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Statement
of Additional Information
March
31, 2023
This
Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides general information
about the
Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund
and Tortoise
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund
(each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”), series of Managed Portfolio
Series (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in
conjunction with the Funds’ current prospectus for A Class Shares,
Institutional Class shares, C Class shares, and T Class Shares, dated
March 31, 2023 (the “Prospectus”), as supplemented and amended from time
to time. In addition, each Fund’s financial statements for the fiscal year
ended November 30, 2022 is incorporated herein by reference to the Fund’s
annual
report
dated November 30, 2022.
To obtain a copy of the Prospectus and/or Annual Report(s), free of
charge, please write or call the Funds at the address or toll-free
telephone number below, or visit the Adviser’s website at
www.tortoiseecofin.com.
Tortoise
Funds
c/o
U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O.
Box 701
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin 53201-0701
855-TCA-FUND
(855-822-3863) |
Series
of Managed Portfolio Series (the “Trust”)
The
Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on January 27, 2011, and is
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end
management investment company. Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund
(“Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund”) and Tortoise Energy Infrastructure
and Income Fund ("Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund") are each series, or
mutual funds, of the Trust. The Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund
commenced operations on May 31, 2011. The Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Total
Return Fund was formerly known as the Tortoise MLP & Pipeline Fund and
changed its name on January 16, 2023. The Energy Infrastructure Total Return
Fund has registered four different share classes — A Class, Institutional Class,
C Class, and T Class. T Class shares of the Energy Infrastructure Total Return
Fund are not currently available for purchase. Prior to March 30, 2019, the A
Class of each Fund was designated as the “Investor Class.” The Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund offers three classes of shares: A Class shares,
Institutional Class shares and C Class shares. The Advisory Research MLP &
Energy Income Fund (the "Energy Infrastructure and Income Predecessor Fund")
reorganized into the MLP & Energy Income Fund on November 15, 2019. The
Tortoise MLP & Energy Income Fund was renamed the Tortoise Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund on September 1, 2022. Tortoise Capital Advisors,
L.L.C., (“TCA Advisors” or the “Adviser”), is the investment adviser to the
Funds. The Adviser is affiliated with Tortoise Index Solutions, LLC, doing
business as TIS Advisors (“TIS Advisors”). The Adviser manages three other
series of the Trust. TIS Advisors manages two other series of the Trust. The
Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund is a non-diversified series and each
Fund has its own investment objective and investment policies. Shares of other
series of the Trust are offered in separate prospectuses and SAIs. The Funds’
Prospectus and this SAI are a part of the Trust’s Registration Statement filed
with the SEC. Copies of the Trust’s complete Registration Statement may be
obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee, or may be accessed
free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. As permitted by Delaware
law, the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may create additional classes
of the Funds and may create additional series (and classes thereof) of the Trust
and offer shares of these series and classes under the Trust at any time without
the vote of shareholders.
All
shares of a series shall represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets
held with respect to that series (subject to the liabilities held with respect
to that series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and
designated with respect to classes of shares of such series), and each share of
a series shall be equal to each other share of that series.
Shares
are voted in the aggregate and not by series or class, except in matters where a
separate vote is required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”), or when the matters affect only the interest of a particular series
or class. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each
shareholder is entitled to one vote for each full share owned and fractional
votes for fractional shares owned.
The
Trust does not normally hold annual meetings of shareholders. Meetings of the
shareholders shall be called by any member of the Board upon written request of
shareholders holding, in the aggregate, not less than 10% of the shares, such
request specifying the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is to be
called.
Interests
in each Fund are represented by shares of beneficial interest, each with no par
value per share. Each share of a Fund is entitled to such dividends and
distributions out of the assets belonging to the Fund, as may be declared by the
Board.
The
Board has the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any
series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series without
materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of the shares of that
series in the assets belonging to that series or materially affecting the rights
of shares of any other series. In case of the liquidation of a series, the
holders of shares of the series being liquidated are entitled to receive a
distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that
series. Expenses attributable to any series (or Class thereof) are borne by that
series (or class). Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as
belonging to a particular series are allocated by, or under the direction of,
the Board to all applicable series (and classes thereof) in such manner and on
such basis as the Board in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable. No
shareholder is liable to further calls for the payment of any sum of money or
assessment whatsoever with respect to the Trust or any series of the Trust
without his or her express consent.
All
consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of a Fund’s shares,
together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested,
and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds
derived
from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments
derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, subject only to the rights of
creditors, shall constitute the underlying assets of the Fund.
The
following discussion supplements the description of each Fund’s investment
objective and principal investment strategies set forth in the Prospectus.
Except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below (see “Fundamental
and Non-Fundamental Investment Limitations”), the Funds’ investment objective,
strategies and policies are not fundamental and may be changed by sole action of
the Board, without shareholder approval. While a Fund is permitted to hold
securities and engage in various strategies as described hereafter, it is not
obligated to do so. The Funds might not invest in all of these types of
securities or use all of these techniques at any one time. The Funds’
transactions in a particular type of security or use of a particular technique
is subject to limitations imposed by each Fund’s investment objective, policies
and restrictions described in the Funds’ Prospectus and/or this SAI, as well as
the federal securities laws.
Investment
Objective
The
investment objective of each Fund is set forth under the “Summary Section” in
the Funds’ Prospectus.
Diversification
The
Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund is non-diversified. A
non-diversified fund is a fund that does not satisfy the definition of a
“diversified company” set forth in the 1940 Act. A “diversified company” means
that as to 75% of a Fund’s total assets, excluding cash, government securities
and securities of other investment companies, (1) no more than 5% may be
invested in the securities of a single issuer, and (2) a Fund may not hold more
than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer. The Tortoise
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund is a diversified fund.
Because
each Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company”(“RIC”) under
Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”),
each Fund’s investments will be limited so that at the close of each quarter of
each taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is
represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities
of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited for
purposes of such calculation, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not
greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not more than 10%
outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the
value of its total assets are invested in the securities of any one issuer
(other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs), the
securities (other than the securities of other RICs) of any two or more issuers
that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same
business or similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or
more qualified publicly traded partnerships (which includes master limited
partnerships, “MLPs”). These tax-related limitations may be changed by the Board
to the extent appropriate in light of changes to applicable tax
requirements.
Market
Volatility
U.S.
and international markets have from time to time experienced significant
volatility. Certain social, political, economic, environmental and other
conditions and events (such as natural disasters and weather-related phenomena
generally, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) may
adversely interrupt the global economy and result in prolonged periods of
significant market volatility. During certain volatile periods, the fixed income
markets have experienced substantially lower valuations, reduced liquidity,
price volatility, credit downgrades, increased likelihood of default and
valuation difficulties. At times, concerns have spread to domestic and
international equity markets. In some cases, the stock prices of individual
companies have been negatively affected even though there may be little or no
apparent degradation in the financial conditions or prospects of that company.
Continued volatility may have adverse effects on the Fund, and the risks
discussed below and in the Prospectus may increase.
Equity
Securities
An
equity security represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company.
Its value is based on the success of the company’s business, any income paid to
stockholders, the value of its assets and general market conditions. The value
of equity securities will be affected by changes in the stock markets, which may
be the result of domestic or international political or economic news, changes
in interest rates or changing investor sentiment. At times, stock markets can be
volatile and stock prices can change substantially. Equity securities risk
affects each Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), which will fluctuate as
the value of the securities it holds changes. Not all stock prices change
uniformly or at the same time, and not all stock markets move in the same
direction at the same time. Other factors affect a particular
stock’s
prices, such as poor earnings reports by an issuer, loss of major customers,
major litigation against an issuer, or changes in governmental regulations
affecting an industry. Adverse news affecting one company can sometimes depress
the stock prices of all companies in the same industry. Not all factors can be
predicted. Types of equity securities in which the Funds may invest include
primarily common stocks; MLP common units, limited liability company common
units and MLP convertible subordinate units; securities issued by affiliates of
MLPs including other equity securities of corporations and limited liability
companies that own, directly or indirectly, general partner interests; and
preferred equity, convertible securities, warrants, rights and depository
receipts of companies that are organized as corporations, limited partnerships
or limited liability companies; and energy real estate investment trusts
(“REITs”).
Common
Stock
Common
stock represents an equity ownership interest in the profits and losses of a
corporation, after payment of amounts owed to bondholders, other debt holders,
and holders of preferred stock. Holders of common stock generally have voting
rights, but the Funds do not expect to have voting control in any of the
companies in which they invest. In addition to the general risks set forth
above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a
company in which a Fund invests is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock
and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made
to the Fund as holders of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that
company will be exhausted before any payments are made to the holders of common
stock.
Master
Limited Partnerships
An
MLP is an entity that is generally taxed as a partnership for federal income tax
purposes if certain qualifying income requirements are met.
An
MLP has one or more general partners (who may be individuals, corporations, or
other partnerships) which manage the partnership, and limited partners, which
provide capital to the partnership but have no role in its management.
Typically, the general partner is owned by company management or another
publicly traded sponsoring corporation. When an investor buys units in an MLP,
the investor becomes a limited partner.
MLPs
are formed in several ways. A nontraded partnership may decide to go public.
Several nontraded partnerships may roll up into a single MLP. A corporation may
spin-off a group of assets or part of its business into an MLP of which it is
the general partner, to realize the assets’ full value on the marketplace by
selling the assets and using the cash proceeds received from the MLP to address
debt obligations or to invest in higher growth opportunities, while retaining
control of the MLP. A corporation may fully convert to an MLP, although tax
consequences have made this an unappealing option for most corporations. Unlike
the ways described above, it is also possible for a newly formed entity to
commence operations as an MLP from its inception.
The
sponsor or general partner of an MLP, other energy companies, and utilities may
sell assets to MLPs in order to generate cash to fund expansion projects or
repay debt. The MLP structure essentially transfers cash flows generated from
these acquired assets directly to MLP limited partner unitholders.
In
the case of an MLP buying assets from its sponsor or general partner the
transaction is intended to be based upon comparable terms in the acquisition
market for similar assets. To help ensure that appropriate protections are in
place, the board of the MLP generally creates an independent committee to review
and approve the terms of the transaction. The committee often obtains a fairness
opinion and can retain counsel or other experts to assist its evaluation. Since
both parties normally have a significant equity stake in the MLP, both parties
are aligned to see that the transaction is accretive and fair to the
MLP.
As
a motivation for the general partner to successfully manage the MLP and increase
cash flows, the terms of MLPs typically provide that the general partner
receives a larger portion of the net income as distributions reach higher target
levels. As cash flow grows, the general partner receives a greater interest in
the incremental income compared to the interest of limited partners. Although
the percentages vary among MLPs, the general partner’s marginal interest in
distributions generally increases from 2% to 15% at the first designated
distribution target level moving up to 25% and ultimately 50% as pre-established
distribution per unit thresholds are met. Nevertheless, the aggregate amount
distributed to limited partners will increase as MLP distributions reach higher
target levels. Given this incentive structure, the general partner has an
incentive to streamline operations and undertake acquisitions and growth
projects in order to increase distributions to all partners.
The
business of certain MLPs is affected by supply and demand for energy commodities
because such MLPs derive revenue and income based upon the volume of the
underlying commodity produced, transported, processed, distributed, and/or
marketed. Pipeline MLPs have indirect commodity exposure to gas and oil price
volatility because although they do not own the underlying energy commodity, the
general level of commodity prices may affect the volume of the commodity that
the MLP delivers to its customers and the cost of providing services such as
distributing natural gas liquids (“NGLs”). The costs of natural gas pipeline
MLPs to perform services may exceed the negotiated rates under “negotiated rate”
contracts. Specifically, processing MLPs may be directly affected by energy
commodity prices. Propane MLPs own the underlying energy commodity, and
therefore have direct exposure to energy commodity prices, although the Adviser
intends to target high quality MLPs that seek to mitigate or manage direct
margin exposure to commodity prices. However, the MLP industry in general could
be hurt by market perception that an MLP’s performance and valuation are
directly tied to commodity prices.
The
Funds may invest in the securities of MLPs, which include:
MLP
Common Units.
MLP common units represent an equity ownership interest in an MLP, providing
limited voting rights and entitling the holder to a share of the company’s
success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Unlike stockholders
of a corporation, common unitholders do not elect directors annually and
generally have the right to vote only on certain significant events, such as
mergers, a sale of substantially all of the assets, removal of the general
partner or material amendments to the partnership agreement. MLPs are required
by their partnership agreements to distribute a large percentage of their
current operating earnings. Common unitholders generally have first right to a
minimum quarterly distribution (“MQD”) prior to distributions to the convertible
subordinated unitholders or the general partner (including incentive
distributions). Common unitholders typically have arrearage rights if the MQD is
not met. In the event of liquidation, MLP common unitholders have first rights
to the partnership’s remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders, and
preferred unitholders have been paid in full. MLP common units trade on a
national securities exchange or over-the-counter. In addition, like common
stock, prices of MLP common units are sensitive to general movements in the
stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of MLP common
units to which a Fund has exposure. MLP common units may represent an ownership
interest, held directly or indirectly, in a limited partnership whose primary
assets are general partner interests in an underlying operating
MLP.
Limited
Liability Company Common Units.
Some energy companies in which the Funds may invest have been organized as LLCs.
Such LLCs are treated in the same manner as MLPs for federal income tax
purposes. Consistent with its investment objective and policies, a Fund may
invest in common units or other securities of such LLCs. LLC common units
represent an equity ownership interest in an LLC, entitling the holders to a
share of the LLC’s success through distributions and/or capital appreciation.
Similar to MLPs, LLCs typically do not pay federal income tax at the entity
level and are required by their operating agreements to distribute a large
percentage of their current operating earnings. LLC common unitholders generally
have first right to a MQD prior to distributions to subordinated unitholders and
typically have arrearage rights if the MQD is not met. In the event of
liquidation, LLC common unitholders have first right to the LLC’s remaining
assets after bondholders, other debt holders and preferred unitholders, if any,
have been paid in full. LLC common units trade on a national securities exchange
or over-the-counter.
In
contrast to MLPs, LLCs have no general partner and there are generally no
incentives that entitle management or other unitholders to increased percentages
of cash distributions as distributions reach higher target levels. In addition,
LLC common unitholders typically have voting rights with respect to the LLC,
whereas MLP common units have limited voting rights.
MLP
Convertible Subordinated Units. MLP
convertible subordinated units are typically issued by MLPs to founders,
corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to the MLP, and
institutional investors. The purpose of the convertible subordinated units is to
increase the likelihood that during the subordination period there will be
available cash to be distributed to common unitholders. Convertible subordinated
units generally are not entitled to distributions until holders of common units
have received specified MQD, plus any arrearages, and may receive less than
common unitholders in distributions upon liquidation. Convertible subordinated
unitholders generally are entitled to MQD prior to the payment of incentive
distributions to the general partner but are not entitled to arrearage rights.
Therefore, convertible subordinated units generally entail greater risk than MLP
common units. They are generally convertible automatically into the senior
common units of the same issuer at a one-to-one ratio upon the passage of time
and/or the satisfaction of certain financial tests. These units generally do not
trade on a national exchange or over-the-counter, and there is no active market
for convertible subordinated units. Although the means by which convertible
subordinated units convert into senior common units depend on a security’s
specific terms, MLP convertible subordinated units typically are exchanged for
common units. The value of a convertible security is a function of its worth if
converted into the underlying common
units.
Convertible subordinated units generally have similar voting rights as MLP
common units. Distributions may be paid in cash or in-kind.
Equity
Securities of MLP Affiliates.
In
addition to equity securities of MLPs, the Funds may also invest in equity
securities of MLP affiliates. MLP affiliates are issuers of entities that own
interests of general partners of MLPs.
General
Partner Interests.
Indirect investments in MLP general partner interests are available through
investment in the equity securities of MLP affiliates organized as corporations
and limited liability companies that own, directly or indirectly, general
partner interests. While these general partner interests themselves are
generally not publicly traded, the MLP affiliates investing in such interests
and in which the Funds may invest are publicly traded. General partner interests
often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating
control, over the MLP. General partner interests receive cash distributions,
typically 2% of the MLP’s aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually
defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner
interests typically hold incentive distribution rights (“IDRs”), which provide
them with an increasing larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions
upon the payment of distributions to limited partner unitholders that exceed
prescribed levels. Due to the incentive distribution rights, general partner
interests have higher distribution growth prospects than their underlying MLPs,
but incentive distribution payments would also decline at a greater rate than
the decline rate in distributions to common unitholders in the event of a
reduction in the MLP’s distribution.
General
partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general
partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to
remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited
partner unitholders.
Real
Estate Securities
The
real estate securities in which the Funds may invest consist of securities
issued by Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) and/or Real Estate Operating
Companies (“REOCs”) that are listed on a securities exchange or traded
over-the-counter and that are generally focused on the energy industry. A
REIT is a corporation or trust that invests in fee or leasehold ownership of
real estate, mortgages or shares issued by other REITs and receives favorable
tax treatment provided it meets certain conditions. REITs may be characterized
as equity REITs (i.e., REITs that primarily invest in fee ownership and
leasehold ownership of land), mortgage REITs (i.e., REITs that primarily invest
in mortgages on real estate and other real estate debt) or hybrid REITs which
invest in both fee and leasehold ownership of land and mortgages. A REIT that
meets the applicable requirements of the Code may deduct dividends paid to
shareholders, effectively eliminating any corporate level federal tax. As a
result, REITs are able to distribute a larger portion of their earnings to
investors than other corporate entities subject to the federal corporate tax.
There is the risk that a REIT held by the Funds will fail to qualify for this
tax-free pass-through treatment of its income. By investing in REITs indirectly
through the Funds, in addition to bearing a proportionate share of the expenses
of the Funds, investors will also indirectly bear similar expenses of the REITs
in which a Fund invests. A REOC is typically structured as a “C” corporation
under the Code and is not required to distribute any portion of its income. A
REOC, therefore, does not receive the same favorable tax treatment that is
accorded a REIT. In addition, the value of the Funds’ securities issued by REOCs
may be adversely affected by income streams derived from businesses other than
real estate ownership.
Preferred
Equity
Preferred
equity represents an ownership interest in a company, often pays dividends at a
specific rate and has a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and
liquidation of assets. A preferred equity is a blend of the characteristics of a
bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority
over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond
and, unlike common stock its participation in the issuer’s growth may be
limited. Although the dividend or distribution is set at a fixed annual rate, in
some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. In addition,
preferred equity usually does not have voting rights.
Warrants
and Rights
The
Funds may purchase, or receive as a distribution from other investments,
warrants and rights, which are instruments that permit a Fund to acquire, by
subscription, the capital stock of a corporation at a set price, regardless of
the market price for such stock. The principal difference between warrants and
rights is their term-rights typically expire within weeks while warrants have
longer durations. Neither rights nor warrants have voting rights or pay
dividends. The market price of warrants is usually significantly less than the
current price of the underlying stock. Thus, there is a greater risk that
warrants might drop in value at a faster rate than the underlying
stock.
Initial
Public Offerings
The
Funds may invest in securities offered by companies in initial public offerings
(“IPOs”). IPOs involve companies that have no public operating history and
therefore entail more risk than established public companies. Because IPO shares
frequently are volatile in price, a Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short
period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may
lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction
costs. By selling IPO shares, a Fund may realize taxable capital gains that it
will subsequently distribute to shareholders. Companies that offer securities in
IPOs tend to typically have small market capitalizations and therefore their
securities may be more volatile and less liquid that those issued by larger
companies. Certain companies offering securities in an IPO may have limited
operating experience and, as a result face a greater risk of business
failure.
Foreign
Investments and Currencies
The
Funds may invest in securities of foreign issuers whether or not they are traded
in the United States or U.S. dollar denominated, purchase and sell foreign
currency on a spot basis and enter into forward currency contracts (see “Forward
Currency Contracts,” below). The Funds may also invest in American Depositary
Receipts (“ADRs”) and foreign securities that are traded on a U.S. exchange.
Investments in ADRs and foreign securities involve certain inherent risks,
including the following:
American
Depositary Receipts.
Among the means through which the Funds may invest in foreign securities that
are publicly traded on a U.S. exchange is the purchase of ADRs. ADRs, in
registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the
U.S. securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or
trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. ADRs may be
purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility
is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a
depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without
participation by the issuer of the depositary security. Holders of unsponsored
depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities, and the
depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to
distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited
security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts of the
deposited securities. Accordingly, available information concerning the issuer
may not be current and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more
volatile than the prices of sponsored depositary receipts. For purposes of each
Fund’s investment policies, ADRs are deemed to have the same classification as
the underlying securities they represent. Thus, an ADR representing ownership of
common stock will be treated as common stock.
Political
and Economic Factors.
Individual foreign economies of certain countries may differ favorably or
unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national
product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency,
diversification and balance of payments position. The internal politics of
certain foreign countries may not be as stable as those of the United States.
Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a
significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their
respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on
foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of
taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and
payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily
dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade
policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these
trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant
adverse effect upon the securities markets of those countries.
On
March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom (“UK”) triggered the procedures to withdraw
from the European Union (“EU”) after the two year period settlement negotiation
as prescribed in Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. On January 31, 2020 the UK
officially withdrew from the EU, subject to an 11 month transition period.
Following a transition period during which the EU and the UK government engaged
in a series of negotiations regarding the terms of the UK’s future relationship
with the EU, the EU and the UK government signed an agreement on December 30,
2020 regarding the economic relationship between the UK and the EU. This
agreement became effective on a provisional basis on January 1, 2021 and
formally entered into force on May 1, 2021. It is still uncertain what the
long-term impacts will be as a result of the commercial arrangements reached
between the EU and the UK. The withdrawal could cause an extended period of
uncertainty and market volatility, not just in the UK but throughout the EU, the
European Economic Area and globally.
Currency
Fluctuations.
A Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Accordingly,
a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result
in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of a Fund’s assets
denominated in that currency. Such changes will also affect the Fund’s income.
The value of the Fund’s assets may also be affected significantly by currency
restrictions and exchange control regulations enacted from time to
time.
Market
Characteristics.
The Adviser expects that many foreign securities in which a Fund may invest
could be purchased in over-the-counter (“OTC”) markets or on exchanges located
in the countries in which the principal offices of the issuers of the various
securities are located, if that is the best available market. Foreign exchanges
and markets may be more volatile than those in the United States. While growing
in volume, they usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets, and a
Fund’s investments in foreign securities may be less liquid and more volatile
than investments in U.S. securities. Moreover, settlement practices for
transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets, and may
include delays beyond periods customary in the United States. Foreign security
trading practices, including those involving securities settlement where Fund
assets may be released prior to receipt of payment or securities, may expose the
Funds to increased risk in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of a
foreign broker-dealer.
Legal
and Regulatory Matters.
Certain foreign countries may have less supervision of securities markets,
brokers and issuers of securities, non-uniform accounting standards and less
financial information available from issuers, than is available in the United
States. It may be more difficult to obtain and enforce a judgment against a
foreign issuer. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign
countries may be more limited than those available with respect to investments
in the United States or in other foreign countries. The laws of some foreign
countries may limit a Fund’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers
located in those foreign countries.
Taxes.
The interest and dividends payable on certain of a Fund’s foreign portfolio
securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing the net
amount of income available for distribution to Fund shareholders. Foreign
issuers may not be subject to auditing and financial reporting standards and
requirements comparable to those which apply to U.S. companies.
Costs.
To the extent that a Fund invests in foreign securities, its expense ratio is
likely to be higher than those of investment companies investing only in
domestic securities, because related brokerage costs and the cost of maintaining
the custody of foreign securities may be higher.
Additional
Risks of Emerging and Frontier Markets.
In addition, a Fund may invest in foreign securities of companies that are
located in developing, emerging or frontier markets. Investing in securities of
issuers located in these markets may pose greater risks not typically associated
with investing in more established markets, such as increased risk of social,
political and economic instability. Emerging and frontier market countries
typically have smaller securities markets than developed countries and therefore
less liquidity and greater price volatility than more developed markets.
Securities traded in emerging markets may also be subject to risks associated
with the lack of modern technology, poor governmental and/or judicial
infrastructures relating to private or foreign investment or to judicial redress
for injury to private property, the lack of capital base to expand business
operations, foreign taxation and the inexperience of financial intermediaries,
custodians and transfer agents. Emerging and frontier market countries are also
more likely to impose restrictions on the repatriation of an investor’s assets
and even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation, the mechanics
of repatriations may delay or impede a Fund’s ability to obtain possession of
its assets. As a result, there may be an increased risk or price volatility
associated with a Fund’s investments in emerging and frontier market countries,
which may be magnified by currency fluctuations.
Forward
Currency Contracts
A
forward currency contract (“forward contract”) involves an obligation to
purchase or sell a specific non-U.S. currency in exchange for another currency,
which may be U.S. dollars, at a future date, which may be any fixed number of
days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by
the parties, at an exchange rate (price) set at the time of the contract. At or
before maturity of a forward currency contract, a Fund may either exchange the
currencies specified in the contract or terminate its contractual obligation to
exchange currencies by purchasing an offsetting contract. If the Fund makes
delivery of the foreign currency at or before the settlement of a forward
contract, it may be required to obtain the currency by converting assets into
the currency. The Fund may close out a forward contract obligating it to
exchange currencies by purchasing or selling an offsetting contract, in which
case, it will realize a gain or a loss.
A
Fund may enter into forward contracts in order to “lock in” the exchange rate
between the currency it will deliver and the currency it will receive for the
duration of the contract. In addition, a Fund may enter into forward contracts
to hedge against risks arising from securities it owns or anticipates
purchasing, or the U.S. dollar value of interest and dividends paid on those
securities. The Funds do not intend to enter into forward contracts on a regular
or continuing basis and the Funds will not enter these contracts for speculative
purposes.
Foreign
currency transactions involve certain costs and risks. The Funds incur foreign
exchange expenses in converting assets from one currency to another. Forward
contracts involve a risk of loss if the Adviser is inaccurate in its prediction
of currency movements. The projection of short-term currency market movements is
extremely difficult and the successful execution of a short-term hedging
strategy is highly uncertain. The precise matching of forward contract amounts
and the value of the securities involved is generally not possible. Accordingly,
it may be necessary for a Fund to purchase additional foreign currency if the
market value of the security is less than the amount of the foreign currency the
Fund is obligated to deliver under the forward contract and the decision is made
to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. The use of
forward contracts as a hedging technique does not eliminate fluctuations in the
prices of the underlying securities a Fund owns or intends to acquire, but it
does fix a rate of exchange in advance. Moreover, investors should bear in mind
that the Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging or other currency
transactions. Although forward contracts can reduce the risk of loss due to a
decline in the value of the hedged currencies, they also limit any potential
gain that might result from an increase in the value of the currencies. There is
also the risk that the other party to the transaction may fail to deliver
currency when due which may result in a loss to a Fund.
Under
definitions adopted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and
SEC, non-deliverable forwards are considered swaps, and therefore are included
in the definition of “commodity interests.” Although non-deliverable forwards
have historically been traded in the OTC market, as swaps they may in the future
be required to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. Forward
contracts that qualify as deliverable forwards are not regulated as swaps for
most purposes, and are not included in the definition of “commodity interests.”
However, these forwards are subject to some requirements applicable to swaps,
including reporting to swap data repositories, documentation requirements, and
business conduct rules applicable to swap dealers. CFTC regulation of currency
forwards, especially non-deliverable forwards, may restrict the Funds’ ability
to use these instruments in the manner described above or subject the Adviser to
CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator
(“CPO”).
Debt
Securities
The
Funds may invest in a wide range of debt securities, which may include
investment grade debt securities and below investment grade debt securities
(commonly known as “junk bonds” or “high yield bonds”). Investment grade
corporate bonds are those rated BBB- or better by Standard & Poor’s Rating
Service, Inc. (“S&P”) or Baa3 or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
(“Moody’s”), each of which are considered a nationally recognized statistical
rating organization (“NRSRO”), or an equivalent rating by another NRSRO. To the
extent that a Fund invests in below investment grade debt securities, such
securities will be rated, at the time of investment, at least B- by S&P or
B3 by Moody’s or a comparable rating by at least one other rating agency or, if
unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. A Fund may hold
a debt security rated below investment grade if a downgrade occurs after the
security has been purchased.
Below
Investment Grade Debt Securities.
Below investment grade debt securities generally offer a higher current yield
than that available for investment grade issues. However, below investment grade
debt securities involve higher risks, in that they are especially subject to
adverse changes in general economic conditions and in the industries in which
the issuers are engaged, to changes in the financial condition of the issuers
and to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. During
periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers
may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to
make payments of interest and principal and increase the possibility of default.
At times in recent years, the prices of many below investment grade debt
securities declined substantially, reflecting an expectation that many issuers
of such securities might experience financial difficulties. As a result, the
yields on below investment grade debt securities rose dramatically, reflecting
the risk that holders of such securities could lose a substantial portion of
their value as a result of the issuers’ financial restructuring or default.
There can be no assurance that such price declines will not recur. The market
for below investment grade debt issues generally is thinner and less active than
that for higher quality securities, which may limit the Funds’ ability to sell
such securities at fair value in response to changes in the economy or financial
markets. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on
fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of below
investment grade debt securities, especially in a thinly traded market. Changes
by recognized rating services in their rating of a debt security may affect the
value of these investments. A Fund will not necessarily dispose of a security
when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However,
the Adviser will monitor the investment to determine whether continued
investment in the security will assist in meeting the Fund’s investment
objective.
Corporate
Debt Securities.
Corporate
debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance
their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank
loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most
common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being
their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the
shortest term and is usually unsecured.
The
broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or
foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and
large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment grade or below
investment grade and may carry fixed, variable, or floating rates of
interest.
Because
of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well
as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have
widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial
paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated
investment grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively
limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small
foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may
have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a
relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate
debt securities carry credit risk, interest rate risk and prepayment risk.
Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a
corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is
due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment grade are
generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss,
including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a
particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment.
For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than
lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not
make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on
senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of
higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the
holders of more junior securities.
Interest
rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will
tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities
with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than
corporate debt securities with shorter terms. Prepayment risk occurs when
issuers may prepay fixed rate debt securities when interest rates fall, forcing
a Fund to invest in securities with lower interest rates. Issuers of debt
securities are also subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and
other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors that may restrict the
ability of the issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its
debt securities. The possibility exists therefore, that, as a result of
bankruptcy, litigation or other conditions, the ability of an issuer to pay,
when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities may become
impaired.
Convertible
Securities.
Convertible securities include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or
converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying
common stock or other equity security at the option of the holder during a
specified period. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest
paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid or accrued on preferred stock until
the security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible
securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds
or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination
of the features of several of these securities. The investment characteristics
of each convertible security vary widely, which allows convertible securities to
be employed for a variety of investment strategies. A Fund will exchange or
convert convertible securities into shares of underlying common stock when, in
the opinion of the Adviser, the investment characteristics of the underlying
common stock or other equity security will assist the Fund in achieving its
investment objectives. The Funds may also elect to hold or trade convertible
securities. In selecting convertible securities, the Adviser evaluates the
investment characteristics of the convertible security as a fixed income
instrument, and the investment potential of the underlying equity security for
capital appreciation.
Zero-Coupon
Securities.
Zero-coupon
securities make no periodic interest payments, but are sold at a deep discount
from their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the
gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at face value on a
specified maturity date. The discount varies depending on the time remaining
until maturity, as well as market interest rates, liquidity of the security, and
the issuer’s perceived credit quality. If the issuer defaults, the holder may
not receive any return on its investment. Because zero-coupon securities bear no
interest, their price fluctuates more than other types of bonds. Since
zero-coupon bondholders do not receive interest payments, when interest rates
rise, zero-coupon securities fall more dramatically in value than bonds paying
interest on a current basis. When interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities
rise more rapidly in value because the bonds reflect a fixed rate of return. An
investment in zero-coupon may cause a Fund to recognize income and make
distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on its
investment.
Unrated
Debt Securities.
The
Funds may also invest in unrated debt securities. Unrated debt, while not
necessarily lower in quality than rated securities, may not have as broad a
market. Because of the size and perceived demand for the issue, among other
factors, certain issuers may decide not to pay the cost of getting a rating for
their bonds. The creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial
institution or other party responsible for payments on the security, will be
analyzed to determine whether to purchase unrated bonds.
Yankee
Bonds.
The Funds may invest in Yankee bonds. Yankee bonds are U.S. dollar denominated
bonds typically issued in the U.S. by foreign governments and their agencies and
foreign banks and corporations. The Funds may also invest in Yankee Certificates
of Deposit (“Yankee CDs”). Yankee CDs are U.S. dollar-denominated certificates
of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank and held in the U.S. These
investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities
issued by U.S. issuers, including potential unfavorable political and economic
developments, foreign withholding or other taxes, seizure of foreign deposits,
currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which
might affect and create increased risk relative to payment of principal or
interest.
Variable
and Floating Rate Securities.
Variable
and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest
rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations must provide that
interest rates are adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment
index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be
regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such as
based on a change in the prime rate. The Funds may invest in floating rate debt
instruments (“floaters”) and engage in credit spread trades. The interest rate
on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as
a money-market index or Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater
resets periodically, typically every six months. While, because of the interest
rate reset feature, floaters provide a Fund with a certain degree of protection
against rises in interest rates, a Fund will participate in any declines in
interest rates as well. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating
to a difference in the prices or interest rates of two securities or currencies,
where the value of the investment position is determined by movements in the
difference between the prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the
respective securities or currencies. The Funds also may invest in inverse
floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). The interest rate on an
inverse floater resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of
interest to which the inverse floater is indexed. An inverse floating rate
security may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation of
similar credit quality.
Restricted
or Thinly Traded Securities
Restricted
securities are less liquid than securities traded in the open market, therefore,
a Fund may not be able to readily sell such securities. Such securities are
unlike securities that are traded in the open market, which can be expected to
be sold immediately if the market is adequate. The sale price of securities that
are not readily marketable may be lower or higher than the company’s most recent
determination of their fair value. In addition, the value of these securities
typically requires more reliance on the judgment of the Adviser than that
required for securities for which there is an active trading market. Due to the
difficulty in valuing these securities and the absence of an active trading
market for these securities, a Fund may not be able to realize these securities’
true value, or may have to delay their sale in order to do so.
Restricted
securities generally can be sold in private transactions, pursuant to an
exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“1933 Act”), or in a registered public offering. If the issuer of the restricted
securities has an effective registration statement on file with the SEC covering
the restricted securities, the Adviser has the ability to deem restricted
securities as liquid. To enable a Fund to sell its holdings of a restricted
security not registered under the 1933 Act, the Fund may have to cause those
securities to be registered. When a Fund must arrange registration because it
wishes to sell the security, a considerable period may elapse between the time
the decision is made to sell the security and the time the security is
registered so that the Fund can sell it. The Fund would bear the risks of any
downward price fluctuation during that period.
In
recent years, a large institutional market developed for certain securities that
are not registered under the 1933 Act, including private placements, repurchase
agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities and corporate bonds and notes.
These instruments are often restricted securities because the securities are
either themselves exempt from registration or were sold in transactions not
requiring registration, such as Rule 144A transactions. Institutional
investors generally will not seek to sell these instruments to the general
public, but instead will often depend on an efficient institutional market in
which such unregistered securities can be resold or on an issuer’s ability to
honor a demand for repayment. Therefore, the fact that there are contractual or
legal restrictions on resale to the general public or certain institutions is
not dispositive of the liquidity of such investments.
Rule 144A
under the 1933 Act establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration
requirements of the 1933 Act for resales of certain securities to qualified
institutional buyers. Institutional markets for restricted securities that exist
or may develop as
a
result of Rule 144A may provide both readily ascertainable values for
restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment. An
insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing
Rule 144A-eligible securities held by the Funds, however, could affect adversely
the marketability of such portfolio securities and the Funds might be unable to
dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
The
Funds may also invest in securities that may not be restricted, but are
thinly-traded. Although securities of certain energy companies trade on the New
York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), NYSE Alternext U.S. (formerly known as AMEX), the
NASDAQ National Market or other securities exchanges or markets, such securities
may have a trading volume lower than those of larger companies due to their
relatively smaller capitalizations. Such securities may be difficult to dispose
of at a fair price during times when the Adviser believes it is desirable to do
so. Thinly-traded securities are also more difficult to value and the Adviser’s
judgment as to value will often be given greater weight than market quotations,
if any exist. If market quotations are not available, thinly-traded securities
will be valued in accordance with procedures established by the Board.
Investment of capital in thinly-traded securities may restrict our ability to
take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with thinly-traded
securities may be particularly acute in situations in which our operations
require cash and could result in us borrowing to meet our short term needs or
incurring losses on the sale of thinly-traded securities.
Illiquid
Investments
The
Funds may purchase illiquid investments, which may include securities that are
not readily marketable and securities that are not registered under the
Securities Act. The Funds may not acquire any illiquid investments if,
immediately after the acquisition, a Fund would have invested more than 15% of
its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. The term “illiquid
investments” for this purpose means any investment that a 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, as determined pursuant to the provisions of Rule
22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Funds may not be able to sell illiquid investments
when the Adviser considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such
investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if
the investments were more liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid investments
also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other
selling expenses than does the sale of investments that are more liquid.
Illiquid investments also may be more difficult to value due to the
unavailability of reliable market quotations for such investments, and
investments in illiquid investments may have an adverse impact on
NAV.
Institutional
markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation
of Rule 144A under the Securities Act, which provides a safe harbor from
Securities Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional
investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment
opportunity and otherwise meet selection criteria, the Funds may make such
investments. Whether or not such investments are illiquid depends on the market
that exists for the particular investment. It is not possible to predict with
assurance exactly how the market for Rule 144A restricted securities or any
other security will develop. An investment which when purchased enjoyed a fair
degree of marketability may subsequently become illiquid. In such event,
appropriate remedies are considered to minimize the effect on a Fund’s
liquidity.
Investment
Companies
Each
Fund may invest in other investment companies to the extent permitted by the
1940 Act. Each Fund generally may purchase or redeem, without limitation, shares
of any affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds, including unregistered
money market funds, so long as the Fund does not pay a sales load or service fee
in connection with the purchase, sale or redemption, or if such fees are paid
the Fund’s investment adviser waives its management fee in an amount necessary
to offset the amounts paid. With respect to other investments in investment
companies, the 1940 Act generally limits each Fund from acquiring (i) more than
3% of the total outstanding shares of another investment company; (ii) shares of
another investment company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the
value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) shares of another registered
investment company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value
in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund.
Investments
by the Funds in other investment companies will be subject to the limitations of
the 1940 Act (including limitations on sales charges), and the rules and
regulations thereunder. By investing in securities of an investment company,
each Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the fees and expenses of that
underlying fund in addition to a Fund’s own fees and expenses.
In
October 2020, the SEC adopted regulatory changes related to the ability of an
investment company to invest in other investment companies in excess of
specified statutory limits. These changes include, among other things,
amendments to Rule 12d1-1, the rescission of Rule 12d1-2, the adoption of new
Rule 12d1-4, and the rescission of certain exemptive relief issued by the SEC
permitting certain fund of funds arrangements. Rule 12d1-4, which became
effective on January 19, 2021, permits each Fund to invest in other investment
companies, including money market funds, beyond the statutory limits, subject to
certain conditions. The rescission of the applicable exemptive orders and the
withdrawal of the applicable no- action letters was effective on January 19,
2022. Following this effectiveness, an investment company is no longer able to
rely on these exemptive orders and no-action letters, and is subject instead to
Rule 12d1-4 and other applicable rules under Section 12(d)(1).
Closed-End
Funds.
Closed-end funds are investment companies that typically issue a fixed number of
shares that trade on a securities exchange or OTC. The risks of investment in
closed-end funds typically reflect the risk of the types of securities in which
the funds invest. Investments in closed-end funds are subject to the additional
risk that shares of the fund may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV per
share. Closed-end funds come in many varieties and can have different investment
objectives, strategies and investment portfolios. They also can be subject to
different risks, volatility and fees and expenses. When a Fund invests in shares
of a closed-end fund, shareholders of that Fund bear their proportionate share
of the closed-end fund’s fees and expenses, as well as their share of that
Fund’s fees and expenses. Although closed-end funds are generally listed and
traded on an exchange, the degree of liquidity, or ability to be bought and
sold, will vary significantly from one closed-end fund to another based on
various factors including, but not limited to, demand in the
marketplace.
Open-End
Mutual Funds.
Open-end mutual funds are investment companies that issue new shares
continuously and redeem shares daily. The risks of investment of open-end mutual
funds typically reflect securities in which the funds invest. The NAV per share
of an open-end fund will fluctuate daily depending upon the performance of the
securities held by the fund. Each open-end fund may have a different investment
objective and strategy and different investment portfolio. Different funds may
also be subject to different risks, volatility and fees and expenses. Although
closed-end funds are generally listed and traded on an exchange, the degree of
liquidity, or ability to be bought and sold, will vary significantly from one
closed-end fund to another based on various factors including, but not limited
to, demand in the marketplace. When a Fund invests in shares of an open-end
fund, shareholders of the Fund bear their proportionate share of the open-end
funds’ fees and expenses, as well as their share of the Fund’s fees and
expenses.
Exchange-Traded
Funds.
Exchange-traded Funds (“ETFs”) are typically open-end investment companies that
are bought and sold on a national securities exchange. When a Fund invests in an
ETF, it will bear additional expenses based on its pro rata share of the ETF’s
operating expenses, including the potential duplication of management fees. The
risk of owning an ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying
securities it holds. Many ETFs seek to replicate a specific benchmark index.
However, an ETF may not fully replicate the performance of its benchmark index
for many reasons, including because of the temporary unavailability of certain
index securities in the secondary market or discrepancies between the ETF and
the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of stocks
held. Lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in an ETF being more volatile
than the underlying portfolio of securities it holds. In addition, because of
ETF expenses, compared to owning the underlying securities directly, it may be
more costly to own an ETF.
If
a Fund invests in shares of an ETF, shareholders will indirectly bear fees and
expenses charged by the underlying ETF in which the Fund invests in addition to
the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. The Fund also will incur brokerage costs
when it purchases ETFs. Furthermore, investments in other ETFs could affect the
timing, amount and character of distributions to shareholders and therefore may
increase the amount of taxes payable by investors in the Fund.
Exchange-Traded
Notes
Exchange-Traded
Notes (“ETNs”) are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose
returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or
strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New
York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours. However, investors can also
hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash
amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or
strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal
protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop
due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market
benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be
influenced by time to maturity, issuer call options, level of supply and demand
for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in
the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and
economic, legal, political, or geographic
events
that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs it will
bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A Fund’s
decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a
secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the
issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance
that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. ETNs are also subject to tax
risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will
uphold, how the Funds characterize and treat ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the
IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and
character of income and gains from ETNs. An ETN that is tied to a specific
market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly
the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other
components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use
leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult
to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk
as other instruments that use leverage in any form. The market value of ETN
shares may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in
price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN
shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in
the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the
market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may
be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market
benchmark or strategy.
Options,
Futures and Other Strategies
General.
The
Funds may use options (both traded on an exchange and OTC), futures contracts
(sometimes referred to as “futures”), swaps, caps, floors, collars, structured
or synthetic financial instruments, forward agreements, and other derivative
securities (collectively, “Financial Instruments”) as a substitute for a
comparable market position in the underlying security, to attempt to hedge or
limit the exposure of a particular portfolio security, to create a synthetic
position, for certain tax-related purposes, to close out previously established
derivatives such as options, forward and futures positions, to reduce
volatility, to enhance income, and/or to gain market exposure. These can also be
used as speculative instruments. In addition to the other limitations described
herein, the Funds’ ability to use Financial Instruments may be limited by tax
considerations.
The
use of Financial Instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC,
the several exchanges upon which they are traded and the CFTC. In addition to
the instruments, strategies and risks described below, the Adviser may discover
additional opportunities in connection with Financial Instruments and other
similar or related techniques. These new opportunities may become available as
the Adviser develops new investment techniques, as regulatory authorities
broaden the range of permitted transactions and as new Financial Instruments or
other techniques are developed. The Adviser may utilize these opportunities to
the extent that they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and
permitted by the Fund’s investment limitations and applicable regulatory
authorities. The Prospectus or this SAI will be supplemented to the extent that
new products or techniques involve materially different risks than those
described below.
Exclusion
of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition.
An exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the
Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the CFTC has been claimed with
respect to the Funds.
The
terms of the CPO exclusion require the Funds, among other things, to adhere to
certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests
include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include
non-deliverable currency forward contracts, as further described below. Because
the Adviser and the Funds intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion,
as necessary, the Funds may, in the future, need to adjust its investment
strategies, consistent with its investment goal, to limit its investments in
these types of instruments. The Funds are not intended as a vehicle for trading
in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has
neither reviewed nor approved the Fund’s and the Adviser’s reliance on this
exclusion and exemption, respectively, or the Fund, its investment strategies,
the Prospectus or this SAI.
Generally,
the exclusion from CPO regulation requires a Fund to meet one of the following
tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into
for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1)
the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s
positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of
the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and
unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional
value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the
most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the
liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized
profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one
of these trading limitations, the Funds may not be marketed as a commodity pool
or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity
options or swaps markets. If, in the future, any of the Funds relying on the
exclusion
can no longer satisfy these requirements, the notice claiming an exclusion from
the definition of a CPO would be withdrawn, and the Adviser would be subject to
registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to that Fund, in accordance
with CFTC rules that apply to CPOs of registered investment companies.
Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and
shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser’s compliance with
comparable SEC requirements. However, as a result of CFTC regulation with
respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other
expenses.
Special
Risks.
The use of Financial Instruments involves special considerations and risks,
certain of which are described below. Risks pertaining to particular Financial
Instruments are described in the sections that follow.
1.Successful
use of most Financial Instruments depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict
movements of the overall securities markets, which requires different skills
than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. The ordinary
spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to the differences
in the natures of those markets, are subject to distortion. Due to the
possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of market trends by the Adviser
may still not result in a successful transaction. The Adviser may be incorrect
in its expectations as to the extent of market movements or the time span within
which the movements take place, which, thus, may result in the strategy being
unsuccessful.
2.Certain
Financial Instruments may have a leveraging effect on a Fund, and adverse
changes in the value of the underlying security, index, interest rate, currency
or other or measure can result in losses substantially greater than the amount
invested in the Financial Instrument itself. When a Fund engages in transactions
that have a leveraging effect, the value of the Fund is likely to be more
volatile and all other risks are also likely to be compounded. This is because
leverage generally magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in the value
of an asset and creates investment risk with respect to a larger pool of assets
than the Fund would otherwise have. Certain Financial Instruments have the
potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
3.Certain
Financial Instrument transactions, including certain options, swaps, forward
contracts, and certain options on foreign currencies, are entered into directly
by the counterparties and/or through financial institutions acting as market
makers (“OTC derivatives”), rather than being traded on exchanges or in markets
registered with the CFTC or the SEC. Many of the protections afforded to
exchange participants will not be available to participants in OTC derivatives
transactions. For example, OTC derivatives transactions are not subject to the
guarantee of an exchange, and only OTC derivatives that are either required to
be cleared or submitted voluntarily for clearing to a clearinghouse will enjoy
the protections that central clearing provides against default by the original
counterparty to the trade. In an OTC derivatives transaction that is not
cleared, the Fund bears the risk of default by its counterparty. In a cleared
derivatives transaction, the Fund is instead exposed to the risk of default of
the clearinghouse and the risk of default of the broker through which it has
entered into the transaction. Information available on counterparty
creditworthiness may be incomplete or outdated, thus reducing the ability to
anticipate counterparty defaults.
4.Options
and futures prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments.
Options and futures prices are affected by such factors as current and
anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying
instrument and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may
not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect or no correlation also may
result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and
the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures
and securities are traded, and from the imposition of daily price fluctuation
limits or trading halts.
5.As
described below, the Funds might be required to maintain assets as “cover,”
maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in
Financial Instruments involving obligations to third parties (e.g., Financial
Instruments other than purchased options). If the Funds are unable to close out
its positions in such Financial Instruments, they might be required to continue
to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position
expires or matures. These requirements might impair a Fund’s ability to sell a
portfolio security or make an investment when it would otherwise be favorable to
do so or require that the Fund sells a portfolio security at a disadvantageous
time. The Funds’ ability to close out a position in a Financial Instrument prior
to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market
or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other
party to the transaction (the “counter-party”) to enter into a transaction
closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any position can
be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.
6.Losses
may arise due to unanticipated market price movements, lack of a liquid
secondary market for any particular instrument at a particular time or due to
losses from premiums paid by the Fund on options transactions.
Options.
The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the current
market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration,
the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying
investment and general market conditions. Options that expire unexercised have
no value. Options currently are traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange
(“CBOE”), the American Stock and Options Exchange (“AMEX”) and other exchanges,
as well as the OTC markets.
By
buying a call option on a security, a Fund has the right, in return for the
premium paid, to buy the security underlying the option at the exercise price.
By writing (selling) a call option and receiving a premium, a Fund becomes
obligated during the term of the option to deliver securities underlying the
option at the exercise price if the option is exercised. The Fund will only
write call options on securities it holds in their portfolios (i.e., covered
calls). By buying a put option, a Fund has the right, in return for the premium,
to sell the security underlying the option at the exercise price. By writing a
put option and receiving a premium, a Fund becomes obligated during the term of
the option to purchase the securities underlying the option at the exercise
price.
Because
options premiums paid or received by the Funds are small in relation to the
market value of the investments underlying the options, buying and selling put
and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in
securities.
The
Funds may effectively terminate their right or obligation under an option by
entering into a closing transaction. For example, a Fund may terminate an
obligation under a call option or put option that it has written by purchasing
an identical call option or put option. This is known as a closing purchase
transaction. Conversely, a Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option
it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option. This is known as a
closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize
profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its exercise or
expiration.
Interest
Rate Options.
Interest
rate options, including interest rate caps and interest rate floors, which can
be combined to form interest rate collars, are contracts that entitle the
purchaser to pay or receive the amounts, if any, by which a specified market
rate exceeds a cap strike interest rate, or falls below a floor strike interest
rate, respectively, at specified dates. The Funds may use interest rate options
to hedge against anticipated and non-anticipated changes in interest rates on a
portfolio wide basis or versus individual securities which may also have
interest rate options embedded within the security.
OTC
Options.
Unlike
exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying
instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC
options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through
negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of
arrangement allows a Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs,
OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which
are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are
traded.
Interest
Rate Futures Contracts and Options on Interest Rate Futures
Contracts.
Bond prices are established in both the cash market and the futures market. In
the cash market, bonds are purchased and sold with payment for the full purchase
price of the bond being made in cash, generally within five business days after
the trade. In the futures market, a contract is made to purchase or sell a bond
in the future for a set price on a certain date. Historically, the prices for
bonds established in the futures markets have tended to move generally in the
aggregate in concert with the cash market prices and have maintained fairly
predictable relationships. Accordingly, a Fund may use interest rate futures
contracts as a defense, or hedge, against anticipated interest rate changes. A
Fund presently could accomplish a similar result to that which it hopes to
achieve through the use of interest rate futures contracts by selling bonds with
long maturities and investing in bonds with short maturities when interest rates
are expected to increase, or conversely, selling bonds with short maturities and
investing in bonds with long maturities when interest rates are expected to
decline. However, because of the liquidity that is often available in the
futures market, the protection is more likely to be achieved, perhaps at a lower
cost and without changing the rate of interest being earned by a Fund, through
using futures contracts.
Interest
rate futures contracts are traded in an auction environment on the floors of
several exchanges and must be executed through a futures commission merchant
(“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant contract
market. Each exchange guarantees performance under contract provisions through a
clearing corporation, a nonprofit organization managed by the exchange
membership. A public market exists in futures contracts covering various
financial
instruments including long-term U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes; GNMA modified
pass-through mortgage backed securities; three-month U.S. Treasury Bills; and
ninety-day commercial paper. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded
Eurodollar contracts, which are interest rate futures on the forward level of
LIBOR. These contracts are generally considered liquid securities and trade on
the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Such Eurodollar contracts are generally used to
“lock-in” or hedge the future level of short-term rates. A Fund may trade in any
interest rate futures contracts for which there exists a public market,
including, without limitation, the foregoing instruments.
Futures
Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts.
A
futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take
delivery of) the specified security on the expiration date of the contract. An
index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to
take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference
between the value of a specific index at the close of the last trading day of
the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery
of the underlying securities in the index is made.
When
a Fund writes an option on a futures contract, it becomes obligated, in return
for the premium received, to assume a position in the futures contract at a
specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. If a Fund
writes a call, it assumes a short futures position. If a Fund writes a put, it
assumes a long futures position. When the Fund purchases an option on a futures
contract, it acquires the right in return for the premium it pays to assume a
position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a
short position if the option is a put).
Whether
a Fund realizes a gain or loss from futures activities depends upon movements in
the underlying security or index. The extent of a Fund’s loss from an unhedged
short position in futures contracts or from writing unhedged call options on
futures contracts is potentially unlimited. A Fund only purchases and sells
futures contracts and options on futures contracts that are traded on a U.S.
exchange or board of trade.
No
price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception
of a futures contract a Fund is required to deposit “initial margin” that is
typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in the market value of
a contract over a fixed period. Margin also must be deposited when writing a
call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange
rules. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin does not
represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or
good-faith deposit that is returned to a Fund at the termination of the
transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain
circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, a Fund may be required by an
exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin
requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory
action.
Subsequent
“variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures commission merchant
daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as
“marking-to-market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather
represents a daily settlement of the Fund’s obligations to or from a futures
commission merchant. When a Fund purchases an option on a futures contract, the
premium paid plus transaction costs is all that is at risk. In contrast, when
the Fund purchases or sell a futures contract or writes a call or put option
thereon, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial
in the event of adverse price movements. If a Fund has insufficient cash to meet
daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time
when such sales are disadvantageous.
Purchasers
and sellers of futures contracts and options on futures can enter into
offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions in options, by
selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument
purchased or sold. Positions in futures and options on futures contracts may be
closed only on an exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market.
However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for
a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be
possible to close a futures contract or options position.
Under
certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the
amount that the price of a futures contract or an option on a futures contract
can vary from the previous day’s settlement price. Once that limit is reached,
no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits
do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for
several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing
liquidation of unfavorable positions.
If
a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract or an option on a futures
position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of
price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be
subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, except in the
case of purchased options, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily
variation margin payments and might be required to maintain cash or liquid
assets in an account.
Risks
of Futures Contracts and Options Thereon.
The Funds’ use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with
derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures
contract may result in losses to a Fund in excess of the amount the Fund
delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits
required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a
relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate
and substantial loss, or gain, to the Fund.
There
is a risk of loss by a Fund of its initial and variation margin deposits in the
event of bankruptcy of the futures commission merchant (“FCM”) with which the
Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of a Fund may not be
fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central
counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata
share of all available Fund and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s
customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also
subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in
an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to
satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another
customer.
Options
on futures contracts trade on the same contract markets as the underlying
futures contracts. The writer (seller) of an option on a futures contract
becomes contractually obligated to take the opposite futures position if the
buyer of the option exercises its rights to the futures position specified in
the option. The Funds’ use of options on futures contracts is subject to the
risks related to derivative instruments generally. In addition, the amount of
risk a Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the
premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. The purchase of an
option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures
contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option
purchased.
The
ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets (including the
options on futures markets), due to differences in the natures of those markets,
are subject to the following factors, which may create distortions. First, all
participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance
requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements,
investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions, which
could distort the normal relationships between the cash and futures markets.
Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering
into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the
extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures
market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of
view of speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less
onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased
participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price
distortions.
Combined
Positions.
The Funds may purchase and write options in combination with each other. For
example, a Fund may purchase a put option and write a call option on the same
underlying instrument in order to construct a combined position whose risk and
return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another
possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike
price and buying a call option at a lower price, in order to reduce the risk of
the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because
combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher
transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
Swaps
Generally.
The
Fund may enter into swap contracts. Generally, swap agreements are contracts
between a Fund and another party (the swap counterparty) involving the exchange
of payments on specified terms over periods ranging from a few days to multiple
years. A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the
two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted
through an FCM and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central
counterparty (for a cleared swap). The notional amount is the set dollar or
other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate
the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange.
The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead they
agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional
amount were invested in given investments or at given rates.
Certain
standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange
trading. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the
“Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments will ultimately require
the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the
CFTC and the SEC recently defined as “swaps,” including non-deliverable foreign
exchange forwards, OTC foreign exchange options, and swaptions. Mandatory
exchange-trading and clearing will take place on a phased-in basis based on the
type of market participant, CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing, and
public trading facilities making such cleared swaps available to trade. To date,
the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common types of credit default
index swaps and interest rate swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and certain
public trading facilities have made certain of those cleared swaps
available
to trade, but it is expected that additional categories of swaps will in the
future be designated as subject to mandatory clearing and trade execution
requirements. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk
and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not eliminate these risks and
may involve additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared
swaps.
Interest
Rate Swaps.
The
Funds may enter into interest rate swap contracts. Interest rate swap contracts
are contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment
based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from
the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest
rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls
below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a
notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The
purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a
specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments
of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest
rate cap. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Funds could lose
money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely.
For example, if a Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating
rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Fund may have to pay more
money than it receives. Similarly, if a Fund enters into a swap where it agrees
to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, a Fund may
receive less money than it has agreed to pay.
Credit
Default Swaps.
The Funds may enter into credit default swap agreements. The credit default swap
agreement may have as a reference obligation one or more securities that are not
currently held by a Fund. The buyer in a credit default swap agreement is
obligated to pay the seller a periodic fee, typically expressed in basis points
on the principal amount of the underlying obligation (otherwise known as the
notional amount), over the term of the agreement in return for a contingent
payment upon the occurrence of a credit event with respect to the underlying
reference obligation. A credit event is typically a default, restructuring or
bankruptcy.
The
Funds may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. As a seller, the
Funds receive a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the agreement, which
typically is between one month and five years, provided that no credit event
occurs. If a credit event occurs, the Funds typically must pay the contingent
payment to the buyer, which is typically the par value (full notional value) of
the reference obligation. The contingent payment may be a cash settlement or by
physical delivery of the reference obligation in return for payment of the face
amount of the obligation. If a Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the
Fund may lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if a credit event
occurs, the buyer typically receives full notional value for a reference
obligation that may have little or no value.
Credit
default swaps may involve greater risks than if a Fund had invested in the
reference obligation directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general
market risk, liquidity risk and credit risk. If a Fund is a buyer in a credit
default swap agreement and no credit event occurs, then it will lose its
investment. In addition, the value of the reference obligation received by a
Fund as a seller if a credit event occurs, coupled with the periodic payments
previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the
buyer, resulting in a loss of value to a Fund.
Currency
Swaps.
In order to protect against currency fluctuations, the Fund may enter into
currency swaps. The Funds may also hedge portfolio positions through currency
swaps, which are transactions in which one currency is simultaneously bought for
a second currency on a spot basis and sold for the second currency on a forward
basis. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of a Fund and another
party to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Currency swaps
usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated
currency in exchange for the other designated currency. Because currency swaps
usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated
currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal
value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap
will default on its contractual delivery obligations.
Comprehensive
Swaps Regulation.
The
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the
“Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments have imposed comprehensive
regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The regulatory
framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major
swap participants; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized
swaps; (3) imposing margin requirements on swap transactions; (4) regulating and
monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting
requirements; and (5) imposing record keeping and centralized and public
reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is
responsible for the regulation of most swaps. The SEC has jurisdiction over a
small segment of the market referred to as “security-based swaps,” which
includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of
securities or credits.
Risks
of Swaps.
A
Fund’s use of swaps is subject to the risks associated with derivative
instruments generally. In addition, because uncleared swaps are typically
executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges,
uncleared swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized
exchanges. Performance of an uncleared swap agreement is the responsibility only
of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result,
the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will
refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty’s
bankruptcy or insolvency.
As
noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and
others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central
counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the
Fund. Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and
increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing
interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s
swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely and may involve
additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared swaps. The Fund is also
subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing
broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the
transaction. In such an event, the Fund may be required to break the trade and
make an early termination payment to the executing broker.
With
respect to cleared swaps, there is also a risk of loss by a Fund of its initial
and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which
the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract.
The assets of a Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy
of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to
recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on
behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting,
the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets,
which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other
customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations
of another customer to the central counterparty. Credit risk of cleared swap
participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of
insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.
Risks
of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives.
It is possible that additional government regulation of various types of
derivative instruments, including futures, options, and swap contracts, may
limit or prevent a Fund from using such instruments as part of its investment
strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its
investment objective. It is impossible to fully predict the effects of past,
present or future legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could
be substantial and adverse. It is possible that legislative and regulatory
activity could limit or restrict the ability of the Fund to use certain
instruments as part of its investment strategy. Limits or restrictions
applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative
transactions could also prevent the Fund from using certain
instruments.
There
is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material
extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to
continue to implement its investment strategies. The futures, options, and swaps
markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin
requirements. In addition, the SEC, the CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to
take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for
example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the
implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price
limits, and the suspension of trading. The regulation of futures, options, and
swaps transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject
to modification by government action.
New
and developing regulation may negatively impact a Fund’s ability to meet its
investment objective either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon
its counterparties. In particular, any new position limits imposed on a Fund or
its counterparties may impact the Fund’s ability to invest in futures, options,
and swaps in a manner that efficiently meets its investment objective. New
requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Funds, including capital
requirements and mandatory clearing, may increase the cost of the Funds’
investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect
investors.
In
October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, with a compliance
date of August 19, 2022. Funds that are subject to the rule are required to
adopt and implement a written derivatives risk management program and
quantitatively limit their use of derivatives based on the estimated potential
risk of loss that the funds incur from their derivatives transactions. Funds
that limit derivatives exposure to 10% of net assets are exempt from many of the
requirements of Rule 18f-4, but must still adopt and implement policies and
procedures reasonably designed to manage the fund’s derivatives risks. Rule
18f-4 governs the way funds must comply with the asset segregation and coverage
requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act with respect to derivatives and
certain other financing transactions.
Interest
Rate Floors, Caps, and Collars.
The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that
a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of
interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest
rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the
extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to
receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party
selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a
cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of
interest rates.
Cash
Investments
Each
Fund may invest in high-quality, short-term debt securities and money market
instruments (“Cash Investments”) for (i) temporary defensive purposes in
response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions and (ii) retaining
flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses, and identifying and
assessing investment opportunities. Cash Investments include shares of other
mutual funds, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, time deposits,
savings association obligations, commercial paper, short-term notes (including
discount notes), and other obligations.
The
Funds may hold a substantial position in Cash Investments for long periods of
time, which may result in the Funds not achieving their investment objective. If
the market advances during periods when a Fund is holding a large Cash
Investment, the Fund may not participate to the extent it would have if the Fund
had been more fully invested, and this may result in the Fund not achieving its
investment objective during that period. To the extent that the Fund uses a
money market fund for its Cash Investment, there will be some duplication of
expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money market
fund’s advisory fees and operational expenses.
Cash
Investments are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk, although to a
lesser extent than longer-term debt securities due to Cash Investments’
short-term, significant liquidity, and typical high credit quality.
The
Funds may invest in any of the following:
Money
Market Mutual Funds.
Generally,
money market mutual funds seek to earn income consistent with the preservation
of capital and maintenance of liquidity. They primarily invest in high quality
money market obligations, including U.S. government obligations, bank
obligations and high-grade corporate instruments. These investments generally
mature within 397 days from the date of purchase. An investment in a money
market mutual fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency.
To
the extent that a Fund invests in money market mutual funds, your cost of
investing in the Fund will generally be higher because you will indirectly bear
fees and expenses charged by the underlying money market mutual funds in
addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Furthermore, investing in money
market mutual funds could affect the timing, amount and character of
distributions to you and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by
you.
Bank
Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits.
Each Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time
deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against
monies deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning
a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of
exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific
merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank
unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity.
Certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances acquired by a Fund will be
dollar-denominated obligations of domestic or foreign banks or financial
institutions which at the time of purchase have capital, surplus and undivided
profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and
foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than
$100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully
insured by the U.S. government.
In
addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the
extent permitted under the investment objective and policies stated above and in
the Prospectus, a Fund may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing
deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable
deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a
specified interest rate.
Commercial
Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations.
A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper, short-term notes,
and other corporate obligations. Commercial paper consists of unsecured
promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and
short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and
fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to
one year.
Commercial
paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase
“A-2” or higher by S&P, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by Moody’s, or similarly
rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if
unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.
Corporate
obligations include bonds and notes issued by corporations to finance
longer-term credit needs than supported by commercial paper. While such
obligations generally have maturities of ten years or more, a Fund may purchase
corporate obligations which have remaining maturities of one year or less from
the date of purchase and which are rated “A” or higher by S&P, “A” or higher
by Moody’s, similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating
organization, or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable
quality.
U.S.
Government Obligations.
Each Fund may invest in U.S. government obligations. U.S. government obligations
include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S.
government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Treasury bills, the most
frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one
year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. government obligations include
securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored
enterprises.
Payment
of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the
full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the
issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case,
the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or
guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or
instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S.
government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities,
including government-sponsored enterprises, where it is not obligated to do so
(see “Agency Obligations,” below). In addition, U.S. government obligations are
subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest
rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S.
government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises
when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government
obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure
or contract terms.
Agency
Obligations
The
Funds may invest in agency obligations, such as the Export-Import Bank of the
United States, Tennessee Valley Authority, Resolution Funding Corporation,
Farmers Home Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate
Credit Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal Housing
Administration, Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), commonly
known as “Ginnie Mae,” Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), commonly
known as “Fannie Mae,” Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”),
commonly known as “Freddie Mac,” and the Student Loan Marketing Association
(“SLMA”), commonly known as “Sallie Mae.” Some, such as those of the
Export-Import Bank of United States, are supported only by the right of the
issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others, such as those of the FNMA and FHLMC,
are supported by only the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to
purchase the agency’s obligations; still others, such as those of the SLMA, are
supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given
that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S.
government-sponsored instrumentalities because they are not obligated by law to
do so. As a result, there is a risk that these entities will default on a
financial obligation. For instance, in September 2008, at the direction of the
U.S. Treasury, FNMA and FHLMC were placed into conservatorship under the Federal
Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”), a newly created independent
regulator.
Repurchase
Agreements
The
Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. Under such agreements, a Fund agrees
to purchase U.S. government obligations from a counterparty and the counterparty
agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed upon time and price.
The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being
income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with
interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price on
repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is unrelated to the interest
rate on the security itself. Such repurchase agreements will be made only with
banks with assets of $500 million or more that are insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation or with government securities dealers recognized
by the Federal Reserve Board and registered as broker-dealers with the SEC or
exempt from such registration. A Fund will generally enter into repurchase
agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week, although the
underlying securities generally have longer maturities. A Fund may not enter
into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity if, as a
result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in
illiquid investments including such repurchase agreements. To the extent
necessary to facilitate compliance with Section 12(d)(3) of the 1940 Act and
Rule
12d3-1
promulgated thereunder, each Fund will ensure that repurchase agreements will be
collateralized fully to the extent required by Rule 5b-3.
For
purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from a
Fund to the seller of the U.S. government obligations that are subject to the
repurchase agreement. It is not clear whether a court would consider the U.S.
government obligations to be acquired by a Fund subject to a repurchase
agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the
Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency
proceedings with respect to the seller of the U.S. government obligations before
its repurchase under a repurchase agreement, the Fund could encounter delays and
incur costs before being able to sell the underlying U.S. government
obligations. Delays may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of the
U.S. government obligations. If a court characterizes the transaction as a loan
and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the U.S. government
obligations, the Fund may be required to return the securities to the seller’s
estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured
creditor, the Fund would be at the risk of losing some or all of the principal
and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument
purchased for a Fund, the Adviser seeks to minimize the risk of loss through
repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the other party, in
this case the seller of the U.S. government security.
Apart
from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk
that the seller may fail to repurchase the U.S. government obligations. However,
each Fund will always receive as collateral for any repurchase agreement to
which it is a party securities acceptable to the Adviser, the market value of
which is equal to at least 100% of the repurchase price, and the Funds will make
payment against such securities only upon physical delivery or evidence of book
entry transfer to the account of its Custodian. If the market value of the U.S.
government obligations subject to the repurchase agreement become less than the
repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the
U.S. government obligations to deliver additional securities so that the market
value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed
the repurchase price. It is possible that the Fund could be unsuccessful in
seeking to enforce on the seller a contractual obligation to deliver additional
securities.
Reverse
Repurchase Agreements
The
Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary purposes with
banks and securities dealers if the creditworthiness of the bank or securities
dealer has been determined by the Adviser to be satisfactory. A reverse
repurchase agreement is a repurchase agreement in which a Fund is the seller of,
rather than the investor in, securities and agrees to repurchase them at an
agreed-upon time and price. Use of a reverse repurchase agreement may be
preferable to a regular sale and later repurchase of securities because it
avoids certain market risks and transaction costs.
Reverse
repurchase agreements are considered a form of borrowing and are therefore
limited to up to one-third of a Fund's total assets (including the amount
borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). The use of reverse
repurchase agreements by a Fund creates leverage which increases its investment
risk. If the income and gains on securities purchased with the proceeds of these
transactions exceed the cost, the Fund’s earnings or NAV will increase faster
than otherwise would be the case; conversely, if the income and gains fail to
exceed the cost, earnings or NAV would decline faster than otherwise would be
the case. The Funds intend to enter into reverse repurchase agreements only if
the income from the investment of the proceeds is expected to be greater than
the expense of the transaction, because the proceeds are invested for a period
no longer than the term of the reverse repurchase agreement.
Borrowing
Each
Fund may borrow money from banks in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s
total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than
borrowings). Any such borrowing that comes to exceed this amount will
be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent
necessary to comply with the one-third limitation.
In
addition, each Fund is authorized to borrow money from time to time for
temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes, including addressing liquidity
concerns or meeting redemption requests, or for clearance of
transactions. The use of borrowing by a Fund involves special risk
considerations that may not be associated with other funds having similar
objectives and policies. Because substantially all of a Fund’s assets
fluctuate in value, while the interest obligation resulting from a borrowing
will be fixed by the terms of the Fund’s agreement with its lender, the NAV per
share of the Fund will tend to increase more when its portfolio securities
increase in value and to decrease more when its portfolio assets decrease in
value than would otherwise be the case if the Fund did not borrow
funds. In addition, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with
changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the return
earned on
borrowed
funds. Under adverse market conditions, a Fund might have to sell
portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when
fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales.
Cybersecurity
Risk
The
Funds, like all companies, may be susceptible to operational and information
security risks. Cybersecurity failures or breaches of the Fund or its service
providers or the issuers of securities in which the Funds invest have the
ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially
resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact
business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines,
penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs,
and/or additional compliance costs. The Funds and their shareholders could be
negatively impacted as a result.
The
Trust (on behalf of each Fund) has adopted the following restrictions as
fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable “vote of
the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of a Fund, as
defined under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the “vote of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote of the holders of
the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of a Fund represented at a meeting at
which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented; or
(ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
Each
Fund may not:
1.Issue
senior securities, borrow money or pledge its assets, except that (i) the
Fund may borrow from banks in amounts not exceeding one-third of its total
assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings);
and (ii) this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from engaging in
options transactions, reverse repurchase agreements, purchasing securities on a
when-issued, delayed delivery or forward delivery basis or short sales in
accordance with its objectives and strategies;
2.Underwrite
the securities of other issuers (except that the Fund may engage in transactions
involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities
under circumstances where it may be considered to be an underwriter under the
1933 Act);
3.Purchase
or sell real estate or interests in real estate, unless acquired as a result of
ownership of securities (although the Fund may purchase and sell securities
which are secured by real estate and securities of companies that invest or deal
in real estate, including REITs);
4.Purchase
or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, unless acquired as a
result of ownership of securities or other instruments, and provided that this
restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving
currencies and futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities
or other instruments that are secured by physical commodities;
5.Make
loans of money (except for the lending of the Fund’s portfolio securities,
repurchase agreements and purchases of debt securities consistent with the
investment policies of the Fund); or
6.Invest
25% or more of the Fund’s total assets in any particular industry or group of
industries, except that each of the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund and
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund will concentrate its assets in the energy
infrastructure industry, and under normal circumstances will invest at least 25%
of such Fund’s total assets in the securities of companies that constitute the
applicable industry. The foregoing does not apply to securities issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or
instrumentalities.
The
following are the non-fundamental investment restrictions for each Fund. These
restrictions can be changed by the Board, but the change will only be effective
after prior written notice is given to Fund shareholders.
All
Funds
1.Under
normal circumstances, each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in
illiquid investments. An illiquid investments 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, as determined pursuant to the
provisions of Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act.
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund
1.Under
normal circumstances, the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund will invest at
least 80% of its net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment
purposes in securities of energy infrastructure companies. Energy infrastructure
companies are companies that process, store, transport and market natural gas,
natural gas liquids, refined products and crude oil (i.e., midstream
infrastructure) as well as generate, transport and distribute electricity
(i.e., power & renewable infrastructure). For purposes of this strategy,
energy infrastructure companies include investment companies that invest
primarily in energy infrastructure companies.
2.Under
normal circumstances, the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund may invest up
to: (i) 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in the currency of a
non-North American country, which may include securities issued by energy
companies organized and/or having securities traded on an exchange outside North
America and/or securities of other non-North American companies that are
denominated in the currency of a non-North American country.
3.Under
normal circumstances, the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund may also
invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities of any issuers,
including securities which may be rated below investment grade (“junk bonds”) by
an NRSRO or judged by the Adviser to be of comparable credit
quality.
4.Under
normal circumstances, the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund may invest up
to 10% of its total assets in securities of any one issuer.
5.The
Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund will not invest in private
companies.
6.The
Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund will not engage in short sales of
securities.
Percentage
Limitations
A
Fund’s compliance with its investment policies and limitations on certain
investment percentages will be determined immediately after and as a result of
the Fund’s acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, except with
respect to borrowing for leverage or investing in illiquid investments, any
subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances will not be
considered when determining whether an investment complies with the Fund’s
investment policies and limitations on certain investment percentages. If a
percentage or rating restriction on investment or use of assets set forth herein
or in the Prospectus is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later
changes in percentage resulting from any cause other than actions by a Fund will
not be considered a violation. If at any time a Fund’s illiquid investments are
greater than 15% of its net assets, the Fund will determine how to remediate the
excess illiquid investments in accordance with the 1940 Act and the Fund’s
policies and procedures. In addition, if a bankruptcy or other extraordinary
event occurs concerning a particular investment by a Fund, the Fund may receive
stock, real estate or other investments that the Fund would not, or could not,
buy. If this happens, the Fund will sell such investments as soon as practicable
while trying to maximize the return to its shareholders. With respect to
borrowing, if at any time a Fund’s borrowings exceed one-third of its total
assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings),
such borrowings will be reduced within three days, (not including Sundays and
holidays) or such longer period as may be permitted by the 1940 Act, to the
extent necessary to comply with the one-third limitation.
The
management and affairs of the Funds are supervised by the Board. The Board
consists of four individuals. The Trustees are fiduciaries and are governed by
the laws of the State of Delaware in this regard. The Board establishes policies
for the operation of the Funds and appoints the officers who conduct the daily
business of the Funds.
The
Board provides oversight of the management and operations of the Trust. Like all
mutual funds, the day-to-day responsibility for the management and operation of
the Trust is the responsibility of various service providers to the Trust and
its individual series, such as the Adviser; Quasar Distributors, LLC, the Funds’
principal underwriter (the “Distributor”); U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC,
doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, the Funds’ administrator (the
“Administrator”) and transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”); and U.S. Bank, N.A.,
the Funds’ Custodian, each of whom are discussed in greater detail in this SAI.
The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and its service
providers, including the agreements with the Adviser, Distributor,
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Board has appointed various
individuals of certain of these service providers as officers of the Trust, with
responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Trust’s day-to-day
operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports
from these officers and service providers regarding the Trust’s operations. The
Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) who reports directly to
the Board and who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly
reports to the Board as to compliance matters, including an annual compliance
review. Some of these reports are provided as part of formal Board Meetings,
which are held four times per year, in person, and such other times as the Board
determines is necessary, and involve the Board’s review of recent Trust
operations. From time to time one or more members of the Board may also meet
with Trust officers in less formal settings, between formal Board Meetings to
discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any
individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day
affairs of the Trust and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor
of the Trust’s investments, operations or activities.
The
Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to
effectively perform its oversight function. The Board is comprised of four
Trustees that are not considered to be “interested persons” of the Funds, as
defined by the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”) – Messrs. David A. Massart,
Leonard M. Rush, David M. Swanson and Robert J. Kern. Accordingly, 100% of the
members of the Board are Independent Trustees, who are Trustees that are not
affiliated with the investment adviser to the Funds or its affiliates or other
service providers to the Funds. Prior to July 6, 2020, Mr. Kern was considered
an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act (“Interested
Trustee”). He was considered an Interested Trustee by virtue of the fact that he
had served as a board member of Quasar Distributors, LLC, which acts as
principal underwriter to many of the Trust’s series and had been an Executive
Vice President of the Administrator. The Board has established two standing
committees, an Audit Committee and a Nominating & Governance Committee,
which are discussed in greater detail under “Board Committees” below. Each of
the Audit Committee and the Nominating & Governance Committee are comprised
entirely of Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees have engaged
independent counsel to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities
in connection with the Trust, as well as the Funds.
The
Independent Trustees have appointed Leonard M. Rush as Chairman. Prior to July
6, 2020, Mr. Kern served as Chairman of the Trust and Mr. Rush served as lead
Independent Trustee with responsibilities to coordinate activities of the
Independent Trustees, act as a liaison with the Trust’s service providers,
officers, legal counsel, and other Trustees between meetings, help to set Board
meeting agendas, and serve as chair during executive sessions of the Independent
Trustees.
In
accordance with the fund governance standards prescribed by the SEC under the
1940 Act, the Independent Trustees on the Nominating & Governance Committee
select and nominate all candidates for Independent Trustee positions. Each
Trustee was appointed to serve on the Board because of his experience,
qualifications, attributes and skills as set forth in the subsection “Trustee
Qualifications” below.
The
Board reviews its structure regularly in light of the characteristics and
circumstances of the Trust, including: the affiliated or unaffiliated nature of
each investment adviser; the number of funds that comprise the Trust; the
variety of asset classes that those funds reflect; the net assets of the Trust;
the committee structure of the Trust; and the independent distribution
arrangements of each of the Trust’s series.
The
inclusion of all Independent Trustees as members of the Audit Committee and the
Nominating & Governance Committee allows all such Trustees to participate in
the full range of the Board’s oversight duties, including oversight of risk
management processes discussed below. Given the composition of the Board and the
function and composition of its various committees as described above, the Trust
has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is
appropriate.
As
part of its oversight function, the Board receives and reviews various risk
management reports and assessments and discusses these matters with appropriate
management and other personnel, including personnel of the Trust’s service
providers. Because risk management is a broad concept comprised of many elements
(such as, for example, investment risk, issuer and counter-party risk,
compliance risk, operational risk, business continuity risk, etc.) the oversight
of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the CCO
regularly reports to the Board during Board Meetings and meets in executive
session with the Independent Trustees and their legal counsel to discuss
compliance and operational risks. In addition, Mr. Rush, the Independent Trustee
designated as the Audit Committee’s “audit committee financial expert” meets
with the President, Treasurer and the Funds’ independent registered public
accounting firm to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure
of the Funds’ financial reporting function. The full Board receives reports from
the investment advisers to the underlying series as to investment
risks.
The
Trustees and officers of the Trust are listed below with their addresses,
present positions with the Trust and principal occupations over at least the
last five years.
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Name,
Address and Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held
with the Trust |
Term
of Office and Length of Time Served |
Number
of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee |
Principal
Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held
by Trustee During the Past Five Years |
Independent
Trustees |
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Leonard
M. Rush, CPA 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of
Birth: 1946 |
Chairman, Trustee
and Audit Committee Chairman |
Indefinite Term;
Since April 2011 |
32 |
Retired;
Chief Financial Officer, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated,
(2000-2011). |
Independent
Trustee, ETF Series Solutions (56 Portfolios) (2012-Present) |
David
A. Massart 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1967 |
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term;
Since April 2011 |
32 |
Partner
and Managing Director, Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC (since 2022);
Co-Founder and Chief Investment Strategist, Next Generation Wealth
Management, Inc. (2005-2021). |
Independent
Trustee, ETF Series Solutions (56 Portfolios)
(2012-Present) |
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Name,
Address and Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held
with the Trust |
Term
of Office and Length of Time Served |
Number
of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee |
Principal
Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held
by Trustee During the Past Five Years |
David
M. Swanson 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1957 |
Trustee
and Nominating & Governance Committee Chairman |
Indefinite Term;
Since April 2011 |
32 |
Founder
and Managing Principal, SwanDog Strategic Marketing, LLC
(2006-present). |
Independent
Trustee, ALPS Variable Investment Trust (7 Portfolios) (2006 to Present);
Independent Trustee, RiverNorth Funds (3 Portfolios) (2018 to Present);
RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (1 Portfolio)
(2019 to Present); RiverNorth Opportunistic Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (1
Portfolio) (2018 to Present); RiverNorth Capital and Income Fund (1
Portfolio) (2018 to Present); RiverNorth Opportunities Fund (1 Portfolio)
(2015 to Present); RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc.
(1 Portfolio) (2019 to Present); RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income
Fund, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2020 to Present); RiverNorth Flexible Municipal
Income Fund II, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2021 to Present); RiverNorth Managed
Duration Municipal Income Fund II, Inc. (1 Portfolio) (2022 to
Present). |
Robert
J. Kern 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1958 |
Trustee |
Indefinite Term;
Since January 2011 |
32 |
Retired
(2018-present); Executive Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(1994-2018). |
None |
Officers |
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Brian
R. Wiedmeyer 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of
Birth: 1973 |
President
and Principal Executive Officer |
Indefinite
Term; Since November 2018 |
N/A |
Vice
President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2005-present). |
N/A |
Deborah
Ward 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1966 |
Vice
President, Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering
Officer |
Indefinite
Term; Since April 2013 |
N/A |
Senior
Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2004-present). |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name,
Address and Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held
with the Trust |
Term
of Office and Length of Time Served |
Number
of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee |
Principal
Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held
by Trustee During the Past Five Years |
Benjamin
Eirich 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1981 |
Treasurer,
Principal Financial Officer and Vice President |
Indefinite Term;
Since August 2019 (Treasurer); Indefinite Term;
Since November 2018 (Vice President) |
N/A |
Assistant
Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2008-present). |
N/A |
John
Hadermayer 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1977 |
Secretary |
Indefinite
Term; Since May 2022 |
N/A |
Vice
President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2022-present); Executive
Director, AQR Capital Management, LLC (2013-2022). |
N/A |
Douglas
Schafer 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1970 |
Assistant
Treasurer and Vice President |
Indefinite
Term; Since May 2016 (Assistant Treasurer); Indefinite Term; Since
November 2018 (Vice President) |
N/A |
Assistant
Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2002-present). |
N/A |
Sara
J. Bollech 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of Birth:
1977 |
Assistant
Treasurer and Vice President |
Indefinite
Term: Since November 2021 |
N/A |
Officer,
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2007-present). |
N/A |
Peter
A. Walker, CPA 615 E. Michigan St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 Year of
Birth: 1993 |
Assistant
Treasurer and Vice President |
Indefinite
Term: Since November 2021 |
N/A |
Officer,
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2016-present). |
N/A |
The
Board believes that each of the Trustees has the qualifications, experience,
attributes and skills appropriate to their continued service as Trustees of the
Trust in light of the Trust’s business and structure. The Trustees have
substantial business and professional backgrounds that indicate they have the
ability to critically review, evaluate and assess information provided to them.
Certain of these business and professional experiences are set forth in detail
in the table above. In addition, the Trustees have substantial board experience
and, in their service to the Trust, have gained substantial insight as to the
operation of the Trust. The Board annually conducts a “self-assessment” wherein
the effectiveness of the Board and the individual Trustees is
reviewed.
In
addition to the information provided in the table above, below is certain
additional information concerning each individual Trustee. The information
provided below, and in the table above, is not all-inclusive. Many of the
Trustees’ qualifications to serve on the Board involve intangible elements, such
as intelligence, integrity, work ethic, the ability to work together, the
ability to communicate effectively, the ability to exercise judgment, the
ability to ask incisive questions, and commitment to shareholder
interests.
Mr.
Kern’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including
over 35 years of service with U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the fund
accountant (“Fund Accountant”), Administrator and Transfer Agent to the Trust)
where he managed business development and the mutual fund transfer agent
operation including investor services, account services, legal compliance,
document processing and systems support. He also served as a board member of
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC and previously served as a board member of
Quasar Distributors, LLC (the principal underwriter of many of the Trust's
series). The Board believes Mr. Kern’s experience, qualifications, attributes
and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other
Trustees lead to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and
attributes as a Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to
the Trust.
Mr.
Massart’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including
over two decades working with high net worth individuals, families, trusts and
retirement accounts to make strategic and tactical asset allocation decisions,
evaluate and select investment managers and manage client relationships. He is
currently Partner and Managing Director of Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC.
Previously, he served as Chief Investment Strategist and lead member of the
investment management committee of the SEC registered investment advisory firm
he co-founded. He also previously served as Managing Director of Strong Private
Client and as a Manager of Wells Fargo Investments, LLC. The Board believes Mr.
Massart’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an individual
basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion
that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a Trustee to carry out
oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
Mr.
Rush’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including
serving in several different senior executive roles at various global financial
services firms. He most recently served as Managing Director and Chief Financial
Officer of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and several other affiliated
entities and served as the Treasurer for Baird Funds. He also served as the
Chief Financial Officer for Fidelity Investments’ four broker-dealers and has
substantial experience with mutual fund and investment advisory organizations
and related businesses, including Vice President and Head of Compliance for
Fidelity Investments, a Vice President at Credit Suisse First Boston, a Manager
with Goldman Sachs, & Co. and a Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche.
Mr. Rush has been determined to qualify as an Audit Committee Financial Expert
for the Trust. The Board believes Mr. Rush’s experience, qualifications,
attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of
the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills
and attributes as a Trustee and as the Chairman to carry out oversight
responsibilities with respect to the Trust.
Mr.
Swanson’s trustee attributes include substantial industry experience, including
over 35 years of senior management and marketing experience with over 30 years
dedicated to the financial services industry. He is currently the Founder and
Managing Principal of a marketing strategy boutique serving asset and wealth
management businesses. He has also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Marketing Officer of Van Kampen Investments, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Canada, Ltd., Managing Director and
Head of Global Investment Products at Morgan Stanley, Director of Marketing for
Morgan Stanley Mutual Funds, Director of Marketing for Kemper Funds, and
Executive Vice President and Head of Distribution for Calamos Investments. The
Board believes Mr. Swanson’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills
on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead
to the conclusion that he possesses the requisite skills and attributes as a
Trustee to carry out oversight responsibilities with respect to the
Trust.
The
discussion of the Trustees’ experience and qualifications is pursuant to SEC
requirements, does not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having
special expertise, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability
on any such Trustee or the Board by reason thereof.
The
following table shows the dollar range of Fund shares and shares in other
portfolios of the Trust beneficially owned by the Trustees as of the calendar
year ended December 31, 2022:
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Dollar
Range of Fund Shares
Beneficially
Owned (None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, Over
$100,000) |
Name |
|
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
|
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Shares in all Funds in the Trust |
Independent
Trustees |
Leonard
M. Rush |
| None |
| None |
| None |
David
A. Massart |
| None |
| None |
| None |
David
M. Swanson |
| $1-$10,000 |
| $1-$10,000 |
| $50,001-$100,000 |
Robert
J. Kern |
| None |
| None |
| None |
As
of March 1, 2023, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust as a group owned less
than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund.
Audit
Committee.
The
Trust has an Audit Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees.
The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters
for the Funds. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and
with the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm concerning the
scope of the audit and the auditor’s independence. The Audit Committee met twice
with respect to the Funds during fiscal year ended November 30,
2022.
Nominating
& Governance Committee.
The Trust has a Nominating & Governance Committee, which is comprised of the
Independent Trustees. The Nominating & Governance Committee is responsible
for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for the
position of trustee and meets only as necessary.
The
Nominating & Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by
shareholders for vacancies on the Board. Recommendations for consideration by
the Nominating & Governance Committee should be sent to the President of the
Trust in writing together with the appropriate biographical information
concerning each such proposed nominee, and such recommendation must comply with
the notice provisions set forth in the Trust’s Bylaws. In general, to comply
with such procedures, such nominations, together with all required information,
must be delivered to and received by the President of the Trust at the principal
executive office of the Trust not later than 120 days, and no more than 150
days, prior to the shareholder meeting at which any such nominee would be voted
on. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board will be accepted on
an ongoing basis. The Nominating & Governance Committee’s procedures with
respect to reviewing shareholder nominations will be disclosed as required by
applicable securities laws. The Nominating & Governance Committee did not
meet during the Funds’ fiscal year ended November 30, 2022.
The
Trustees receive an annual retainer of $110,000. The Chairman of the Audit
Committee receives additional compensation of $14,000, the Chairman of the
Nominating & Governance Committee receives additional compensation of $8,000
and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees receives $12,500 annually. Prior to
January 1, 2023, the Trustees received $6,000 for regularly scheduled meetings
and $2,500 for additional meetings. Effective January 1, 2023, the Trustees will
receive $8,000 for regularly scheduled meetings and $2,500 for additional
meetings.
The
following table sets forth the compensation received by the Trustees for the
Funds' fiscal year ended November 30, 2022:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Leonard
M. Rush |
David
A. Massart |
David
M. Swanson |
Robert
J. Kern |
| Chairman,
Independent Trustee and Audit Committee Chairman |
Independent
Trustee |
Independent
Trustee and Nominating & Governance Committee Chairman |
Independent
Trustee |
Pension
or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Estimated
Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Total
Compensation from the Funds and the Trust 1 |
$166,500 |
$140,000 |
$148,000 |
$140,000 |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund 2 |
$4,749 |
$3,996 |
$4,223 |
$3,996 |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund 2 |
$4,749 |
$3,996 |
$4,223 |
$3,996 |
1The
Trust include other series in addition to the Funds.
2Trustee
fees and expenses are allocated among the Funds and any other series comprising
the Trust.
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 one who owns
beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting
securities of a Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. A controlling
person possesses the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted for
shareholder vote by a Fund. Ownership information is not provided for the T
Class Shares of the applicable Funds, as the shares were not available for sale
as of the date of this SAI. As of March 1, 2023, the following shareholders were
considered to be either a control person or a principal shareholder of each of
the Funds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund – A Class |
|
|
|
| |
Name
and Address |
| %
Ownership |
|
Type
of Ownership1 |
Morgan
Stanley Smith Barney LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of Its
Customers 1 New York Plaza, Floor 12 New York, New York
10004-1932 |
| 81.31 |
% |
| Record |
Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn
Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, California
94105-1901 |
| 7.15 |
% |
| Record |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund – Institutional Class |
|
|
|
| |
Name
and Address |
| %
Ownership |
|
Type
of Ownership1 |
National
Financial Services LLC 499 Washington Blvd Floor 4th Jersey City,
New Jersey 07310-1995 |
| 20.38 |
% |
| Record |
Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn
Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, California
94105-1901 |
| 12.74 |
% |
| Record |
Morgan
Stanley Smith Barney LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of Its
Customers 1 New York Plaza, Floor 12 New York, New York
10004-1932 |
| 10.77 |
% |
| Record |
JP
Morgan Securities LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers 4 Chase
Metrotech Center 3rd Floor Mutual Fund Department Brooklyn, New York
11245-0003 |
| 10.00 |
% |
| Record |
Wells
Fargo Bank NA FBO PO Box 1533 Minneapolis, Minnesota
55480-1533 |
| 8.95 |
% |
| Record |
Merrill
Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith For the Sole Benefit of Its
Customers 4800 Deer Lake Drive East Jacksonville, Florida
32246-6486 |
| 7.91 |
% |
| Record |
Goldman
Sachs & Co., LLC C/O Mutual Fund OPS 222 South Main
Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-2199 |
| 7.56 |
% |
| Record |
TD
Ameritrade Inc.
For
the Exclusive Benefit of Our Clients
PO
Box 2226
Omaha,
Nebraska 68103-2226 |
| 7.54 |
% |
| Record |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund – C Class |
|
|
|
| |
Name
and Address |
| %
Ownership |
|
Type
of Ownership1 |
Morgan
Stanley Smith Barney LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of Its
Customers 1 New York Plaza, Floor 12 New York, New York
10004-1932 |
| 33.33 |
% |
| Record |
Wells
Fargo Clearing Services LLC Special Custody Account for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer 2801 Market Street Saint Louis,
Missouri 63103-2523 |
| 12.82 |
% |
| Record |
LPL
Financial Omnibus Customer Account Attn Lindsay O Toole 4707
Executive Drive San Diego, California 92121-3091 |
| 11.69 |
% |
| Record |
Merrill
Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Drive East Jacksonville, Florida
32246-6484 |
| 9.33 |
% |
| Record |
Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn
Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, California
94105-1901 |
| 7.01 |
% |
| Record |
National
Financial Services LLC 499 Washington Boulevard, Floor 4th Jersey
City, New Jersey 07310-1995 |
| 5.42 |
% |
| Record |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Tortoise
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund - A Class |
|
|
|
| |
Name
and Address |
| %
Ownership |
|
Type
of Ownership1 |
Merrill
Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Drive East Jacksonville, Florida
32246-6484 |
| 54.80 |
% |
| Record |
National
Financial Services LLC 499 Washington Blvd Floor 4th Jersey City,
New Jersey 07310-1995 |
| 13.12 |
% |
| Record |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Tortoise
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund - A Class |
|
|
|
| |
Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn
Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, California
94105-1901 |
| 6.86 |
% |
| Record |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Tortoise
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund - Institutional Class
|
|
|
|
| |
Name
and Address |
| %
Ownership |
|
Type
of Ownership1 |
Merrill
Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Drive East Jacksonville, Florida
32246-6484 |
| 35.63 |
% |
| Record |
Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn
Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, California
94105-1901 |
| 19.23 |
% |
| Record |
National
Financial Services LLC For the Exclusive Benefit of Our
Customers 200 Liberty Street 5th Floor New York, New York
10281-4100 |
| 6.49 |
% |
| Record |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Tortoise
Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund - C Class |
|
|
|
| |
Name
and Address |
| %
Ownership |
|
Type
of Ownership1 |
Merrill
Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Drive East Jacksonville, Florida
32246-6484 |
| 38.50 |
% |
| Record |
Pershing
LLC 1 Pershing Plaza Jersey City, New Jersey 07399-0002 |
| 10.90 |
% |
| Record |
Charles
Schwab & Company, Inc. Special Custody A/C FBO Customers Attn
Mutual Funds 211 Main Street San Francisco, California
94105-1901 |
| 7.11 |
% |
| Record |
1“Record”
ownership means the shareholder of record, or the exact name of the shareholder
on the account, e.g., “ABC Brokerage, Inc.” “Beneficial” ownership refers to the
actual pecuniary, or financial, interest in the security, e.g., “Jane Doe
Shareholder.”
Investment advisory services are provided to the Funds by
Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C., also doing business as TCA Advisors, an SEC
registered investment adviser ("TCA Advisors" or the “Adviser”), pursuant to an
investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser
specializes in investing in essential asset companies across the energy value
chain, including energy infrastructure. As of February 28, 2023, the Adviser
managed investments of approximately $7.3 billion including the assets of
publicly traded closed-end funds, open-end funds and private
accounts.
Pursuant
to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides the Funds with investment
research and advice and furnishes the Funds with an investment program
consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and policies, subject to the
supervision of the Board. The Adviser determines which portfolio securities will
be purchased or sold, arranges for the placing of orders for the purchase or
sale of portfolio securities, selects brokers or dealers to place those orders,
maintains books and records with respect to the securities transactions, and
reports to the Board on the Funds’ investments and performance. The Adviser is
solely responsible for making investment decisions on behalf of the Funds. The
Board will have sole responsibility for selecting, evaluating the performance
of, and replacing as necessary any of the service providers to the Funds,
including the Adviser.
The
Adviser also serves as investment adviser to Tortoise Energy Infrastructure
Corporation (“TYG”), Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc.
(“TPZ”), Tortoise Midstream Energy Fund, Inc. (“NTG”), Tortoise Pipeline &
Energy Fund, Inc. (“TTP”), Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. (“NDP”), and
Ecofin Sustainable and Social Impact Term Fund (“TEAF”) which are publicly
traded closed-end investment companies that invest in MLPs, pipeline and energy
companies.
The
Adviser is indirectly controlled by Lovell Minnick Partners LLC (“Lovell
Minnick”). The Adviser is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of TortoiseEcofin
Investments, LLC (“TortoiseEcofin Investments”), a company that owns essential
asset and income-oriented investment advisers. A vehicle formed by Lovell
Minnick and owned by certain private funds sponsored by Lovell Minnick and a
group of institutional co-investors owns a controlling interest in
TortoiseEcofin Investments. Certain employees of the Adviser, including the
Portfolio Managers, own a minority interest in TortoiseEcofin Investments. TIS
Advisors, an affiliate of the Adviser, serves as investment adviser to three
other series of the Trust.
As
of February 28, 2023, TortoiseEcofin Investments, LLC's registered investment
adviser entities had 120 employees in the aggregate, including 62 employees at
the Adviser, and including the members of the Fund’s senior investment
team.
Following
a Fund's initial two-year term, the Advisory Agreement will continue in effect
from year to year, only if such continuance is specifically approved at least
annually by: (i) the Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of each Fund; and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent
Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust, on
behalf of a Fund, upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, when authorized
by either: (i) a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders; or (ii) by a vote of
a majority of the Board. The Advisory Agreement is also terminable without
penalty by the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. The Advisory
Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment,” as
defined under the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser
under such agreement shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of
law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in
the execution of portfolio transactions for a Fund, except for willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by
reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties
thereunder.
In
consideration of the investment advisory services provided by the Adviser
pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to receive from each
Fund a management fee, as specified in the Prospectus. However, the Adviser may
voluntarily agree to reduce the management fees payable to it on a
month-to-month basis, including additional fees above and beyond any contractual
agreement the Adviser may have to reduce management fees and/or reimburse Fund
expenses.
Fund
Expenses.
Each Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses. Pursuant to an
Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on
behalf of the Funds, the Adviser has agreed to reimburse each Fund for its
operating expenses, as specified in the Prospectus. Expenses reimbursed by the
Adviser may be recouped by the Adviser for a period of 36 months following the
month during which such expense reimbursement was made, if such recoupment can
be achieved without exceeding the expense limit in effect at the time the
reimbursement occurred and at the time of the recoupment. The Operating Expenses
Limitation Agreement will be in effect and cannot be terminated through March
31, 2024.
The
total amount of advisory fees paid by each Fund during the fiscal years
indicated, were as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
|
Advisory
Fees
Paid During the Fiscal Years Ended November 30, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
|
Advisory
Fees Accrued |
| $19,443,543 |
| $15,479,147 |
| $20,533,746 |
|
Waivers |
| $0 |
| $0 |
| $0 |
|
Reimbursements |
| $0 |
| $0 |
| $0 |
|
Recoupments |
| $0 |
| $0 |
| $0 |
|
Total
Advisory Fees Paid to Adviser After Waivers, Reimbursements and
Recoupments |
| $19,443,543 |
| $15,479,147 |
| $20,533,746 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
|
Advisory
Fees Paid
During the Fiscal Years Ended November 30, |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
|
2020 |
|
Advisory
Fees Accrued |
| $4,888,189 |
| $3,940,707 |
| $4,812,477 |
|
Waivers |
| $0 |
| $0 |
| $0 |
|
Reimbursements |
| $0 |
| $0 |
| $(26,884) |
|
Recoupments |
| $0 |
| $0 |
| $26,884 |
|
Total
Advisory Fees Paid to Adviser After Waivers, Reimbursements and
Recoupments |
| $4,888,189 |
| $3,940,707 |
| $4,812,477 |
|
License
Agreement.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has consented to the Funds’ use
on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis, of the name “Tortoise” in its name. Each
Fund will have the right to use the “Tortoise” name and the related logo so long
as the Adviser or one of its approved affiliates remains the Fund’s investment
adviser. Other than with respect to this limited right, the Funds will have no
legal right to the “Tortoise” name. This right will remain in effect for so long
as the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser is in effect and will automatically
terminate if the Advisory Agreement were to terminate for any reason, including
upon its assignment.
Primary
responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Energy Infrastructure Total
Return Fund's portfolio is the joint responsibility of a team of portfolio
managers consisting of Brian A. Kessens, James R. Mick, Matthew G.P. Sallee,
Robert J. Thummel, Jr., and Stephen Pang. Primary responsibility for the
day-to-day management of the Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund's portfolio
is the joint responsibility of Brian A. Kessens, James R. Mick, Matthew G.P.
Sallee and Robert J. Thummel, Jr. Each of Messrs. Kessens, Mick, Sallee and
Thummel is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser. Mr.
Pang is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser. Messrs.
Kessens, Mick, Sallee, and Thummel have each been portfolio managers involved
with managing the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund since 2013. Mr. Pang
has been a portfolio manager of the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund
since January 1, 2018. Mr. Kessens has been involved with managing the Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund's since October 30, 2020. Messrs. Mick, Sallee,
and Thummel have each been portfolio managers of the Energy Infrastructure and
Income Fund since October 31, 2022.
The
following table provides information regarding other accounts, excluding the
Funds, managed by the portfolio managers, including information regarding the
number of managed accounts that pay a performance fee, as of November 30,
2022:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Name
of Manager |
Account
Category |
| #
of Accounts |
| Total
Assets of Accounts |
| #
of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee |
| Total
Assets of Accounts Paying a Performance Fee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Brian
A. Kessens |
| Registered
investment companies |
|
7 |
| $1,291,201,077 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
pooled investment vehicles |
|
2 |
| $90,085,662 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
Accounts |
|
375 |
| $2,717,731,825 |
|
89 |
| $2,031,279,989 |
James
R. Mick |
| Registered
investment companies |
|
7 |
| $1,291,201,077 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
pooled investment vehicles |
|
2 |
| $90,085,662 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
Accounts |
|
375 |
| $2,717,731,825 |
|
89 |
| $2,031,279,989 |
Matthew
G.P. Sallee |
| Registered
investment companies |
|
7 |
| $1,291,201,077 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
pooled investment vehicles |
|
2 |
| $90,085,662 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
Accounts |
|
375 |
| $2,717,731,825 |
|
89 |
| $2,031,279,989 |
Robert
J. Thummel, Jr. |
| Registered
investment companies |
|
7 |
| $1,291,201,077 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
pooled investment vehicles |
|
2 |
| $90,085,662 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
Accounts |
|
375 |
| $2,717,731,825 |
|
89 |
| $2,031,279,989 |
Stephen
Pang |
| Registered
investment companies |
|
7 |
| $1,291,201,077 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
pooled investment vehicles |
|
1 |
| $76,988,746 |
|
0 |
| $0 |
| Other
Accounts |
|
375 |
| $2,717,731,825 |
|
89 |
| $2,031,279,989 |
Conflicts
of interest may arise because the Adviser and its affiliates generally will be
carrying on substantial investment activities for other clients in which the
Funds will have no interest. The Adviser’s portfolio managers must allocate time
and investment ideas across multiple accounts. Trades may be executed for some
accounts that may adversely impact the value of securities held by other
accounts. Conflicts of interest arise from the fact that related persons of the
Adviser serve as general partner of certain private funds the Adviser manages,
and the affiliated general partner, as well as certain employees of the Adviser,
including certain of the portfolio managers, own an interest in the private
fund. The affiliated general partner receives a carried interest in
distributions by the private fund. The Adviser and/or the investment personnel
may have financial incentives to favor certain of such accounts over a Fund.
Certain of the funds and accounts managed by the Adviser may invest in the
equity securities of a particular company, while other funds and accounts
managed by the Adviser may invest in the debt or preferred securities of the
same company. Proprietary accounts of the Adviser or its supervised persons and
other customer accounts may compete with the Funds for specific trades. The
Adviser
may buy or sell securities for a Fund that differs from securities bought or
sold for other accounts and customers, although their investment objectives and
policies may be similar to the Fund’s.
From
time to time, the Adviser may seed proprietary accounts for the purpose of
evaluating a new investment strategy that eventually may be available to clients
through one or more product structures. Such accounts also may serve the purpose
of establishing a performance record for the strategy. The Adviser’s management
of accounts with proprietary interests and non-proprietary client accounts may
create an incentive to favor the proprietary accounts in the allocation of
investment opportunities, and the timing and aggregation of investments. The
Adviser’s proprietary seed accounts may include long-short strategies, and
certain client strategies may permit short sales. A conflict of interest arises
if a security is sold short at the same time as a long position, and
continuously short selling in a security may adversely affect the stock price of
the same security held long in client accounts. The Adviser has adopted various
policies to mitigate these conflicts, including policies that require the
Adviser to avoid favoring any account, and that prohibit client and proprietary
accounts from engaging in short sales with respect to individual stocks held
long in client accounts. The Adviser’s policies also require transactions in
proprietary accounts to be placed after client transactions.
Situations
may occur in which a Fund could be disadvantaged because of the investment
activities conducted by the Adviser for other accounts. Such situations may be
based on, among other things, legal or internal restrictions on the combined
size of positions that may be taken for the Funds and the other accounts,
thereby limiting the size of a Fund’s position, or the difficulty of liquidating
an investment for the Funds and the other accounts where the market cannot
absorb the sale of the combined position. The Adviser and/or investment
personnel may also have an incentive to make investments in one fund, having the
effect of increasing the value of a security in the same issuer held by another
fund, which in turn may result in an incentive fee being paid to the Adviser by
that other fund.
A
Fund’s investment opportunities may be limited by affiliations of the Adviser or
its affiliates with energy companies. In addition, to the extent the Adviser
sources, contemplates, structures, or makes private investments in energy
companies, certain employees of the Adviser may become aware of actions planned
by such companies, such as acquisitions, that may not be announced to the
public. It is possible that a Fund could be precluded from investing in an
energy company about which the Adviser has material nonpublic
information.
A
Fund’s investment opportunities may be limited by investment opportunities in
companies that the Adviser is evaluating for other clients. To the extent a
potential investment is appropriate for a Fund and one or more other clients,
the Adviser will need to fairly allocate that investment to the Fund or the
other client, or both, depending on its allocation procedures and applicable law
related to combined or joint transactions. There may arise an attractive limited
investment opportunity suitable for the Fund in which it cannot invest under the
particular allocation method being used for that investment.
Under
the 1940 Act, the Funds and their affiliated companies are generally precluded
from co-investing in negotiated private placements of securities. Except as
permitted by law, the Adviser will not co-invest its other clients’ assets in
negotiated private transactions in which a Fund invests. To the extent a Fund is
not precluded from co-investing, the Adviser will allocate private investment
opportunities among its clients, including but not limited to the Fund and the
Fund’s affiliated companies, based on allocation policies that take into account
several suitability factors, including the size of the investment opportunity,
the amount each client has available for investment and the client’s investment
objectives. These allocation policies may result in the allocation of investment
opportunities to an affiliated company rather than to the Fund.
The
Adviser and its principals, officers, employees, and affiliates may buy and sell
securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have actual or
potential conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on a Fund’s
behalf. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or
constraints, positions may be taken by principals, officers, employees, and
affiliates of the Adviser that are the same as, different from, or made at a
different time than positions taken for a Fund. Further, the Adviser may at some
time in the future, manage other investment funds with the same investment
objectives as a Fund’s.
Portfolio
managers do not receive any direct compensation from the Funds or any other of
the managed accounts reflected in the table above. None of the portfolio
managers receives any direct compensation from the Registrant or any other of
the accounts managed by the Adviser. Each of Messrs. Kessens, Mick, Pang,
Sallee, and Thummel has an employment-related agreement with the Adviser. Under
these employment-related contracts, they receive base salary compensation and
are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. A portion of the bonus amount
may be deferred for certain key employees and may increase over a defined
vesting period based on a measured rate of return tied to the applicable
entity’s performance.
Certain
key employees are eligible to participate in an employee equity ownership plan
in which employees are periodically offered the opportunity to purchase equity
in the Adviser's parent company. Each portfolio manager owns an equity interest
in TortoiseEcofin Investments, LLC, the Adviser's parent company. As equity
owners, these individuals each thus benefit from increases in the net income of
the organization. The Adviser’s earnings are based in part on the value of
assets held in the Fund’s portfolio, as the Adviser’s fee to the Fund is a
percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund.
The
following table indicates the dollar range of Fund shares beneficially owned by
the Portfolio Managers of the Funds for which they serve as portfolio manager as
of November 30, 2022:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Dollar
Range of Fund Shares Beneficially Owned
(None,
$1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, $100,001 - $500,000,
$500,001-$1,000,000, Over $1,000,000) |
Name
of Portfolio Manager |
| Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
| Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
Brian
A. Kessens |
|
$10,001-$50,000 |
|
None |
James
R. Mick |
|
$50,001-$100,000 |
|
None |
Matthew
G.P. Sallee |
| $10,001-$50,000 |
|
None |
Robert
J. Thummel, Jr. |
|
None |
|
None |
Stephen
Pang |
|
None |
| N/A |
Pursuant
to an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) between the
Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global
Fund Services (“Fund Services”), 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
53202, Fund Services acts as the Administrator to the Funds. Fund Services
provides certain administrative services to the Funds, including, among other
responsibilities, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and
the monitoring of performance and billing of, each Fund’s independent
contractors and agents; preparation for signature by an officer of the Trust of
all documents required to be filed for compliance by the Trust and the Funds
with applicable laws and regulations; arranging for the computation of
performance data, including NAV per share and yield; responding to shareholder
inquiries; and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds,
and providing, at its own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel
necessary to carry out its duties. In this capacity, Fund Services does not have
any responsibility or authority for the investment management of the Funds, the
determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the
distribution of Fund shares. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, for its
services, Fund Services receives from each Fund a fee computed daily and payable
monthly based on each Fund’s average net assets, all subject to an annual
minimum fee. Fund Services also acts as Fund Accountant, Transfer Agent and
dividend disbursing agent under separate agreements with the Trust.
Each
Fund paid the following in fund administration and fund accounting fees to Fund
Services during the three most recent fiscal years ended November
30:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
| $877,469 |
| $725,954 |
| $926,247 |
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
| $299,852 |
| $271,046 |
| $323,554 |
Pursuant
to a custody agreement between the Trust and the Funds, U.S. Bank, N.A., an
affiliate of Fund Services, serves as the Custodian of the Funds’ assets (the
“Custodian”). For its services, the Custodian receives a monthly fee based on a
percentage of the Fund’s assets, in addition to certain transaction based fees,
and is reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. The Custodian’s address is 1555
North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212. The Custodian
does not participate in decisions relating to the purchase and sale of
securities by the Funds. U.S. Bank, N.A. and its affiliates may participate in
revenue sharing arrangements with service providers of mutual funds in which the
Funds may invest.
Stradley
Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19103, serves as counsel to the Trust and as independent legal
counsel to the Board.
Ernst
& Young LLP, 700 Nicollet Mall, Suite 500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402,
serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. Its
services include auditing the Funds’ financial statements and the performance of
related compliance tax services.
The
Trust has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”)
with Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), 111 East Kilbourn Avenue,
Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, pursuant to which the Distributor acts
as the Funds’ principal underwriter, provides certain administration services
and promotes and arranges for the sale of each Fund’s shares on a best efforts
basis. The offering of the Funds’ shares is continuous. The Distributor is not
affiliated with the Adviser, Administrator, Fund Accountant or the Custodian.
The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
The
Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue
in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by
the Board or by vote of a majority of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities
and, in either case, by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Distribution
Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust, on behalf of each Fund, on
60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of a
Fund’s shareholders or by vote of a majority of the Board, including a majority
of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined under the
1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written
notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment,” as
defined in the 1940 Act.
The
following tables show the total amount of underwriting commissions associated
with the sale of each Fund’s A Class shares during the fiscal periods ended
November 30:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
Total
Underwriting Commission |
| $36,925 |
| $209,271 |
| $195,241 |
Underwriting
Commission Retained by the Distributor |
| $2,989 |
| $2,267 |
| $8,822 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
Total
Underwriting Commission |
| $78,106 |
| $98,717 |
| $129,031 |
Underwriting
Commission Retained by the Distributor |
| $12,026 |
| $10,093 |
| $17,932 |
The
Funds have adopted a distribution plan for A Class, C Class and, where
applicable, T Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “12b-1
Plan”). Under the 12b-1 Plan, each Fund pays a fee to the Distributor
for distribution and/or shareholder services (the “Distribution and Servicing
Fee”) at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily NAV of the A Class shares,
1.00% of the average daily NAV of the C Class shares and 0.25% of the average
daily NAV of the T Class shares. The 12b-1 Plan provides that the
Distributor may use all or any portion of such Distribution and Servicing Fee to
finance any activity that is principally intended to result in the sale of Fund
shares, subject to the terms of the 12b-1 Plan, or to provide certain
shareholder services. For C Class shares, 0.25% of the 1.00% fee may be paid for
the provision of shareholder services and the remaining amount will be used for
distribution expenses. The 12b-1 Plan is intended to benefit the Funds by
increasing their assets and thereby reducing the Funds’ expense ratio. T Class
Shares did not incur Rule 12b-1 fees during the fiscal year ended November 30,
2022, as the shares were not available for purchase.
The
following tables show the allocation of the Rule 12b-1 fees paid by the A Class
and the C Class shares of the Funds during the fiscal year ended November 30,
2022:
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
| |
Advertising/Marketing |
$0 |
Printing/Postage |
$0 |
Payment
to distributor |
$146,988 |
Payment
to dealers |
$527,085 |
Compensation
to sales personnel |
$0 |
Other |
$0 |
Total |
$674,073 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
| |
Advertising/Marketing |
$0 |
Printing/Postage |
$0 |
Payment
to distributor |
$66,048 |
Payment
to dealers |
$287,103 |
Compensation
to sales personnel |
$0 |
Other |
$0 |
Total |
$353,151 |
The
Distribution and Servicing Fee is payable to the Distributor regardless of the
distribution-related expenses actually incurred. Because the
Distribution and Servicing Fee is not directly tied to expenses, the amount of
distribution fees paid by A Class, C Class and T Class shares during any year
may be more or less than actual expenses incurred pursuant to the 12b-1
Plan. For this reason, this type of distribution fee arrangement is
characterized by the staff of the SEC as a “compensation” plan.
The
Distributor may use the Distribution and Servicing Fee to pay for services
covered by the 12b-1 Plan including, but not limited to, advertising;
compensating underwriters, dealers and selling personnel engaged in the
distribution of Fund shares; reimbursing for up-front sales commissions; the
printing and mailing of prospectuses, statements of additional information and
reports; the printing and mailing of sales literature pertaining to the Funds;
and obtaining whatever information, analyses and reports with respect to
marketing and promotional activities that a Fund may, from time to time, deem
advisable.
The
12b-1 Plan provides that it will continue from year to year upon approval by the
majority vote of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees
cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, provided that such trustees
have made a determination that there is a reasonable likelihood that the 12b-1
Plan will benefit each Fund and its shareholders. It is also required
that the Independent Trustees, select and nominate all other trustees who are
not “interested persons” of the Funds. The 12b-1 Plan and any related
agreements may not be amended to materially increase the amounts to be spent for
distribution expenses without approval of shareholders holding a majority of the
Fund shares outstanding. All material amendments to the 12b-1 Plan or
any related agreements must be approved by a vote of a majority of the Board and
the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on any such amendment.
The
12b-1 Plan requires that the Distributor provide to the Board, at least
quarterly, a written report on the amounts and purpose of any payment made under
the 12b-1 Plan. The Distributor is also required to furnish the Board
with such other information as may reasonably be requested in order to enable
the Board to make an informed determination of whether the 12b-1 Plan should be
continued.
As
noted above, the 12b-1 Plan provides for the ability to use Fund assets to pay
financial intermediaries (including those that sponsor mutual fund supermarkets
and affiliates of the Adviser), plan administrators, and other service providers
to finance any activity that is principally intended to result in the sale of
Fund shares (distribution services) and for the provision of personal services
to shareholders. The payments made by a Fund to financial
intermediaries are based primarily on the dollar amount of assets invested in
the Fund through the financial intermediaries. These financial
intermediaries may pay a portion of the payments that they receive from the Fund
to their investment professionals. In addition to the ongoing
asset-based fees paid to these financial intermediaries under the 12b-1 Plan, a
Fund may, from time to time, make payments under the 12b-1 Plan that help defray
the expenses incurred by these intermediaries for conducting training and
educational meetings about various aspects of the Funds for their
employees. In addition, a Fund may make payments under the 12b-1 Plan
for exhibition space and otherwise help defray the expenses these financial
intermediaries incur in hosting client seminars where the Funds are
discussed.
In
addition, a Fund may participate in various “fund supermarkets” in which a
mutual fund supermarket sponsor (usually a broker-dealer) offers many mutual
funds to the sponsor’s customers without charging the customers a sales
charge. In connection with its participation in such platforms and
with an agreement in place with the Distributor or its affiliates, the
Distributor may use all or a portion of the Distribution and Servicing Fee to
pay one or more supermarket sponsors a negotiated fee for distributing the
Fund’s shares. In addition, in its discretion, the Adviser may pay
additional fees to such intermediaries from its own assets (see “Marketing
Support Payments”).
Marketing
Support Payments
The
Adviser, out of its own profits and resources and without additional cost to the
Funds or their shareholders, may provide additional cash payments or other
compensation (“Support Payments”) to certain financial intermediaries who sell
and/or promote the sale of shares of the Funds, including an affiliated
broker-dealer. Subject to and in accordance with the terms of each Fund’s
prospectus and the Distribution and/or Service Plan (as applicable) adopted by
resolution of the Trust's Board, and specifically the "Payments to Financial
Intermediaries" section of each Fund's prospectus, the Adviser may make Support
Payments to such financial intermediaries related to marketing/distribution
support, shareholder servicing, sales meetings, inclusion on sales lists
(including a preferred or select sales list) and participation in sales
programs.
The
Adviser has agreements with several firms it advises to pay such Support
Payments, which are calculated in four ways: (1) as a percentage of net sales;
(2) as a percentage of net assets; (3) as a flat fee; and, (4) in the case of
payments to an affiliated broker-dealer, an amount equal to production-based
compensation due to the broker-dealer’s representatives, and may also include
reimbursement of out of pocket expenses incurred by the broker-dealer or its
representatives.
The
possibility of receiving, or the receipt of, such Support Payments as described
above may provide such intermediaries and/or their salespersons with an
incentive to favor sales of shares of the Funds, and other mutual funds whose
affiliates make similar compensation available, over sales of shares of mutual
funds (or non-mutual fund investments) that do not make such payments. Investors
may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and
evaluating any recommendations relating to mutual funds.
The
Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds,
broker-dealer selection, and negotiation of brokerage commission rates. The
Adviser’s primary consideration in effecting a security transaction will be to
obtain the best execution. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each
particular transaction, the Adviser will initially consider their ability to
execute transactions at the most favorable prices and lowest overall execution
costs, while also taking into consideration other relevant factors, such as, the
reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer, the size of
and difficulty in executing the order, and the quality of execution and
custodial services. The determinative factor is not necessarily the lowest
possible transaction cost, but whether the transaction represents the best
qualitative execution for the client account. Because the Adviser considers all
of the factors described above and not just commission cost, commission rates on
some transactions may be higher than the lowest available commission rate
charged by another broker-dealer for executing the same transaction. The Adviser
does not utilize any third party “soft dollar” arrangements. The Adviser
receives unsolicited research from some of the brokers with whom it places
trades on behalf of clients, however, the Adviser has no arrangements or
understandings with such brokers regarding receipt of research in return for
commissions. While the Adviser may review certain of the research received, the
Adviser does not consider this research when selecting brokers to execute client
transactions. The Adviser does not put a specific value on unsolicited research,
nor
does the Adviser attempt to estimate and allocate the relative costs or benefits
among its clients. Research services may include reports on energy companies,
the market, the economy and other general widely distributed research, and may
be used by the Adviser in servicing all funds and accounts managed by the
Adviser, including the Funds. The price to a Fund in any transaction may be less
favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is
reasonably justified by other aspects of the execution services offered. The
Adviser acquires research (e.g., research ideas and analysis) under separate
third-party research arrangements to its execution services.
A
Fund may, from time to time, enter into arrangements with placement agents in
connection with direct placement transactions. In evaluating placement agent
proposals, the Adviser will consider each broker’s access to issuers of energy
company securities and experience in the energy market, particularly the direct
placement market. In addition to these factors, the Adviser will consider
whether the proposed services are customary, whether the proposed fee schedules
are within the range of customary rates, whether any proposal would obligate us
to enter into transactions involving a minimum fee, dollar amount or volume of
securities, or into any transaction whatsoever, and other terms such as
indemnification provisions.
The
Adviser shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any
duty solely by reason of its having caused a Fund to pay a broker or dealer that
provides brokerage and research services to the Adviser an amount of commission
for effecting an investment transaction in excess of the amount of commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if
the Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission was
reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular
transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund
and to other clients of the Adviser as to which the Adviser exercises investment
discretion. The Adviser is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by
it on behalf of a Fund to such brokers and dealers who also provide research or
statistical material or other services to the Adviser. Such allocation shall be
in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser shall determine and the Adviser
will report on said allocations regularly to the Board indicating the brokers to
whom such allocations have been made and the basis therefor.
Portfolio
transactions may be placed with broker-dealers who sell shares of a Fund subject
to rules adopted by FINRA and the SEC. Portfolio transactions may also be placed
with broker-dealers in which the Adviser has invested on behalf of a Fund and/or
client accounts.
The
following table sets forth the amount of brokerage commissions paid by each Fund
during the fiscal years ended November 30:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2020 |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
|
$314,8531 |
|
$578,409 |
| $1,318,303 |
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
|
$12,0632 |
|
$48,878 |
| $623,145 |
1Brokerage
commissions for the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund decreased during the
fiscal year ended November 30, 2022 due to decreased trading as a result of the
portfolio being strategically positioned at the start of the fiscal year.
2Brokerage
commissions for the Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund decreased during the
fiscal year ended November 30, 2022 due to decreased trading as a result of the
portfolio being strategically positioned at the start of the fiscal year.
Although
the Funds generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio
securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held
when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations or redemption
requests warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing
(1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal
year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned
during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities
in a Fund’s portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the
time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or
replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more)
generally leads to above-average transaction costs and could generate capital
gains that must be distributed to shareholders as short-term capital gains taxed
at ordinary income rates (currently as high as 37%). To the extent that a Fund
experiences an increase in brokerage commissions due to a higher portfolio
turnover rate, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by the
increased expenses incurred and may result in a greater number of taxable
transactions.
Each
Fund’s portfolio turnover during the fiscal years ended November 30, were as
follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 2022 |
2021 |
Energy
Infrastructure Total Return Fund |
20 |
% |
32 |
% |
Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund |
10 |
% |
22 |
% |
The
Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted Codes of Ethics under
Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes permit, subject to certain conditions,
personnel of the Trust, Adviser and Distributor to invest in securities that may
be purchased or held by a Fund.
The
Board has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures (“Proxy Policies”)
wherein the Trust has delegated to the Adviser the responsibility for voting
proxies relating to portfolio securities held by a Fund as part of the Adviser’s
investment advisory services, subject to the supervision and oversight of the
Board. Notwithstanding this delegation of responsibilities, however, each Fund
retains the right to vote proxies relating to its portfolio securities. The
fundamental purpose of the Proxy Policies is to ensure that each vote will be in
a manner that reflects the best interest of a Fund and its shareholders, taking
into account the value of the Fund’s investments.
The
actual voting records relating to portfolio securities during the most recent
12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by
calling toll-free, (800) SEC-0330 or by accessing the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov.
The
Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The
Adviser will vote proxies on behalf of a Fund in a manner that it believes is
consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Absent
special circumstances, all proxies will be voted consistent with guidelines
established and described in the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.
A summary of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures is as
follows:
1.The
Adviser utilizes a proxy voting service to provide independent research on
corporate governance, proxy and corporate responsibility issues. The Adviser
reviews these voting recommendations and proxies are generally voted in
accordance with such recommendations. The Adviser has adopted the ESG proxy
voting guidelines of the proxy voting service, which are applied to all Adviser
proxy votes. Proxies are generally voted in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy
voting guidelines; however, the Adviser may opt to override the guidelines if it
is decided to be in the best interest of its clients. The applicable Investment
Committee (or an employee of the Adviser designated by the Investment Committee)
will be responsible for monitoring all decisions regarding proxy voting,
including monitoring corporate actions, making voting decisions in the best
interest of the Funds, and ensuring that proxies are submitted in a timely
manner.
2.Proxies
are generally voted according to the Adviser’s then-current Proxy Voting
Policies and Procedures, which it believes are reasonably designed to ensure
that proxies are voted in the best interests of its clients. In pursuing this
policy, proxies should be voted in a manner that is intended to maximize value
to the client.
3.Although
the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures are to be followed as a
general policy, certain issues will be considered on a case-by-case basis based
on the relevant facts and circumstances. Since corporate governance issues are
diverse and continually evolving, the Adviser shall devote an appropriate amount
of time and resources to monitor these changes.
4.In
situations where there may be a conflict of interest in the voting of proxies
between the interests of a Fund and its shareholders and those of the Adviser
due to business or personal relationships that the Adviser maintains with
persons having an interest in the outcome of certain votes, the Adviser may (i)
disclose the potential conflict to the Fund and obtain consent; (ii) establish
an ethical wall or other informational barriers between the person(s) that are
involved in the conflict and the persons at the Adviser making the voting
decisions; (iii) abstain from voting the proxies; (iv) forward the proxies to
clients so the clients may vote the proxies themselves or (v) use an
independent
third party recommendation. The Adviser will document the rationale for any
proxy voted contrary to the proxy voting guidelines. Such information will be
maintained as part of the recordkeeping requirements.
5.All
proxies will be voted in accordance with any applicable investment restrictions
of the Funds and, to the extent applicable, any resolutions or other
instructions approved by the Board.
The
Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the
“Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA
PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Trust’s Program provides
for the development of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation
of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an
independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program. Ms.
Deborah Ward has been designated as the Trust’s Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Officer.
Procedures
to implement the Program include, but are not limited to: determining that the
Distributor and the Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering
procedures; reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity; checking
shareholder names against designated government lists, including Office of
Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”), and a complete and thorough review of all new
opening account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any
person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable,
cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT
Act.
As
a result of the Program, the Funds may be required to “freeze” the account of a
shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or
if certain account information matches information on government lists of known
terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Funds may be required to transfer
the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.
The
Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has adopted portfolio holdings disclosure
policies (“Portfolio Holdings Policies”) that govern the timing and
circumstances of disclosure of portfolio holdings of a Fund. The Portfolio
Holdings Policies are applicable to service providers of a Fund, including the
Adviser. Information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings will not be distributed
to any third party except in accordance with these Portfolio Holdings Policies.
The Board considered the circumstances under which a Fund’s portfolio holdings
may be disclosed under the Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board also
considered actual and potential material conflicts that could arise in such
circumstances between the interests of the Fund’s shareholders and the interests
of the Adviser, Distributor or any other affiliated person of the Fund. After
due consideration, the Board determined that the Funds have a legitimate
business purpose for disclosing portfolio holdings to persons described in the
Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board also authorized its CCO to consider and
authorize dissemination of portfolio holdings information to additional parties,
after considering the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders and potential
conflicts of interest in making such disclosures.
The
Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio
holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Portfolio
Holdings Policies, codes of ethics and other relevant policies of the Funds and
their service providers by the CCO, (2) by considering reports and
recommendations by the CCO concerning any material compliance matters (as
defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act), and (3) by considering whether to
approve any amendment to these Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board reserves
the right to amend the Portfolio Holdings Policies at any time without prior
notice in its sole discretion.
Disclosure
of a Fund’s complete holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of
the end of each fiscal quarter, in the annual and semi-annual reports to Fund
shareholders, and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-PORT. These
reports will be made available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the
SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Each of the Fund posts sector pie charts for its
full portfolio on the website monthly and via its fact sheet quarterly generally
within 10 calendar days after the month-end or calendar quarter end, as
applicable. The Funds post top 10 holdings monthly on their website and via
their fact sheets quarterly, generally within 10 calendar days after month-end
or calendar quarter end, as applicable. Each Fund also posts full portfolio
holdings on its website as soon as practicable after the end of each calendar
quarter.
In
the event of a conflict between the interests of a Fund and its shareholders and
the interests of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser under the
Portfolio Holdings Policy, the CCO of the Adviser, in consultation with the
Trust’s CCO, shall make a determination in the best interests of the Fund and
its shareholders, and shall report such determination to the Board at the end of
the quarter in which such determination was made. Any employee of the Adviser
who suspects a breach of this obligation must report the matter immediately to
the Adviser’s CCO or to his or her supervisor.
In
addition, material non-public holdings information may be provided without lag
as part of the normal investment activities of the Funds to each of the
following entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective
duties to the Funds, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the
information disclosed: the Administrator; the Adviser; the Funds’ Accountant;
the Custodian; the Transfer Agent; the Funds’ independent registered public
accounting firm; counsel to the Funds or the Board (current parties are
identified in this SAI); broker-dealers (in connection with the purchase or sale
of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more
securities); lending agents; and regulatory authorities. Portfolio holdings
information not publicly available with the SEC may only be provided to
additional third parties in accordance with the Portfolio Holdings Policies,
when a Fund has a legitimate business purpose, and the third party recipient is
subject to a confidentiality agreement. Portfolio holdings information may be
separately provided to any person, including rating and ranking organizations
such as Lipper and Morningstar, at the same time that it is filed with the SEC
or one day after it is first published on the Fund’s website. Such portfolio
holdings disclosure must be approved under the Portfolio Holdings Policies by
the Trust’s CCO.
In
no event shall the Adviser, its affiliates or employees, or a Fund receive any
direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information
about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
There
can be no assurance that the Portfolio Holdings Policies and these procedures
will protect the Funds from potential misuse of that information by individuals
or entities to which it is disclosed.
The
NAV of each Fund’s shares will fluctuate and is determined by the Fund
Accountant as of the close of the regular trading session on the New York Stock
Exchange (the “NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) each business
day. The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for
trading. The most recent announcement indicates that it will not be open on the
following days: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day,
Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close
on days not included in that announcement.
The
NAV of each class of shares is computed by determining the “Net Assets” of each
class and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding of each class at
such time. The Net Assets of each class are calculated by (1) taking the value
of all assets, less liabilities, held by each Fund and allocating such value to
each share class based on the number of shares outstanding in each share class;
(2) subtracting “Class Expenses” from each respective share class as defined and
approved by the Board and a majority of the Independent Trustees under the
Trust’s Rule 18f-3 Multiple-Class Plan; and (3) subtracting from each share
class non-class specific “Other Expenses” that are allocated to each class based
on the net asset value of each class relative to the net asset value of a Fund
or the Trust, as the case may be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Net
Assets Per Share Class |
= |
Net
Asset Value Per Share Class |
Shares
Outstanding Per Share Class |
A
Fund’s assets are generally valued at their market price on the valuation date
and are based on valuations provided by independent pricing services consistent
with the Trust’s valuation procedures. When market prices are not readily
available, a security or other asset is valued at its fair value as determined
under fair value pricing procedures approved by the Board. The Board reviews, no
less frequently than annually, the adequacy of the Funds' policies and
procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. These fair value
pricing procedures will also be used to price a security when corporate events,
events in the securities market and/or world events cause the Adviser to believe
that a security’s last sale price may not reflect its actual market value. The
intended effect of using fair value pricing procedures is to ensure that each
Fund is accurately priced. The Board will regularly evaluate whether the Trust’s
fair value pricing procedures continue to be appropriate in light of the
specific circumstances of the Funds and the quality of prices obtained through
the application of such procedures.
Each
security owned by a Fund that is listed on a securities exchange is valued at
its last sale price on that exchange on the date as of which assets are valued.
Where the security is listed on more than one exchange, the Fund will use the
price of the exchange that the Fund generally considers to be the principal
exchange on which the stock is traded. If no sale is reported, the security is
valued at the mean between the last available bid and asked price.
Portfolio
securities primarily traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) shall be
valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”), which may not
necessarily represent the last sale price. If the NOCP is not available, such
securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if
there has been no sale on such day, at the mean between the bid and asked
prices. OTC securities that are not traded on NASDAQ shall be valued at the most
recent trade price.
Fixed
income securities are valued at (a) a market value from an approved pricing
service generated by their review of securities with similar characteristics or
(b) by obtaining a direct written broker-dealer quotation from a dealer who has
made a market in the security. Investments in other investment companies,
including money market funds, are valued at their NAV per share. Fixed income
securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized
cost.
Foreign
securities are generally valued in the same manner as the securities described
above. Foreign securities are priced in the local currencies as of the close of
their primary exchange or market or as of the close of trading on the NYSE,
whichever is earlier. Foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the
exchange rate as provided by a pricing service as of the close of trading on the
NYSE.
Exchange
traded options are generally valued at the composite price, using the National
Best Bid and Offer quotes (“NBBO”). NBBO consists of the highest bid price and
lowest ask price across any of the exchanges on which an option is quoted, thus
providing a view across the entire U.S. options marketplace. Specifically,
composite pricing looks at the last trades on the exchanges where the options
are traded. If there are no trades for the option on a given business day
composite option pricing calculates the mean of the highest bid price and lowest
ask price across the exchanges where the option is traded.
Shares
of each Fund are sold in a continuous offering and may be purchased on any
business day from the Funds. The Funds may also authorize one or more financial
intermediaries to accept purchase orders (an “Authorized Intermediary”).
Authorized Intermediaries are authorized to designate other Authorized
Intermediaries to accept orders on a Fund’s behalf. An order is deemed to be
received when the Fund or an Authorized Intermediary accepts the
order.
Orders
received by a Fund or an Authorized Intermediary by the close of trading on the
NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on a business day will be processed at
the applicable price determined as of the close of trading on the NYSE on that
day. Otherwise, the orders will be processed at the next determined
NAV.
Orders
received by financial intermediaries that are not Authorized Intermediaries,
will be processed at the applicable price next calculated after the Transfer
Agent receives the order from the financial intermediary.
“Good
order” means that your purchase request includes:
1.The
name of the Fund you are investing in;
2.The
dollar amount of shares to be purchased;
3.The
class of shares to be purchased;
4.Your
Account Application or investment stub; and
5.A
check payable to the name of the Fund or a wire transfer received by the
Fund.
Shares
of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States. The
Funds generally do not sell shares to investors residing outside the United
States, even if they are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents,
except to investors with United States military APO or FPO addresses or in
certain other circumstances where the Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money
Laundering Officer for the Trust both conclude that such sale is appropriate and
is not in contravention of United States law.
In
general, orders to sell or “redeem” shares may be placed directly with the Fund
or through a financial intermediary. You may redeem all or part of your
investment in the Fund’s shares on any business day that the Fund calculates its
NAV. It is the financial intermediary’s responsibility to transmit orders timely
to the Fund.
Your
share price will be based on the next NAV per share calculated after the
Transfer Agent or an Authorized Intermediary receives your redemption request in
good order. A redemption request will be deemed in “good order” if it
includes:
1.The
shareholder’s name;
2.The
name of the Fund;
3.The
account number;
4.The
share or dollar amount to be redeemed;
5.The
class of shares to be redeemed; and
6.Signatures
by all shareholders on the account (with signature(s) guaranteed, if
applicable).
Unless
you instruct the Transfer Agent otherwise, redemption proceeds will be sent to
the address of record. The Fund will not be responsible for interest lost on
redemption amounts due to lost or misdirected mail.
A
signature guarantee of each owner is required in the following
situations:
1.If
ownership is changed on your account;
2.When
redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account
not on record;
3.When
a redemption is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address has
changed within the last 15 calendar days; or
4.For
all redemptions in excess of $100,000 from any shareholder account.
Non-financial
transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an
account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a
Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication
from a financial institution source. Signature guarantees, from either a
Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, can be obtained from
banks and securities dealers, but not from a notary public.
The
Funds may elect in the future to limit eligible signature guarantors to
institutions that are members of a signature guarantee program. The Funds and
the Transfer Agent reserve the right to amend these standards at any time
without notice.
Under
normal circumstances, the Funds do not intend to redeem shares in any form
except cash. The Trust, however, has filed a notice of election under Rule 18f-1
of the 1940 Act that allows a Fund to redeem in-kind redemption requests during
any 90-day period in excess of the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of
the Fund, valued at the beginning of such period. If a Fund pays your redemption
proceeds by a distribution of securities, you could incur brokerage or other
charges in converting the securities to cash, and will bear any market risks
associated with such securities until they are converted into cash. The Fund
potentially could distribute MLP interests. The tax reporting of MLP investments
may be more complicated than the income tax reporting for stock and debt
investments in that you would receive a K-1, the
income
or loss would be subject to the passive activity loss limitation provisions in
the case of an individual or other non-corporate owners, and you may be subject
to state income tax filings and unrelated business income tax.
The
Funds will not accept a request to cancel or modify a written transaction once
processing has begun.
The
following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations affecting the Funds and their shareholders. The discussion
reflects applicable U.S. federal income tax laws of the U.S. as of the date of
this SAI, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the
courts or the IRS, possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to
present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income, estate or gift, or
state, local or foreign tax concerns affecting the Funds and their shareholders
(including shareholders owning large positions in a Fund). The discussion set
forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult
their own tax advisers to determine the tax consequences to them of investing in
the Funds.
In
addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor
with a special tax status, such as a financial institution, “real estate
investment trust,” insurance company, RIC, individual retirement account, other
tax-exempt entity, dealer in securities or foreign investor. Furthermore, this
discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax.
Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes the Funds’ stock and debt
securities are held by U.S. persons and that such shares and securities are held
as capital assets.
A
U.S. holder is a beneficial owner that is for U.S. federal income tax
purposes:
•A
citizen or individual resident of the United States (including certain former
citizens and former long-term residents);
•A
corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any
state thereof or the District of Columbia;
•An
estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation
regardless of its source; or
•A
trust with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise
primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. shareholders
have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or the trust has
made a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be
treated as a U.S. person.
A
“Foreign holder” is a beneficial owner of shares of the Funds that is an
individual, corporation, trust, or estate and is not a U.S. holder. If a
partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes) holds shares of the Funds, the tax treatment of a partner
in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the
activities of the partnership.
Each
series of the Trust is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax
purposes. The Funds, series of the Trust, intend to qualify and elect to be
treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, provided it complies with
all applicable requirements regarding the source of its income, diversification
of its assets and timing of distributions. If for any taxable year a Fund fails
to qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded to RICs, all of
its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate
rates (without any deduction for distributions to the Fund’s shareholders) and
its performance and income available for distribution will be
reduced.
As
long as the Funds meet certain requirements that govern the Funds’ source of
income, diversification of assets and distribution of earnings to shareholders,
the Funds will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income distributed
(or treated as distributed, as described below) to its shareholders. With
respect to the source of income requirement, the Funds must derive in each
taxable year at least 90% of its gross income (including tax-exempt interest)
from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans,
and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign
currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options,
futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing
in such shares, securities or currencies and (ii) net income derived from
interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships. A qualified publicly traded
partnership is generally defined as a publicly traded partnership under Section
7704 of the Code, but does not include a publicly traded partnership if 90% or
more of its income is described in (i) above.
With
respect to the diversification of assets requirement, the Funds must diversify
their holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year, (i) at
least 50% of the value of the Funds’ total assets is represented by cash and
cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other
securities, with such other securities limited for purposes of such calculation,
in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of
the Fund’s total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds’
total assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S.
government securities or the securities of other RICs), the securities (other
than the securities of other RICs) of any two or more issuers that the Funds
control and that are determined to be engaged in the same, similar or related
trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded
partnerships.
In
addition, pursuant to the Code, each Fund may invest no more than 25% of its
total assets in the securities of MLPs and other entities treated as qualified
publicly traded partnerships. A Fund will not be required to reduce a position
due solely to market value fluctuations in order to comply with the 25%
limitation in publicly traded partnerships, inclusive of MLP investments, but
will not be able to purchase additional MLP securities unless the Fund is in
compliance with the restriction.
Each
Fund’s policy is to distribute to its shareholders substantially all of its net
investment company taxable income and any net realized long-term capital gains
for each fiscal year in a manner that complies with the distribution
requirements of the Code, so that the Fund will not be subject to any federal
income or excise taxes based on net income. However, a Fund can give no
assurances that its anticipated distributions will be sufficient to eliminate
all taxes. If a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, it
would be taxed as a corporation and, in such case, it would be more beneficial
for a shareholder to directly own the Fund’s underlying investments rather than
indirectly owning the underlying investments through the Fund. If a Fund fails
to distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each
calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income for such year,
(ii) at least 98.2% of the excess of its realized capital gains over its
realized capital losses for the 12-month period ending on October 31 during
such year and (iii) any amounts from the prior calendar year that were not
distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax, the Fund will be
subject to a 4% excise tax.
Net
investment income generally consists of interest, dividends, operational income
from investments in MLP companies, and short-term capital gains, less expenses.
Net realized capital gains for a fiscal period are computed by taking into
account any capital loss carry forward of a Fund.
Distributions
of net investment income are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary
income. For individual shareholders, a portion of the distributions paid by a
Fund may consist of qualified dividends eligible for taxation at the rate
applicable to long-term capital gains to the extent the Fund designates the
amount distributed as a qualified dividend and the shareholder meets certain
holding period requirements with respect to his or her Fund shares. In the case
of corporate shareholders, a portion of the distributions may qualify for the
intercorporate dividends-received deduction to the extent a Fund designates the
amount distributed as eligible for deduction and the shareholder meets certain
holding period requirements with respect to its Fund shares. The aggregate
amount so designated to either individuals or corporate shareholders cannot,
however, exceed the aggregate amount of such dividends received by the Fund for
its taxable year. In view of each Fund’s investment policies, it is expected
that part (but not all) of the distributions by a Fund may be eligible for the
qualified dividend income treatment for individual shareholders and the
dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. Any distributions to
you in excess of a Fund’s investment company taxable income and net capital
gains will be treated by you, first, as a tax-deferred return of capital, which
is applied against and will reduce the adjusted tax basis of your shares and,
after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will generally constitute
capital gains.
Any
long-term capital gain distributions are taxable to shareholders as long-term
capital gains regardless of the length of time shares have been held. Net
capital gains distributions are not eligible for the qualified dividend income
treatment or the dividends-received deduction referred to in the previous
paragraph.
Any
distributions to you in excess of a Fund’s investment company taxable income and
net capital gains will be treated by you, first, as a tax-deferred return of
capital, which is applied against and will reduce the adjusted tax basis of your
shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will generally
constitute capital gains to you.
Under
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. “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). A Fund may choose to report the
special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to the shareholder, provided
both a Fund and a shareholder meet certain holding period requirements with
respect to their shares. A noncorporate shareholder receiving such dividends
would treat them as eligible for the 20% deduction, provided the RIC shares were
held by the shareholder for more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning
on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the shares become
ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. The amount of a RIC’s dividends
eligible for the 20% deduction for a taxable year is limited to the excess of
the RIC’s qualified REIT dividends for the taxable year over allocable
expenses.
Distributions
of any net investment income and net realized capital gains will be taxable as
described above, whether received in shares or in cash. Shareholders who choose
to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis
for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the NAV of a
share on the reinvestment date. Distributions are generally taxable when
received. However, distributions declared in October, November or December to
shareholders of record on a date in such a month and paid the following January
are taxable as if received on December 31. Distributions are includable in
alternative minimum taxable income in computing a noncorporate shareholder’s
liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Investment
income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject
to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld
generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The U.S. has entered into
tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle each Fund to a reduced
rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the
filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax
rate; whether or when a Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control
of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be
available to a Fund such as shareholder information; therefore, a Fund may not
receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have
conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which
may cause a Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims.
Other countries may subject capital gains realized by a Fund on sale or
disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to
determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of a
Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known.
A
redemption of Fund shares may result in recognition of a taxable gain or loss
and, if held as a capital asset, capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a
redemption of shares within six months from the date of their purchase will be
treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as
distributions of long-term capital gains received on those shares. Any loss
realized upon a redemption may be disallowed under certain wash sale rules to
the extent shares of a Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions
or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the redemption.
The
Funds are required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form 1099-B the cost
basis of shares purchased or acquired. However, cost basis reporting is not
required for certain shareholders, including shareholders investing a Fund
through a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an
individual retirement account. A Fund will calculate cost basis using the Fund’s
default method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation
method. For additional information regarding the Fund’s available cost basis
reporting methods, including its default method, please contact the Fund. If you
hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that
broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections
for your account.
Except
in the case of certain exempt shareholders, if a shareholder does not furnish a
Fund with its correct Taxpayer Identification Number and certain certifications
or the Fund receives notification from the IRS requiring back-up withholding,
the Fund is required by federal law to withhold federal income tax from the
shareholder’s distributions and redemption proceeds currently at a rate of 24%
for U.S. residents.
Gain
or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio
investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be
long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a
particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature
of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be
eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of
certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding
period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization
as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or
character, of certain gains or losses.
As
of November 30, 2022, the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund and the Energy
Infrastructure and Income Fund had short-term capital loss carryforwards of
$74,983,340 and $151,253,563, respectively, and the Energy Infrastructure Total
Return Fund and Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund had long-term capital loss
carryforwards of $878,539,532
and
$163,753,857, respectively, which may be carried forward for an unlimited period
under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010. In addition to
the total capital loss carryforward, the Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund
has a short-term carryforward of $60,744,580 and a long-term carryforward of
$72,317,852 that it inherited as the result of the merger with Tortoise MLP
& Energy Infrastructure Fund. These capital loss carryforwards are further
subject to an initial annual limitation of $147,395 and $175,344 in short-term
and long-term carryforwards, respectively, pursuant to Section 382. To the
extent the Funds realize future net capital gains, those gains will be offset by
any unused capital loss carryforwards. Capital loss carryforwards will retain
their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses. Thus, such
losses must be used first to offset gains of the same character; for example,
long-term loss carryforwards will first offset long-term gains, before they can
be used to offset short-term gains. For the Energy Infrastructure Total Return
Fund and Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund, the capital gains and losses
have been estimated based on information currently available and are subject to
revision upon receipt of the 2022 tax reporting information from the individual
MLPs. As of November 30, 2022, the Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund
utilized $70,323,993 of capital loss carryforwards in the current
year.
A
U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it
distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital
gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the
U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends
paid by a U.S. 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. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property
depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The
equity U.S. REIT, and in turn the Fund, may distribute this excess cash to
shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S.
REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in
the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable
income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the corporate
income tax rate 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.
While
non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize
taxation in the source country, an investment by the Fund in a non-U.S. REIT may
subject the Fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes,
transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate
acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. The Fund’s pro rata share of any such
taxes will reduce the Fund’s return on its investment. The Fund’s investment in
a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a passive foreign investment
company (“PFIC”), as discussed below. Additionally, foreign withholding taxes on
distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain
tax treaties. Also, the Fund in certain limited circumstances may be required to
file an income tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized
from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the
United States which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of
interests in U.S. real estate.
Under
a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a
portion of the Fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s
residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) or
equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Code as an
excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The
excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Fund,
will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in
proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same
consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or,
if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion
income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses
(subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will
constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including
qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh
plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially
requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and
otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and
pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not
qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at
any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally
includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt
organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated
investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a
tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year
that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the corporate
income tax rate. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon
regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be
no assurance that the Fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion
income.
These
rules are potentially applicable to the Fund with respect to any income it
receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either
directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S.
REIT.
A
Fund potentially could distribute MLP interests. The tax reporting of MLPs may
be more complicated than the income tax reporting for stock and debt investments
in that you would receive a K-1, the income or loss would be subject to the
passive activity loss limitation provisions in the case of an individual or
other non-corporate owners, and you may be subject to state income tax filings
and unrelated business income tax.
Foreign
taxpayers (including nonresident aliens) are generally subject to a flat
withholding rate, currently 30% on U.S. source income. This withholding rate may
be lower under the terms of a tax treaty.
Federal
Income Taxation of MLPs. MLPs are similar to corporations in many respects, but
differ in others, especially in the way they are taxed for federal income tax
purposes. A corporation is a distinct legal entity, separate from its
stockholders and employees and is treated as a separate entity for federal
income tax purposes as well. Like individual taxpayers, a corporation must pay a
federal income tax on its income. To the extent the corporation distributes its
income to its stockholders in the form of dividends, the stockholders must pay
federal income tax on the dividends they receive. For this reason, it is said
that corporate income is double-taxed, or taxed at two levels.
An
MLP that satisfies the Qualifying Income rules described below, and does not
elect otherwise, is treated for federal income tax purposes as a pass-through
entity. No federal income tax is paid at the partnership level. A partnership’s
income is considered earned by all the partners; it is allocated among all the
partners in proportion to their interests in the partnership (generally as
provided in the partnership agreement), and each partner pays tax on his, her or
its share of the partnership’s income. All the other items that go into
determining taxable income and tax owed are passed through to the partners as
well — capital gains and losses, deductions, credits, etc. Partnership income is
thus said to be single-taxed or taxed only at one level — that of the
partner.
The
Code generally requires “publicly traded partnerships” to be treated as
corporations for federal income tax purposes. However, if the publicly traded
partnership satisfies certain requirements and does not elect otherwise, the
publicly traded partnership will be taxed as a partnership for federal income
tax purposes, referred to herein as an MLP. Under these requirements, an MLP
must derive each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from Qualifying
Income.
Qualifying
Income for MLPs includes interest, dividends, real estate rents, gain from the
sale or disposition of real property, certain income and gain from commodities
or commodity futures, and income and gain from certain mineral or natural
resources activities. Mineral or natural resources activities that generate
Qualifying Income include income and gains from the exploration, development,
mining or production, processing, refining, transportation (including pipelines
transporting gas, oil or products thereof), or the marketing of any mineral or
natural resource (including fertilizer, geothermal energy, and
timber).
Because
the MLP itself does not pay federal income tax, its income or loss is allocated
to its investors, irrespective of whether the investors receive any cash payment
from the MLP. MLPs generally make quarterly cash distributions. Although they
resemble corporate dividends, MLP distributions are treated differently. The MLP
distribution is treated as a return of capital to the extent of the investor’s
basis in his MLP interest and, to the extent the distribution exceeds the
investor’s basis in the MLP interest, capital gain. The investor’s original
basis is the price paid for the units. The basis is adjusted downward, but not
below zero, with each distribution and allocation of deductions (such as
depreciation) and losses, and upwards with each allocation of
income.
When
the units are sold, the taxable gain or loss associated with such sale is based
on the difference between the adjusted cost basis (which was reduced by prior
return of capital distributions and allocations of deductions and increased by
allocations of income) and the sale price. In certain situations, that may
result in a taxable gain on the sale even though the sale price was lower than
the original investment. The partner generally will not be taxed as of a result
of distributions until (1) he sells his MLP units and pays tax on his gain,
which gain may have increased because of basis decreases that were created by
prior distributions; or (2) his basis reaches zero.
Certain
MLPs in which the Funds invest are permitted to reflect an income tax allowance
for taxes borne by their unitholders in setting the maximum applicable rates
chargeable to customers by their subsidiaries that are regulated interstate
natural gas pipelines. In order to avoid or reverse an adverse determination by
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) regarding these maximum rates,
these MLPs may require a unitholder to certify that the unitholder is an
individual or entity subject to United States federal income taxation on the
income generated by the MLP or, if the unitholder is an entity not subject to
United States federal income taxation on such income, that all the entity’s
owners are subject to United States federal income taxation on such income. Any
unitholder that fails to provide such a certification may be subject to adverse
consequences under the MLP’s partnership agreement. Certain energy MLPs
regulated by
FERC
have the right, but are not obligated, to redeem all of 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. In addition, the unitholder may lose the right
to any allocations of income or loss, distributions or voting rights with
respect to such units. There is little precedent as to how these certification
requirements are applied with respect to mutual fund partners, and it is not
clear whether a mutual fund would be able to provide a satisfactory
certification as to the tax status of its shareholders. In order to avoid the
adverse consequences described above the Funds may avoid investing in an MLP
that would otherwise be considered attractive.
This
discussion and the related discussion in the Prospectus have been prepared by
Fund management, and counsel to the Funds has expressed no opinion in respect
thereof.
This
section is not intended to be a full discussion of federal tax laws and the
effect of such laws on you. There may be other federal, state, foreign or local
tax considerations to a particular investor. You are urged to consult your own
tax adviser.
Each
Fund will receive income in the form of dividends and interest earned on its
investments in securities or, for a Fund that invests in MLP companies,
operational income from its investments in securities of MLP companies. This
income, less the expenses incurred in its operations, is the Fund’s net
investment income, substantially all of which will be distributed to the Fund’s
shareholders. The amount of each Fund’s distributions is dependent upon the
amount of net investment income received by that Fund from its portfolio
holdings, is not guaranteed, and is subject to the discretion of the Board. The
Funds do not pay “interest” or guarantee any fixed rate of return on an
investment in its shares.
Each
Fund may also derive capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other
dispositions of its portfolio securities. Any net gain a Fund may realize from
transactions involving investments held less than the period required for
long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing short-term
capital gains and losses (to the extent not offset by any capital loss
carryovers), although a distribution from capital gains, will be distributed to
shareholders with and as a part of the distributions of net investment income
giving rise to ordinary income. If during any year a Fund realizes a net gain on
transactions involving investments held for the period required for long-term
capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing long-term capital gains
and losses, the Fund will have a net long-term capital gain. After deduction of
the amount of any net short-term capital loss, the balance (to the extent not
offset by any capital losses carried over from the eight previous taxable years)
will be distributed and treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of the
shareholders regardless of the length of time the Fund’s shares may have been
held by the shareholders. For more information concerning applicable capital
gains tax rates, see your tax adviser.
Any
distribution paid by a Fund reduces that Fund’s NAV per share on the date paid
by the amount of the distribution per share. Accordingly, a distribution paid
shortly after a purchase of shares by a shareholder would represent, in
substance, a partial return of principal (to the extent it is paid on the shares
so purchased), even though it would be subject to income taxes.
Distributions
will be automatically reinvested in additional common shares, unless the
shareholder specifically has indicated otherwise. Investors have the right to
change their elections with respect to the reinvestment of distributions by
notifying the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone. However, any such
change will be effective only as to distributions for which the record date is
five or more calendar days after the Transfer Agent has received the written
request.