
|
|
|
|
|
| -21.70 |
% |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Ratios/Supplemental
Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
assets at end of period (000’s) |
|
|
|
|
|
| $ |
1,953 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Expenses
to Average Net Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.75 |
% |
4 |
Net
Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.68 |
% |
4 |
Portfolio
Turnover Rate |
|
|
|
|
|
| 34 |
% |
3 |
1 The
Fund commenced operations on September 20, 2021.
2 Calculated
based on average shares outstanding during the period.
3 Not
annualized.
4 Annualized.
ETF
Managers Trust
30
Maple Street, 2nd
Floor
Summit,
New Jersey 07901
ANNUAL/SEMI-ANNUAL
REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
Additional
information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and
semi-annual reports to shareholders (when available). In the Fund’s annual
reports, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment
strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last
fiscal year.
STATEMENT
OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI)
The
SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated
by reference into, and is thus legally a part of, this Prospectus.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
To
request a free copy of the latest annual
or semi-annual report, when available, the SAI or to request additional
information about the Fund or to make other inquiries, please contact us as
follows:
Call: 1-844-383-6477
Monday
through Friday
8:30
a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Write: ETF
Managers Trust
30
Maple Street, 2nd
Floor
Summit,
New Jersey 07901
Visit: www.etfmg.com
INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Reports
and other information about the Fund are available in the EDGAR Database on the
SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this
information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the
following e-mail address: [email protected].
The
Trust’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-22310