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Filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2022
1933 Act Registration File No. 333-201530
1940 Act File No. 811-23024
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | [ | X | ] |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | | | [ | | ] |
Post-Effective Amendment No. | 86 | | [ | X | ] |
and/or
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | [ | X | ] |
Amendment No. | 88 | | [ | X | ] |
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
PACER FUNDS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
500 Chesterfield Parkway,
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (610) 644-8100
Joe M. Thomson, Chairman and President
Pacer Funds Trust
500 Chesterfield Parkway,
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
With Copies to:
John F. Ramirez
Practus, LLP
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310
Leawood, Kansas 66211
As soon as practical after the effective date of this Registration Statement
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
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[ | | ] | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
[ | X | ] | on February 28, 2022 pursuant to paragraph (b) |
[ | | ] | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
[ | | ] | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
[ | | ] | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
[ | | ] | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 |
PROSPECTUS
February 28, 2022
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USAI | Pacer American Energy Independence ETF |
Listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: *ARE NOT FDIC INSURED *MAY LOSE VALUE *ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED
Table of Contents
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Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | |
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SUMMARY SECTION
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Pacer American Energy Independence ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the American Energy Independence Index (the “Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | None |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs 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 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 year ended October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 22% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund employs a “passive management” (or indexing) investment approach designed to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index is based on a proprietary methodology developed by SL Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s Index Provider (the “Index Provider”) and the investment adviser to the Predecessor Fund (as defined below), which is not affiliated with the Fund, its distributor, or Pacer Advisors, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).
The Index
The Index uses a proprietary, rules-based methodology to measure the performance of a portfolio of U.S. and Canadian exchange-listed equity securities of companies that generate a majority of their cash flow from certain qualifying “midstream” energy infrastructure activities. The companies in the Index are expected to benefit from regulatory policies favoring and industry trends toward American energy independence (i.e., a reduced or eliminated need for the United States to import fuels, such as coal, crude oil, or natural gas).
Midstream energy infrastructure refers to the processing, storage, transportation, and distribution of crude oil, natural gas, refined products, and their related products, as well as the transmission or storage of renewable energy. The following activity segments are considered qualifying midstream energy infrastructure activities: gathering & processing, compression, fractionation, logistics, midstream services, pipeline transportation, storage and terminaling of oil, gas, natural gas liquids, and refined products, as well as operating liquid natural gas facilities. The following activity segments are not qualifying activities: refining, shipping, exploration, production, retail distribution, or oil services. The Index may include small-, mid-, and large-capitalization companies.
The Index includes securities across the following categories of midstream companies. Such categories and the “weight” (defined as the percentage of the total Index) assigned to each category at the time of each rebalance of the Index are as follows:
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U.S. & Canadian Midstream Companies (80%)
| U.S.- or Canadian-listed companies that (i) have their principal place of business in the United States or Canada, (ii) elect to be treated as a corporation for U.S. or Canadian federal income tax purposes, and (iii) generate a majority of their cash flow or revenue from midstream energy infrastructure related activities. |
U.S. Midstream MLPs* (20%)
| U.S.-listed Midstream MLPs that (i) have their principal place of business in the United States, (ii) elect to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (iii) do not pay incentive distribution rights (“IDRs”), and (iv) are not affiliates of MLP GPs that are owned in the Index. |
* If an MLP that would be included in the Index has a tracking stock that is a corporation or elects to be taxed as a corporation, then such tracking stock will be included in the Index in place of the MLP and will use the MLP’s adjusted market capitalization for calculating its weight.
MLPs are publicly traded partnerships that receive at least 90% of their income from certain qualifying sources, such as natural resource-based midstream energy infrastructure activities. The equity interests, or units, of an MLP trade on public securities exchanges exactly like the shares of a corporation, without entity level taxation. An MLP typically consists of a general partner and limited partners. The operations and management of the MLP are controlled by the general partner, and the general partner typically has an ownership stake in the MLP and may have certain preferential rights to income from the MLP, such as IDRs. IDRs provide their owner with a larger share of the aggregate cash distributions made by a company once such distributions increase to certain specified levels and are designed to provide the holder of the IDRs with a strong incentive to increase the MLP’s aggregate cash distributions.
At the time of each quarterly rebalance of the Index, each company meeting the Index’s criteria for the above categories is included in the Index, provided that the company has a minimum market capitalization of $500 million.
The Index is rebalanced quarterly, effective on the last trading day of each calendar quarter. Within each of the above categories, Index constituents are weighted based on their free-float market capitalization (i.e., market capitalization based on the number of shares available to the public), subject to the following constraints as of the time of each rebalance. Each individual Index constituent is limited to a weight of 7.25%, and any excess weight is redistributed equally among the other companies in the same category first and then to the remaining companies as needed.
Additionally, the aggregate weight of companies with individual weights greater than 5% (“5% Companies”) may not exceed 45% as of the time of each rebalance. If the aggregate weight of the 5% Companies would exceed 45%, the excess weight will be redistributed proportionally to companies with a weight of less than 4.25%. If at the time of a rebalance a company’s weight would be between 4.25% and 5%, the company’s weight will be reduced to 4.25% and the excess redistributed to companies in the same category with a weight of less than 4.25%.
As of January 31, 2022, the Index included securities of 32 companies. The Index was developed by the Index Provider in 2017 in anticipation of the commencement of operations of the Predecessor Fund (as defined below).
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the component securities that make up the Index. The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better. The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportion as in the Index. The Fund is non-diversified and therefore may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a single company than diversified funds.
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index. The Index, and consequently the Fund, is expected to generally be concentrated in midstream energy infrastructure companies.
Principal Investment Risks
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per Share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Calculation Methodology Risk. The Index relies directly or indirectly on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund, the Index Provider, or the Adviser (as defined below) can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers or a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.
•Concentration in the Energy Infrastructure Industry Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index is so concentrated, and the Index is expected to be concentrated in midstream energy infrastructure companies. When the Fund focuses its investments in the energy infrastructure industry, financial, economic, business, and other developments affecting issuers in that industry, market, or economic sector will have a greater effect on the Fund than if it had not done so.
Companies in the energy infrastructure industry are subject to many risks that can negatively impact the revenues and viability of companies in this industry, including, but not limited to, risks associated with companies owning and/or operating pipelines, gathering and processing assets, power infrastructure, propane assets, as well as capital markets, terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, operating, regulatory, environmental, supply and demand, and price volatility risks. The volatility of energy commodity prices can significantly affect energy companies due to the impact of prices on the volume of commodities developed, produced, gathered, and processed. Historically, energy commodity prices have been cyclical and exhibited significant volatility, which may adversely impact the value, operations, cash flows, and financial performance of energy companies. The volatility of energy commodity prices can also indirectly affect certain entities that operate in the midstream segment of the energy industry due to the impact of prices on the volume of commodities transported, processed, stored, or distributed.
•Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in investments denominated in Canadian dollars or in securities that provide exposure to such currency. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of the Canadian dollar to the U.S. dollar will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Certain securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, and the Fund may experience premiums and discounts greater than those of ETFs that hold securities that are traded only in the United States.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the shares of the Fund and the underlying value of those shares.
•Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.
•Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
•Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.
◦Canada-Specific Risk. The Canadian economy is reliant on the sale of natural resources and commodities, which can pose risks such as the fluctuation of prices and the variability of demand for exportation of such products. Changes in spending on Canadian products by the economies of other countries or changes in any of these economies may cause a significant impact on the Canadian economy.
•MLP Risk. MLP investment returns are enhanced during periods of declining or low interest rates and tend to be negatively influenced when interest rates are rising. In addition, most MLPs are fairly leveraged and typically carry a portion of a “floating” rate debt. As such, a significant upward swing in interest rates would also drive interest expense higher. Furthermore, most MLPs grow by acquisitions partly financed by debt, and higher interest rates could make it more difficult to make acquisitions. MLP investments also entail many of the general tax risks of investing in a partnership. Limited partners in an MLP typically have limited control and limited or no rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. Additionally, there is always the risk that an MLP will fail to qualify for favorable tax treatment.
•Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. The Fund invests in securities included in the Index, regardless of their investment merits. The Fund does not take defensive positions under any market conditions, including conditions that are adverse to the performance of the Fund.
•Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
◦Energy Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the energy sector, and therefore the performance of the fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The profitability of companies in the energy sector is related to worldwide energy prices, exploration, and production spending. Such companies also are subject to risks of changes in exchange rates, government regulation, world events, depletion of resources and economic conditions, as well as market, economic and political risks of the countries where energy companies are located or do business. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters. Oil exploration and production companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation, world events, and economic conditions. Oil exploration and production companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims.
The energy sector is comprised of energy, energy industrial, energy infrastructure and energy logistics companies, and will therefore be susceptible to adverse economic, environmental, business, regulatory or other occurrences affecting that sector. The energy sector has historically experienced substantial price volatility. At times, the performance of these investments may lag the performance of other sectors or the market as a whole. Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to specific risks, including, among others, fluctuations in commodity prices; reduced consumer demand for commodities such as oil, natural gas or petroleum products; reduced availability of natural gas or other commodities for transporting, processing, storing or delivering; slowdowns in new construction; extreme weather or other natural disasters; and threats of attack by terrorists on energy
assets. Additionally, energy sector companies are subject to substantial government regulation and changes in the regulatory environment for energy companies may adversely impact their profitability. MLPs may incur environmental costs and liabilities due to the nature of their businesses and the substances they handle. Changes in existing laws, regulations or enforcement policies governing the energy sector could significantly increase the compliance costs of MLPs. Certain MLPs could, from time to time, be held responsible for implementing remediation measures, the cost of which may not be recoverable from insurance. Over time, depletion of natural gas reserves and other energy reserves may also affect the profitability of energy companies.
◦Industrials Sector Risk. The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply of and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors.
•Small and Mid-Sized Company Stock Risk. The Fund may invest in equity securities of small- or mid-sized (based on market capitalization) companies. Small to mid-sized company securities have historically been subject to greater investment risk than large company securities. The prices of small- to mid-sized company securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than large company securities.
•Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify for treatment as a “regulated investment company” (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), by meeting certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. 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 or (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. Additionally, to qualify for treatment as a RIC the Fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of entities treated as qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including certain MLPs. While the weighting of the Index is not inconsistent with these rules, given the concentration of the Index in a relatively small number of securities, it may not always be possible for the Fund to fully implement a replication strategy or a representative sampling strategy while satisfying these diversification requirements.
If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC, the Fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and distributions from earnings and profits would generally be taxable to Fund shareholders as ordinary income. The Fund is also subject to the risk that MLPs in which the Fund invest will be classified as corporations rather than as partnerships for federal income tax purposes, which may reduce the Fund’s return and negatively affect the Fund’s net asset value. There is a risk of changes in tax laws or regulations, or interpretations thereof, which could adversely affect the Fund or the MLPs in which the Fund invests.
◦MLP Tax Risk. Depreciation or other cost recovery deductions passed through to the Fund from investments in MLPs in a given year will generally reduce the Fund’s taxable income, but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund’s income in one or more subsequent years. When recognized and distributed, recapture income will generally be taxable to shareholders at the time of the distribution at ordinary income tax rates, even though those shareholders might not have held Shares at the time the deductions were taken by the Fund, and even though those shareholders will not have corresponding economic gain on their Shares at the time of the recapture. To distribute recapture income or to fund redemption requests, the Fund may need to liquidate investments. MLPs taxed as partnerships have historically made cash distributions to limited partners that exceed the amount of taxable income allocable to limited partners or members, due to a variety of factors, including significant non-cash deductions such as depreciation and depletion. These excess cash distributions would not be treated as income to the Fund but rather would be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the Fund’s basis in the MLP. As a consequence, the Fund may make distributions that exceed its earnings and profits, which would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from the sale of the Shares.
•Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Fund Performance
The Fund is the successor to the investment performance of the American Energy Independence ETF, a series of ETF Series Solutions (the “Predecessor Fund”), as a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Fund into the Fund at the close of business on December 13, 2019. Accordingly, any performance information for periods prior to December 16, 2019 is that of the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund was managed by SL Advisors, LLC and sub-advised by Penserra Capital Management LLC and had the same investment objective, strategies, and policies as the Fund since the Predecessor Fund’s inception in December 2017.
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance (or the Predecessor Fund’s performance, as applicable) for each full calendar year since inception. The table illustrates how the Fund’s (or the Predecessor Fund’s, as applicable) average annual returns for the one-year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is also available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Calendar Year Total Return
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 46.88% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and the lowest quarterly return was -51.58% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Period Ended December 31, 2021
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | 1 Year | Since Inception (12/12/17) |
Return Before Taxes | 36.91% | 4.95% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 35.98% | 4.22% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares | 22.47% | 3.72% |
American Energy Independence Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 38.63% | 6.25% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 28.71% | 17.53% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an
investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s reorganization into the Trust in December 2019.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
Additional Information About The Fund
Investment Objective. The Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without a vote of shareholders upon written notice to shareholders.
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportion as in such Index, but may, when the Adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund, use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the Index as a whole (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
Additional Information about the Index
SL Advisors, LLC provides the American Energy Independence Index (the “Energy Index”) to the Fund. SL Advisors, LLC created and is responsible for maintaining and applying the rules-based methodology of the Energy Index. The Energy Index is calculated by S&P Opco, LLC, an independent third-party that is not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser, the Fund’s distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. S&P Opco, LLC provides information to the Fund about the Energy Index constituents and does not provide investment advice with respect to the desirability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities.
Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers
The Energy Index is the exclusive property of the SL Advisors, LLC, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices) to calculate and maintain the Energy Index. The Energy Index is not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices or its affiliates or its third party licensors. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices, nor any of their affiliates or third party licensors will be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Energy Index. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC (“SPFS”) and have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices and sublicensed for certain purposes by SL Advisors, LLC.
The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices, SPFS, or any of their affiliates or third party licensors (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities”). S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities do not make any 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 particularly or the ability of the Energy Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities’ only relationship to SL Advisors, LLC with respect to the Energy Index is the licensing of the S&P 500, certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities, and the provision of the calculation and maintenance services related to the Energy Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities 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 may be converted into cash or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. S&P Dow Jones Indices, LLC is not an investment adviser. Inclusion of a security within the Energy Index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices Entities to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES ENTITIES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE ENERGY INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL, WRITTEN OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. S&P DOW JONES INDICES ENTITIES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES ENTITIES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ADVISER, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING,
IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES ENTITIES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund Summary. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a ‘principal risk’ of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which they appear. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices.
Calculation Methodology Risk
The Index relies directly or indirectly on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund, the Fund’s index provider, or the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers or a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.
Concentration in the Energy Infrastructure Industry Risk
The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Energy Index is so concentrated, and the Energy Index is expected to be concentrated in midstream energy infrastructure companies. When the Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry or sector, it thereby presents a more concentrated risk and its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect that industry or group of industries. In addition, the value of Fund Shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a fund with investments in a more diversified mix of industries. An industry may have above-average performance during particular periods, but may also move up and down more than the broader market. The several industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political, public health, cyber, or regulatory events. The performance of the Fund could also be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub-sectors do not perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or industries may adversely affect performance.
•Commodity Price Volatility Risk. The volatility of energy commodity prices can significantly affect energy companies due to the impact of prices on the volume of commodities developed, produced, gathered, and processed. Historically, energy commodity prices have been cyclical and exhibited significant volatility, which may adversely impact the value, operations, cash flows, and financial performance of energy companies. The volatility of energy commodity prices can also indirectly affect certain entities that operate in the midstream segment of the energy industry due to the impact of prices on the volume of commodities transported, processed, stored, or distributed.
Commodity price fluctuations may be swift and may occur for several reasons, including changes in global and domestic energy markets, general economic conditions, consumer demand, the price and level of foreign imports, the impact of weather on demand, levels of domestic and worldwide supply, levels of production, domestic and foreign governmental regulation, political instability, acts of war and terrorism, epidemics or pandemics, the success and costs of exploration projects, conservation and environmental protection efforts, the availability and price of alternative energy, taxation, and the availability of local, intrastate and interstate transportation systems.
•Supply and Demand Risk. A decrease in the exploration, production or development of natural gas, natural gas liquids (“NGLs”), crude oil, refined petroleum products, or a decrease in the volume of such commodities, may adversely impact the financial performance and profitability of energy companies. Production declines and volume decreases may be caused by various factors, including changes in commodity prices, oversupply, depletion of resources, declines in estimates of proven reserves, catastrophic events affecting production, labor difficulties, political events, production variance from expectations, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) actions, environmental proceedings, increased regulations, equipment failures and unexpected maintenance problems or outages, the inability of energy companies to obtain necessary permits or carry out new construction or acquisitions, unanticipated expenses, import supply disruption, increased competition from alternative energy sources, and other
events. All of the above is particularly true for new or emerging areas of supply in North America that may have limited or no production history. Reductions in or prolonged periods of low prices for natural gas and crude oil can cause a given reservoir to become uneconomical for continued production earlier than it would if prices were higher.
A sustained decline in or varying demand for such commodities could also adversely affect the financial performance of energy companies. Factors that could lead to a decline in demand include economic recession or other adverse economic conditions, political, public health, cyber, and economic conditions, including embargoes, in other natural resource producing countries, hostilities in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, or South America, military campaigns and terrorism, OPEC actions, higher fuel taxes or governmental regulations, increases in fuel economy, consumer shifts to the use of alternative fuel sources, exchange rates, changes in commodity prices, and changes in weather.
In addition, the profitability of companies engaged in processing and pipeline activities may be materially impacted by the volume of natural gas or other energy commodities available for transporting, processing, storing or distributing. A significant decrease in the production of natural gas, oil, or other energy commodities, due to a decline in production from existing facilities, import supply disruption, depressed commodity prices or otherwise, would reduce revenue and operating income of such entities.
•Reserve & Depletion Risk. Energy companies’ estimates of proven reserves and projected future net revenue are generally based on internal reserve reports, engineering data, and reports of independent petroleum engineers. The calculation of estimated reserves requires subjective estimates of underground accumulations and utilizes assumptions concerning future prices, production levels, and operating and development costs. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be inaccurate. As a result, estimated quantities of proved reserves, projections of future production rates, and the timing of related expenditures may likewise prove to be inaccurate. Any material negative inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions may materially lower the value of upstream energy companies. Future natural gas, NGL, and oil production is highly dependent upon the success in acquiring or finding additional reserves that are economically recoverable. This is particularly true for new areas of exploration and development, such as in North American oil and gas reservoirs, including shale. A portion of any one upstream company’s assets may be dedicated to crude oil or natural gas reserves that naturally deplete over time, and a significant slowdown in the identification or availability of reasonably priced and accessible proven reserves for these companies could adversely affect their business.
•Midstream and Power Infrastructure Company Risk. The Fund may be subject to midstream and power infrastructure company risk through its investments in pipeline-related companies. In addition to the other energy risks described herein, pipeline companies are subject to particular risks, including varying demand for crude oil, natural gas, NGLs, or refined products in the markets served by the pipeline; changes in the availability of products for gathering, transportation, processing or sale due to natural declines in reserves and production in the supply areas serviced by the companies’ facilities; sharp decreases in crude oil or natural gas prices that cause producers to curtail production; reduced capital spending for exploration activities; or re-contracting at lower rates. Demand for gasoline, which accounts for a substantial portion of refined product transportation, depends on price, prevailing economic conditions in the markets served, and demographic and seasonal factors.
Gathering and processing companies are subject to many risks, including declines in production of crude oil and natural gas fields which utilize their gathering and processing facilities, prolonged depression in the price of natural gas or crude oil which curtails production due to lack of drilling activity, and declines in the prices of natural gas liquids and refined petroleum products, resulting in lower processing or refining margins. In addition, the development of, demand for, and/or supply of competing forms of energy may negatively impact the revenues of these companies.
Propane companies are subject to many risks, including earnings variability based upon weather patterns in the locations where the company operates and the wholesale cost of propane sold to end customers. In addition, propane companies are facing increased competition due to the growing availability of natural gas, fuel oil and alternative energy sources for residential heating.
Power infrastructure companies are subject to many risks, including earnings variability based upon weather patterns in the locations where the company operates, the change in the demand for electricity, the cost to produce power, and the regulatory environment. Further, share prices are partly based on the interest rate environment, the sustainability
and potential growth of the dividend, and the outcome of various rate cases undertaken by the company or a regulatory body.
•Operating Risk. Energy companies are subject to many operating risks, including: equipment failure causing outages; structural, maintenance, impairment and safety problems; transmission or transportation constraints, inoperability or inefficiencies; dependence on a specified fuel source; changes in electricity and fuel usage; availability of competitively priced alternative energy sources; changes in generation efficiency and market heat rates; lack of sufficient capital to maintain facilities; significant capital expenditures to keep older assets operating efficiently; seasonality; changes in supply and demand for energy; catastrophic and/or weather-related events such as spills, leaks, well blowouts, uncontrollable flows, ruptures, fires, explosions, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, discharges of toxic gases and similar occurrences; storage, handling, disposal and decommissioning costs; and environmental compliance. Breakdown or failure of an energy company’s operating assets may prevent it from performing under applicable sales agreements, which in certain situations could result in termination of the agreement or in the company incurring a liability for liquidated damages. Because of these operating risks and other potential hazards, energy companies may be exposed to significant liabilities for which they may not have adequate insurance coverage. Any of the identified risks may have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of energy companies.
The energy industry is cyclical and from time to time may experience a shortage of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, or qualified personnel, or, due to significant demand, such services or equipment may not be available on commercially reasonable terms. A company’s ability to complete capital improvements to existing projects or invest in planned capital projects in a successful and timely manner is dependent upon many variables. Should any such efforts be unsuccessful, an energy company may be subject to additional costs and/or the write-off of its investment in the project or improvement. The marketability of oil and gas production depends in large part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipeline systems owned by third parties. Oil and gas properties are subject to royalty interests, liens and other burdens, encumbrances, easements or restrictions, all of which may impact the production of a particular energy company. Oil and gas companies operate in a highly competitive and cyclical industry, with intense price competition. A significant portion of their revenues may depend on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.
Energy companies engaged in interstate pipeline transportation of natural gas, refined petroleum products and other products are subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) with respect to the tariff rates that these companies may charge for pipeline transportation services. An adverse determination to an energy company by the FERC with respect to such tariff rates may have a material adverse effect on that energy company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and on its ability to make cash distributions to its equity owners.
•Regulatory Risk. Energy companies are subject to regulation by governmental authorities in various jurisdictions and may be adversely affected by the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies, and accounting standards. Regulation exists with respect to multiple aspects of their operations, including: reports and permits concerning exploration, drilling, and production; how facilities are constructed, maintained, and operated; how wells are spaced; the unitization and pooling of properties; environmental and safety controls, including emissions release, the reclamation and abandonment of wells and facility sites, remediation, protection of endangered species, and the discharge and disposition of waste materials; offshore oil and gas operations; and the prices energy companies may charge for the oil and gas produced or transported under federal and state leases and for other products and services. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance both with these regulations and permits issued pursuant to them, and violators may be subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations, or enforcement policies may be enacted in the future which increase compliance costs and adversely affect the financial performance of energy companies. Additionally, legislation has been proposed that would, if enacted into law, make significant changes to U.S. federal income tax laws, including the elimination of certain U.S. federal income tax benefits currently available to oil and gas exploration and production companies.
The use of methods such as hydraulic fracturing (described in greater detail below) may be subject to new or different regulation in the future. Any new state or federal regulations that may be imposed on hydraulic fracturing could result in additional permitting and disclosure requirements (including of substances used in the fracturing process) and in additional operating restrictions. The imposition of various conditions and restrictions on drilling and completion operations could lead to operational delays and increased costs and, moreover, could delay or effectively prevent the development of oil and gas from formations that would not be economically viable without the use of hydraulic fracturing.
Energy infrastructure companies engaged in interstate pipeline transportation of natural gas, refined petroleum products and other products are subject to regulation by FERC with respect to tariff rates these companies may charge for pipeline transportation services. An adverse determination by the FERC with respect to the tariff rates of an energy infrastructure company could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and its ability to make cash distributions to its equity owners. Certain MLPs regulated by FERC have the right, but not the obligation, to redeem all their common units held by an investor who is not subject to U.S. federal income taxation at market value, with the purchase price payable in cash or via a three-year interest-bearing promissory note. Prices for certain electric power companies are regulated in the U.S. with the intention of protecting the public while ensuring that the rate of return earned by such companies is sufficient to attract growth capital and to provide appropriate services. The rates assessed for these rate-regulated electric power companies by state and local regulators are generally subject to cost-of-service regulation and annual earnings oversight. This regulatory treatment does not provide any assurance as to achievement of earnings levels. Changes in laws or regulations or changes in the application or interpretation of regulatory provisions in jurisdictions where electric power companies operate, particularly utilities where electricity tariffs are subject to regulatory review or approval, could adversely affect their business. The Fund could become subject to FERC’s jurisdiction if it is deemed to be a holding company of a public utility company or of a holding company of a public utility company, and the Fund may be required to aggregate securities held by the Fund or other funds and accounts managed by the Adviser and its affiliates. Accordingly, the Fund may be prohibited from buying securities of a public utility company or of a holding company of any public utility company or may be forced to divest itself of such securities because of other holdings by the Fund or other funds or accounts managed by the Adviser and its affiliates.
•Environmental Risk. Energy company activities are subject to stringent environmental laws and regulation by many federal, state and local authorities, international treaties and foreign governmental authorities. A company’s failure to comply with such laws and regulations or to obtain any necessary environmental permits pursuant to such laws and regulations may result in the imposition of fines or other sanctions. Congress and other domestic and foreign governmental authorities have either considered or implemented various laws and regulations to restrict or tax certain emissions, particularly those involving air and water emissions. Existing environmental regulations may be revised or reinterpreted, new laws and regulations may be adopted or become applicable, and future changes in environmental laws and regulations may occur, each of which could impose significant additional costs on energy companies. Energy companies have made and will likely continue to make significant capital and other expenditures to comply with these and other environmental laws and regulations. There can be no assurance that such companies will be able to recover all or any increased environmental costs from their customers or that their business, financial condition or results of operations will not be materially and adversely affected by such expenditures or by any changes in domestic or foreign environmental laws and regulations, in which case the value of these companies’ securities could be adversely affected. Energy companies may not be able to obtain or maintain all required environmental regulatory approvals. If there is a delay in obtaining any required environmental regulatory approvals or if an energy company fails to obtain, maintain or comply with any such approval, the operation of its facilities could be stopped or become subject to additional costs. In addition, energy companies may be responsible for environmentally-related liabilities, including any on-site liabilities associated with the environmental condition of facilities that it has acquired, leased or developed, or liabilities from associated activities, regardless of when the liabilities arose and whether they are known or unknown.
Hydraulic fracturing is a common practice used to stimulate production of natural gas and/or oil from dense subsurface rock formations such as shales that generally exist several thousand feet below ground. Some energy companies commonly apply hydraulic-fracturing techniques in onshore oil and natural gas drilling and completion programs. The process involves the injection of water, sand, and additives under pressure into a targeted subsurface
formation. The water and pressure create fractures in the rock formations, which are held open by grains of sand, enabling the oil or natural gas to flow to the wellbore. The use of hydraulic fracturing may produce certain wastes that may in the future be designated as hazardous wastes and become subject to more rigorous and costly compliance and disposal requirements. In addition, the Department of Energy is conducting an investigation into practices the agency could recommend to better protect the environment from drilling using hydraulic fracturing completion methods, and the Department of the Interior has proposed disclosure, well testing and monitoring requirements for hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. The White House Council on Environmental Quality and a committee of the US House of Representatives are reviewing hydraulic-fracturing practices, and legislation has been introduced in Congress to provide for federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing and to require disclosure of the chemicals used in the fracturing process. Some states have also adopted, and other states are considering adopting, regulations that impose more stringent permitting, disclosure and well construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. Additional regulations may be imposed that would, among other things, limit injection of oil and gas well wastewater into underground disposal wells, because of concerns about the possibility of minor earthquakes being linked to such injection, an indirect byproduct to drilling unique to certain geographic regions. If new laws or regulations that significantly restrict hydraulic fracturing or associated activity are adopted, such laws may make it more difficult or costly for energy companies to perform fracturing to stimulate production from tight formations, which might adversely affect their production levels, operations, and cash flow, as well as the value of such companies’ securities.
•Climate Change Regulation Risk. Climate change regulation may result in increased operations and capital costs for the companies in which the Fund invests. Voluntary initiatives and mandatory controls have been adopted or are being discussed both in the U.S. and worldwide to reduce emissions of “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning fossil fuels, which some scientists and policymakers believe contribute to global climate change. These current and future measures may result in certain companies in which the Fund invests incurring increased costs to operate and maintain facilities and to administer and manage a greenhouse gas emissions program, which in turn may reduce demand for fuels that generate greenhouse gases that are produced or managed or produced by such companies.
•Terrorism Risk. Energy companies, and the market for their securities, are subject to disruption as a result of terrorism-related risks. These include terrorist activities, such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; wars, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and their aftermath; and other geopolitical events, including upheaval in the Middle East and other energy producing regions. Cyber hacking may also cause significant disruption and harm to energy companies. The U.S. government has issued warnings that energy industry assets, including exploration and production facilities as well as pipelines and transmission and distribution facilities, may be specific targets for terrorist activity. Such events have led, and in the future may lead, to short-term market volatility, and may also have long-term effects on companies in the energy industry and the market price of their securities. Such events may also adversely affect the business and financial condition of particular companies in which the Fund invests.
•Natural Disaster Risk. Natural risks, such as earthquakes, flood, lightning, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes and wind, are inherent risks in energy company operations. Such natural disasters have in the past resulted in and may in the future cause substantial damage to the facilities of certain companies located in the affected areas, created significant volatility in the supply of energy, and adversely impacted the prices of certain energy company securities. Future natural disasters, or even the threat thereof, may result in similar volatility and may adversely affect commodity prices and earnings of energy companies in which the Fund invests.
•Capital Markets Risk. Global financial markets and economic conditions have been, and may continue to be, volatile due to a variety of factors, including significant write-offs in the financial services sector. In volatile times, the cost of raising capital in the debt and equity capital markets, and the ability to raise capital, may be impacted. In particular, concerns about the general stability of financial markets and specifically the solvency of lending counterparties, may impact the cost of raising capital from the credit markets through increased interest rates, tighter lending standards, difficulties in refinancing debt on existing terms or at all and reduced, or in some cases ceasing to provide, funding to borrowers. In addition, lending counterparties under existing revolving credit facilities and other debt instruments may be unwilling or unable to meet their funding obligations. As a result of any of the foregoing, energy companies may be unable to obtain new debt or equity financing on acceptable terms. If funding is not available when needed, or is available only on unfavorable terms, energy companies may not be able to meet obligations as they come due.
Moreover, without adequate funding, energy companies may be unable to execute their growth strategies, complete future acquisitions, take advantage of other business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on their revenues and results of operations.
Rising interest rates could limit the capital appreciation of equity units of energy companies as a result of the increased availability of alternative investments at competitive yields. Rising interest rates may increase the cost of capital for energy companies. A higher cost of capital or an inflationary period may lead to inadequate funding, which could limit growth from acquisition or expansion projects, the ability of such entities to make or grow dividends or distributions or meet debt obligations, the ability to respond to competitive pressures, all of which could adversely affect the prices of their securities.
Currency Exchange Rate Risk
Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the value of your Shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include, among others: national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, public health, cyber, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, epidemics, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you may lose money.
Equity Market Risk
Equity securities 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 industries, sectors or companies. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including, among others: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, public health, cyber, economic and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. Other conditions affecting the general economy, including political, public health, cyber, or economic instability at the local, regional, or global level and pandemics, epidemics, or other similar circumstances in one or more countries or regions may also affect the market value of a security.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and, in many cases, unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, and supply chain disruptions affecting the United States and many other countries. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses as a result of these disruptions, and such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. In response, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary actions to support the domestic economy and financial markets, resulting in very low interest rates and in some cases negative yields. It is unknown how long
circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.
ETF Risks
The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
•APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund may have 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 of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
•Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
•Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Certain securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, and the Fund may experience premiums and discounts greater than those of ETFs that hold securities that are traded only in the United States.
•Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to each Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on such Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500 Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.
Foreign Securities Risk
Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a foreign issuer than a U.S. issuer. Foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in foreign securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of foreign securities or an Underlying ETF holding foreign securities may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Geographic Investment Risk
To the extent the Fund’s Index 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.
•Canada-Specific Risk. The Canadian economy is reliant on the sale of natural resources and commodities, which can pose risks such as the fluctuation of prices and the variability of demand for exportation of such products. Changes in spending on Canadian products by the economies of other countries or changes in any of these economies may cause a significant impact on the Canadian economy.
MLP Risk
MLPs involve risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP’s general partner, and cash flow risks. MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macroeconomic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including earnings power and coverage ratios.
MLPs typically do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Instead, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. Thus, if any MLP owned by the Fund were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the result could be a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income, as compared to if the MLP were not taxed as a corporation.
Non-Diversification Risk
Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non- diversified. This means that the Fund may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
Passive Investment Risk
The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser would not sell a security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology. Other than in response to a trigger if set forth in the Fund’s Index methodology, the Fund invests in securities included in, or representative of securities included in the Index regardless of their investment merits. The Fund does not take defensive positions under any market conditions, including conditions that are adverse to the performance of the Fund. The returns from the types of securities in which the Fund invests may underperform returns from the various general securities markets or different asset classes. This may cause the Fund to underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes. Different types of securities (for example, large-, mid- and small-capitalization stocks) tend to go through cycles of doing better – or worse – than the general securities markets. In the past, these periods have lasted for as long as several years.
REIT Investment Risk
Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, to the extent the Fund holds interests in REITs, it is expected that investors in the Fund will bear two layers of asset-based management fees and expenses (directly at the Fund level and indirectly at the REIT level). The risks of investing in REITs include certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general, regional and local economic conditions; fluctuations in interest rates and property tax rates; shifts in zoning laws, environmental regulations and other governmental action such as the exercise of eminent domain; cash flow dependency; increased operating expenses; lack of availability of mortgage funds; losses due to natural disasters; overbuilding; losses due to casualty or condemnation; changes in property values and rental rates; and other factors.
In addition to these risks, REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the beneficial tax treatment available to REITs under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund expects that dividends received from a REIT and distributed to Fund shareholders generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income, but may be taxable as return of capital. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting investments.
Sector Risk
To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
•Energy Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the energy sector, and therefore the performance of the fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The profitability of companies in the energy sector is related to worldwide energy prices, exploration, and production spending. Such companies also are subject to risks of changes in exchange rates, government regulation, world events, depletion of resources and economic conditions, as well as market, economic and political risks of the countries where energy companies are located or do business. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters. Oil exploration and production companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation,
world events, and economic conditions. Oil exploration and production companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims.
The energy sector is comprised of energy, energy industrial, energy infrastructure and energy logistics companies, and will therefore be susceptible to adverse economic, environmental, business, regulatory or other occurrences affecting that sector. The energy sector has historically experienced substantial price volatility. At times, the performance of these investments may lag the performance of other sectors or the market as a whole. Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to specific risks, including, among others, fluctuations in commodity prices; reduced consumer demand for commodities such as oil, natural gas or petroleum products; reduced availability of natural gas or other commodities for transporting, processing, storing or delivering; slowdowns in new construction; extreme weather or other natural disasters; and threats of attack by terrorists on energy assets. Additionally, energy sector companies are subject to substantial government regulation and changes in the regulatory environment for energy companies may adversely impact their profitability. MLPs may incur environmental costs and liabilities due to the nature of their businesses and the substances they handle. Changes in existing laws, regulations or enforcement policies governing the energy sector could significantly increase the compliance costs of MLPs. Certain MLPs could, from time to time, be held responsible for implementing remediation measures, the cost of which may not be recoverable from insurance. Over time, depletion of natural gas reserves and other energy reserves may also affect the profitability of energy companies.
•Industrials Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the industrials sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply of and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. As the demand for, or prices of, industrials increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally would be expected to also increase. Conversely, declines in the demand for, or prices of, industrials generally would be expected to contribute to declines in the value of such securities. Such declines may occur quickly and without warning and may negatively impact the value of the Fund and your investment.
Small and Mid-Sized Company Stock Risk.
•Small-Capitalization Investing. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, public health, cyber, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings.
•Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, public health, cyber, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some medium capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.
Tax Risk
The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company.” To qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain diversification requirements. 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 its assets or (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. While the weighting of the Index is not inconsistent with these rules, given the concentration of the Index in a relatively small number of securities, it may not always 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 affect the Fund’s execution of its investment strategy and may cause the Fund’s return to deviate from that of the Index, and the Fund’s efforts to replicate or represent the Index may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail to satisfy the diversification requirements, it could incur penalty taxes and be forced to dispose of certain assets, or it could fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. 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 seeks to track the performance of its underlying index. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects that the performance of the Fund over time, before expenses, will track the performance of its underlying index within a 0.95 correlation coefficient. The Fund is subject to the risk of tracking variance. Tracking variance may result from share purchases and redemptions, transaction costs, expenses and other factors. Tracking variance may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. Additionally, the Fund’s return may not track the return of the Index if the Fund is not able to replicate the holdings of the Index due to the diversification requirements described above under “Tax Risk,” which apply to the Fund but not the Index. The use of sampling techniques may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve close correlation with its Index. The Fund may use a representative sampling strategy to achieve its investment objective, if the Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund, which generally can be expected to produce a greater non-correlation risk.
ADDITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL RISK INFORMATION
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments. Normally, the Fund invests substantially all of its assets to meet its investment objective. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or each may hold cash. The percentage of the Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions.
Absence of a Prior Active Market. Although the Fund’s Shares are approved for listing on a national securities 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.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may hold certain investments that may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.
Risk of Investing in the United States. Certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial and other regulation and may have a significant effect on the U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. In addition, a continued rise in the U.S. public debt level or the imposition of U.S. austerity measures may adversely affect U.S. economic growth and the securities to which the Fund has exposure. The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries continue to worsen, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If this trend were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
Securities Lending Risk. There are certain risks associated with securities lending, including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. As a result, the Fund may lose money. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.PacerETFs.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”).
MANAGEMENT
The Fund is a series of Pacer Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, which is overseen by a board of trustees.
Investment Adviser
The Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and each of its separate investment portfolios. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Adviser has managed ETFs since 2015. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending, and all other related services necessary for the Fund to operate. For its services, the Adviser receives a fee from the Fund, calculated daily and paid monthly, based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, as shown in the following table:
| | | | | |
Name of Fund | Management Fee |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | 0.75% |
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund (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, and distribution (12b-1) fees and expenses.
The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund is available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2021. Portfolio Managers
The Fund’s portfolio management team consists of Bruce Kavanaugh and Michael Mack, who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Mr. Kavanaugh has been Vice President of the Adviser since it began operations in 2004. He has been a portfolio manager with the Adviser since 2013. Mr. Kavanaugh has more than 25 years of experience in financial services.
Mr. Mack has been an Investment Analyst for the Adviser since joining it in 2012. Prior to his position with the Adviser, Mr. Mack was an Associate with Cameron Capital Management from 2011 to 2012. He also served as an Analyst/Trader for Simitec Inc., a business and technology consulting firm, from 2005 to 2009.
The SAI provides additional information about each Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares of the Fund.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
Most investors will buy and sell Shares of the Fund through brokers. Shares of the Fund trade on the Exchange and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Shares of the Fund trade under the trading symbol listed on the cover of this Prospectus. Only authorized participants (“Authorized Participants” or “APs”) who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV in Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
Share Trading Prices
Transactions in the Fund’s Shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units. As with other types of securities, the trading prices of Shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your Shares in the secondary market may be more or less than the NAV of such Shares.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The NAV of the Fund’s Shares is calculated each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (the “NAV Calculation Time”). If the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, as it occasionally does, the NAV Calculation Time will be the time the NYSE closes. In addition, any U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time of trading in fixed income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announces an early closing time. The Fund’s NAV per share is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of Fund Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. Debt obligations with maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost.
Fair Value Pricing
The Board has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund investments whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing an investment, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. The Adviser makes fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the Adviser will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the investment upon the sale of such investment.
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund expects to pay out dividends monthly, if any. Nonetheless, the Fund may make more frequent dividend payments. The Fund expects to distribute its net realized capital gains to investors annually. The Fund occasionally may
be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Book Entry
Shares of the Fund are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares of the Fund.
Investors owning Shares of the Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares of the Fund. Participants include DTC, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form. Your broker will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales, and tax information.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Financial reports will be published semi-annually. The Fund has discontinued mailing paper copies of the Fund’s financial reports as permitted by new regulations adopted by the SEC, unless you specifically request paper copies from the Fund. The reports will remain available to you on the Fund’s website (www.PacerETFs.com) and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a link to access the report. Annual reports will include audited financial statements. For any shareholder that requests paper copies only one copy of each report will be mailed to each taxpayer identification number even though the investor may have more than one account in the Fund.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Fund Shares. In determining not to impose such restrictions, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Fund share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effective trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares of the Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund.
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Fund has qualified and intends to continue to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your investment in Fund Shares is made through a tax advantaged retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:
•The Fund makes distributions;
•You sell Fund Shares; and
•You purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional investors only).
Taxes on Distributions
Tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act made significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The application of certain provisions of the Tax Act is uncertain, and the changes in the act may have indirect effects on the Fund, its investments and its shareholders that cannot be predicted. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or “qualified dividend income.” Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) depend on how long the Fund owned the assets that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) are taxable as long-term capital gains. For noncorporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at reduced rates and currently set at a maximum rate of 20%. Distributions of short-term capital gain are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed at long term capital gain rates for non-corporate shareholders.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of Fund Shares).
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Fund Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Fund Shares).
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign shareholders in the Fund will generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on Capital Gain Dividends. The exemption may not apply, however, if the investment in the Fund is connected to a trade or business for the foreign shareholder in the United States or if the foreign shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met.
Distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to individual shareholders that are neither citizens nor residents of the U.S. or to foreign entities will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which shareholders own Fund Shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the US Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and the sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
A U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends effective July 1, 2014 (and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund Shares (including certain capital gain dividends) received by Fund shareholders beginning after December 31, 2018) for shareholders who own their Shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.
To the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund consists of foreign securities, the Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. The Fund (or its administrative agent) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.
Taxes When Fund Shares Are Sold
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares held for one year or less is generally treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that Capital Gain Dividends were paid with respect to such Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited depending on your circumstances.
A foreign shareholder will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on sales or exchange of Fund Shares unless the investment in the Fund is connected to a trade or business of the investor in the United States or if the shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met. All foreign shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Fund.
Creation and Redemption Units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be
treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
The Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
State and Local Taxes
Shareholders may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain attributable to your ownership of Fund Shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest earned by the Fund on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax professional regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.
Master Limited Partnerships
In general, for purposes of satisfying the source of income test for qualifying as a RIC, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a QPTP (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the same sources as described in the source of RIC Qualifying Income Test described in the SAI) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP.
The Fund may invest in certain MLPs which may be treated as QPTPs. Income from QPTPs is qualifying income for purposes of the source of income test for qualifying as a RIC, but the Fund’s investment in one or more of such QPTPs is limited under the asset diversification test for qualifying as a RIC to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund will monitor its investment in such QPTPs in order to ensure compliance with the source of income and asset diversification tests for qualifying as a RIC. MLPs and other partnerships that the Fund may invest in will deliver Form K-1s to the Fund to report its share of income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of the MLP or other partnership. These Form K-1s may be delayed and may not be received until after the time that the Fund issues its tax reporting statements. As a result, the Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues you your tax reporting statement.
Investors who receive a Form 1099 that reports distributions from the Fund’s investments, including MLPs, may receive a corrected 1099 if additional information becomes available regarding the characterization of your distribution after your 1099 was prepared.
The Fund invests in partnerships that elect to be classified as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such entities are required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. This has the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution to the Fund, which may result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund, as compared to if such entity were not taxed as a corporation.
Foreign Taxes
To the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Pacer Financial, Inc., 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 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 address is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania, 19355. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.
The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, 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.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares of the Fund traded on an Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the fund is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Fund to track the total return performance of their respective Index or the ability of the Index identified herein to track the performance of their constituent securities. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has they participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares. 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, the Fund’s index provider, the Exchange, and the Fund makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. The Fund does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of the Index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or Index calculation.
The Fund’s index provider owns the Index and the Index methodology and is a licensor of the Index to the Adviser and index receipt agent. The index provider has contracted with an index calculation agent to maintain and calculate the Index used by the Fund. The index calculation agents maintain and calculate the Index used by the Fund. The index calculation agent shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index.
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. The Fund is the accounting successor to the Predecessor Energy Fund as a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Energy Fund into the Fund as of the close of business on December 13, 2019. The Fund has adopted the Financial Statements of the Predecessor Energy Fund. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Sanville & Company, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request. For the fiscal years ended prior to December 13, 2019, the financial information was audited by the Predecessor Energy Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. Pacer American Energy Independence ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the year/period
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| For the Year Ended October 31, 2021 | | For the Period Ended October 31, 2020(a) | | For the Period Ended November 30, 2019 | | For the Period Ended November 30, 2018(b) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $ | 14.96 | | | $ | 21.79 | | | $ | 23.21 | | | $ | 25.00 | | |
| | | | | | | | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | | | | | | | |
Net Investment Income(c) | 0.40 | | | 0.28 | | | 0.37 | | | 0.55 | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments(d) | 11.39 | | | (5.55) | | | (0.34) | | | (1.51) | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 11.79 | | | (5.27) | | | 0.03 | | | (0.96) | | |
| | | | | | | | |
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS: | | | | | | | | |
Distributions From: | | | | | | | | |
Net Investment Income | (0.50) | | | (0.52) | | | (0.22) | | | (0.50) | | |
Return of Capital | (0.94) | | | (1.04) | | | (1.23) | | | (0.33) | | |
Total Distributions | (1.44) | | | (1.56) | | | (1.45) | | | (0.83) | | |
| | | | | | | | |
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS: | | | | | | | | |
Transaction Fees | — | | — | | 0.00 | (e) | — | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 25.31 | | | $ | 14.96 | | | $ | 21.79 | | | $ | 23.21 | | |
Total return | 80.71 | % | | -24.76 | % | (f) | -0.13% | | -4.06% | (f) |
| | | | | | | | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | | | | | | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 25,309 | | | $ | 11,966 | | | $ | 10,897 | | | $ | 9,284 | | |
| | | | | | | | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | | | | | | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | | 0.75 | % | (g) | 0.75 | % | | 0.75 | % | (g) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | 1.82 | % | | 1.81 | % | (g) | 1.58 | % | | 2.25 | % | (g) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate(h) | 22 | % | | 41 | % | (f) | 26 | % | | 61 | % | (f) |
(a)Shares of the Predecessor Share of the Predecessor Fund converted Shares at the close of business on December 13, 2019. For the period ended December 1, 2019 to October 31, 2020.
(b)Commencement of operations on December 12, 2017.
(c)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(d)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(e)Represents less than $0.005.
(f)Not annualized.
(g)Annualized.
(h)Excludes impact of in-kind transactions.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Adviser | Pacer Advisors, Inc. 500 Chesterfield Parkway Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 | Distributor | Pacer Financial, Inc. 500 Chesterfield Parkway Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 |
Custodian | U.S. Bank National Association 1555 N. Rivercenter Drive Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 | Fund Accountant, Administrator and Transfer Agent | U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Sanville & Company 1514 Old York Road Abington, PA 19001 | Legal Counsel | Practus LLP 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, Kansas 66211 |
The Trust’s current SAI provides additional detailed information about the Fund. A current SAI dated February 28, 2022, as supplemented from time to time, is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance after the first fiscal year the Fund is in operation.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI or annual or semi-annual shareholder reports (once available) free of charge, please:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Call: | 1-800-617-0004 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Central time) | Write: | Pacer Funds Trust, (Name of Fund) c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, LLC P.O. Box 701 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 |
Visit: | www.PacerETFs.com | | |
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available:
•Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; or
•For a duplicating fee, by e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-23024)
PACER FUNDS TRUST
| | | | | |
USAI | Pacer American Energy Independence ETF |
Listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 28, 2022
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a Prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current Prospectus, as may be revised from time to time (“Prospectus”), for the Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Pacer Funds Trust (the “Trust”). The current Prospectus for the Fund is dated February 28, 2022. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus for the Fund may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1-800-617-0004, visiting www.PacerETFs.com, or writing to Pacer Funds Trust, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701.
The audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 are incorporated herein by reference to the Fund’s Annual Report dated October 31, 2021 (File No. 811-23024). A copy of the Fund’s Annual Report may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund at the address or phone number noted above. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any other government agency or any bank. An investment in the Fund involves investment risks, including possible loss of principal.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on August 12, 2014 and is authorized to issue multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end, management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The offering of the Trust’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
The Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (the “Fund”) described in this SAI seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of American Energy Independence Index (the “Index”).
The Fund is the successor in interest to the American Energy Independence ETF, a series of ETF Series Solutions (the “Predecessor Energy Fund”), which was managed by SL Advisors, LLC and sub-advised by Penserra Capital Management LLC and had the same investment objective, strategies, and policies as the Fund since the Predecessor Energy Fund’s inception in December 2017. On December 10, 2019, the shareholders of the Predecessor Energy Fund approved the reorganization of the Predecessor Energy Fund with and into the Fund, and effective as of the close of business on December 13, 2019, the assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Energy Fund were transferred to the Fund in exchange for shares of the Fund.
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (“Pacer” or the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund. Pacer Financial, Inc. is the distributor (the “Distributor”) of the shares of the Fund and is an affiliate of the Adviser.
The Fund issues and redeems shares (“Shares”) at net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in large blocks of Shares (“Creation Units” or “Creation Unit Aggregations”). A Creation Unit is generally comprised of 50,000 Shares. Creation Unit sizes may change from time to time. Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 25,000 Shares. These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities included in its portfolio and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors (authorized participants) who have entered into agreements with the Trust’s distributor, can purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares of the Fund are not redeemable securities.
Shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and trade throughout the day on the Exchange and other secondary markets at market prices that may differ from NAV. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the prices of Shares in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and associated risks are described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The sections below supplement these principal investment strategies and risks and describe the Fund’s additional investment policies and the different types of investments that may be made by the Fund as a part of its non-principal investment strategies. With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
The Fund has qualified and intends to continue to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), so that it will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are timely distributed to Fund shareholders. The Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain RIC qualification under Subchapter M of the Code.
GENERAL RISKS
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic, political, public health or cyber conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic, political, public health or cyber conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares of that Fund). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, cyber, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
Although all of the equity securities in the Index are listed on major U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges, there can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.
Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Fund may be more susceptible to operational and financial risks associated with cyber security, including: theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption and destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to the Fund and its shareholders; and compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of the Fund and its service providers. Cyber security risks may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders; the inability of the Fund to transact business with its shareholders; delays or mistakes in the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or other materials provided to shareholders; the inability to process transactions with shareholders or other parties; violations of privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties and reputational damage; and compliance and remediation costs, legal fees and other expenses. The Fund’s service providers (including, but not limited to, its investment adviser, any sub-advisers, administrator, transfer agent, and custodian or their agents), financial intermediaries, companies in which the Fund invests and parties with which the Fund engages in portfolio or other transactions also may be adversely impacted by cyber security risks in their own businesses, which could result in losses to the Fund or its shareholders. While measures have been developed which are designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that those measures will be effective, particularly since the Fund does not directly control the cyber security defenses or plans of their service providers, financial intermediaries and companies in which they invest or with which they do business.
Pandemic Risk. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and, in many cases, unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID‑19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, supply chain disruptions, and so-called “stay-at-home” orders throughout much of the United States and many other countries. The fall-out from these disruptions has included the rapid closure of businesses deemed “non-essential” by federal, state, or local governments and rapidly increasing unemployment, as well as greatly reduced liquidity for certain instruments at times. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. Such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. In response, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary actions to support the domestic economy and financial markets, resulting in very low interest rates and in some cases negative yields. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.
A discussion of some of the other risks associated with investments in the Fund is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus.
SPECIFIC INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The following are descriptions of the Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies.
BORROWING. Although the Fund does not intend to borrow money, the Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may borrow up to one-third of its total assets. The Fund will borrow money only for short-term or emergency purposes. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the Fund promptly. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American
Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
The Fund will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that the Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored; however, the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of 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. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to an underlying Index.
EQUITY SECURITIES. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of Shares to decline.
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, cyber or banking crises.
All countries are vulnerable economically to the impact of a public health crisis, which could depress consumer demand, reduce economic output, and potentially lead to market closures, travel restrictions, and quarantines, all of which would negatively impact the country’s economy and could affect the economies of its trading partners.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities - A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on
corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, public health, cyber, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid- capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Tracking Stocks — The Fund may invest in tracking stocks. A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.
ETFs. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles whose ownership interests are purchased and sold on a securities exchange. ETFs may be structured investment companies, depositary receipts or other pooled investment vehicles. As shareholders of an ETF, the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of any fees and expenses of the ETFs. Although shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange, shares of certain ETFs may not be redeemable to the ETF. In addition, ETFs may trade at a price below their net asset value (also known as a discount).
The Fund may use ETFs to help replicate their respective indexes. By way of example, ETFs may be structured as broad based ETFs that invest in a broad group of stocks from different industries and market sectors; select sectors; or market ETFs that invest in debt securities from a select sector of the economy (e.g., Treasury securities) a single industry or related industries; other types of ETFs continue to be developed and the Fund may invest in them to the extent consistent with its investment objectives, policies and restrictions. The ETFs in which the Fund invests is subject to the risks applicable to the types of securities and investments used by the ETFs.
ETFs may be actively managed or index-based. Actively managed ETFs are subject to management risk and may not achieve their objective if the ETF’s manager’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met. An index based ETF’s objective is to track the performance of a specified index. Index based ETFs invest in a securities portfolio that includes substantially all of the securities in substantially the same amount as the securities included in the designated index. Because passively managed ETFs are designed to track an index, securities may be purchased, retained and sold at times when an actively managed ETF would not do so. As a result, shareholders of the Fund that invest in such an ETF can expect greater risk of loss (and a correspondingly greater prospect of gain) from changes in the value of securities that are heavily weighted in the index than would be the case if ETF were not fully invested in such securities. This risk is increased if a few component securities represent a highly concentrated weighting in the designated index.
Unless permitted by the 1940 Act or an order or rule issued by the SEC, (see “Investment Companies” below for more information), the Fund’s investments in unaffiliated ETFs that are structured as investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act are subject to
certain percentage limitations of the 1940 Act regarding investments in other investment companies. As a general matter, these percentage limitations currently require the Fund to limit its investments in any one issue of ETFs to 5% of the Fund’s total assets and 3% of the outstanding voting securities of the ETF issue. Moreover, the Fund’s investments in all ETFs may not currently exceed 10% of the Fund’s total assets under the 1940 Act, when aggregated with all other investments in investment companies. ETFs that are not structured as investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act are not subject to these percentage limitations. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund.
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities. Even though interest-bearing securities are investments that promise a stable stream of income, the prices of such securities are affected by changes in interest rates. In general, fixed income security prices rise when interest rates fall and fall when interest rates rise. Securities with shorter maturities, while offering lower yields, generally provide greater price stability than longer term securities and are less affected by changes in interest rates. The values of fixed income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of the issuing entities. Once the rating of a portfolio security has been changed, the Fund will consider all circumstances deemed relevant in determining whether to continue to hold the security.
Fixed income investments bear certain risks, including credit risk, or the ability of an issuer to pay interest and principal as they become due. Generally, higher yielding bonds are subject to more credit risk than lower yielding bonds. Interest rate risk refers to the fluctuations in value of fixed income securities resulting from the inverse relationship between the market value of outstanding fixed income securities and changes in interest rates. An increase in interest rates will generally reduce the market value of fixed income investments and a decline in interest rates will tend to increase their value.
A number of factors, including changes in a central bank’s monetary policies or general improvements in the economy, may cause interest rates to rise. Fixed income securities with longer durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations, making them more volatile. This means their prices are more likely to experience a considerable reduction in response to a rise in interest rates.
FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES RATINGS. Nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (together, rating agency) publish ratings based upon their assessment of the relative creditworthiness of rated fixed-income securities. Generally, a lower rating indicates higher credit risk, and higher yields are ordinarily available from fixed-income securities in the lower rating categories to compensate investors for the increased credit risk. Any use of credit ratings in evaluating fixed-income securities can involve certain risks. For example, ratings assigned by the rating agencies are based upon an analysis completed at the time of the rating of the obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal, typically relying to a large extent on historical data. Rating agencies typically rely to a large extent on historical data which may not accurately represent present or future circumstances. Ratings do not purport to reflect to risk of fluctuations in market value of the fixed-income security and are not absolute standards of quality and only express the rating agency’s current opinion of an obligor’s overall financial capacity to pay its financial obligations. A credit rating is not a statement of fact or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a fixed-income obligation. Also, credit quality can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and credit ratings may not reflect the issuer’s current financial condition or events since the security was last rated. Rating agencies may have a financial interest in generating business, including the arranger or issuer of the security that normally pays for that rating, and a low rating might affect future business. While rating agencies have policies and procedures to address this potential conflict of interest, there is a risk that these policies will fail to prevent a conflict of interest from impacting the rating. Additionally, legislation has been enacted in an effort to reform rating agencies. The SEC has also adopted rules to require rating agencies to provide additional disclosure and reduce conflicts of interest, and further reform has been proposed. It is uncertain how such legislation or additional regulation might impact the ratings agencies business and the Adviser’s investment process.
Prepayment risk occurs when a fixed-income investment held by the Fund may be repaid in whole or in part prior to its maturity. The amount of prepayable obligations the Fund invests in from time to time may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, borrowers’ financial conditions and competitive conditions among lenders. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may repay investments more quickly than anticipated, reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the relevant investment. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. To the extent that the Fund purchases a relevant investment at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such investments at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and unscheduled prepayments will also accelerate the recognition of income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of investments may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change an investment that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer-term investment. Since the value of longer-term investments generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than short-term investments, maturity extension risk could increase the volatility of the Fund. When interest rates decline, the value of an investment with prepayment features may not increase as much as
that of other fixed-income securities and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or delay prepayments and thus affect maturities.
ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of its net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds and ETFs, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. These limitations do not apply to money market funds subject to certain conditions.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by other registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. The SEC recently adopted Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to create a regulatory framework for funds’ investments in other funds. Rule 12d1-4 allows a fund to acquire the securities of another investment company in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 without obtaining an exemptive order from the SEC, subject to certain limitations and conditions. Among those conditions is the requirement that, prior to a fund relying on Rule 12d1-4 to acquire securities of another fund in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1), the acquiring fund must enter into a Fund of Funds Agreement with the acquired fund.
Rule 12d1-4 also is designed to limit the use of complex fund structures. Under Rule 12d1-4, an acquired fund is prohibited from purchasing or otherwise acquiring the securities of another investment company or private fund if, immediately after the purchase, the securities of investment companies and private funds owned by the acquired fund have an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the acquired fund’s total assets, subject to certain limited exceptions.
Accordingly, to the extent the Fund’s shares are sold to other investment companies in reliance on Rule 12d1-4, the Fund will be limited in the amount it could invest in other investment companies and private funds. In addition to Rule 12d1-4, the 1940 Act and related rules provide other exemptions from these restrictions. For example, these limitations do not apply to investments by the Fund in investment companies that are money market funds.
MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS (“MLPs”). MLPs are limited partnerships in which the ownership units are publicly traded. MLP units are registered with the SEC and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the OTC market. MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures, research and development and other projects. Generally, an MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners. Limited partners are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership.
The risks of investing in an MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded investors in an MLP than investors in a corporation. Additional risks involved with investing in an MLP are risks associated with the specific industry or industries in which the partnership invests, such as the risks of investing in real estate, or oil and gas industries.
MLPs are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. When the Fund invests in the equity securities of an MLP or any other entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund will be treated as a partner in the entity for tax purposes. Accordingly, in calculating the Fund’s taxable income, it will be required to take into account its allocable
share of the income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits recognized by each such entity, regardless of whether the entity distributes cash to the Fund. Distributions from such an entity to the Fund are not generally taxable unless the cash amount (or, in certain cases, the fair market value of marketable securities) distributed to the Fund exceeds the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in its interest in the entity. In general, the Fund’s allocable share of such an entity’s net income will increase the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in its interest in the entity, and distributions to the Fund from such an entity and the Fund’s allocable share of the entity’s net losses will decrease the Fund’s adjusted basis in its interest in the entity, but not below zero. The Fund may receive cash distributions from such an entity in excess of the net amount of taxable income the Fund is allocated from its investment in the entity. In other circumstances, the net amount of taxable income the Fund is allocated from its investment in such an entity may exceed cash distributions received from the entity. Thus, the Fund’s investments in such an entity may lead the Fund to make distributions in excess of its earnings and profits, or the Fund may be required to sell investments, including when not otherwise advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy the distribution requirements applicable to RICs under the Code.
Depreciation or other cost recovery deductions passed through to the Fund from any investments in MLPs in a given year will generally reduce the Fund’s taxable income, but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund’s income in one or more subsequent years. When recognized and distributed, recapture income will generally be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders at the time of the distribution at ordinary income tax rates, even though those shareholders might not have held Shares in the Fund at the time the deductions were taken, and even though those shareholders may not have corresponding economic gain on their Shares at the time of the recapture. To distribute recapture income or to fund redemption requests, the Fund may need to liquidate investments, which may lead to additional taxable income.
MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may invest a portion of their assets in high-quality money market instruments or in money market mutual funds on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund or money market mutual fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of the Index and, therefore, those securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject the Fund’s Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Code. In particular, as the Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in the Index.
Although the Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a RIC for purposes of the Code, and to relieve the Fund of any liability for federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Fund and may make it less likely that the Fund will meet its investment objectives. See “Federal Income Taxes” in this SAI for further discussion
NON-U.S. SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present in investments in U.S. securities. For example, non-U.S. securities may be subject to currency risks or to political, social, or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and a foreign issuer may or may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. Other risks of investing in such securities include political, social, or economic instability in the country involved, the difficulty of predicting international trade patterns and the possibility of imposition of exchange controls. The prices of such securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of expropriation of assets or nationalization, imposition of withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments, difficulty in obtaining and enforcing judgments against foreign entities or diplomatic developments which could affect investment in these countries. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases and sales of foreign securities. Because foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price their 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 Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.
Non-U.S. stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. stock markets generally has been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in non-U.S. equity securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to the Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.
Investing in emerging markets can have more risk than investing in developed foreign markets. The risks of investing in these markets may be exacerbated relative to investments in foreign markets. Governments of developing and emerging market countries may be more unstable as compared to more developed countries. Developing and emerging market countries may have less developed securities markets or exchanges, and legal and accounting systems. It may be more difficult to sell securities at acceptable prices and security prices may be more volatile than in countries with more mature markets. Currency values may fluctuate more in developing or emerging markets. Developing or emerging market countries may be more likely to impose government restrictions, including confiscatory taxation, expropriation or nationalization of a company’s assets, and restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies. In addition, emerging markets may impose restrictions on the Fund’s ability to repatriate investment income or capital and thus, may adversely affect the operations of the Fund. Certain emerging markets may impose constraints on currency exchange and some currencies in emerging markets may have been devalued significantly against the U.S. dollar. For these and other reasons, the prices of securities in emerging markets can fluctuate more significantly than the prices of securities of companies in developed countries. The less developed the country, the greater effect these risks may have on the Fund.
Investments in Canada. The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner and foreign investor. As a result, changes to the U.S. economy may significantly affect the Canadian economy. The Canadian economy is reliant on the sale of natural resources and commodities, which can pose risks such as the fluctuation of prices and the variability of demand for exportation of such products. Canada is a major producer of commodities such as zinc, uranium, forest products, metals, agricultural products, and energy related products like oil, gas, and hydroelectricity. Changes in spending on Canadian products by the economies of other countries or changes in any of these economies may cause a significant impact on the Canadian economy.
OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS. In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser , are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS. The Fund may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) to the extent allowed by law. Risks associated with investments in securities of REITs include decline in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, variations in rental income, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, and increases in interest rates. In addition, equity REITs may be affected by changes in the values of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash-flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for the favorable United States federal income tax treatment generally available to REITs under the Code, and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. If an issuer of debt securities collateralized by real estate defaults, it is conceivable that the REITs could end up holding the underlying real estate.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties that are deemed to present acceptable credit risks. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. The Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special “tri-party” custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both the Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.
Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed- upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by the Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements involving obligations other than U.S. Government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) may be subject to special risks and may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty’s insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, the Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when that Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
SECURITIES LENDING. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers, including the Fund’s securities lending agent. Loans of portfolio securities provide the Fund with the opportunity to earn additional income on the Fund’s portfolio securities. All securities loans will be made pursuant to agreements requiring the loans to be continuously secured by collateral in
cash, or money market instruments, or money market funds at least equal at all times to the market value of the loaned securities. The borrower pays to the Fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on loaned securities. The Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Lending portfolio securities involves risks of delay in recovery of the loaned securities or in some cases loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Furthermore, because of the risks of delay in recovery, the Fund may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. The Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned.
TAX RISKS. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
The Fund invests in partnerships that elect to be classified as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such entities are required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. This has the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution to the Fund, which may result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund, as compared to if such entity were not taxed as a corporation.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities to the extent consistent with its investment objective and strategies. Not all U.S. government obligations carry the same credit support. Although many U.S. government securities in which the fund may invest, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and, therefore, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some, such as those of Ginnie Mae, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; and others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations. Still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality or sponsored enterprise. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by the fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law.
As agency of the U.S. government has placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. As a result, these securities are subject to more credit risk than U.S. government securities that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States (e.g., U.S. Treasury bonds).
To the extent the Fund invests in debt instruments or securities of non-U.S. government entities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, there is a possibility that such guarantee may be discontinued or modified at a later date.
The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008‑2009 financial downturn and is expected to grow even greater as a result of efforts to support the U.S. economy during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt ceiling to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and growth in public spending. On August 2, 2019, following passage by Congress, the President of the United States signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which suspends the statutory debt limit through July 31, 2021. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt ceiling negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected. Increased government spending in response to COVID-19 can cause the national debt to rise higher, which could heighten these associated risks.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
1. Concentrate its investments (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets) in any industry or group of related industries, except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of related industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), registered investment companies, repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2. Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
3. Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.
5. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.
6. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following non- fundamental restrictions, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.
1.The Fund will not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except with respect to the borrowing of money. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. As an ETF, information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions of an Order of the SEC applicable to the Fund, regulations of the Exchange and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of the Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day. A “Business Day” is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. This information is used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or third-party service providers.
The Fund will disclose on its website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on that Business Day.
The Fund may disclose its complete portfolio holdings or a portion of its portfolio holdings online at www.PacerETFs.com. The Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund’s fiscal year, within sixty (60) days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.
The Trust’s portfolio holdings policy provides that neither the Fund nor its Adviser, distributor or any agent, or any employee thereof (“Fund Representative”) will disclose the Fund’s portfolio holdings information to any person other than in accordance with the policy. For purposes of the policy, “portfolio holdings information” means the Fund’s non-public actual portfolio holdings, as well as non-public information about its trading strategies or pending transactions including the portfolio holdings, trading strategies or pending transactions of any commingled fund portfolio which contains identical holdings as the Fund. Under the policy, neither the Fund nor any Fund Representative may solicit or accept any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. A Fund Representative may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties if such information has been included in the Fund’s public filings with the SEC or is disclosed on the Fund’s publicly accessible website. Information posted on the Fund’s website may be separately provided to any person commencing the day after it is first published on the Fund’s website.
Under the policy, each business day the Fund’s portfolio holdings information will be provided to the distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or other fee based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee based subscription services, including Authorized Participants (defined below), and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading Shares of the Fund in the secondary market. The distributor may also make available portfolio holdings information to other institutional market participants and entities that provide information services. This information typically reflects the Fund’s anticipated holdings on the following business day. “Authorized Participants” are generally large institutional investors that have been authorized by the distributor to purchase and redeem large blocks of Shares (known as Creation Units) pursuant to legal requirements to which the Fund offers and redeems Shares.
Other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, portfolio holdings information that is not filed with the SEC or posted on the publicly available website may be provided to third parties only in limited circumstances. Third-party recipients will be required to keep all portfolio holdings information confidential and prohibited from trading on the information they receive. Disclosure to such third parties must be approved in advance by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser. Disclosure to providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other similar services for the Fund, as well as rating and ranking organizations, will generally be permitted; however, information may be disclosed to other parties (including, without limitation, individuals, institutional investors, and Authorized Participants that sell Shares of the Fund) only upon approval by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser, who must first determine that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. In general, each recipient of non-public portfolio holding information must sign a confidentiality and non-trading agreement, although this requirement will not apply when the recipient is otherwise subject to a duty of confidentiality as determined by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Trust’s Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of the Fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on the Listing Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Listing Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by a Board of Trustees. The Board elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, in an attempt to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or
more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust. There are four members of the Board of Trustees (each, a “Trustee”), three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). Joe M. Thomson serves as Chairman of the Board, and Deborah G. Wolk serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. The Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of Funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Fund management.
The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee. Each Committee is chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of Independent Trustees.
The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. The function of the Audit Committee is to review the scope and results of the annual audit of the Fund and any matters bearing on the audit or the Fund’s financial statements and to ensure the integrity of the Fund’s financial reporting. The Audit Committee also recommends to the Board of Trustees the annual selection of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and it reviews and pre-approves audit and certain non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021, the Audit Committee met four times.
The Nominating Committee, comprised of all the Independent Trustees, is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for Trustees. The Committee meets on an as needed basis. The Nominating Committee will accept and review shareholder nominations for Trustees, which may be submitted to the Trust by sending the nomination to the Trust’s Secretary, c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021, the Nominating Committee met two times.
Additionally, the Trust has a Fair Value Pricing Committee, appointed by the Board, comprised of certain officers of the Trust and employees of the Adviser. The Fair Value Pricing Committee is responsible for valuing securities held by the Fund for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing Committee meets as necessary.
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
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Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen By Trustee | Other Directorships held by Trustee During Past Five Years |
Interested Trustee | | | | |
Joe M. Thomson Born: 1944 | Trustee, Chairman, President, and Principal Executive Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2014 | Founder/President at Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005) | 48 | Director, First Cornerstone Bank (2000–2016) |
Independent Trustees | | | | |
Deborah G. Wolk Born: 1950 | Lead Independent Trustee | Indefinite Term; since 2015 | Self-employed providing accounting services and computer modeling (since 1997) | 48 | 0 |
Jane K. Sagendorph Born: 1951 | Trustee | Indefinite Term; since 2021 | Accountant, BluFish Designs (since 2011) | 48 | 0 |
Colin C. Lake Born: 1971 | Trustee | Indefinite Term; since 2021 | Founder/President, Developing the Next Leaders, Inc. (consulting) (since 2016) | 48 | 0 |
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Thomson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained as Founder and President of Pacer Advisors, Inc., Pacer Financial, Inc., and in his past roles with various registered broker-dealers and investment management firms. In addition, he holds the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC®) designations, the FINRA General Principal’s license, and the Pennsylvania Life & Annuity Insurance license.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Wolk should serve as Trustee because of the experience she has gained during the past nineteen years providing accounting services and computer modeling expertise to small business clients, as well as her prior positions in the corporate finance field. In addition, she holds the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation. The Trust believes that Ms. Wolk’s extensive experience in accounting and finance provides an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Sagendorph should serve as Trustee because of her extensive experience in the financial services industry as a comptroller of a financial marketing and wholesaling firm, as well as her experience providing accounting services to a small business client. The Trust believes that Ms. Sagendorph’s extensive experience in accounting and finance provides an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Lake should serve as Trustee because of his extensive experience in the financial services industry. The Trust believes that Mr. Lake’s business acumen and understanding of financial issues provide an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Funds.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust, unless otherwise indicated below, is c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
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Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Joe M. Thomson Born: 1944 | Trustee, Chairman, President, and Principal Executive Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2014 | Founder/President, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005); President and Chief Compliance Officer, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2004) |
Sean E. O’Hara Born: 1962 | Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2014 | Director, Index Design Group (since 2015); Director, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2007); Director, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2007) |
Bruce Kavanaugh Born: 1964 | Secretary and Portfolio Manager | Indefinite Term; since 2016 | Vice President, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005); Vice President, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2004) |
Justin Dausch Gateway Corporate Center Suite 216 223 Wilmington West Chester Pike Chadds Ford, PA 19317 Born: 1989 | Chief Compliance Officer and AML Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2021 | Director, Vigilant, since 2017; Compliance Associate, HSBC (investment banking company), 2015-2017 |
Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act.
As of December 31, 2021, no Trustee owned shares of the Fund.
Board Compensation. Independent Trustees are paid by the Adviser from the unified management fee paid to the Advisor and not by the Fund. The Independent Trustees each receive a per meeting trustee fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at Board meetings. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No officer, director or employee of the Adviser, including Mr. Thomson, receives any compensation from the Fund for acting as a Trustee or officer of the Trust. The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee for the Fund’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2021. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
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Name | Aggregate Compensation From the Fund | Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees |
Interested Trustees |
Joe M. Thomson | $0 | $0 |
Independent Trustees |
Deborah G. Wolk | $0 | $7,000 |
Jane K. Sagendorph* | $0 | $0 |
Colin C. Lake* | $0 | $0 |
*Ms. Sagendorph and Mr. Lake are newly appointed Independent Trustees and did not receive any compensation for their services as Trustees during the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021. They are expected to receive $10,000 in annual compensation for the upcoming fiscal year.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund. As of February 1, 2022, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned less than 1% of the Fund, and the following shareholders were considered to be a principal shareholder of the Fund:
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Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 211 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | 31.20% | Record |
LPL Financial 1055 LPL Way Fort Mill, SC 29715 | 19.14% | Record |
Pershing, LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 12.95% | Record |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 7.62% | Record |
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10179 | 6.93% | Record |
CIBC World Markets Corporation 425 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10017 | 5.45% | Record |
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Pacer Advisors, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is a Pennsylvania company located at 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Adviser is majority owned by Joe M. Thomson.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and all other non-distribution-related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Fund pays the Adviser a fee equal to a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, as follows:
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Name of Fund | Management Fee |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | 0.75% |
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of the Fund, except for: the fees 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, and distribution (12b-1) fees and expenses, if any.
The Adviser, from its own resources, including profits from advisory fees received from the Fund, provided such fees are legitimate and not excessive, may make payments to broker-dealers and other financial institutions for their expenses in connection with the distribution of Fund Shares, and otherwise currently pays all distribution costs for Fund Shares.
The Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to the Fund, continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of the Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.
The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Adviser, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Fund in the event Shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Management fees paid by the Fund/Predecessor Fund to the Fund’s investment adviser or previous investment adviser, as applicable, for the fiscal year/period noted below were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Name of Fund | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | $149,127 | $79,334(1) | $86,164(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 1, 2019 through October 31, 2020. |
(2) For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2019. |
Portfolio Managers. The Fund employs a rules-based, passive investment strategy. The Adviser uses a committee approach to managing the Fund. Bruce Kavanaugh, Vice President of the Adviser, and Michael Mack, Investment Analyst for the Adviser, are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served as Fund portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception.
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers each co-manage the following other accounts (collectively, the “Other Accounts”) as of October 31, 2021:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Type of Accounts | Total Number of Accounts | Total Assets of Accounts | Total Number of Accounts with Performance Based Fees | Total Assets of Accounts with Performance Based Fees |
Registered Investment Companies | 43 | $9.2 billion | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Portfolio Managers Fund Ownership. The Fund is required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. As of October 31, 2021, Mr. Mack did not own any Shares of the Fund and Mr. Kavanaugh owned $10,001 - $50,000 shares of the Fund.
Portfolio Managers Compensation. Mr. Kavanaugh and Mr. Mack each receive a fixed salary from the Adviser.
Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio managers’ management of the Fund and Other Accounts, which, in theory, may allow them to allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors Other Accounts over the Fund. This conflict of interest may be exacerbated to the extent that the Adviser or a portfolio manager receives, or expects to receive, greater compensation from their management of the Other Accounts (some of which may receive a base and incentive fee) than from the Fund. Notwithstanding this theoretical conflict of interest, it is the Adviser’s policy to manage each account based on its investment objectives and related restrictions, and the Adviser has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time and in a manner consistent with each account’s investment objectives and related restrictions.
Codes of Ethics. The Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted a code of ethics, including an insider trading policy, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as applicable. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor from
engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics).
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Proxy Voting Policy. The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and has engaged a third party proxy solicitation firm to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner. The Trust’s chief compliance officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies.
Under the Proxy Voting Policies, in the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, the Adviser will vote proxies in the best interest of each particular client. The Adviser has adopted the Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines attached as Appendix A. They are designed to vote in a manner consistent with the Adviser’s investment decision making. The Adviser’s policy is to vote all proxies from a specific issuer the same way for each client, absent qualifying restrictions from a client. Clients are permitted to place reasonable restrictions on our voting authority in the same manner that they may place such restrictions on the actual selection of account securities. Clients may direct the vote in a particular solicitation.
The Adviser will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors absent conflicts of interest raised by an auditor’s non-audit services. The Adviser will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights. In reviewing proposals, the Adviser will further consider the opinion of management, the effect on management, the effect on shareholder value and the issuer’s business practices.
When available, information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12 month period ended June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-617-0004 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
THE ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT, AND INDEX RECEIPT AGENT
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services” or the “Transfer Agent”), serves as administrator, transfer agent, and index receipt agent for the Fund. Fund Services’ principal address is 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Fund Services, Fund Services provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, Fund Services does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays Fund Services a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee.
Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses. The table below shows fees earned by Fund Services for services provided to the Fund/Predecessor Fund for the end of the fiscal year/periods noted below.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Name of Fund | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | $3,376 | $1,985(1) | $87,545(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 1, 2019 through October 31, 2020. |
(2) For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2019. |
THE CUSTODIAN
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank National Association, 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets. The custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolios. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee and certain settlement charges. The custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES
U.S. Bank (the “Securities Lending Agent”) serves as securities lending agent to the Fund. The Securities Lending Agent is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Fund’s securities lending program pursuant to an agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Securities Lending Agent (the “Securities Lending Agreement”). The Securities Lending Agent acts as agent to the Fund to lend available securities with any person on the Securities Lending Agent’s list of approved borrowers and (i) determines whether a loan shall be made and negotiates and establishes the terms and conditions of the loan with the borrower; (ii) ensures that all substitute interest, dividends, and other distributions paid with respect to loan securities is credited to the Fund’s relevant account on the date such amounts are delivered by the borrower to the Securities Lending Agent; (iii) receives and holds, on the Fund’s behalf, collateral from borrowers to secure obligations of borrowers with respect to any loan of available securities; (iv) marks loaned securities and collateral to their market value each business day based upon the market value of the loaned securities and collateral at the close of business employing the most recently available pricing information and receives and delivers collateral to maintain the value of the collateral at no less than 100% of the market value of the loaned securities; (v) at the termination of a loan, returns the collateral to the borrower upon the return of the loaned securities to the Securities Lending Agent; (vi) invests cash collateral in accordance with the Securities Lending Agreement; and (viii) maintains such records as are reasonably necessary to account for loans that are made and the income derived therefrom and makes available to the Fund a monthly statement describing the loans outstanding, including an accounting of all securities lending transactions.
The dollar amounts of gross and net income from securities lending activities received and the related fees and/or compensation paid by the Fund during the period in which securities lending activities commenced through October 31, 2021 are set forth in the following table.
| | | | | |
| Pacer American Energy Independence ETF |
Gross Income from securities lending activities (including income from cash collateral reinvestment) | $2,850 |
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services | |
Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split | $(432) |
Fees paid for any cash collateral management service (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in the revenue split | $(313) |
Administrative fees not included in revenue split | $— |
Indemnification fee not included in revenue split | $— |
Rebate (paid to borrower) | $(381) |
Other fees not included in revenue split | $— |
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities | $(1,126) |
Net Income from securities lending activities | $1,724 |
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Pacer Financial, Inc. (the “Distributor”), an affiliate of the Adviser, are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust and distributes the Shares of the Fund. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. For the Fund, a Creation Unit is generally comprised of 50,000 Shares. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will solicit orders for the purchase of the Shares, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver Prospectuses and, upon request, SAIs to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker- dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of FINRA.
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on sixty (60) days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on sixty (60) days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of the Fund’s assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“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 and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Fund Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares of the Fund.
Distribution and Service Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its Shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan are expected to be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Fund under the Plan may only be imposed after approval by the Board.
Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.
The Plan provides that the Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules concerning sales charges.
Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective
purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of Shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to Shareholder accounts; and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Practus, LLP, 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, Kansas 66211, serves as legal counsel for the Trust. Duane Morris LLP, 30 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel for the Independent Trustees.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Sanville & Company, 1514 Old York Road, Abington, Pennsylvania 19001, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Fund Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “—Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to executed the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain
circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available commission in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021, the Fund did not pay brokerage commissions to any registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, or the Distributor.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers and dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s Shares. As of October 31, 2021, the Fund did not own securities of its regular brokers or dealers.
The Fund is also required to identify any brokerage transactions during their most recent fiscal year that were directed to a broker because of research services provided, along with the amount of any such transactions and any related commissions paid by the Fund. As of October 31, 2021, the Fund did not have any such transactions or related commissions paid for research services.
Brokerage Commissions. The following aggregate brokerage commissions were paid by the Fund for the following fiscal years/periods noted below, none of which were paid to affiliated brokers.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Aggregate Brokerage Commissions for the Fiscal Years/Periods |
Name of Fund | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | $5,762 | $7,890(1) | $3,449(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 1, 2019 through October 31, 2020. |
(2) For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2019. |
Directed Brokerage. For the fiscal period ended October 31, 2021, the Fund did not pay any commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser.
Portfolio Turnover. Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by the other institutional investors for comparable services.
| | | | | | | | |
Portfolio Turnover for the Fiscal Years/Periods |
Name of Fund | 2021 | 2020 |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | 22% | 41%(1) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 1, 2019 through October 31, 2020. |
High portfolio turnover levels - those in excess of 100% - can lead to additional transaction costs and possible tax consequences.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares of the Fund. Each Share of the Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in any given Fund with any given Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. The Fund’s Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
As described further in the Declaration of Trust, shareholders of the Trust or any Fund may not bring a derivative action to enforce the right of the Trust or an affected Fund, unless several conditions are met, including, among others, shareholders owning Shares representing no less than a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Trust or the Fund, as applicable, must join in bringing the derivative action, provided, however, the foregoing may not apply to the extent a claim arises under federal securities laws.
Role of the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”). DTC acts as Securities Depository for the Shares of the Trust. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.
DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of which (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, which is owned by its member firms, including international broker dealers, correspondent and clearing banks, mutual fund companies and investment banks. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. No Beneficial Owner shall have the right to receive a certificate representing such Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form and number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares of the Trust. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue its service with respect to Shares of the Trust at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the fullest extent provided by law and in the manner provided in the By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The NAV of the Fund’s Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange and Trust are open for business.
Fund Deposits. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Fund, through NSCC, will make available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposits (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposits are subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for a Creation Unit changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index. However, there will be no intraday changes to Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash except to correct errors in the published list.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, the Clearing Process (discussed below), the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury Securities (discussed below) or for other similar reasons. The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where delivery of Deposit Securities to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, and in certain other situations. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
On a given Business Day, the Trust may require all Authorized Participants purchasing Creation Units on that day to deposit an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below). The Trust also reserves the right to permit a “cash in lieu” to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity or which may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting (“custom orders”). The Trust may in its discretion require an Authorized Participant to purchase Creation Units of the Fund in cash, rather than in-kind. On a given Business Day, the Trust may announce before the open of trading that all purchases of Creation Units of the Fund on that day will be made entirely in
cash or, upon receiving a purchase order for Creation Units of the Fund from an Authorized Participant, the Trust may determine to require that purchase to be made entirely in cash.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below) and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) of the Fund is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units for the Fund is expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form.
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day, as designated in the Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Order Placement Date provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time (as set forth on the applicable order form), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the
order is not placed in proper form as required, or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time (as set forth on the applicable order form) on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting there from. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be issued in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, are set forth in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on
certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
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Name of Fund | Fixed Creation Transaction Fee |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | $250 |
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. Redemption requests must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction are set forth in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
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Name of Fund | Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | $250 |
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker- dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account the Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account the Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three business days of the trade date. The Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in net asset value.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional
buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Required Early Acceptance of Orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as described in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form, the Fund may require orders to be placed or notification of orders to be received prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, to receive the trade date’s net asset value. Orders to purchase Shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) that the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed will not be accepted. Authorized Participants may be notified that the cut-off time for an order may be earlier on a particular business day, as described in the Participant Agreement and the order form.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
Net asset value 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 the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining net asset value. The net asset value of the Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that such exchange is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s net asset value per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published net asset value per share. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Trust makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Fund reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. 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 Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. Tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act made significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The application of certain provisions of the TCJA is uncertain, and the changes in the act may have indirect effects on the Fund, its investments and its shareholders that cannot be predicted. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company (RIC). The Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, the Fund must, among other things:
(a)derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);
(b)diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and
(c)distribute with respect to each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.
In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (ii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.
The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a fund’s business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of the Fund’s non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.
Under the TCJA, “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income) are treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). The TCJA does not contain a provision permitting a RIC, such as the Fund, to pass the special character of this income through to its shareholders. Currently, direct investors in REITs will enjoy the deduction and, thus, the lower federal income tax rate, but investors in a RIC, such as certain of the Fund, that invest in such REITs will not. It is uncertain whether a future technical corrections bill or
regulations issued by the IRS will address this issue to enable the Fund to pass through the special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to its shareholders.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has qualified and intends to continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC. As such, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to their shareholders in the form of dividends.
If, for any taxable year, the Fund was to fail to qualify as a RIC or was to fail to meet the distribution requirement, they 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. In addition, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, the Fund would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year to qualify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent year. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but to do so that Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year.
The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of their investment company taxable income and net capital gains. Investment company taxable income that is retained by the Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their Shares of such undistributed amount, (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate Shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of Shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.
If the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. The Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that they will be able to do so. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and certain other late-year losses.
The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Fund is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.
At October 31, 2021, the Fund had the following capital loss carryforwards which do not expire:
| | | | | | | | |
Name of Fund | Short-Term | Long-Term |
Pacer American Energy Independence ETF | $1,083,797 | $968,944 |
Fund Distributions. Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares. Moreover, distributions of the Fund’s Shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not
exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Investors may therefore wish to avoid purchasing Shares at a time when the Fund’s NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Realized gains must generally be distributed even when the Fund’s NAV also reflects unrealized losses.
Dividends and other distributions are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
Distributions by the Fund of investment income is generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For individuals, long-term capital gains are currently subject to a reduced maximum tax rate of 20%. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of non- corporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. If the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be reported as qualified dividend income.
A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. In addition, distributions that the Fund receives from an ETF or an underlying fund taxable as a RIC will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.
Dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of the Fund will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by the Fund will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (1) if the stock on which the dividend is paid is considered to be “debt-financed” (generally, acquired with borrowed funds), (2) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Fund has held for less than 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (3) to the extent that the Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends- received deduction may be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its Shares of the Fund or (2) by application of the Code.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.
Dividends and distributions from the Fund will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.
If the Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of that shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, and thereafter as capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her Shares as capital assets. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its Shares.
The Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.
Sale or Exchange of Shares. A sale or exchange of Shares in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of Shares of the Fund for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the Shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical Shares of the Fund is purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Real Estate Investment Trusts. The Fund may invest in REITs. Investments in REIT equity securities may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. The Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends paid by a REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a REIT to the Fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the Fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the Fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income or qualify for the dividends received deduction.
If a REIT is operated in a manner such that it fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the REIT would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.
The Tax Act treats “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) as eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). The Tax Act does not contain a provision permitting a RIC, such as the Fund, to pass the special character of this income through to its shareholders. Currently, direct investors in REITs will enjoy the lower rate, but investors in RICs that invest in such REITs will not. It is uncertain whether future technical corrections or administrative guidance will address this issue to enable the Fund to pass through the special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to shareholders.
REITs in which the Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the Fund until after the time that the Fund issues a tax reporting statement. As a result, the Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the Fund (or your broker) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.
Tax Treatment of Complex Securities. The Fund may invest in complex securities and these investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses, and, in limited cases, subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of their foreign securities. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Fund.
Some debt obligations that are acquired by the Fund may be treated as having original issue discount (“OID”). Generally, the Fund will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If the Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary.
The Fund may invest in inflation-linked debt securities. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be OID, which is taxable as ordinary income and is required to be distributed, even though the Fund will not receive the principal, including any increase thereto, until maturity. If the Fund invests in securities that have OID, it may be required to liquidate other investments, including at times when it is not advantageous to do so, to satisfy its distribution requirements and to eliminate any possible taxation at the Fund level. Moreover, the Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund
realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.
Backup Withholding. The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund Shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if Shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign- source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.
A beneficial holder of Shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of Shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax.
A U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends effective July 1, 2014 (and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund Shares (including certain capital gain dividends) received by Fund shareholders beginning after December 31, 2018) for shareholders who own their Shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.
For a non-U.S. person to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
A beneficial holder of Shares who is a non-U.S. person may be subject to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
Section 351. The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or any group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, that Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such
securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Foreign Investments. Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries and U.S. possessions (including, for example, dividends or interest on stock or securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield on the Fund’s stock or securities. Tax treaties between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.
If as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets consist of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to 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 income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, the Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders who must include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders’ federal income tax. If the Fund makes the election, the Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund’s income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.
If the Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as “passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs,” the Fund will generally be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF,” the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund’s pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to mark- to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above. In such instances, the Fund intends to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules.
Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will generally be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements and for avoiding the excise tax described above. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make the appropriate tax elections, and intends to make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of the Fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes.
The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from income that qualifies for the Fund to satisfy the RIC requirements of the Code described above if such gains are not directly related to the Fund’s business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities). Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of the Fund’s non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.
An Authorized Participant having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal tax purposes that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss that is realized by an Authorized Participant upon an exchange of securities for
Creation Units cannot be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Master Limited Partnerships. In general, for purposes of the Qualifying Income Requirement described above, income derived from a partnership that is not a qualified publicly traded partnership (as described below) will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. While the rules are not entirely clear with respect to an investment in a partnership outside a master-feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether the Fund satisfies the Diversification Requirement, the Fund is generally treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership, including interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships. As described below, the Fund’s investment in one or more of such qualified publicly traded partnerships is limited under the Diversification Requirement to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in the Internal Revenue Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the same sources as described in the Qualifying Income Requirement) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Internal Revenue Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.
MLPs taxed as partnerships have historically made cash distributions to limited partners that exceed the amount of taxable income allocable to limited partners or members, due to a variety of factors, including significant non-cash deductions such as depreciation and depletion. These excess cash distributions would not be treated as income to the Fund but rather would be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the Fund’s basis in the MLP. As a consequence, the Fund may make distributions that exceed its earnings and profits, which would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from the sale of the Shares.
The Fund may invest in certain MLPs which may be treated as “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as described above). Income from qualified publicly traded partnerships is qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Requirement, but the Fund’s investment in one or more of such qualified publicly traded partnerships is limited under the Diversification Requirement to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund will monitor its investment in such qualified publicly traded partnerships in order to ensure compliance with the Qualifying Income and Diversification Requirements. MLPs and other partnerships that the Fund may invest in will deliver Form K-1s to the Fund to report its share of income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of the MLP or other partnership. These Form K-1s may be delayed and may not be received until after the time that the Fund issues its tax reporting statements. As a result, the Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues you your tax reporting statement.
The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in entities that are taxed as corporations for United States federal income tax purposes, including certain MLPs that elect corporate treatment. Distributions that the Fund receives from such corporations will generally be taxable to the extent of the corporations current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions the Fund receives from such corporations in excess of current or accumulated earnings and profits will generally not be taxable as a return of capital, but will reduce the Fund’s cost basis in the shares it owns and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Fund sells such shares. Certain corporations in which the Fund invests may accrue deferred income taxes for their future tax liability associated with an underlying investment. Such deferred tax liabilities may affect the value of the Fund’s investment in such entities.
Certain Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Cost Basis. Legislation passed by Congress now requires the reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include Shares of a RIC acquired to the IRS and to taxpayers. Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.
General Considerations. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Shares of the Fund held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is
different, prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of Shares of the Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.
State Taxes. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by the Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of Shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that the Fund will not be liable for any corporate tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Annual Report for the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 is a separate document and the respective financial statements and accompanying notes appearing therein are incorporated by reference into this SAI. You may request a copy of the Fund’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 1-800-617-0004 or download/view at the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
APPENDIX A
GLASS LEWIS INVESTMENT MANAGER GUIDELINES
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines are designed to maximize returns for investment managers by voting in a manner consistent with such managers’ active investment decision-making. The guidelines are designed to increase investor’s potential financial gain through the use of the shareholder vote while also allowing management and the board discretion to direct the operations, including governance and compensation, of the firm.
The guidelines will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the fiduciary responsibilities unique to investment advisors and investment companies on behalf of individual investor clients including mutual fund shareholders. The guidelines will encourage the maximization of return for such clients through identifying and avoiding financial, audit and corporate governance risks.
MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
In analyzing directors and boards, Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally support the election of incumbent directors except when a majority of the company’s directors are not independent or where directors fail to attend at least 75% of board and committee meetings. In a contested election, we will apply the standard Glass Lewis recommendation.
AUDITOR
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally support auditor ratification except when the non-audit fees exceed the audit fees paid to the auditor.
COMPENSATION
Glass Lewis recognizes the importance in designing appropriate executive compensation plans that truly reward pay for performance. We evaluate equity compensation plans based upon their specific features and will vote against plans than would result in total overhang greater than 20% or that allow the repricing of options without shareholder approval.
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will follow the general Glass Lewis recommendation when voting on management advisory votes on compensation (“say-on-pay”) and on executive compensation arrangements in connection with merger transactions (i.e., golden parachutes). Further, the Investment Manager Guidelines will follow the Glass Lewis recommendation when voting on the preferred frequency of advisory compensation votes.
AUTHORIZED SHARES
Having sufficient available authorized shares allows management to avail itself of rapidly developing opportunities as well as to effectively operate the business. However, we believe that for significant transactions management should seek shareholder approval to justify the use of additional shares. Therefore shareholders should not approve the creation of a large pool of unallocated shares without some rational of the purpose of such shares. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not provided an appropriate plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically vote against the authorization of additional shares. We also vote against the creation of or increase in (i) blank check preferred shares and (ii) dual or multiple class capitalizations.
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally support proposals increasing or enhancing shareholder rights such as declassifying the board, allowing shareholders to call a special meeting, eliminating supermajority voting and adopting majority voting for the election of directors. Similarly, the Investment Manager Guidelines will generally vote against proposals to eliminate or reduce shareholder rights.
MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS
Glass Lewis undertakes a thorough examination of the economic implications of a proposed merger or acquisition to determine the transaction’s likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. We examine the process used to negotiate the transaction as well as the terms of the transaction in making our voting recommendation.
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
We review and vote on shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis. We recommend supporting shareholder proposals if the requested action would increase shareholder value, mitigate risk or enhance shareholder rights but generally recommend voting against those that would not ultimately impact performance.
GOVERNANCE
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will support reasonable initiatives that seek to enhance shareholder rights, such as the introduction of majority voting to elect directors, elimination in/reduction of supermajority provisions, the declassification of the board and requiring the submission of shareholder rights’ plans to a shareholder vote. The guidelines generally support reasonable, well- targeted proposals to allow increased shareholder participation at shareholder meetings through the ability to call special meetings and ability for shareholders to nominate director candidates to a company’s board of directors. However, the Investment Manager Guidelines will vote against proposals to require separating the roles of CEO and chairman.
COMPENSATION
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally oppose any shareholder proposals seeking to limit compensation in amount or design. However, the guidelines will vote for reasonable and properly-targeted shareholder initiatives such as to require shareholder approval to reprice options, to link pay with performance, to eliminate or require shareholder approval of golden coffins, to allow a shareholder vote on excessive golden parachutes (i.e., greater than 2.99 times annual compensation) and to claw back unearned bonuses. The Investment Manager Guidelines will vote against requiring companies to allow shareholders an advisory compensation vote.
ENVIRONMENT
Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines vote against proposals seeking to cease a certain practice or take certain action related to a company’s activities or operations with environmental. Further, the Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally vote against proposals regarding enhanced environment disclosure and reporting, including those seeking sustainability reporting and disclosure about company’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as advocating compliance with international environmental conventions and adherence to environmental principles like those promulgated by CERES.
SOCIAL
Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally oppose proposals requesting companies adhere to labor or worker treatment codes of conduct, such as those espoused by the International Labor Organization, relating to labor standards, human rights conventions and corporate responsibility at large conventions and principles. The guidelines will also vote against proposals seeking disclosure concerning the rights of workers, impact on local stakeholders, workers’ rights and human rights in general. Furthermore, the Investment Manager Guidelines oppose increased reporting and review of a company’s political and charitable spending as well as its lobbying practices.
PROSPECTUS
February 28, 2022
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PSCX | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF |
PSCW | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF |
PSCJ | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF |
PSCQ | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF |
PSMD | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF |
PSMR | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF |
PSMJ | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF |
PSMO | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF |
PSFD | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF |
PSFM | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF |
PSFJ | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF |
PSFO | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF |
PSFF | Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF |
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: *ARE NOT FDIC INSURED *MAY LOSE VALUE *ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED
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The following information describes some of the risks associated with each of the funds listed on the cover of this Prospectus other than the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF (each an “SOS Fund,” and collectively, the “SOS Funds”). Additional information about these and other risks related to the SOS Funds and information pertaining to the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF can be found below in this Prospectus.
Each SOS Fund uses a “structured outcome strategy” to seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). The pre-determined structured outcomes sought by the SOS Funds, which include the buffer and cap discussed below, are based upon the performance of the Underlying ETF over a one year period referred to with respect to an SOS Fund as the initial “Investment Period.” Following an SOS Fund’s initial Investment Period, each subsequent Investment Period will be a one-year period. |
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• | An SOS Fund will not terminate after the conclusion of the Investment Period. After the conclusion of an Investment Period with respect to an SOS Fund, another will begin. There is no guarantee that the structured outcomes for an Investment Period will be realized. |
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• | The structured outcomes may only be realized if you are holding shares on the first day of an Investment Period and continue to hold them on the last day of that Investment Period. If you purchase shares after an Investment Period has begun or sell shares prior to an Investment Period’s conclusion, you may experience investment returns very different from those that the SOS Fund seeks to provide. If the Investment Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap (as defined below), an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Similarly, if the Investment Period has begun and the SOS Fund has decreased in value beyond the pre-determined buffer (as described below), an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer. There is no guarantee that an SOS Fund will successfully achieve its investment objective. |
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• | SOS Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the “Cap”) that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in an SOS Fund for an Investment Period. Therefore, even though the SOS Funds’ returns are based upon the Underlying ETF, if the Underlying ETF experiences returns for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap, you will not experience those excess gains. An SOS Fund’s Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next. There is no guarantee that an SOS Fund’s Cap will remain the same upon the conclusion of its Investment Period. |
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• | Each SOS Fund only seeks to provide shareholders that hold shares for an entire Investment Period with a buffer against a pre-determined percentage of Underlying ETF losses. You will bear all Underlying ETF losses beyond that pre-determined percentage as described below. While each SOS Fund seeks to limit losses for shareholders who hold shares for the entire Investment Period, there is no guarantee it will successfully do so. |
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• | The SOS Funds’ website, www.https://www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides important information (including Investment Period start and end dates and each SOS Fund’s Cap and buffer), as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in an SOS Fund on a daily basis. If you are contemplating purchasing shares, please visit the website. Investors considering purchasing shares after an Investment Period has begun or selling shares prior to the end of an Investment Period should visit the website to fully understand potential investment outcomes. |
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• | Although each SOS Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that an SOS Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares of that SOS Fund and certain expenses incurred by the SOS Fund. The SOS Funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. The table on the following page provides considerations for determining whether an investment in an SOS Fund is appropriate for you. |
Table of Contents
SUMMARY SECTION
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Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 8.60% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 7.85% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against Underlying ETF losses between 5% and 30% over the period from December 20, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs 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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from December 22, 2020 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
December 20, 2021 | December 31, 2022 | 5% to 30% | 8.60% | 7.85% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 5%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience such losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 4% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 4%, before Fund fees and expenses.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 5% but less than or equal to 30%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to bear only the first 5% of such losses (i.e., to buffer against Underlying ETF losses beyond 5% and up to 30%), before Fund fees and expenses. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10%, 20%, or 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to lose 5%, before Fund fees and expenses. As a result, the maximum effect of the Buffer is to protect the Fund from losses of 25% if the Underlying ETF loses 30% over the Investment Period (30% minus the first 5% of losses).
•If the Underlying ETF has declined in value by more than 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses that are 25% less than the those of the Underlying ETF. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 15% (40% minus 25%), before Fund fees and expenses. An investor that purchases Shares at a value reflecting losses of more than 30% from the beginning of the Investment Period has the potential to lose his or her entire investment and may not experience any benefit from the Buffer.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment
Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for that entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer of Underlying ETF losses of between 5% and 30% over each Investment Period. In other words, the Fund’s strategy seeks to provide a buffer of 25% against Underlying ETF losses equal to or greater than 30%. The Fund will bear the first 5% of losses, and after the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by more than 30%, the Fund will experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 30% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, an investor purchasing Shares at that price may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer (because the Fund must first decrease in value to 5% less than its Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer), which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund
to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the
Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in
turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Calendar Year Total Return
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 3.07% for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and the lowest quarterly return was 0.54% for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Period Ended December 31, 2021
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | 1 Year | Since Inception (12/22/2020) |
Return Before Taxes | 9.17% | 9.57% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 9.17% | 9.57% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares | 5.43% | 7.29% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 28.71% | 30.30% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
| | |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 9.10% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 8.35% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against Underlying ETF losses between 5% and 30% over the period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from March 31, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
April 1, 2021 | March 31, 2022 | 5% to 30% | 9.10% | 8.35% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 5%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience such losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 4% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 4%, before Fund fees and expenses.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 5% but less than or equal to 30%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to bear only the first 5% of such losses (i.e., to buffer against Underlying ETF losses beyond 5% and up to 30%), before Fund fees and expenses. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10%, 20%, or 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to lose 5%, before Fund fees and expenses. As a result, the maximum effect of the Buffer is to protect the Fund from losses of 25% if the Underlying ETF loses 30% over the Investment Period (30% minus the first 5% of losses).
•If the Underlying ETF has declined in value by more than 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses that are 25% less than the those of the Underlying ETF. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 15% (40% minus 25%), before Fund fees and expenses. An investor that purchases Shares at a value reflecting losses of more than 30% from the beginning of the Investment Period has the potential to lose his or her entire investment and may not experience any benefit from the Buffer.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for that entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer of Underlying ETF losses of between 5% and 30% over each Investment Period. In other words, the Fund’s strategy seeks to provide a buffer of 25% against Underlying ETF losses equal to or greater than 30%. The Fund will bear the first 5% of losses, and after the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by more than 30%, the Fund will experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 30% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, an investor purchasing Shares at that price may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer (because the Fund must first decrease in value to 5% less than its Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer), which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it
purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
| | |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 7.15% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 6.40% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against Underlying ETF losses between 5% and 30% over the period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from June 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 | 5% to 30% | 7.15% | 6.40% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 5%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience such losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 4% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 4%, before Fund fees and expenses.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 5% but less than or equal to 30%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to bear only the first 5% of such losses (i.e., to buffer against Underlying ETF losses beyond 5% and up to 30%), before Fund fees and expenses. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10%, 20%, or 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to lose 5%, before Fund fees and expenses. As a result, the maximum effect of the Buffer is to protect the Fund from losses of 25% if the Underlying ETF loses 30% over the Investment Period (30% minus the first 5% of losses).
•If the Underlying ETF has declined in value by more than 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses that are 25% less than the those of the Underlying ETF. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 15% (40% minus 25%), before Fund fees and expenses. An investor that purchases Shares at a value reflecting losses of more than 30% from the beginning of the Investment Period has the potential to lose his or her entire investment and may not experience any benefit from the Buffer.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for that entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer of Underlying ETF losses of between 5% and 30% over each Investment Period. In other words, the Fund’s strategy seeks to provide a buffer of 25% against Underlying ETF losses equal to or greater than 30%. The Fund will bear the first 5% of losses, and after the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by more than 30%, the Fund will experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 30% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, an investor purchasing Shares at that price may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer (because the Fund must first decrease in value to 5% less than its Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer), which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it
purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 7.56% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 6.81% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against Underlying ETF losses between 5% and 30% over the period from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs 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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from September 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
October 1, 2021 | September 30, 2022 | 5% to 30% | 7.56% | 6.81% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 5%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience such losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 4% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 4%, before Fund fees and expenses.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 5% but less than or equal to 30%, the strategy is intended for the Fund to bear only the first 5% of such losses (i.e., to buffer against Underlying ETF losses beyond 5% and up to 30%), before Fund fees and expenses. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10%, 20%, or 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to lose 5%, before Fund fees and expenses. As a result, the maximum effect of the Buffer is to protect the Fund from losses of 25% if the Underlying ETF loses 30% over the Investment Period (30% minus the first 5% of losses).
•If the Underlying ETF has declined in value by more than 30% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses that are 25% less than the those of the Underlying ETF. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to lose 15% (40% minus 25%), before Fund fees and expenses. An investor that purchases Shares at a value reflecting losses of more than 30% from the beginning of the Investment Period has the potential to lose his or her entire investment and may not experience any benefit from the Buffer.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for that entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer of Underlying ETF losses of between 5% and 30% over each Investment Period. In other words, the Fund’s strategy seeks to provide a buffer of 25% against Underlying ETF losses equal to or greater than 30%. The Fund will bear the first 5% of losses, and after the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by more than 30%, the Fund will experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 30% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, an investor purchasing Shares at that price may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer (because the Fund must first decrease in value to 5% less than its Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer), which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it
purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (“the Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 10.30% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 9.55% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, over the period from December 20, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs 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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from December 22, 2020 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
December 20, 2021 | December 31, 2022 | 15% | 10.30% | 9.55% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 15%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed to protect the Fund from the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, while experiencing losses greater than 15% on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 20% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have losses of 5% (20% less the Buffer of 15%), before Fund fees and expenses.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer on the first 15% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. After the Underlying ETF has decreased in price by more than 15%, the Fund is expected to experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 20%, the Fund loses 5%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by at least 15% since the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Calendar Year Total Return
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 3.97% for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and the lowest quarterly return was 0.58% for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Period Ended December 31, 2021
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | 1 Year | Since Inception (12/22/2020) |
Return Before Taxes | 11.24% | 11.76% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 11.02% | 11.55% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares | 6.65% | 8.88% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 28.71% | 30.30% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
| | |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (“the Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 10.48% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 9.73% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, over the period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from March 31, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
April 1, 2021 | March 31, 2022 | 15% | 10.48% | 9.73% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 15%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed to protect the Fund from the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, while experiencing losses greater than 15% on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 20% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have losses of 5% (20% less the Buffer of 15%), before Fund fees and expenses.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer on the first 15% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. After the Underlying ETF has decreased in price by more than 15%, the Fund is expected to experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 20%, the Fund loses 5%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by at least 15% since the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (“the Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 7.95% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 7.20% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, over the period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from June 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 | 15% | 7.95% | 7.20% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 15%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed to protect the Fund from the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, while experiencing losses greater than 15% on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 20% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have losses of 5% (20% less the Buffer of 15%), before Fund fees and expenses.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer on the first 15% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. After the Underlying ETF has decreased in price by more than 15%, the Fund is expected to experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 20%, the Fund loses 5%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by at least 15% since the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that, before fees and expenses of the Fund, match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (“the Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 9.07% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 8.32% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, over the period from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from September 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
October 1, 2021 | September 30, 2022 | 15% | 9.07% | 8.32% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 15%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed to protect the Fund from the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, while experiencing losses greater than 15% on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 20% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have losses of 5% (20% less the Buffer of 15%), before Fund fees and expenses.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer on the first 15% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. After the Underlying ETF has decreased in price by more than 15%, the Fund is expected to experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 20%, the Fund loses 5%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by at least 15% since the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism,
spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 14.70% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 13.95% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 20% of Underlying ETF losses with the benefits of such buffer declining from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, over the period from December 20, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from December 22, 2020 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Full Buffer | Fading Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
December 20, 2021 | December 31, 2022 | 20% | 20% to 40% | 14.70% | 13.95% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 20%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 15% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 20% (the maximum Buffer amount) but less than or equal to 40%, the strategy is intended for the losses of the Fund, before fees and expenses, to approach (and ultimately match) the returns of the Underlying ETF as the Underlying ETF’s losses approach (or reach) 40%. In other words, the Fund is intended to incur losses for an Investment Period that grow more quickly than the Underlying ETF’s losses as the Underlying ETF’s losses grow from 20% to 40%.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value by more than 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a two-zone Buffer strategy. In the first zone, the Fund seeks to provide a full Buffer on the first 20% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. In the second zone, the benefit of the Fund’s Buffer declines from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, at which point both the Fund and the Underlying ETF will have lost 40%. As a result, the benefits of the Buffer decrease from a maximum benefit of 20% (when Underlying ETF losses are 20%) to 0% (when Underlying ETF losses reach 40%) in this second zone. For Underlying ETF losses greater than 40%, the Fund will experience the losses of the Underlying ETF on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 45%, the Fund loses 45%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses charged to shareholders. An investor could lose their entire investment.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 20% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have
limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In
stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Calendar Year Total Return
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 5.99% for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 and the lowest quarterly return was 0.72% for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Period Ended December 31, 2021
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | 1 Year | Since Inception (12/22/2020) |
Return Before Taxes | 18.48% | 19.02% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 18.48% | 19.02% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares | 10.94% | 14.50% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 28.71% | 30.30% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
| | |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 16.04% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 15.29% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 20% of Underlying ETF losses with the benefits of such buffer declining from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, over the period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
| | | | | |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from March 31, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Full Buffer | Fading Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
April 1, 2021 | March 31, 2022 | 20% | 20% to 40% | 16.04% | 15.29% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 20%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 15% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 20% (the maximum Buffer amount) but less than or equal to 40%, the strategy is intended for the losses of the Fund, before fees and expenses, to approach (and ultimately match) the returns of the Underlying ETF as the Underlying ETF’s losses approach (or reach) 40%. In other words, the Fund is intended to incur losses for an Investment Period that grow more quickly than the Underlying ETF’s losses as the Underlying ETF’s losses grow from 20% to 40%.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value by more than 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a two-zone Buffer strategy. In the first zone, the Fund seeks to provide a full Buffer on the first 20% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. In the second zone, the benefit of the Fund’s Buffer declines from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, at which point both the Fund and the Underlying ETF will have lost 40%. As a result, the benefits of the Buffer decrease from a maximum benefit of 20% (when Underlying ETF losses are 20%) to 0% (when Underlying ETF losses reach 40%) in this second zone. For Underlying ETF losses greater than 40%, the Fund will experience the losses of the Underlying ETF on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 45%, the Fund loses 45%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses charged to shareholders. An investor could lose their entire investment.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 20% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have
limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In
stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 11.30% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 10.55% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 20% of Underlying ETF losses with the benefits of such buffer declining from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, over the period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs 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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from June 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Full Buffer | Fading Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 | 20% | 20% to 40% | 11.30% | 10.55% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 20%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 15% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 20% (the maximum Buffer amount) but less than or equal to 40%, the strategy is intended for the losses of the Fund, before fees and expenses, to approach (and ultimately match) the returns of the Underlying ETF as the Underlying ETF’s losses approach (or reach) 40%. In other words, the Fund is intended to incur losses for an Investment Period that grow more quickly than the Underlying ETF’s losses as the Underlying ETF’s losses grow from 20% to 40%.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value by more than 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment
Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a two-zone Buffer strategy. In the first zone, the Fund seeks to provide a full Buffer on the first 20% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. In the second zone, the benefit of the Fund’s Buffer declines from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, at which point both the Fund and the Underlying ETF will have lost 40%. As a result, the benefits of the Buffer decrease from a maximum benefit of 20% (when Underlying ETF losses are 20%) to 0% (when Underlying ETF losses reach 40%) in this second zone. For Underlying ETF losses greater than 40%, the Fund will experience the losses of the Underlying ETF on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 45%, the Fund loses 45%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses charged to shareholders. An investor could lose their entire investment.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 20% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess
gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by
the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside cap of 12.98% (before fees and expenses of the Fund) and 12.23% (after fees and expenses of the Fund), while providing a buffer against the first 20% of Underlying ETF losses with the benefits of such buffer declining from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, over the period from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.75% |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs 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 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. This rate excludes the value of securities, including options, whose expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less. During the fiscal period from September 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.
The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:
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Investment Period Start | Investment Period End | Full Buffer | Fading Buffer | Cap (before Fund fees and expenses) | Cap (after Fund fees and expenses) |
October 1, 2021 | September 30, 2022 | 20% | 20% to 40% | 12.98% | 12.23% |
In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:
•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 20%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 15% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 20% (the maximum Buffer amount) but less than or equal to 40%, the strategy is intended for the losses of the Fund, before fees and expenses, to approach (and ultimately match) the returns of the Underlying ETF as the Underlying ETF’s losses approach (or reach) 40%. In other words, the Fund is intended to incur losses for an Investment Period that grow more quickly than the Underlying ETF’s losses as the Underlying ETF’s losses grow from 20% to 40%.
•If the Underlying ETF declines in value by more than 40% over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended for the Fund to experience losses on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.
Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies, provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.
Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund will be perpetually offered and not terminate after the current or any subsequent Investment Period.
Purchases During an Investment Period
An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.
Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.
Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for the entire Investment Period.
Buffer
The Fund seeks to provide a two-zone Buffer strategy. In the first zone, the Fund seeks to provide a full Buffer on the first 20% loss of the Underlying ETF over each Investment Period. In the second zone, the benefit of the Fund’s Buffer declines from 20% to 0% for Underlying ETF losses between 20% and 40%, at which point both the Fund and the Underlying ETF will have lost 40%. As a result, the benefits of the Buffer decrease from a maximum benefit of 20% (when Underlying ETF losses are 20%) to 0% (when Underlying ETF losses reach 40%) in this second zone. For Underlying ETF losses greater than 40%, the Fund will experience the losses of the Underlying ETF on a one-to-one basis (e.g., if the Underlying ETF loses 45%, the Fund loses 45%). The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses charged to shareholders. An investor could lose their entire investment.
If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 20% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.
Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, then a shareholder may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.
Cap
The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.
The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at www.paceretfs.com/products/structured-outcome-strategies.
The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.
The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio managers will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.
The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have
limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.
General Information about FLEX Options
FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index. See “Additional Information About the Funds—The Underlying ETF” below for more information.
The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.
On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.
•Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In
stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
▪Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.
In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF |
Investment Objective
The Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF (the “Fund”) seeks capital appreciation with downside protection.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets. This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fees | 0.18% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.00% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 | 0.75% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.93% |
1 Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (“AFFE”) are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund’s Financial Highlights because the Financial Highlights include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund and exclude AFFE.
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the Shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
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1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$95 | $296 | $515 | $1,143 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period from December 29, 2020 to October 31, 2021, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a portfolio of other ETFs also managed by the Fund’s investment adviser, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), that seek exposure to U.S. equity securities, while limiting downside risk (the “Underlying ETFs”). Certain Underlying ETFs may also be sub-advised by the Fund’s investment sub-adviser, Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”).
Underlying ETFs generally invest in equity securities or options on equity securities (including other ETFs) to obtain their long exposure to the U.S. equity market. Additionally, the Underlying ETFs may invest in cash or short-term U.S. Treasury securities or utilize options on equity securities (including other ETFs) to hedge their exposure to U.S. equities. The Fund may also invest directly in equity securities, options on equity securities (including other ETFs) or indices, cash, or cash equivalents.
While the Fund is not limited in the types of strategies the Underlying ETFs may utilize, the Fund is expected to primarily utilize “trend-following strategy” and “structured outcome strategy” styles of Underlying ETFs.
Trend-Following Strategies
Underlying ETFs that use a trend-following strategy generally use an objective, rules-based methodology to implement a systematic strategy that directs exposure (i) 100% to the equity index (e.g., the S&P 500® Index), (ii) a portion (e.g., 50%) to the equity index and the balance to short-term U.S. Treasury bills, or (iii) 100% to short-term U.S. Treasury bills, depending on the relative performance of the equity index to its historical averages (e.g., as compared to its 200-day moving average). Trend-following strategies rely on one or more “triggers” to change the allocation of their exposure among equity securities and short-term U.S. Treasury bills. Such triggers may be based on the performance of an equity index to its historical values, the relative performance of multiple equity indexes, or the relative performance of indexes representing different asset classes (e.g., equities versus bonds). Additionally, such triggers may be effective on a delayed basis (i.e., the triggering condition must exist for a certain period of time) or may be effective immediately. While such trend-following strategies seek to reduce exposure to equity securities during market downturns, their specific triggers and the timing of such triggers may or may not be successful in such objective.
Structured Outcome Strategies
Underlying ETFs that use a structured outcome strategy generally seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes for a specific period of time based upon the performance of an underlying security (such as an ETF) or index (a “reference asset”) through the use of a combination of call and put options on such reference asset. The pre-determined outcomes sought by such Underlying ETFs may include a buffer against certain reference asset losses and a cap based on the performance of the reference asset over a fixed period of time (e.g., one year). Investments in such strategies reflect an investment in a portfolio of options linked to a reference asset that, when bought at inception of the strategy and held to the expiration of the options (an “Investment Period”), seeks to target returns that buffer against downside losses due to a decline in the reference asset, while providing participation up to a maximum capped gain in the reference asset.
The structure of the structured outcomes that such Underlying ETFs seek for investors (such as the Fund) that hold Underlying ETF shares for an entire Investment Period may vary significantly based on the amount, structure, and timing of their buffer and cap, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved. For example, such outcomes may be structured as follows:
•If the reference asset appreciates over the Investment Period, the combination of options held by the Underlying ETF provides upside participation that is intended to match that of the reference asset, up to the cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.
•If the reference asset decreases over the Investment Period, the combination of options held by the Underlying ETF provides a payoff at expiration that is intended to compensate for losses experienced by the reference asset (if any), in an amount not to exceed the Underlying ETF’s buffer (e.g., 15%) before fees and expenses.
•If the reference asset has decreased in value by more than the buffer amount over the Investment Period, the Underlying ETF will experience all subsequent losses greater than the buffer amount on a one-to-one basis with the reference asset.
Importantly, if the Fund purchases shares of such an Underlying ETF other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells such shares prior to the end of an Investment Period, the Fund may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Underlying ETF for that Investment Period. This is because, while the cap and buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Underlying ETF shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased such shares at a price that is different from the Underlying ETF’s net asset value at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the net asset value that the cap and buffer reference).
Structured outcome strategy Underlying ETFs generally invest substantially all of their assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”). FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like reference asset, exercise price, style, and expiration date. FLEX Options are guaranteed for settlement by the Options
Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options, becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer,” protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk. Although guaranteed for settlement by the OCC, FLEX Options are still subject to counterparty risk with the OCC and subject to the risk that the OCC may fail to perform the settlement of the FLEX Options due to bankruptcy or other adverse reasons.
The FLEX Options that an Underlying ETF will hold will give the Underlying ETF the right to receive or deliver shares of the reference asset on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Underlying ETF purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Underlying ETFs are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.
The Sub-Adviser generally seeks a mix of Underlying ETF allocations to incorporate multiple methods for mitigating downside risk. Additionally, the Sub-Adviser may purchase or sell structured outcome Underlying ETFs when it believes that that a different Underlying ETF provides greater downside protection or upside opportunity for a similar or lesser cost. The Sub-Adviser may also choose to use trend-following or structured outcome strategies for the Fund directly, rather than investing in an Underlying ETF. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in Underlying ETFs.
The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks summarized below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus entitled “Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds.” The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there
can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.
•Fixed Income Risk. The Fund’s investments may expose the Fund to risks related to fixed income securities. Fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by a fund. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. The current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives may increase the risk of rising interest rates. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. The value of direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities may be affected by the inability of issuers to repay principal and interest or illiquidity in debt securities markets.
•Government Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in securities issued by the U.S. government. There can be no guarantee that the United States will be able to meet its payment obligations with respect to such securities. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.
•High Portfolio Turnover Risk. At times, the Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate substantially greater than 100%. A high portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater transaction expenses, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark ups and other transaction costs, on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities and may result in reduced performance and the distribution to shareholders of additional capital gains for tax purposes. These factors may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.
•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. Large-capitalization companies may underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.
•Limited Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
•Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments.
•Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
•Other Investment Companies Risk. The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the “ETF Risks” described above.
•The following risks related to the Fund’s investment in structured outcome strategy Underlying ETFs are also applicable to the Fund:
◦Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Underlying ETF will be successful in its strategy to buffer against reference asset losses. Despite the intended buffer, a shareholder (such as the Fund) could lose its entire investment. The Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the reference asset (up to the cap), while limiting downside losses, if shares are bought on the day on which the Underlying ETF enters into the options and held until those options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event the Fund purchases Underlying ETF shares after the date on which the options were entered into or sells shares prior to the expiration of the options, the buffer that the Underlying ETF seeks to provide may not be available and the Fund may not get the full benefit of the buffer. The Underlying ETF might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Underlying ETF does not provide principal protection and the Fund may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
◦Cap Change Risk. At the beginning of each Investment Period of the respective Underlying ETF a new cap is established and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
◦Capped Upside Risk. The Underlying ETF’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the reference asset for Underlying ETF shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside cap. If an investor (such as the Fund) does not hold its shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Underlying ETF seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Underlying ETF will not participate in those gains beyond the cap. In the event the Fund purchases shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Underlying ETF has risen in value to a level near to the cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their shares.
◦Counterparty Risk. Underlying ETF transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Underlying ETF. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to a Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund. An Underlying ETF may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of an Underlying ETF to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, an Underlying ETF and, in turn, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
◦FLEX Options Risk. The FLEX Options held by Underlying ETFs will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the reference asset. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than gains or losses in the reference asset, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options and changing volatility levels of the reference asset.
FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, it is not guaranteed that a liquid secondary trading market will exist. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Underlying ETF’s FLEX Options may decrease. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and result in an Underlying ETF being unable to achieve its investment objective.
◦Investment Period Risk. The Underlying ETFs’ investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the reference asset if Underlying ETF shares are bought on the day on which the Underlying ETF enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Underlying ETF shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Underlying ETF shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the reference asset and may not participate in a gain in the value of the reference asset up to the cap for the investor’s investment period.
The following risk related to the Fund’s investment in trend-following strategy Underlying ETFs are also applicable to the Fund:
▪Trend Lag Risk. To the extent an Underlying ETF’s trigger requires a condition to exist for a certain time period to become effective, the Underlying ETF may be adversely affected by a downward trend and/or volatility in the applicable equity index for such period of time (or conversely, may not benefit from an upward trend and/or volatility in such equity index for such period of time). Accordingly, the methodology employed by the Underlying ETF does not eliminate exposure to downward trends and/or volatility in the equity index and does not provide immediate exposure to upward trends and/or volatility in the equity index.
Fund Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for calendar years ended December 31. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-800-617-0004.
Calendar Year Total Return
During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 3.88% for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 and the lowest quarterly return was -0.02% for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Average Annual Total Returns
For the Period Ended December 31, 2021
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Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | 1 Year | Since Inception (12/29/2020) |
Return Before Taxes | 11.77% | 12.33% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 11.77% | 12.33% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares | 6.97% | 9.39% |
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 28.71% | 29.55% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.
Management
Investment Adviser
Pacer Advisors, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Swan Global Management, LLC serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Micah Wakefield, CAIA, Managing Director of Research and Product Development and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, and Chris Hausman, CMT, Managing Director of Risk and Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, have served as portfolio managers since the Fund’s inception. Each portfolio manager is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased 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 generally issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units,” which only institutions or large investors 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 that the Fund specifies each day.
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 net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.PacerETFs.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-deferred accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their related companies may pay the intermediary for activities related to the marketing and promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
INVESTOR SUITABILITY CONSIDERATIONS
The following information pertains to each fund listed on the cover of this Prospectus, other than the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF (each, an “SOS Fund,” and collectively, the “SOS Funds”). The SOS Funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. The table below provides considerations for determining whether an investment in an SOS Fund is appropriate for you.
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| | You should only consider this investment if: | | |
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| • | you fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in an SOS Fund; | | |
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| • | you desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period; | | |
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| • | you are willing to hold shares for the duration of the Investment Period to achieve the structured outcomes that an SOS Fund seeks to provide; | | |
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| • | you fully understand that investments made when an SOS Fund is at or near to its Cap may have limited to no upside; | | |
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| • | you seek the protection of a specified buffer amount against Underlying ETF losses for an investment held for the duration of an entire Investment Period and understand that there is no guarantee that an SOS Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the buffer; | | |
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| • | you are willing to forgo any gains in excess of a Cap; | | |
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| • | you understand that an SOS Fund’s investments do not provide for dividends to the SOS Fund; | | |
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| • | you fully understand that investments made after the Investment Period has begun may not fully benefit from the buffer; | | |
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| • | you are willing to accept the risk of losing your entire investment; and | | |
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| • | you have visited the SOS Funds’ website and understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the time of your purchase. | | |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Additional Information About Each Fund
Investment Objective. Each Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without a vote of shareholders upon written notice to shareholders.
The Underlying ETF
Each Fund, other than the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF, invests substantially all of its assets in FLEX Options that reference the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (for purposes of this section, the “Underlying Asset”). The Underlying Asset is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests entirely in the S&P 500® Index. According to its prospectus filed with the SEC, the investment objective of the Underlying Asset is to seek to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index.
The Underlying Asset seeks to achieve its investment objective by holding a portfolio of the common stocks that are included in the S&P 500® Index with the weight of each stock in its portfolio substantially corresponding to the weight of such stock in the Index. Although the Underlying Asset may fail to own certain of the securities listed in S&P 500® Index at any particular time, it generally will be substantially invested in such securities, which should result in a close correspondence between the performance of the S&P 500® Index and the performance of Underlying Asset. The Underlying Asset does not hold or trade futures or swaps and is not a commodity pool.
You can find the Underlying Asset’s prospectus and other information about the Underlying Asset, including its principal risks, as well as, the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at https://us.spdrs.com/en/etf/spdr-sp-500-etf-SPY. You are encouraged to review the prospectus of the Underlying Asset before investing in the Fund.
General Information about FLEX Options
Each Fund, other than the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF, invests substantially all of its assets in FLEX Options. For each Investment Period, the applicable Fund will invest in both purchased and written put and call FLEX Options that reference the Underlying ETF. FLEX Options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options, becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer,” protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk. The OCC may make adjustments to FLEX Options for certain significant events, as more fully described in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information. Although guaranteed for settlement by the OCC, FLEX Options are still subject to counterparty risk with the OCC and subject to the risk that the OCC may fail to perform the settlement of the FLEX Options due to bankruptcy or other adverse reasons.
The OCC and securities exchanges on which the FLEX Options are listed do not charge ongoing fees to writers or purchasers of the FLEX Options during their life for continuing to hold the option contracts, but may charge transaction fees.
Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds
This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each of the Fund Summaries. Unless otherwise indicated below, the following risks apply to the Funds’ direct investments, as well as to the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF (the “Fund of Funds”) through its investments in the other Funds. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on a Fund’s performance and trading prices. As in each Fund Summary above, the principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the applicable Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
Buffered Loss Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). There can be no guarantee that a strategy to buffer against Underlying Asset losses will be successful. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. Each Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying Asset (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which a Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. A Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Funds do not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.
Cap Change Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.
Capped Upside Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). Each Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying Asset for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying Asset experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. The Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares. The return of the Fund may represent a return that is worse than the performance of the Underlying Asset, including as a result of its’ returns being subject to a Cap.
Counterparty Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). If a Fund enters into an investment or transaction that depends on the performance of another party, the Fund becomes subject to the credit risk of that counterparty. The Fund's ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions depends on the willingness and ability of the counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. A Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving a counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if the Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, the Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of securities and, if the Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, the Fund may also be similarly impacted.
Downside Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds) Each Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of an Underlying Asset for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period while limiting, or providing a Buffer against, downside losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares after the first day of an Investment Period, the buffer such Fund seeks to provide may not be available. A Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances.
ETF Risks. Each Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:
◦APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund may have 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 of a Fund 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.
◦Cash Redemption Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). To the extent the Fund’s investment strategy requires it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds, the Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption
proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.
◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of a Fund. Investors buying or selling shares of a Fund in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares of a Fund. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy shares of a Fund (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares of a Fund (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares of a Fund based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if shares of a Fund have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares of a Fund have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of a Fund, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of a Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of a Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares of a Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of a Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of a Fund will approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly, including due to supply and demand of a Fund’s Shares and/or during periods of market volatility. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV intra-day when you buy Shares in the secondary market, and you may receive more (or less) than NAV when you sell those Shares in the secondary market. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
◦Trading. Although shares of a Fund are listed for trading on its applicable Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than its applicable Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares of the Fund will develop or be maintained. Trading in shares of a Fund may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of its applicable Exchange, make trading in shares of such Fund inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares of a Fund on its applicable Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant each Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on such 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 each Exchange may halt trading in shares of a Fund when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of shares of such Fund. There can be no assurance that shares of a Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of a Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of a Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of such Fund.
FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by a Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying Asset. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the Underlying Asset, among others.
FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, there is no guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. Trading in the FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than certain other securities such as standardized options. The FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of
options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and a Fund’s shares and result in such Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective.
FLEX Options Risk. The OCC may be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be less liquid than other exchange-traded options. The value of the FLEX Options prior to their expiration date may vary because of factors other than fluctuations in the value of the Underlying Asset, such as an increase in interest rates, a change in the actual and perceived volatility of the stock market and the Underlying Asset and the remaining time to expiration. Additionally, the value of the FLEX Options does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the Underlying Asset or its underlying securities.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying Asset. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the Underlying Asset, among others. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of that Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data. Consequently, while such determinations may be made in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value. Under those circumstances, the value of the FLEX Options will require more reliance on the investment adviser’s or sub-adviser’s judgment than that required for securities for which there is an active trading market. This creates a risk of mispricing or improper valuation of the FLEX Options which could impact the value paid for shares of the Fund.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. Each Fund has an investment strategy that may frequently involve buying and selling portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover may result in a Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other costs and may generate greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected.
Investment Period Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). Each Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying Asset if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in such Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying Asset and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying Asset up to the cap for the investor’s investment period.
Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.
Limited Operating History. Each Fund is a recently organized management investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in a Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
Management Risk. The Funds are subject to management risk because they are an actively managed portfolios. In managing a Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that a Fund will meet its investment objective(s), meet relevant benchmarks or perform as well as other funds with similar objectives.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates, and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on a Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and in many cases unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, supply chain disruptions, and so-called “stay-at-home” orders throughout much of the United States and many other countries. The fall-out from these disruptions has included the rapid closure of businesses deemed “non-essential” by federal, state, or local governments and rapidly increasing unemployment, as well as greatly reduced liquidity for certain instruments at times. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. Such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. In response, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary actions to support the domestic economy and financial markets, resulting in very low interest rates and in some cases negative yields. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.
Non-Diversification Risk. Each Fund is considered to be non-diversified. This means that a Fund may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified Fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase a Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
Options Risk. The Funds may utilize options. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions and depends on the ability of the Fund’s portfolio manager to forecast market movements correctly. The prices of options are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility, which in turn are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the seller will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the seller will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price. As the buyer of a put or call option, the buyer risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the buyer does not exercise the option. The effective use of options also depends on the Fund’s ability to terminate option positions at times deemed desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. In addition, there may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values of options and their underlying securities and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain options. Options may also involve the use of leverage, which could result in greater price volatility than other markets.
Other Investment Companies Risk. A Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the ETF Risks listed above.
Special Tax Risk (each Fund other than the Fund of Funds). Each Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company”; however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Funds are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Funds’ options strategy, the hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short term or long term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of a Fund shortly before a distribution by such Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.
Underlying ETF Risk. Each Fund invests, directly or indirectly, in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETFs, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying Asset invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.
Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF
This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF summary.
Fixed Income Risk. The value of direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Due to recent events in the fixed income markets, including the potential impact of the Federal Reserve Board ending its quantitative easing program and raising the federal funds rate, the Fund may be subject to heightened interest rate risk as a result of a rise or increased volatility in interest rates. The value of direct or indirect investments in fixed income securities may be affected by the inability of issuers to repay principal and interest or illiquidity in debt securities markets.
◦Call Risk. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable bond held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, and the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in securities with lower yields, which would result in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features.
◦Credit Risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Underlying Investment’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
◦Event Risk. Event risk is the risk that corporate issuers may undergo restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers, or similar events financed by increased debt. As a result of the added debt, the credit quality and market value of a company’s bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.
◦Extension Risk. When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of securities, making them more sensitive to future changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than the value of shorter-term securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
◦Interest Rate Risk. Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities tends to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities tends to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. An Underlying Investment may take steps to attempt to reduce the exposure of its portfolio to interest rate changes; however, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will take such actions or that the Fund will be successful in reducing the impact of interest rate changes on the portfolio. Changes in government intervention may have adverse effects on investments, volatility, and illiquidity in debt markets.
◦Prepayment Risk. When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to increase (as does price fluctuation) as borrowers are motivated to pay off debt and refinance at new lower rates. During such periods, reinvestment of the prepayment proceeds by the management team will generally be at lower rates of return than the return on the assets that were prepaid. Prepayment reduces the yield to maturity and the average life of the security
Government Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued by the U.S. government. The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008-2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt limit and growth in public spending. On August 2, 2019, following passage by Congress, the President of the United States signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which suspends the statutory debt limit through July 31, 2021. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt limit negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.
Trend Lag Risk. To the extent an Underlying ETF’s trigger requires a condition to exist for a certain time period to become effective, the Underlying ETF may be adversely affected by a downward trend and/or volatility in the applicable equity index for such period of time (or conversely, may not benefit from an upward trend and/or volatility in such equity index for such period of time). Accordingly, the methodology employed by the Underlying ETF does not eliminate exposure to downward trends and/or volatility in the equity index and does not provide immediate exposure to upward trends and/or volatility in the equity index.
ADDITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL RISK INFORMATION
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments. Normally, a Fund invests substantially all of its assets to meet its investment objective. A Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or each may hold cash. The percentage of a Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions. For temporary defensive purposes and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, a Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest part or all of its assets in these securities, or it may hold cash. During such periods, a Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. A Fund may adopt a temporary defensive strategy when the portfolio managers believe securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors and in other extraordinary circumstances. For more information on eligible short-term investments, see the SAI.
Absence of a Prior Active Market. Although the Funds’ Shares are approved for listing on a national securities 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 a Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case such Fund may experience greater tracking error to its Index (excluding the Fund of Funds ETF) than it otherwise would at higher asset levels or the Fund may ultimately liquidate.
Risk of Investing in the United States. Certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Funds have exposure. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial and other regulation and may have a significant effect on the U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. In addition, a continued rise in the U.S. public debt level or the imposition of U.S. austerity measures may adversely affect U.S. economic growth and the securities to which the Fund has exposure. The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries continue to worsen, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If this trend were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
Securities Lending Risk. There are certain risks associated with securities lending, including the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities on a timely basis or even the loss of rights in the collateral deposited by the borrower, if the borrower should fail financially. As a result, a Fund may lose money. A Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about each Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.PacerETFs.com. A summarized description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
The Funds are series of Pacer Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, which is overseen by a board of trustees.
Investment Adviser
The Adviser has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust and each of its separate investment portfolios. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Adviser has managed ETFs since 2015. The Adviser also arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending, and all other related services necessary for each Fund to operate. For its services, the Adviser receives a fee from each Fund, calculated daily and paid monthly, based on a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets, as shown in the following table:
| | | | | |
Name of Fund | Management Fee |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | 0.18% |
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of the Funds (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of each 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, and any distribution (12b-1) fees and expenses. The Adviser, in turn, compensates the sub-adviser from the management fee it receives.
The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement for each Fund is available in the Funds’ Semi-Annual Report dated April 30, 2021. Sub-Adviser
The Adviser has retained Swan to serve as sub-adviser for the Funds. Swan is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund. Swan, a registered investment adviser, is located at 20 Ridge Top Palmas Del Mar, Humacao, PR 00791. Swan was established in 2014 for the purpose of managing mutual funds, and other funds or accounts. As of October 31, 2021, it had approximately $2.6 billion in assets under management. For its services, the Adviser pays Swan the following percentages of net profits as a sub-advisory fee for each Fund: 30% on assets up to $250 million; 40% on assets between $250 million and $500 million; and 50% on assets of more than $500 million. Net profits for each Fund are determined as the management fees of the Fund, less (i) 0.10% of the Fund’s average net assets and (ii) the expenses related to operating the Fund.
The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement is available in the Funds’ Semi-Annual Report dated April 30, 2021.
Portfolio Managers
Each Fund is managed on a day to day basis by Micah Wakefield and Chris Hausman as Portfolio Managers of the Sub-Adviser (together the “Portfolio Managers”).
Micah Wakefield serves as a Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, providing research, strategic planning and product development. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser in 2014, Mr. Wakefield spent over five years as director of trading and operations at a financial advisory firm. Mr. Wakefield has a B.A. in Liberal Studies and an MBA from Liberty University. He also holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation (CAIA®).
Chris Hausman serves as a Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, with responsibility for risk management and assisting in the daily operations and trading for all DRS investments and positions. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser in 2015, Mr. Hausman served in various roles at Saliba Portfolio Management, including Senior Portfolio Manager, Chief Portfolio Strategist and Director of Trading Operations. Mr. Hausman is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business with a BS in Finance, and is also a Chartered Market Technician.
The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares of each Fund.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
Most investors will buy and sell Shares of the Funds through brokers. Shares of each Fund trade on the Exchange and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Shares of each Fund trade under the trading symbol listed on the cover of this Prospectus. Only APs who have entered into agreements with the Funds’ distributor may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to each Fund, at NAV in Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
Share Trading Prices
Transactions in each Fund’s Shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase Shares directly from each Fund in Creation Units. As with other types of securities, the trading prices of Shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your Shares in the secondary market may be more or less than the NAV of such Shares.
The approximate value of Shares of each Fund is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange or by other information providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a real-time update of each Fund’s NAV, because (i) the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day; (ii) the calculation of NAV may be subject to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the approximate value; (iii) unlike the calculation of NAV, the approximate value does not take into account Fund expenses; and (iv) the approximate value is based on the published basket of portfolio securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash and not on the Fund’s actual holdings. The approximate value is not related to the price at which a Fund’s Shares are trading on the Exchange and is different from the Fund’s NAV. The approximate value calculations are based on local market prices and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close, which could affect premiums and discounts between the approximate value and the market price of a Fund’s Shares. The Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Funds’ distributor, the Funds’ administrator and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value, and the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Funds’ distributor, the Funds’ administrator and their affiliates do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of the approximate value.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The NAV of each Fund’s Shares is calculated each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (the “NAV Calculation Time”). If the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, as it occasionally does, the NAV Calculation Time will be the time the NYSE closes. Each Fund’s NAV per share is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of Fund Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, each Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. Debt obligations with maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost.
Fair Value Pricing
The Board has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser make fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Dividends and Distributions
The Funds expect to pay out dividends, if any, at least annually. Nonetheless, each Fund may make more frequent dividend payments. Each Fund expects to distribute its net realized capital gains to investors annually. Each Fund occasionally may be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Book Entry
Shares of each Fund are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares of each Fund.
Investors owning Shares of each Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares of each Fund. Participants include DTC, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form. Your broker will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales, and tax information.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of each Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for each Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Financial reports will be published semi-annually. The Funds have discontinued mailing paper copies of the Funds’ financial reports as permitted by new regulations adopted by the SEC, unless you specifically request paper copies from the Funds. The reports will remain available to you on the Funds’ website (www.PacerETFs.com) and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a link to access the report. Annual reports will include audited financial statements. For any shareholder that requests paper copies only one copy of each report will be mailed to each taxpayer identification number even though the investor may have more than one account in a Fund.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
Each Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Fund Shares. In determining not to impose such restrictions, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with a Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Fund share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, each Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, each Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effective trades. In addition, each Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of each Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in each Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the applicable Fund.
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment in the Funds may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Funds intend to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your investment in Fund Shares is made through a tax advantaged retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:
•A Fund makes distributions;
•You sell Fund Shares; and
•You purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional investors only).
Taxes on Distributions
Tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act made significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The application of certain provisions of the Tax Act is uncertain, and the changes in the act may have indirect effects on the Funds, its investments and its shareholders that cannot be predicted. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or “qualified dividend income.” Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) depend on how long a Fund owned the assets that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held
by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) are taxable as long-term capital gains. For noncorporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at reduced rates and currently set at a maximum rate of 20%. Distributions of short-term capital gain are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed at long term capital gain rates for non-corporate shareholders.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of Fund Shares).
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Funds before your investment (and thus were included in the Fund Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Fund Shares).
A Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Funds may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Funds to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Funds may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign shareholders in the Funds will generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on Capital Gain Dividends. The exemption may not apply, however, if the investment in a Fund is connected to a trade or business for the foreign shareholder in the United States or if the foreign shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met.
Distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to individual shareholders that are neither citizens nor residents of the U.S. or to foreign entities will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Funds may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year.
The Funds (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which shareholders own Fund Shares) generally are required to withhold and to remit to the US Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and the sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
A U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends effective July 1, 2014 (and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund Shares (including certain capital gain dividends) received by Fund shareholders beginning after December 31, 2018) for shareholders who own their Shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. The Funds will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.
To the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund consists of foreign securities, such Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. The Funds (or its administrative agent) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.
Taxes When Fund Shares Are Sold
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares held for one year or less is generally treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that Capital Gain Dividends were paid with respect to such Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited depending on your circumstances.
A foreign shareholder will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on sales or exchange of Fund Shares unless the investment in a Fund is connected to a trade or business of the investor in the United States or if the shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met. All foreign shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in a Fund.
Creation and Redemption Units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
The Funds have the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Funds also have the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Funds. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
State and Local Taxes
Shareholders may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain attributable to your ownership of Fund Shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of a Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest earned by a Fund on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax professional regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Pacer Financial, Inc., is a broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for each Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of each Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by each Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.
The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of a 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.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares of each Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the fund will be available in the future on the Funds’ website at www.PacerETFs.com.
ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Shares of each Fund 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 Funds or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Funds to track stock market performance. 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 each Fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of each Fund in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of each Fund.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for the period of each 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 earned or lost on an investment in the applicable Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Sanville & Company, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Funds’ financial statements, is included in the Funds’ Annual Report, which is available upon request.
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.56 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.14) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 1.77 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 1.63 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 22.19 | | |
Total Return | 7.94 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 2,774 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on December 22, 2020. The information presented is from December 22, 2020 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.56 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.14) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 2.24 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 2.10 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 22.66 | | |
Total Return | 10.20 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 2,832 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on December 22, 2020. The information presented is from December 22, 2020 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.56 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.15) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 3.41 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 3.26 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 23.82 | | |
Total Return | 15.85 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 3,573 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on December 22, 2020. The information presented is from December 22, 2020 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.26 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.03) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 2.26 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 2.23 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 22.49 | | |
Total Return | 11.01 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 38,234 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.18 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.18 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 69 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on December 29, 2020. The information presented is from December 29, 2020 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.61 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.09) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 1.21 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 1.12 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 21.73 | | |
Total Return | 5.45 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 2,717 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on March 31, 2021. The information presented is from March 31, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.61 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.10) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 1.47 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 1.37 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 21.98 | | |
Total Return | 6.67 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 5,496 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on March 31, 2021. The information presented is from March 31, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.61 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.10) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 2.24 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 2.14 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 22.75 | | |
Total Return | 10.37 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 7,962 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on March 31, 2021. The information presented is from March 31, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.48 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.05) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 0.51 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 0.46 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 20.94 | | |
Total Return | 2.22 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 3,664 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.76 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.76 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on June 30, 2021. The information presented is from June 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.48 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.05) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 0.59 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 0.54 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 21.02 | | |
Total Return | 2.63 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 17,866 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on June 30, 2021. The information presented is from June 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.48 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.05) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 0.88 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 0.83 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 21.31 | | |
Total Return | 4.05 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 5,327 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.76 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.76 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on June 30, 2021. The information presented is from June 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.51 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.01) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 0.36 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 0.35 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 20.86 | | |
Total Return | 1.71 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 2,607 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on September 30, 2021. The information presented is from September 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.51 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.01) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 0.47 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 0.46 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 20.97 | | |
Total Return | 2.24 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 8,912 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on September 30, 2021. The information presented is from September 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a capital share outstanding throughout the period
| | | | | | | | |
| For the Period Ended October 31, 2021 (a) | |
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period | $ | 20.51 | | |
| | |
INCOME (LOSS) FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) (b) | (0.01) | | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (c) | 0.76 | | |
Total from Investment Operations | 0.75 | | |
| | |
Net Asset Value, End of Period | $ | 21.26 | | |
Total Return | 3.64 | % | (f) |
| | |
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | | |
Net Assets at End of Period (000’s) | $ | 3,720 | | |
| | |
RATIOS TO AVERAGE NET ASSETS: | | |
Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.75 | % | (e) |
Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | -0.75 | % | (e) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate (d) | 0 | % | (f) |
(a)Fund commenced operations on September 30, 2021. The information presented is from September 30, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
(b)Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share in this caption are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile to the change in net asset value for the period and may reconcile with aggregate gains and losses in the statement of operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d)Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions.
(e)Annualized
(f)Not annualized.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Adviser | Pacer Advisors, Inc. 500 Chesterfield Parkway Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 | Distributor | Pacer Financial, Inc. 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 |
Sub-Adviser | Swan Global Management, LLC 20 Ridge Top Palmas Del Mar Humacao, PR 00791 | Fund Accountant, Administrator and Transfer Agent | U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 |
Custodian | U.S. Bank National Association 1555 N. Rivercenter Drive Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 | Legal Counsel | Practus LLP 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway Suite 310 Leawood, Kansas 66211 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Sanville & Company 1514 Old York Road Abington, PA 19001 | | |
The Trust’s current SAI provides additional detailed information about each Fund. A current SAI dated February 28, 2022, as supplemented from time to time, is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.
Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance after the first fiscal year each Fund is in operation.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on each Fund, or to request the SAI or annual or semi-annual shareholder reports (once available) free of charge, please:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Call: | 1-800-617-0004 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Central time) | Write: | Pacer Funds Trust, (Name of Fund) c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, LLC P.O. Box 701 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 |
Visit: | www.PacerETFs.com | | |
Shareholder reports and other information about the Funds are also available:
•Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; or
•For a fee, by e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about each Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-23024)
PACER FUNDS TRUST
| | | | | |
PSCX | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF |
PSCW | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF |
PSCJ | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF |
PSCQ | Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF |
PSMD | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF |
PSMR | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF |
PSMJ | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF |
PSMO | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF |
PSFD | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF |
PSFM | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF |
PSFJ | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF |
PSFO | Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF |
PSFF | Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF |
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 28, 2022
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a Prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current Prospectus, as may be revised from time to time (“Prospectus”), for the exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) listed above (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”), each a separate series of Pacer Funds Trust (the “Trust”). The current Prospectus for the Funds is dated February 28, 2022. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus for the Funds may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1-800-617-0004, visiting www.PacerETFs.com, or writing to Pacer Funds Trust, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701.
The audited financial statements for the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021 are incorporated herein by reference to the Funds’ Annual Report dated October 31, 2021 (File No. 811-23024). A copy of the Funds’ Annual Report may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund at the address or phone number noted above. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any other government agency or any bank. An investment in a Fund involves investment risks, including possible loss of principal.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS
The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on August 12, 2014 and is authorized to issue multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end, management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The offering of the Trust’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Pacer Advisors, Inc. (“Pacer” or the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Funds, and Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as sub-adviser to the Funds. Pacer Financial, Inc. is the distributor (the “Distributor”) of the shares of the Funds and is an affiliate of the Adviser.
The Funds issue and redeem shares (“Shares”) at net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in large blocks of Shares (“Creation Units” or “Creation Unit Aggregations”). Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 25,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities included in its portfolio and an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors (authorized participants) who have entered into agreements with the Trust’s distributor, can purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares of the Funds are not redeemable securities.
Shares of the Funds are listed on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and trade throughout the day on the Exchange and other secondary markets at market prices that may differ from NAV. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the prices of Shares in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the applicable Fund.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Each Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and associated risks are described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The sections below supplement these principal investment strategies and risks and describe each Fund’s additional investment policies and the different types of investments that may be made by a Fund as a part of its non-principal investment strategies. With respect to each Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Flexible Exchange® Options (FLEX Options). The Funds’ portfolios (either directly or indirectly) includes several types of FLEX Options, including both purchased and written put and call options (as further described below). The FLEX Options are all European style options, which means that they are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date. FLEX Options are customized option contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”), a market clearinghouse. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize terms of an option, including exercise prices, exercise styles (European style versus American style options which are exercisable any time prior to the expiration date) and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of the over-the-counter option positions.
Each FLEX Option contract entitles the holder thereof (i.e., the purchaser of the FLEX Option) the option to purchase (for the call options) or sell (for the put options) the cash value of the reference asset as of the close of the market on the FLEX Option expiration date at the strike price. The Fund intends to be structured so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. The OCC and securities exchange that the FLEX Options are listed on do not charge ongoing fees to writers or purchasers of the FLEX Options during their life for continuing to hold the option contracts.
The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to FLEX Options, becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer,” protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk. Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the FLEX Options for certain events (collectively, “Corporate Actions”) specified in the OCC’s by-laws and rules: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC’s by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC’s Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair
and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest.
Certain Considerations Regarding Options. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Fund is unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written before the option is exercised, the Fund may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.
The writing and purchasing of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness of attempted hedging. Options transactions may result in significantly higher transaction costs and portfolio turnover for the Fund.
Borrowing. While the Funds do not intend to borrow for investment purposes, the Funds reserve the right to do so. Borrowing for investment purposes is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. The Funds also may enter into certain transactions, including reverse repurchase agreements, which can be viewed as constituting a form of leveraging by the Funds. Leveraging will exaggerate the effect on the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of the Funds of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Funds’ portfolio. Because substantially all of the Funds’ assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of the Funds will increase more when the Funds’ portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Funds’ portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. Under adverse conditions, the Funds might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. Generally, the Funds would use this form of leverage during periods when the Adviser believes that the Funds’ investment objective would be furthered.
The Funds also may borrow money to facilitate management of the Funds’ portfolio by enabling the Funds to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the Funds promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, the Funds must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the Funds’ assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Funds, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Funds’ borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.
In addition to the foregoing, the Funds are authorized to borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes in amounts not in excess of 5% of the value of the Funds’ total assets. Borrowings for extraordinary or emergency purposes are not subject to the foregoing 300% asset coverage requirement. While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, the Funds are authorized to pledge (i.e., transfer a security interest in) portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of the value of the Funds’ total assets in connection with any borrowing.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments. Normally, each Fund invests substantially all of its assets to meet its investment objective. A Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or may hold cash. The percentage of a Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions. For temporary defensive purposes and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, a Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest part or all of its assets in these securities, or it may hold cash. During such periods, a Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. A Fund may adopt a temporary defensive strategy when the portfolio managers believe securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors and in other extraordinary circumstances.
Illiquid Investments. Each Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act. The Funds may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of a Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by a Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Funds on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of its net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Funds, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Companies. The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. These limitations do not apply to money market funds subject to certain conditions.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by other registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. The SEC recently adopted Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to create a regulatory framework for funds’ investments in other funds. Rule 12d1-4 allows a fund to acquire the securities of another investment company in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 without obtaining an exemptive order from the SEC, subject to certain limitations and conditions. Among those conditions is the requirement that, prior to a fund relying on Rule 12d1-4 to acquire securities of another fund in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1), the acquiring fund must enter into a Fund of Funds Agreement with the acquired fund.
Rule 12d1-4 also is designed to limit the use of complex fund structures. Under Rule 12d1-4, an acquired fund is prohibited from purchasing or otherwise acquiring the securities of another investment company or private fund if, immediately after the purchase, the securities of investment companies and private funds owned by the acquired fund have an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the acquired fund’s total assets, subject to certain limited exceptions.
Accordingly, to the extent a Fund’s shares are sold to other investment companies in reliance on Rule 12d1-4, the Fund will be limited in the amount it could invest in other investment companies and private funds. In addition to Rule 12d1-4, the 1940 Act and related rules provide other exemptions from these restrictions. For example, these limitations do not apply to investments by a Fund in investment companies that are money market funds.
Securities Lending. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers, including a Fund’s securities lending agent. Loans of portfolio securities provide a Fund with the opportunity to earn additional income on the Fund’s portfolio securities. All securities loans will be made pursuant to agreements requiring the loans to be continuously secured by collateral in cash, or money market instruments, or money market funds at least equal at all times to the market value of the loaned securities. The borrower pays to a Fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on loaned securities. A Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Lending portfolio securities involves risks of delay in recovery of the loaned securities or in some cases loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Furthermore, because of the risks of delay in recovery, a Fund may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. A Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned.
Future Developments. The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may, in the future, authorize a Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
INVESTMENT RISKS. The following risk disclosure supplements the discussion of the Funds’ investment risks that appears in the Prospectus.
FLEX Options Risk. The Funds (either directly or indirectly) hold purchased and written FLEX Options. The value of the FLEX Options prior to their expiration on the FLEX Option expiration date may vary because of factors other than fluctuations in value of the reference asset. The value of FLEX Options will be affected by changes in the value of the reference asset and its underlying securities, an increase in interest rates, a change in the actual and perceived volatility of the stock market and the reference asset and the remaining time to expiration. Additionally, the value of the FLEX Options does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the underlying asset or its underlying securities due to “tracking error” as described in the Funds’ prospectus (although they generally move in the same direction).
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. In addition, when a Fund invests in
certain derivative securities, the Fund is effectively leveraging its investments which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of the Sub-Adviser’s derivatives strategies will depend on its ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions. Liquidity risk exists when a security cannot be purchased or sold at the time desired, or cannot be purchased or sold without adversely affecting the price. Certain specific risks associated with an investment in derivatives may include: market risk, credit risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, legal risk and systemic or “interconnection” risk, as specified below.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose a Fund to losses. Derivative instruments may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, fluctuations in the value of the derivative instrument in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the portfolio managers’ ability to predict movements of the securities, currencies and commodities markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed. A decision to engage in a derivative transaction will reflect the portfolio managers’ judgment that the derivative transaction will provide value to a Fund and its shareholders and is consistent with such Fund’s objective, investment limitations and operating policies. In making such a judgment, the portfolio managers will analyze the benefits and risks of the derivative transactions and weigh them in the context of a Fund’s overall investments and investment objective.
Credit Risk/Counterparty Risk. Credit risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for privately negotiated or over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For privately negotiated instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee. In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to a Fund. The Fund will enter into transactions in derivative instruments only with counterparties that the reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract.
Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and the price movements in the investments being hedged.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. A Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts and/or make margin payments when taking positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If a Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. These requirements might impair a Fund’s ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. A Fund’s ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Due to liquidity risk, there is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to a Fund.
Systemic or “Interconnection” Risk. Systemic or “interconnection” risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.
General Risks. An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of that Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic, political, public health or cyber conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic, political, public health or cyber conditions. An investor in the Funds could lose money over short or long periods of time.
An investment in a Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares of that Fund). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, cyber, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Funds may be more susceptible to operational and financial risks associated with cyber security, including: theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption and destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to a Fund and its shareholders; and compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of a Fund and its service providers. Cyber security risks may result in financial losses to a Fund and its shareholders; the inability of a Fund to transact business with its shareholders; delays or mistakes in the calculation of a Fund’s NAV or other materials provided to shareholders; the inability to process transactions with shareholders or other parties; violations of privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties and reputational damage; and compliance and remediation costs, legal fees and other expenses. A Fund’s service providers (including, but not limited to, its investment adviser, any sub-advisers, administrator, transfer agent, and custodian or their agents), financial intermediaries, companies in which a Fund invests and parties with which a Fund engages in portfolio or other transactions also may be adversely impacted by cyber security risks in their own businesses, which could result in losses to a Fund or its shareholders. While measures have been developed which are designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that those measures will be effective, particularly since the Funds do not directly control the cyber security defenses or plans of their service providers, financial intermediaries and companies in which they invest or with which they do business.
Pandemic Risk. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and, in many cases, unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID‑19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, supply chain disruptions, and so-called “stay-at-home” orders throughout much of the United States and many other countries. The fall-out from these disruptions has included the rapid closure of businesses deemed “non-essential” by federal, state, or local governments and rapidly increasing unemployment, as well as greatly reduced liquidity for certain instruments at times. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. Such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. In response, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary actions to support the domestic economy and financial markets, resulting in very low interest rates and in some cases negative yields. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect a Fund’s performance.
A discussion of some of the other risks associated with investments in the Funds is contained in the Funds’ Prospectus.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:
1.Concentrate its investments (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets) in any industry or group of related industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, registered investment companies, and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2.Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
3.Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
4.Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.
5.Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.
6.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Funds observe the following restrictions, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.
1.Each Fund will not hold illiquid investments in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
2.The Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in Underlying ETFs (as defined in the Prospectus).
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except with respect to the borrowing of money. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Funds’ security holdings. As exchange-traded funds, information about each Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions of an Order of the SEC applicable to the Funds, regulations of the Exchange and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of each Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day. A “Business Day” is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. This information is used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or third-party service providers.
The Funds will disclose on their website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by each Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on that Business Day.
Each Fund may disclose its complete portfolio holdings or a portion of its portfolio holdings online at www.PacerETFs.com. Each Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund’s fiscal year, within sixty (60) days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.
The Trust’s portfolio holdings policy provides that neither the Funds nor their Adviser, Sub-Adviser, distributor or any agent, or any employee thereof (“Fund Representative”) will disclose a Fund’s portfolio holdings information to any person other than in accordance with the policy. For purposes of the policy, “portfolio holdings information” means a Fund’s actual portfolio holdings, as well as non-public information about its trading strategies or pending transactions including the portfolio holdings, trading strategies or pending transactions of any commingled fund portfolio which contains identical holdings as the Fund. Under the policy, neither a Fund nor any Fund Representative may solicit or accept any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. A Fund Representative may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties if such information has been included in a Fund’s public filings with the SEC or is disclosed on the Fund’s publicly accessible website. Information posted on a Fund’s website may be separately provided to any person commencing the day after it is first published on the Fund’s website.
Under the policy, each business day each Fund’s portfolio holdings information will be provided to the distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or other fee based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee based subscription services, including Authorized Participants (defined below), and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading Shares of Funds in the secondary market. The distributor may also make available portfolio holdings information to other institutional market participants and entities that provide information services. This information typically reflects each Fund’s anticipated holdings on the following business day. “Authorized Participants” are generally large institutional investors that have been authorized by the distributor to purchase and redeem large blocks of Shares (known as Creation Units) pursuant to legal requirements to which the Funds offer and redeem Shares.
Other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, portfolio holdings information that is not filed with the SEC or posted on the publicly available website may be provided to third parties only in limited circumstances. Third-party recipients will be required to keep all portfolio holdings information confidential and prohibited from trading on the information they receive. Disclosure to such third parties must be approved in advance by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser. Disclosure to providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other similar services for the Funds, as well as rating and ranking organizations, will generally be permitted; however, information may be disclosed to other parties (including, without limitation, individuals, institutional investors, and Authorized Participants that sell Shares of a Fund) only upon approval by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser, who must first determine that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. In general, each recipient of non-public portfolio holding information must sign a confidentiality and non-trading agreement, although this requirement will not apply when the recipient is otherwise subject to a duty of confidentiality as determined by the Trust’s President or one of the principal officers of the Adviser.
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Trust’s Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on the Listing Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Listing Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by a Board of Trustees. The Board elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Funds. The Funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which a Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreements with the Adviser, and Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Funds’ investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund, Adviser, or Sub-Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of
the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Funds’ service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of each Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Funds’ investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from a Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust. There are four members of the Board of Trustees (each, a “Trustee”), three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). Joe M. Thomson serves as Chairman of the Board, and Deborah G. Wolk serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. The Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of Funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Fund management.
The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee. Each Committee is chaired by an Independent Trustee and composed of Independent Trustees.
The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. The function of the Audit Committee is to review the scope and results of the annual audit of the Funds and any matters bearing on the audit or a Fund’s financial statements and to ensure the integrity of the Funds’ financial reporting. The Audit Committee also recommends to the Board of Trustees the annual selection of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds and it reviews and pre-approves audit and certain non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm. During the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021, the Audit Committee met four times.
The Nominating Committee, comprised of all the Independent Trustees, is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for Trustees. The Committee meets on an as needed basis. The Nominating Committee will accept and review shareholder nominations for Trustees, which may be submitted to the Trust by sending the nomination to the Trust’s Secretary, c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. During the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021, the Nominating Committee met two times.
Additionally, the Trust has a Fair Value Pricing Committee, appointed by the Board, comprised of certain officers of the Trust and employees of the Adviser. The Fair Value Pricing Committee is responsible for valuing securities held by the Funds for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing Committee meets as necessary.
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
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Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen By Trustee | Other Directorships held by Trustee During Past Five Years |
Interested Trustee | | | | |
Joe M. Thomson Born: 1944 | Trustee, Chairman, President, and Principal Executive Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2014 | Founder/President at Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005) | 48 | Director, First Cornerstone Bank (2000–2016) |
Independent Trustees | | | | |
Deborah G. Wolk Born: 1950 | Lead Independent Trustee | Indefinite Term; since 2015 | Self-employed providing accounting services and computer modeling (since 1997) | 48 | 0 |
Jane K. Sagendorph Born: 1951 | Trustee | Indefinite Term; since 2021 | Accountant, BluFish Designs (since 2011) | 48 | 0 |
Colin C. Lake Born: 1971 | Trustee | Indefinite Term; since 2021 | Founder/President, Developing the Next Leaders, Inc. (consulting) (since 2016) | 48 | 0 |
Individual Trustee Qualifications.
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Thomson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained as Founder and President of Pacer Advisors, Inc., Pacer Financial, Inc., and in his past roles with various registered broker-dealers and investment management firms. In addition, he holds the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC®) designations, the FINRA General Principal’s license, and the Pennsylvania Life & Annuity Insurance license.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Wolk should serve as Trustee because of the experience she has gained during the past nineteen years providing accounting services and computer modeling expertise to small business clients, as well as her prior positions in the corporate finance field. In addition, she holds the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation. The Trust believes that Ms. Wolk’s extensive experience in accounting and finance provides an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Sagendorph should serve as Trustee because of her extensive experience in the financial services industry as a comptroller of a financial marketing and wholesaling firm, as well as her experience providing accounting services to a small business client. The Trust believes that Ms. Sagendorph’s extensive experience in accounting and finance provides an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Lake should serve as Trustee because of his extensive experience in the financial services industry. The Trust believes that Mr. Lake’s business acumen and understanding of financial issues provide an appropriate background in areas applicable to investment company oversight.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Funds.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust, unless otherwise indicated below, is c/o Pacer Advisors, Inc., 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
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Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with Funds | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Joe M. Thomson Born: 1944 | Trustee, Chairman, President, and Principal Executive Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2014 | Founder/President, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005); President and Chief Compliance Officer, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2004) |
Sean E. O’Hara Born: 1962 | Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2014 | Director, Index Design Group (since 2015); Director, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2007); Director, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2007) |
Bruce Kavanaugh Born: 1964 | Secretary and Portfolio Manager | Indefinite Term; since 2016 | Vice President, Pacer Advisors, Inc. (since 2005); Vice President, Pacer Financial, Inc. (since 2004) |
Justin Dausch Gateway Corporate Center Suite 216 223 Wilmington West Chester Pike Chadds Ford, PA 19317 Born: 1989 | Chief Compliance Officer and AML Officer | Indefinite Term; since 2021 | Director, Vigilant, since 2017; Compliance Associate, HSBC (investment banking company), 2015-2017 |
Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. The Funds are required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Funds and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act.
As of December 31, 2021, no Trustee owned Shares or shares of any other series of the Trust.
Board Compensation. Independent Trustees are paid by the Adviser from the unified management fee paid to the Adviser and not by the Funds. The Independent Trustees each receive a per meeting trustee fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at Board meetings. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No officer, director or employee of the Adviser, including Mr. Thomson, receives any compensation from the Funds for acting as a Trustee or officer of the Trust. The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee for the Funds’ fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
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Name | Aggregate Compensation From Each Fund | Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees |
Interested Trustees |
Joe M. Thomson | $0 | $0 |
Independent Trustees |
Deborah G. Wolk | $0 | $7,000 |
Jane K. Sagendorph* | $0 | $0 |
Colin C. Lake* | $0 | $0 |
*Ms. Sagendorph and Mr. Lake are newly appointed Independent Trustees and did not receive any compensation for their services as Trustees during the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021. They are expected to receive $10,000 in annual compensation for the upcoming fiscal year.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. As of February 1, 2022,
the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned less than 1% of each Fund, and the following shareholders were considered to be a principal shareholder of the Funds:
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Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 63.56% | Record |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 15.40% | Record |
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 11.30% | Record |
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Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 54.32% | Record |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 25.95% | Record |
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 16.18% | Record |
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Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 50.85% | Record |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 38.62% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 7.23% | Record |
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Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 65.95% | Record |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 16.64% | Record |
Goldman Sachs & Co., LLC 200 West Street New York, NY 10282 | 11.25% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 6.02% | Record |
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Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 80.99% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 6.92% | Record |
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 5.89% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 78.74% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 5.36% | Record |
Goldman Sachs & Co., LLC 200 West Street New York, NY 10282 | 5.00% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 69.09% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 10.78% | Record |
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 6.95% | Record |
National Financial Services, LLC 200 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281 | 6.28% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 83.53% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 9.55% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 42.72% | Record |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 23.91% | Record |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 211 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | 20.77% | Record |
National Financial Services, LLC 200 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281 | 5.34% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 46.12% | Record |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 211 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | 33.07% | Record |
National Financial Services, LLC 200 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281 | 7.73% | Record |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 5.14% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 66.56% | Record |
Goldman Sachs & Co., LLC 200 West Street New York, NY 10282 | 11.15% | Record |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 211 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | 9.06% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
U.S. Bank 60 Livingston Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55107 | 71.00% | Record |
Goldman Sachs & Co., LLC 200 West Street New York, NY 10282 | 12.34% | Record |
Bank of America Four World Financial Center 250 Vesey Street New York, NY 10281 | 11.92% | Record |
| | | | | | | | |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | |
Name and Address | % Ownership | Type of Ownership |
TD Ameritrade, Inc. 200 South 108th Avenue Omaha, NE 68103-2226 | 33.95% | Record |
Pershing LLC One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 32.74% | Record |
National Financial Services, LLC 200 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281 | 22.73% | Record |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 211 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | 5.74% | Record |
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER
Pacer Advisors, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Funds pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is a Pennsylvania company located at 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355. The Adviser is majority owned by Joe M. Thomson.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Funds and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Funds, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and all other non-distribution-related services necessary for the Funds to operate. Each Fund pays the Adviser a fee equal to a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, as follows:
| | | | | |
Name of Fund | Management Fee |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | 0.75% |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | 0.18% |
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses of the Funds, except for: the fees 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, and distribution (12b-1) fees and expenses, if any.
The Adviser, from its own resources, including profits from advisory fees received from the Funds, provided such fees are legitimate and not excessive, may make payments to broker-dealers and other financial institutions for their expenses in connection with the distribution of Fund Shares, and otherwise currently pays all distribution costs for Fund Shares.
The Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to the Funds, continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.
The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Funds is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds, or by the Adviser, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Funds in the event Shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Management fees paid by each Fund to the Adviser for the fiscal periods ended October 31 were as follows:
| | | | | |
Name of Fund | 2021 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | $13,481(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | $8,776(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | $6,817(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | $842(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | $23,631(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | $20,949(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | $29,719(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | $2,479(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | $13,850(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | $26,403(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | $12,651(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | $1,232(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | $21,454(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 22, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(2) For the fiscal period December 29, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(3) For the fiscal period March 31, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(4) For the fiscal period June 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(5) For the fiscal period September 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
Sub-Adviser
The Trust and the Adviser have retained Swan Global Management, LLC (“Swan”), located at 20 Ridge Top Palmas Del Mar, Humacao, PR 00791, to serve as sub-adviser for the Funds. The Sub-Adviser was established in 2014 for the purpose of managing mutual funds. The Sub-Adviser is controlled by Randy Swan.
Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and Swan (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), Swan is responsible for selecting and trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, Swan is entitled to receive an annual sub-advisory fee, which is paid by the Adviser, not the Funds.
The Sub-Advisory Agreement was approved by the Trustees (including all the Independent Trustees) and the Adviser, as sole shareholder of the Funds, in compliance with the 1940 Act. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Funds, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Funds, by a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Funds, on not less
than 30 days’ nor more than 60 days’ written notice to Swan, or by Swan on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that Swan shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
The Sub-Adviser did not earn any fees during the Funds’ respective fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021.
Portfolio Managers. The Fund is managed by Micah Wakefield and Chris Hausman, of the Sub-Adviser.
In addition to the Funds, the portfolio managers each managed the following other accounts (collectively, the “Other Accounts”) as of October 31, 2021, none of which were subject to a performance-based management fee.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Portfolio Manager | Registered Investment Companies | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | Other Accounts |
Number of Accounts | Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts | Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts | Total Assets in the Accounts |
Micah Wakefield | 20 | $1.6 billion | 0 | None | 2,876 | $986 million |
Chris Hausman | 20 | $1.6 billion | 0 | None | 2,876 | $986 million |
Portfolio Managers Fund Ownership. The Funds are required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal period. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. Mr. Hausman did not own any Shares of the Funds and Mr. Wakefield owned $10,001 - $50,000 shares of PSFD.
Portfolio Managers Compensation. For services as portfolio managers to the Funds, Mr. Wakefield and Mr. Hausman receive a fixed salary from the Sub-Adviser and also share in its profits due to their minority ownership of the Sub-Adviser.
Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio managers’ management of a Fund and Other Accounts, which, in theory, may allow them to allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors Other Accounts over a Fund. This conflict of interest may be exacerbated to the extent that the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, or a portfolio manager receives, or expects to receive, greater compensation from their management of the Other Accounts (some of which may receive a base and incentive fee) than from a Fund. Notwithstanding this theoretical conflict of interest, it is the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s policy to manage each account based on its investment objectives and related restrictions, and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time and in a manner consistent with each account’s investment objectives and related restrictions.
Codes of Ethics. The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted a code of ethics, including an insider trading policy, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as applicable. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics).
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Proxy Voting Policy. The Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with a Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and has engaged a third party proxy solicitation firm to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner. The Trust’s chief compliance officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies.
Under the Proxy Voting Policies, in the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, the Adviser will vote proxies in the best interest of each particular client. The Adviser has adopted the Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines attached as Appendix A. They are designed to vote in a manner consistent with the Adviser’s investment decision making. The Adviser’s policy is to vote all proxies from a specific issuer the same way for each client, absent qualifying restrictions from a client. Clients are permitted to place reasonable restrictions on our voting authority in the same manner that they may place such restrictions on the actual selection of account securities. Clients may direct the vote in a particular solicitation.
The Adviser will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors absent conflicts of interest raised by an auditor’s non-audit services. The Adviser will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights. In reviewing proposals, the Adviser will further consider the opinion of management, the effect on management, the effect on shareholder value and the issuer’s business practices.
When available, information on how a Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12 month period ended June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-617-0004 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
THE ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT, AND INDEX RECEIPT AGENT
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services” or the “Transfer Agent”), serves as administrator and transfer agent for the Fund. Fund Services’ principal address is 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Fund Services, Fund Services provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, Fund Services does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Funds, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays Fund Services a fee based on each Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee.
Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses. The Adviser was responsible for paying the following fees to Fund Services for services provided to the Funds for the following fiscal periods ended October 31:
| | | | | |
Name of Fund | 2021 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | $310(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | $191(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | $146(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | $18(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | $540(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | $453(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | $637(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | $53(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | $318(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | $572(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | $271(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | $26(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | $1,962(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 22, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(2) For the fiscal period December 29, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(3) For the fiscal period March 31, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(4) For the fiscal period June 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(5) For the fiscal period September 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
THE CUSTODIAN
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank National Association, 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian of each Fund’s assets. The custodian holds and administers the assets in a Fund’s portfolios. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee and certain settlement charges. The custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES
U.S. Bank (the “Securities Lending Agent”) serves as securities lending agent to the Funds listed in the table below. The Securities Lending Agent is responsible for the implementation and administration of the applicable Funds’ securities lending program pursuant to an agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the applicable Funds, and the Securities Lending Agent (the “Securities Lending Agreement”). The Securities Lending Agent acts as agent to the applicable Funds to lend available securities with any person on the Securities Lending Agent’s list of approved borrowers and (i) determines whether a loan shall be made and negotiates and establishes the terms and conditions of the loan with the borrower; (ii) ensures that all substitute interest, dividends, and other distributions paid
with respect to loan securities is credited to the applicable Fund’s relevant account on the date such amounts are delivered by the borrower to the Securities Lending Agent; (iii) receives and holds, on the applicable Fund’s behalf, collateral from borrowers to secure obligations of borrowers with respect to any loan of available securities; (iv) marks loaned securities and collateral to their market value each business day based upon the market value of the loaned securities and collateral at the close of business employing the most recently available pricing information and receives and delivers collateral to maintain the value of the collateral at no less than 100% of the market value of the loaned securities; (v) at the termination of a loan, returns the collateral to the borrower upon the return of the loaned securities to the Securities Lending Agent; (vi) invests cash collateral in accordance with the Securities Lending Agreement; and (viii) maintains such records as are reasonably necessary to account for loans that are made and the income derived therefrom and makes available to the applicable Fund a monthly statement describing the loans outstanding, including an accounting of all securities lending transactions.
The Funds did not engage in securities lending during the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Pacer Financial, Inc. (the “Distributor”), an affiliate of the Adviser, are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust and distributes the Shares of the Funds. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The principal business address of the Distributor is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will solicit orders for the purchase of the Shares, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver Prospectuses and, upon request, SAIs to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker- dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of FINRA.
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of each Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on sixty (60) days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on sixty (60) days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, Sub-Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of the Funds’ assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Funds, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Funds, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Funds and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Funds’ Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Fund Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Funds, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, the Sub-
Adviser, or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares of the Funds.
Distribution and Service Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its Shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan are expected to be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by a Fund under the Plan may only be imposed after approval by the Board.
Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.
The Plan provides that each Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules concerning sales charges.
Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, each Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of a Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of a Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of a Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of a Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of Shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to Shareholder accounts; and (vii) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Practus, LLP, 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, Kansas 66211, serves as legal counsel for the Trust. Duane Morris LLP, 30 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel for the Independent Trustees.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Sanville & Company, 1514 Old York Road, Abington, Pennsylvania 19001, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Funds is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable.
The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Fund Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute a Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute a Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “—Redemption Transaction Fee,” a Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate changes to a Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to executed the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Sub-Adviser may use a Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Sub-Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, a Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available commission in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Sub-Adviser, but only if the Sub-Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Sub-Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Sub-Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Sub-Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Sub-Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Sub-Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Funds for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of a Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as a Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Funds. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
A Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by a Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically. During the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021, the Funds did not pay brokerage commissions to any registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the Distributor.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers and dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s Shares. As of October 31, 2021, the Funds did not own securities of its regular brokers or dealers.
The Funds are also required to identify any brokerage transactions during their most recent fiscal year that were directed to a broker because of research services provided, along with the amount of any such transactions and any related commissions paid by the Funds. As of October 31, 2021, the Funds did not have any such transactions or related commissions paid for research services.
Brokerage Commissions. The following aggregate brokerage commissions were paid by the Funds for the following fiscal periods ended October 31, none of which were paid to affiliated brokers.
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Aggregate Brokerage Commissions for the Fiscal Periods |
Name of Fund | 2021 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | $84(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | $117(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | $48(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | $48(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | $392(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | $403(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | $1,080(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | $252(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | $315(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | $468(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | $990(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | $0(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | $15,211(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 22, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(2) For the fiscal period December 29, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(3) For the fiscal period March 31, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(4) For the fiscal period June 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(5) For the fiscal period September 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
Directed Brokerage. For the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021, the Funds did not pay any commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser or Sub-Adviser.
Portfolio Turnover. Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by the other institutional investors for comparable services.
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Portfolio Turnover for the Fiscal Periods |
Name of Fund | 2021 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | 0%(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | 0%(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | 0%(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | 0%(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | 0%(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | 0%(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | 0%(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | 0%(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | 0%(1) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | 0%(3) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | 0%(4) |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | 0%(5) |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | 69%(2) |
(1) For the fiscal period December 22, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(2) For the fiscal period December 29, 2020 through October 31, 2021. |
(3) For the fiscal period March 31, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(4) For the fiscal period June 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
(5) For the fiscal period September 30, 2021 through October 31, 2021. |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares of each Fund. Each Share of each Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in any given Fund with any given Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Funds. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. Each Fund’s Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate a Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if a Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
As described further in the Declaration of Trust, shareholders of the Trust or any Fund may not bring a derivative action to enforce the right of the Trust or an affected Fund, unless several conditions are met, including, among others, shareholders owning Shares representing no less than a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Trust or the Fund, as applicable, must join in bringing the derivative action, provided, however, the foregoing may not apply to the extent a claim arises under federal securities laws.
Role of the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”). DTC acts as Securities Depository for the Shares of the Trust. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.
DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of which (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, which is owned by its member firms, including international broker dealers, correspondent and clearing banks, mutual fund companies and investment banks. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. No Beneficial Owner shall have the right to receive a certificate representing such Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the Funds held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form and number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares of the Trust. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue its service with respect to Shares of the Trust at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the fullest extent provided by law and in the manner provided in the By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Funds only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The NAV of a Fund’s Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange and Trust are open for business.
Fund Deposits. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Funds, through NSCC, will make available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposits (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for each Fund. Such Fund Deposits are subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for a Creation Unit changes as corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of a Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of a Fund’s portfolio. However, there will be no intraday changes to Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash except to correct errors in the published list.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, the Clearing Process (discussed below), the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury Securities (discussed below) or for other similar reasons. The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where delivery of Deposit Securities to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, and in certain other situations. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
On a given Business Day, the Trust may require all Authorized Participants purchasing Creation Units on that day to deposit an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below). The Trust also reserves the right to permit a “cash in lieu” to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity or which may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting (“custom orders”). The Trust may in its discretion require an Authorized Participant to purchase Creation Units of the Fund in cash, rather than in-kind. On a given Business Day, the Trust may announce before the open of trading that all purchases of Creation Units of the Fund on that day will be made entirely in
cash or, upon receiving a purchase order for Creation Units of the Fund from an Authorized Participant, the Trust may determine to require that purchase to be made entirely in cash.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Funds, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below) and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) of such Funds is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units for each Fund is expected to be 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which time may be modified by a Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form.
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Funds’ investments are primarily traded is closed, the Funds will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Funds, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day, as designated in the Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Funds is generally the next Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of a Fund.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Order Placement Date provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component in the appropriate amount are not received by the Custodian on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting there from. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the next Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be issued in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to a Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of a Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, are set forth in the table below. A Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if a Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
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Name of Fund | Fixed Creation Transaction Fee |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | $250 |
In addition, a variable fee, payable to a Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. For orders comprised entirely of cash, a variable fee of 0.01% of the value of the order will be charged by a Fund. For orders partially comprised of cash in lieu of certain Deposit Securities, a variable fee of 0.01% of the value of such cash in lieu of Deposit Securities will be charged by a Fund. A Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate changes to the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from a Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Funds through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. Redemption requests must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of each Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Funds, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction are set forth in the table below. A Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
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Name of Fund | Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | $250 |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | $250 |
In addition, a variable fee, payable to a Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. For orders comprised entirely of cash, a variable fee of 0.01% of the value of the order will be charged by a Fund. For orders partially comprised of cash in lieu of certain Deposit Securities, a variable fee of 0.01% of the value of such cash in lieu of Deposit Securities will be charged by a Fund. A Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate changes to the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units of the each Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker- dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within one business day of the trade date.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three business days of the trade date. The Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Funds next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). A Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in net asset value.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and each Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Funds may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Funds, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Funds, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Funds on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Funds could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to each Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of
the Funds or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Required Early Acceptance of Orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as described in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form, a Fund may require orders to be placed or notification of orders to be received prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, to receive the trade date’s net asset value. Orders to purchase Shares of the Funds that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) that the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed will not be accepted. Authorized Participants may be notified that the cut-off time for an order may be earlier on a particular business day, as described in the Participant Agreement and the order form.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
Net asset value per Share for the Funds is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of a Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining net asset value. The net asset value of a Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that such exchange is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating a Fund’s net asset value per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published net asset value per share. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by each Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Funds may make distributions on a more frequent basis to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Trust makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Funds, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Funds reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of each Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. 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 Trust of the Funds at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Funds will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. Tax reform legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act made significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The application of certain provisions of the TCJA is uncertain, and the changes in the act may have indirect effects on a Fund, its investments and its shareholders that cannot be predicted. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company (RIC). Each Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, a Fund must, among other things:
(a)derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);
(b)diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a Fund’s total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of a Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a Fund’s total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by a Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and
(c)distribute with respect to each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.
In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (ii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.
The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a fund’s business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund’s non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.
Under the TCJA, “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income) are treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). The TCJA does not contain a provision permitting a RIC, such as the Fund, to pass the special character of this income through to its shareholders. Currently, direct investors in REITs will enjoy the deduction and, thus, the lower federal income tax rate, but investors in a RIC, such as certain of the Fund, that invest in such REITs will not. It is uncertain whether a future technical corrections bill or regulations issued by the IRS will address this issue to enable the Fund to pass through the special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to its shareholders.
Taxation of the Funds. If the Funds qualify for treatment as RICs, the Funds will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to their shareholders in the form of dividends.
If, for any taxable year, a Fund was to fail to qualify as a RIC or was to fail to meet the distribution requirement, they 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. In addition, a Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, a Fund would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year to qualify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent year. Under certain circumstances, a Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but to do so that Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of certain assets. If a Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year.
The Funds intend to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of their investment company taxable income and net capital gains. Investment company taxable income that is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their Shares of such undistributed amount, (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate Shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of Shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.
If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. The Funds intend to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that they will be able to do so. The Funds may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Funds to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and certain other late-year losses.
The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Funds is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If a Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.
At October 31, 2021, the Funds had the following capital loss carryforwards which do not expire:
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Name of Fund | Short-Term | Long-Term |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (April) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETF | $2,577 | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (January) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF | $72,667 | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (January) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (April) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (July) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Flex (October) ETF | N/A | N/A |
Pacer Swan SOS Fund of Funds ETF | $1,892 | N/A |
Fund Distributions. Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares. Moreover, distributions of a Fund’s Shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Investors may therefore wish to avoid purchasing Shares at a time when a Fund’s NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Realized gains must generally be distributed even when a Fund’s NAV also reflects unrealized losses.
Dividends and other distributions are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
Distributions by a Fund of investment income is generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of a Fund’s net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) that are properly reported by a Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For individuals, long-term capital gains are currently subject to a reduced maximum tax rate of 20%. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
Distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of non- corporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. If the aggregate qualified dividends received by a Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be reported as qualified dividend income.
A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either a Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.
In addition, distributions that the Funds receive from an ETF or an underlying fund taxable as a RIC will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.
Dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of a Fund will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by a Fund will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (1) if the stock on which the dividend is paid is considered to be “debt-financed” (generally, acquired with borrowed funds), (2) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that a Fund has held for less than 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (3) to the extent that a Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends- received deduction may be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its Shares of the Fund or (2) by application of the Code.
To the extent that a Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.
Dividends and distributions from a Fund will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.
If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of that shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, and thereafter as capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her Shares as capital assets. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its Shares.
The Funds will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.
Sale or Exchange of Shares. A sale or exchange of Shares in the Funds may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of Shares of a Fund for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the Shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical Shares of the Funds are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Tax Treatment of Complex Securities. The Funds may invest in complex securities and these investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect a Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund’s ability to recognize losses, and, in limited cases, subject a Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of their foreign securities. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Fund.
Some debt obligations that are acquired by a Fund may be treated as having original issue discount (“OID”). Generally, the Funds will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If a Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary.
The Funds may invest in inflation-linked debt securities. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be OID, which is taxable as ordinary income and is required to be distributed, even though a Fund will not receive the principal, including any increase thereto, until maturity. If a Fund invests in securities that have OID, it may be required to liquidate other investments, including at times when it is not advantageous to do so, to satisfy its distribution requirements and to eliminate any possible taxation at the Fund level. Moreover, the Funds may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a Fund realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.
Backup Withholding. A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund Shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption
proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if Shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign- source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.
A beneficial holder of Shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of Shares of the Funds or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax.
A U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends effective July 1, 2014 (and proceeds of sales in respect of Fund Shares (including certain capital gain dividends) received by Fund shareholders beginning after December 31, 2018) for shareholders who own their Shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. A Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.
For a non-U.S. person to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in the Funds should consult their tax advisors in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
A beneficial holder of Shares who is a non-U.S. person may be subject to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
Section 351. The Trust on behalf of the Funds has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or any group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, that Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Foreign Investments. Income received by the Funds from sources within foreign countries and U.S. possessions (including, for example, dividends or interest on stock or securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by
such countries and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield on a Fund’s stock or securities. Tax treaties between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.
If as of the end of the Funds’ taxable year more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s assets consist of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to 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 income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, a Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders who must include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders’ federal income tax. If the Fund makes the election, the Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund’s income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.
If a Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as “passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs,” the Fund will generally be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF,” the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund’s pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to mark- to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above. In such instances, the Funds intend to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules.
Certain Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Cost Basis. Legislation passed by Congress now requires the reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include Shares of a RIC acquired to the IRS and to taxpayers. Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.
General Considerations. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Shares of the Fund held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from a Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of Shares of the Funds, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.
State Taxes. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by a Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of Shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that a Fund will not be liable for any corporate tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Annual Report for the Funds for the fiscal periods ended October 31, 2021 is a separate document and the respective financial statements and accompanying notes appearing therein are incorporated by reference into this SAI. You may request a copy of the Funds’ Annual Report at no charge by calling 1-800-617-0004 or through the Funds’ website at www.PacerETFs.com.
APPENDIX A
The Adviser has adopted the following guidelines with respect to the Adviser’s proxy voting responsibilities for the Funds.
GLASS LEWIS INVESTMENT MANAGER GUIDELINES
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines are designed to maximize returns for investment managers by voting in a manner consistent with such managers’ active investment decision-making. The guidelines are designed to increase investor’s potential financial gain through the use of the shareholder vote while also allowing management and the board discretion to direct the operations, including governance and compensation, of the firm.
The guidelines will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the fiduciary responsibilities unique to investment advisors and investment companies on behalf of individual investor clients including mutual fund shareholders. The guidelines will encourage the maximization of return for such clients through identifying and avoiding financial, audit and corporate governance risks.
MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
In analyzing directors and boards, Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally support the election of incumbent directors except when a majority of the company’s directors are not independent or where directors fail to attend at least 75% of board and committee meetings. In a contested election, we will apply the standard Glass Lewis recommendation.
AUDITOR
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally support auditor ratification except when the non-audit fees exceed the audit fees paid to the auditor.
COMPENSATION
Glass Lewis recognizes the importance in designing appropriate executive compensation plans that truly reward pay for performance. We evaluate equity compensation plans based upon their specific features and will vote against plans than would result in total overhang greater than 20% or that allow the repricing of options without shareholder approval.
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will follow the general Glass Lewis recommendation when voting on management advisory votes on compensation (“say-on-pay”) and on executive compensation arrangements in connection with merger transactions (i.e., golden parachutes). Further, the Investment Manager Guidelines will follow the Glass Lewis recommendation when voting on the preferred frequency of advisory compensation votes.
AUTHORIZED SHARES
Having sufficient available authorized shares allows management to avail itself of rapidly developing opportunities as well as to effectively operate the business. However, we believe that for significant transactions management should seek shareholder approval to justify the use of additional shares. Therefore shareholders should not approve the creation of a large pool of unallocated shares without some rational of the purpose of such shares. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not provided an appropriate plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically vote against the authorization of additional shares. We also vote against the creation of or increase in (i) blank check preferred shares and (ii) dual or multiple class capitalizations.
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally support proposals increasing or enhancing shareholder rights such as declassifying the board, allowing shareholders to call a special meeting, eliminating supermajority voting and adopting majority voting for the election of directors. Similarly, the Investment Manager Guidelines will generally vote against proposals to eliminate or reduce shareholder rights.
MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS
Glass Lewis undertakes a thorough examination of the economic implications of a proposed merger or acquisition to determine the transaction’s likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. We examine the process used to negotiate the transaction as well as the terms of the transaction in making our voting recommendation.
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
We review and vote on shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis. We recommend supporting shareholder proposals if the requested action would increase shareholder value, mitigate risk or enhance shareholder rights but generally recommend voting against those that would not ultimately impact performance.
GOVERNANCE
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will support reasonable initiatives that seek to enhance shareholder rights, such as the introduction of majority voting to elect directors, elimination in/reduction of supermajority provisions, the declassification of the board and requiring the submission of shareholder rights’ plans to a shareholder vote. The guidelines generally support reasonable, well- targeted proposals to allow increased shareholder participation at shareholder meetings through the ability to call special meetings and ability for shareholders to nominate director candidates to a company’s board of directors. However, the Investment Manager Guidelines will vote against proposals to require separating the roles of CEO and chairman.
COMPENSATION
The Glass Lewis Investment Manager Guidelines will generally oppose any shareholder proposals seeking to limit compensation in amount or design. However, the guidelines will vote for reasonable and properly-targeted shareholder initiatives such as to require shareholder approval to reprice options, to link pay with performance, to eliminate or require shareholder approval of golden coffins, to allow a shareholder vote on excessive golden parachutes (i.e., greater than 2.99 times annual compensation) and to claw back unearned bonuses. The Investment Manager Guidelines will vote against requiring companies to allow shareholders an advisory compensation vote.
ENVIRONMENT
Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines vote against proposals seeking to cease a certain practice or take certain action related to a company’s activities or operations with environmental. Further, the Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally vote against proposals regarding enhanced environment disclosure and reporting, including those seeking sustainability reporting and disclosure about company’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as advocating compliance with international environmental conventions and adherence to environmental principles like those promulgated by CERES.
SOCIAL
Glass Lewis’ Investment Manager Guidelines generally oppose proposals requesting companies adhere to labor or worker treatment codes of conduct, such as those espoused by the International Labor Organization, relating to labor standards, human rights conventions and corporate responsibility at large conventions and principles. The guidelines will also vote against proposals seeking disclosure concerning the rights of workers, impact on local stakeholders, workers’ rights and human rights in general. Furthermore, the Investment Manager Guidelines oppose increased reporting and review of a company’s political and charitable spending as well as its lobbying practices.
PACER FUNDS TRUST
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits.
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(a) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | |
(b) | | | | |
(c) | | | | |
(d) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | Amended Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated [ ] — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
| (3) | | | |
| (4) | | | |
| (5) | | | |
| (6) | | | |
| (7) | | | |
(e) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | Amended Appendix A to the Distribution Agreement dated [ ] — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
(f) | | | | Bonus, profit sharing contracts—None. |
(g) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | |
| (3) | | | Amended Exhibit B to the Custody Agreement dated [ ] — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
(h) | | | | Other Material Contracts. |
| (1) | (A) | | |
| | (B) | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | (C) | | Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement dated [ ] — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
| (2) | (A) | | |
| | (B) | | |
| | (C) | | Amended Exhibit A to the Transfer Agent Agreement dated [ ] — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
| (3) | (A) | | |
| | (B) | | |
| | (C) | | Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement dated [ ] — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
| (4) | | | |
| (5) | (A) | | |
| | (B) | | |
| | (C) | | |
(i) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | |
| (3) | | | |
| (4) | | | |
| (5) | | | |
| (6) | | | |
| (7) | | | |
| (8) | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (9) | | | |
| (10) | | | |
| (11) | | | Opinion and Consent of Practus, LLP for Pacer BlueStar eSports and Online Gambling ETF and Pacer BlueStar 3D Printing and Robotics ETF — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
| (12) | | | Opinion and Consent of Practus, LLP for Pacer Data and Digital Revolution ETF and Pacer Industrials, Logistics, and Fulfillment ETF — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
| (13) | | | |
(j) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | |
| (3) | | | |
| (4) | | | |
(k) | | | | Financial statements omitted from prospectus — None. |
(l) | | | | |
(m) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | Amended Schedule A dated [ ] to Rule 12b-1 Plan — To Be Filed By Subsequent Amendment. |
(n) | | | | Rule 18f-3 Plan — None. |
(o) | | | | Reserved. |
(p) | (1) | | | |
| (2) | | | |
| (3) | | | |
| (4) | | | |
| (5) | | | |
| (6) | | | |
| (7) | | | |
| (8) | | | |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant
Not Applicable.
Item 30. Indemnification
Reference is made to Article VII, Section III of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, which was filed with the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on January 15, 2015. The general effect of this provision is to indemnify the Trustees, officers, employees and other agents of the Trust who are parties pursuant to any proceeding by reason of their actions performed in their scope of service on behalf of the Trust.
Pursuant to Rule 484 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Registrant furnishes the following undertaking: “Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.”
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
This Item incorporated by reference each investment adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the SEC, as listed below. Each Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Additional information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by each officer and director of the below-listed investment advisers is included in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information.
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Investment Adviser | SEC File No. | Investment Adviser | SEC File No. |
Pacer Advisors, Inc. | 801-79654 | CSOP Asset Management Limited | 801-79092 |
Vident Investment Advisory, LLC | 801-80534 | Swan Global Management, LLC | 801-80552 |
Metaurus Advisors LLC | 801-121194 | Pacific Asset Management LLC | 801-117402 |
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
(a) Pacer Financial, Inc., the Registrant’s principal underwriter, does not act as principal underwriter for any other investment companies.
(b)To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of Pacer Financial, Inc. are as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
Name and Principal Business Address (1) | Position and Offices with Pacer Financial, Inc. | Positions and Offices with Registrant |
Joe M. Thomson | President, CCO | President, Chairman |
Joann Thomson | Secretary, Treasurer | None |
Paul L. Giorgio | FINOP | None |
(1)The principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 500 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.
(c)Not applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
The books, accounts and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder will be maintained at the offices of:
| | | | | |
Records Relating to: | Are located at: |
Registrant’s Transfer Agent, Fund Administrator and Fund Accountant | U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 |
Registrant’s Custodian | U.S. Bank National Association 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302 Milwaukee, WI 53212 |
Registrant’s Investment Adviser | Pacer Advisors, Inc. 500 Chesterfield Parkway Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 |
Sub-Advisor for the Pacer Trendpilot US Bond ETF | Vident Investment Advisory, LLC 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515 Alpharetta, GA 30009 |
Sub-Advisor for the Pacer CSOP FTSE China A50 ETF | CSOP Asset Management Limited 2801-2803, Two Exchange Square 8 Connaught Place Central, Hong Kong |
Sub-Advisor for the Pacer Swan SOS ETFs | Swan Global Management, LLC 20 Ridge Top Palmas Del Mar Humacao, PR 00791 |
Sub-Advisor for the Pacer Metaurus ETFs | Metaurus Advisors LLC 22 Hudson Place, Third Floor Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 |
Sub-Advisor for the Pacer Pacific Asset Floating Rate High Income ETF | Pacific Asset Management LLC 840 Newport Center Drive, 7 Floor, Newport Beach, CA 92660 |
Registrant’s Distributor | Pacer Financial, Inc. 500 Chesterfield Parkway Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 |
Item 34. Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed below on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Malvern and the State of Pennsylvania on February 25, 2022.
Pacer Funds Trust
By: /s/ Joe M. Thomson
Joe M. Thomson
President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated as of February 25, 2022.
| | | | | |
Signature | Title |
| |
Deborah G. Wolk* | Lead Independent Trustee |
Deborah G. Wolk | |
| |
Colin C. Lake* | Trustee |
Colin C. Lake | |
| |
Jane K. Sagendorph* | Trustee |
Jane K. Sagendorph | |
| |
/s/ Joe M. Thomson | Trustee, President, and Principal Executive Officer |
Joe M. Thomson | |
| |
/s/ Sean E. O’Hara | Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer |
Sean E. O’Hara | |
| | | | | |
*By: | /s/ Sean E. O’Hara |
| Sean E. O’Hara Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney previously filed |
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
| | | | | |
Exhibit No. | Exhibit Description |
(i)(14) | |
(j)(5) | |