Mirae Asset Discovery Funds
Emerging Markets Fund
Emerging Markets Great Consumer Fund
|
Emerging Markets Fund |
Emerging
Markets Great Consumer Fund | |||
| Class A | ||||
| Class C | ||||
| Class I |
Prospectus
This prospectus contains information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Table of Contents
FUND SUMMARIES
The investment objective of Emerging Markets Fund (the “Fund”) is to achieve long-term capital growth.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay
if you buy and hold shares of the Fund, a series of Mirae Asset Discovery Funds
(the “Trust”).
| Class A | Class C | Class I | ||||||
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of the offering price) | ||||||||
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) for redemptions within one year of purchase (as a percentage of the original cost or redemption proceeds, whichever is less) (a 1.00% deferred sales charge may apply on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 18 months of purchase if purchased without an initial sales charge) |
| Class A | Class C | Class I | ||||||
| Management Fees | ||||||||
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | ||||||||
| Other Expenses | ||||||||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | ||||||||
| Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement* | ( |
( |
( | |||||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement* |
| * |
This
Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with
the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest
$10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your
shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your
investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same, taking into account the fee waiver/expense reimbursement in the
first year of each period.
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||
| Class A | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class C | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class I | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| 1 | Emerging Markets Fund |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||
| Class A | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class C | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class I | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when
it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio
turnover rate generally will indicate higher transaction costs and may result in
higher taxes when you hold Fund shares in a taxable account. These costs, which
are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect
the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio
turnover rate was
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, measured at the time of purchase, in equity securities (i) of issuers in emerging markets or (ii) that are tied economically to emerging markets, provided that, in either case, the issuers of any such securities are deemed by the Investment Manager to be Sector Leaders (defined below). Equity securities consist of common stock and related securities, such as preferred stock and depositary receipts.
The Investment Manager defines “Sector Leaders” to be those issuers that are highly ranked, or those that the Investment Manager expects to be highly ranked in the future, in terms of market share or market capitalization within their respective country, region, industry, products produced or services offered, as applicable.
In determining whether an issuer is, or is likely to be, highly ranked, the Investment Manager considers, among other things: (i) issuers with a sustainable long-term business model or strategy that the Investment Manager considers to be a competitive advantage; (ii) issuers with businesses that the Investment Manager expects to benefit from long-term economic trends; and (iii) issuers with management practices and philosophies that the Investment Manager considers beneficial to shareholder value.
The Investment Manager considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: (i) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community; (ii) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or (iii) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Investment Manager determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: (i) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, emerging markets; (iii) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and (iv) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets.
For market capitalization determination, the Investment Manager considers, on a country-by-country basis, the rankings published by generally recognized classification systems, such as the MSCI Global Industry Classification System (“MSCI GICS”). The Investment Manager may invest in issuers across all industry sectors, as defined by MSCI GICS.
For market share determination, the Investment Manager generally uses its proprietary analysis of an issuer’s competitive positioning within its respective industry on a province, state, country or regional basis. The Investment Manager also may consider product segments or types of services provided by an issuer that are outside of the issuer’s generally recognized industry classification. The Investment Manager’s proprietary analysis may include consideration of third-party data on market share.
The Investment Manager buys and sells securities based on its investment thesis for each issuer, judgment about the prices of the securities and valuations, portfolio cash management, market structural opportunities and concerns, and other macro-economic factors. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. Although the Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in issuers located in a single country or in a limited number of countries, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in at least three different countries. Under normal market conditions, the Fund intends to invest substantially all of its net assets in non-U.S. companies.
| 2 | Emerging Markets Fund |
The
Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective.
Asset Allocation Risk – The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend, in part, on the Investment Manager’s ability to select the best allocation of assets across the various emerging market countries. There is a risk that the Investment Manager’s evaluations and assumptions may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions.
Depositary Receipts Risk – There may be less material information available regarding issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the related foreign securities.
Foreign Securities Risk – Investments in foreign securities are generally considered riskier than investments in U.S. securities, and may be subject to different and, in some cases, less stringent regulatory and disclosure standards and investor protections than U.S. investments. Also, political concerns, fluctuations in foreign currencies, less publicly available information, and differences in taxation, trading, settlement, custodial and other operational practices may result in foreign investments being more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments. Foreign regulatory and fiscal policies may affect the ability to trade securities across markets. In addition, there may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment abroad. Foreign markets also may differ widely in trading and execution capabilities, liquidity and expenses, including brokerage and transaction costs. Brokerage and transaction costs are generally higher for foreign securities than for U.S. investments. Foreign investments typically are issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their values may be affected significantly by changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Moreover, foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Fund calculates its net asset value (“NAV”). Furthermore, certain foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate its NAV. As a result, the value of the Fund's holdings may change on days when shareholders are not able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares.
Emerging Markets Risk – The risks of foreign investments are typically greater in emerging market countries. For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be changing rapidly, which can cause instability and greater risk of loss. These countries are also more likely to experience higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, which could hurt their economies and securities markets. The information available about an emerging market issuer may be less reliable than for comparable issuers in more developed capital markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.
Equity Securities Risk; Stock Market Volatility – Equity securities include common and preferred stocks. Stock markets are volatile. The value of equity securities is affected by changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. Preferred stock may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.
Geographic Concentration Risk – The Fund may invest a substantial amount of its assets (i.e., more than 25% of its assets) in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. Social, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country or region could significantly affect the Fund’s performance. For example, as of the most recently completed fiscal year, the Fund was substantially invested in China. See “Risks of Investing in China” below.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk – The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading to achieve its principal investment objectives. Frequent trading increases transaction costs, which could detract from the Fund’s performance. This may also result in the realization and distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains as compared to a fund with less active trading policies, which would increase an investor’s tax liability unless shares are held through a tax deferred or exempt vehicle.
Inflation Risk – Inflation risk is the risk that the present value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. The present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions can decline as inflation increases.
Large-Cap Securities Risk – Securities issued by large-cap companies tend to be less volatile than securities issued by smaller companies. However, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during strong economic periods, and may be unable to respond as quickly to competitive challenges.
Legal and Regulatory Risk – The regulatory environment for funds is evolving, and legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur that may adversely affect the Fund.
| 3 | Emerging Markets Fund |
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk – Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, natural and environmental disasters, systemic market dislocations, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to increased market volatility, which may disrupt U.S. and world economies and markets and may have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the value of a Fund and its investments. Such events include the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit), the ongoing trade disputes between the United States and China, and the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The onset of COVID-19 has caused significant shocks to global financial markets and economies, with many governments taking extreme actions to slow and contain the spread of COVID-19 (including any variants). These actions have had, and likely will continue to have, a severe economic impact on global economies. The impact of this outbreak, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could negatively affect the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, individual companies and the market in general in significant and unforeseen ways. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses, such as COVID-19, in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. This crisis or other public health crises may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. Any such impact could adversely affect the Fund’s performance, or the performance of the securities in which the Fund invests and may lead to losses on your investment in the Fund.
Risks of Investing in Asia – There are specific risks associated with investing in Asia, including the risk of severe political or military disruption. The development of Asian economies, and particularly those of China, Japan and South Korea, may also be affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea, including the ongoing military threat from North Korean forces. Other significant ongoing political and military factors in Asia that may affect Asian economies and markets include the Chinese military threat to Taiwan and the South China Seas, as well as nuclear arms threats between India and Pakistan.
Asia comprises countries in all stages of economic development. The majority of the economies in the region can be characterized as either developing or newly industrialized. The smaller size of certain developing economies in Asia may result in a high concentration of holdings and high trading volume in a small number of issuers in such economies. For example, India experiences many of the market risks associated with developing economies, including relatively low levels of liquidity, which may result in extreme volatility in the prices of Indian securities. In addition, as another example, securities trading on South Korean securities markets are concentrated in a relatively small number of issuers, which results in potentially fewer opportunities. Also, South Korea’s financial sector has shown certain signs of systemic weakness and illiquidity, which could be a material risk for investments in South Korea. Furthermore, brokers in such markets generally are fewer in number and less well- capitalized than brokers in the United States, increasing the risk of default and delay in settlement. The limited size of the markets for some Asian securities can also make them more susceptible to investor perceptions, which can impact their value and liquidity.
Risks of Investing in China – Investments in China and Hong Kong are subject to special risks. The Chinese government continues to heavily influence the course of the Chinese markets. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies that may be connected to governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. China’s aging infrastructure, growing income inequality and worsening environmental conditions also are factors that may affect the Chinese economy. In addition, any attempt by China to exert control over Hong Kong’s economic, political or legal structures or its existing social policy, could negatively affect investor confidence in Hong Kong, thereby negatively affecting markets and business performance and adversely affecting the Fund’s investments.
Risks of Investing in China A Shares – The Fund has access to certain eligible China A Shares via the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Shenzen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (“Stock Connect”). Stock Connect is a mutual market access program through which foreign investors such as the Fund can deal in selected securities listed on a China stock exchange through the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (“SEHK”) and the clearing house in Hong Kong. Stock Connect allows overseas investors such as the Fund to purchase and hold securities listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzen Stock Exchange; and allows investors from China to purchase and hold shares listed on the SEHK. While Stock Connect provides a new channel for investors from Hong Kong and overseas to access the China stock market directly, Stock Connect is novel in nature. As a result, investing in China A Shares through Stock Connect presents various risks, including, but not limited to, market, regulatory and operational risks.
Selection Risk – The securities selected by the Fund may underperform the market or other securities selected by other funds.
Small- and Mid-Cap Securities Risk – Securities of small- and mid-sized companies may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than securities of larger companies. Small- and mid-cap companies may have limited financial resources, product lines and markets, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volumes than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs.
You should consider an investment in the Fund as a long-term investment. The Fund’s returns will fluctuate over long and short periods.
| 4 | Emerging Markets Fund |
The bar
chart and table below provide an indication of the risks of an investment in the
Fund.
The bar chart below shows the Fund’s annual returns for Class I Shares. The returns for Class A Shares and Class C Shares will be lower than Class I Shares’ returns shown in the bar chart because the expenses of the classes differ.
| - |
| * | The performance information shown above is
based on a calendar year. The Class I Shares |
The
table below shows returns on a before-tax and after-tax basis.
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2021) |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||
| Class I | |||||||||
| Return Before Taxes | |||||||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | |||||||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | |||||||||
| Class A Returns Before Taxes | - |
||||||||
| Class C Returns Before Taxes | - |
||||||||
| MSCI Emerging Markets Index |
- |
| 5 | Emerging Markets Fund |
Management
Investment Manager and Sub-Manager
Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA) LLC (previously defined as “Mirae Asset USA” or the “Investment Manager”) is the investment manager for the Fund. Mirae Asset USA has retained Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. (“Mirae Asset Hong Kong”) to act as sub-manager to portions of the Fund’s portfolio. The term “Investment Manager” may also refer to the Fund’s sub- manager, as applicable.
Portfolio Managers
William Malcolm Dorson, Portfolio Manager for the Investment Manager, Rahul Chadha, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Mirae Asset Hong Kong, and Phil Lee, Portfolio Manager of Mirae Asset Hong Kong, are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Dorson has managed the Fund since December 2016; Mr. Chadha has managed the Fund since its inception; and Mr. Lee has managed the Fund since April 28, 2021.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on days when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading at the Fund’s next determined net asset value after the transfer agent receives your request in good order by: mail (Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, P.O. Box 183165, Columbus, Ohio 43218-3165); telephone (1-888-335-3417); or through your financial intermediary. Shares may be purchased, and redemption proceeds received, by electronic bank transfer, by check, or by wire. Investment minimums for Class A and Class C Shares are generally as set forth in the table below.
| Type of Account | Minimum Initial Investment |
Minimum
Subsequent Investment |
||||
| Regular | $2,000 | $100 | ||||
| IRA and Roth IRA | $500 | $50 | ||||
| Coverdell Education Savings Account (Educational IRA) | $500 | $50 | ||||
| Systematic Investment Plan | $500 | $50 |
The minimum initial investment for Class I Shares of the Fund is $250,000, subject to certain exceptions. The minimum subsequent investment for Class I Shares of the Fund is $25,000. The Fund may reduce or waive the minimums set forth above in its discretion.
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund may be subject to federal income taxes and may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gain tax rates, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a retirement plan, in which case you may be subject to federal income tax upon withdrawal from such tax deferred arrangements. In addition, dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund also may be subject to state and local taxes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
| 6 | Emerging Markets Fund |
The investment objective of Emerging Markets Great Consumer Fund (“EM Great Consumer Fund” or the “Fund”) is to achieve long-term capital growth.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay
if you buy and hold shares of the Fund, a series of Mirae Asset Discovery Funds
(the “Trust”).
| Class A | Class C | Class I | |||||
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of the offering price) | |||||||
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) for redemptions within one year of purchase (as a percentage of the original cost or redemption proceeds, whichever is less) (a 1.00% deferred sales charge may apply on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 18 months of purchase if purchased without an initial sales charge) |
| Class A | Class C | Class I | |||||||
| Management Fees | |||||||||
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | |||||||||
| Other Expenses | |||||||||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |||||||||
| Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement* | ( |
( |
( |
||||||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement* |
| * |
This
Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with
the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest
$10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your
shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your
investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses
remain the same, taking into account the fee waiver/expense reimbursement in the
first year of each period.
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||
| Class A | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class C | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class I | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| 7 | EM Great Consumer Fund |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||
| Class A | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class C | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||||||||
| Class I | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when
it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio
turnover rate generally will indicate higher transaction costs and may result in
higher taxes when you hold Fund shares in a taxable account. These costs, which
are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect
the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio
turnover rate was
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, measured at the time of purchase, in equity securities (i) of issuers in emerging markets or (ii) that are tied economically to emerging markets, provided that, in either case, the issuers of any such securities are expected to be beneficiaries of the increasing consumption and growing purchasing power of individuals in the world’s emerging markets. Equity securities consist of common stock and related securities, such as preferred stock and depositary receipts.
The Investment Manager’s Great Consumer investment strategy focuses on investments that the Investment Manager believes will benefit from the collective direct and indirect economic effect resulting from increased consumption activities and growing purchasing power of individuals within the world’s emerging economies.
The Investment Manager considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: (i) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community; (ii) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or
(iii) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Investment Manager determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: (i) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; (iii) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and (iv) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets.
The Investment Manager expects that emerging markets will experience rapid growth in domestic consumption driven by key trends such as population growth, increasing industrialization, income growth, wealth accumulation, increasing consumption among youths and the pursuit of a higher quality of life. The Fund will invest in issuers across a range of industry sectors that may benefit from increasing consumption in emerging markets. Such industries may include, but are not limited to, consumer staples, consumer discretionary, financial, information technology, healthcare and telecommunication services.
The Investment Manager buys and sells securities based on its investment thesis for each issuer, judgment about the prices of the securities and valuations, portfolio cash management, market structural opportunities and concerns, and other macro-economic factors. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. Although the Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in issuers located in a single country or in a limited number of countries, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in at least three different countries. Under normal market conditions, the Fund intends to invest substantially all of its net assets in non-U.S. companies.
The
Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective.
Asset Allocation Risk – The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend, in part, on the Investment Manager’s ability to select the best allocation of assets across the various emerging market countries. There is a risk that the Investment Manager’s evaluations and assumptions may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions.
Depositary Receipts Risk – There may be less material information available regarding issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the related foreign securities.
| 8 | EM Great Consumer Fund |
Foreign Securities Risk – Investments in foreign securities are generally considered riskier than investments in U.S. securities, and may be subject to different and, in some cases, less stringent regulatory and disclosure standards and investor protections than U.S. investments. Also, political concerns, fluctuations in foreign currencies, less publicly available information, and differences in taxation, trading, settlement, custodial and other operational practices may result in foreign investments being more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments. In addition, there may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment abroad. Foreign regulatory and fiscal policies may affect the ability to trade securities across markets. Foreign markets also may differ widely in trading and execution capabilities, liquidity and expenses, including brokerage and transaction costs. Brokerage and transaction costs are generally higher for foreign securities than for U.S. investments. Foreign investments typically are issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their values may be affected significantly by changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Moreover, foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. Furthermore, certain foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate its NAV. As a result, the value of the Fund's holdings may change on days when shareholders are not able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares.
Emerging Markets Risk – The risks of foreign investments are typically greater in emerging market countries. For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be changing rapidly, which can cause instability and greater risk of loss. These countries are also more likely to experience higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, which could hurt their economies and securities markets. The information available about an emerging market issuer may be less reliable than for comparable issuers in more developed capital markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.
Equity Securities Risk; Stock Market Volatility – Equity securities include common and preferred stocks. Stock markets are volatile. The value of equity securities is affected by changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. Preferred stock may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.
Geographic Concentration Risk – The Fund may invest a substantial amount of its assets (i.e., more than 25% of its assets) in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. Social, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax or economic policy in a country or region could significantly affect the Fund’s performance. For example, as of the most recently completed fiscal year, the Fund was substantially invested in China. See “Risks of Investing in China” below.
Inflation Risk – Inflation risk is the risk that the present value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. The present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions can decline as inflation increases.
Large-Cap Securities Risk – Securities issued by large-cap companies tend to be less volatile than securities issued by smaller companies. However, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during strong economic periods, and may be unable to respond as quickly to competitive challenges.
Legal and Regulatory Risk – The regulatory environment for funds is evolving, and legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur that may adversely affect the Fund.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk – Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, natural and environmental disasters, systemic market dislocations, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to increased market volatility, which may disrupt U.S. and world economies and markets and may have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the value of a Fund and its investments. Such events include the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit), the ongoing trade disputes between the United States and China and the current military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The onset of COVID-19 has caused significant shocks to global financial markets and economies, with many governments taking extreme actions to slow and contain the spread of COVID-19 (including any variants). These actions have had, and likely will continue to have, a severe economic impact on global economies. The impact of this outbreak, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could negatively affect the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, individual companies and the market in general in significant and unforeseen ways. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses, such as COVID-19, in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. This crisis or other public health crises may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. Any such impact could adversely affect the Fund’s performance, or the performance of the securities in which the Fund invests and may lead to losses on your investment in the Fund.
Risks of Investing in Asia – There are specific risks associated with investing in Asia, including the risk of severe political or military disruption. The development of Asian economies, and particularly those of China, Japan and South Korea, may also be affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea, including the ongoing military threat from North Korean forces. Other significant ongoing political and military factors in Asia that may affect Asian economies and markets include the Chinese military threat to Taiwan and the South China Seas, as well as nuclear arms threats between India and Pakistan.
| 9 | EM Great Consumer Fund |
Asia comprises countries in all stages of economic development. The majority of the economies in the region can be characterized as either developing or newly industrialized. The smaller size of certain developing economies in Asia may result in a high concentration of holdings and high trading volume in a small number of issuers in such economies. For example, India experiences many of the market risks associated with developing economies, including relatively low levels of liquidity, which may result in extreme volatility in the prices of Indian securities. In addition, as another example, securities trading on South Korean securities markets are concentrated in a relatively small number of issuers, which results in potentially fewer opportunities. Also, South Korea’s financial sector has shown certain signs of systemic weakness and illiquidity, which could be a material risk for investments in South Korea. Furthermore, brokers in such markets generally are fewer in number and less well- capitalized than brokers in the United States, increasing the risk of default and delay in settlement. The limited size of the markets for some Asian securities can also make them more susceptible to investor perceptions, which can impact their value and liquidity.
Risks of Investing in China – Investments in China and Hong Kong are subject to special risks. The Chinese government continues to heavily influence the course of the Chinese markets. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies that may be connected to governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. China’s aging infrastructure, growing income inequality and worsening environmental conditions also are factors that may affect the Chinese economy. In addition, any attempt by China to exert control over Hong Kong’s economic, political or legal structures or its existing social policy, could negatively affect investor confidence in Hong Kong, thereby negatively affecting markets and business performance and adversely affecting the Fund’s investments.
Risks of Investing in China A Shares – The Fund has access to certain eligible China A Shares via the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Shenzen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (“Stock Connect”). Stock Connect is a mutual market access program through which foreign investors such as the Fund can deal in selected securities listed on a China stock exchange through the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (“SEHK”) and the clearing house in Hong Kong. Stock Connect allows overseas investors such as the Fund to purchase and hold securities listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzen Stock Exchange; and allows investors from China to purchase and hold shares listed on the SEHK. While Stock Connect provides a new channel for investors from Hong Kong and overseas to access the China stock market directly, Stock Connect is novel in nature. As a result, investing in China A Shares through Stock Connect presents various risks, including, but not limited to, market, regulatory and operational risks.
Selection Risk – The securities selected by the Fund may underperform the market or other securities selected by other funds.
Small- and Mid-Cap Securities Risk – Securities of small- and mid-sized companies may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than securities of larger companies. Small- and mid-cap companies may have limited financial resources, product lines and markets, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volumes than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs.
You should consider an investment in the Fund as a long-term investment. The Fund’s returns will fluctuate over long and short periods.
The bar
chart and table below provide an indication of the risks of an investment in the
Fund.
| 10 | EM Great Consumer Fund |
The bar chart below shows the Fund’s annual returns for Class I Shares. The returns for Class A Shares and Class C Shares will be lower than Class I Shares’ returns shown in the bar chart because the expenses of the classes differ.
| - |
| * | The performance information shown above is
based on a calendar year. The Class I Shares |
The
table below shows returns on a before-tax and after-tax basis.
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2021) |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||
| Class I | |||||||||
| Return Before Taxes | - |
||||||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | - |
||||||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | - |
||||||||
| Class A Returns Before Taxes | - |
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| Class C Returns Before Taxes | - |
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| MSCI Emerging Markets Index |
- |
Management
Investment Manager and Sub-Manager
Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA) LLC (previously defined as “Mirae Asset USA” or the “Investment Manager”) is the investment manager for the Fund. Mirae Asset USA has retained Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. (“Mirae Asset Hong Kong”) to act as sub-manager to portions of the Fund’s portfolio. The term “Investment Manager” may also refer to the Fund’s sub-manager, as applicable.
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Portfolio Managers
William Malcolm Dorson, Portfolio Manager for the Investment Manager, Joohee An, Senior Portfolio Manager of Mirae Asset Hong Kong, and Sol Ahn, Portfolio Manager of Mirae Asset Hong Kong, are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Dorson has managed the Fund since December 2016; Ms. An has managed the Fund since its inception; and Ms. Ahn has managed the Fund since April 2019.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on days when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading at the Fund’s next determined net asset value after the transfer agent receives your request in good order: by mail (Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, P.O. Box 183165, Columbus, Ohio 43218-3165); by telephone (1-888-335-3417); or through your financial intermediary. Shares may be purchased, and redemption proceeds received, by electronic bank transfer, by check, or by wire. Investment minimums for Class A and Class C Shares are generally as set forth in the table below.
| Type of Account | Minimum
Initial Investment |
Minimum
Subsequent Investment | ||
| Regular | $2,000 | $100 | ||
| IRA and Roth IRA | $500 | $50 | ||
| Coverdell Education Savings Account (Educational IRA) | $500 | $50 | ||
| Systematic Investment Plan | $500 | $50 |
The minimum initial investment for Class I Shares of the Fund is $250,000, subject to certain exceptions. The minimum subsequent investment for Class I Shares of the Fund is $25,000. The Fund may reduce or waive the minimums set forth above in its discretion.
Tax Information
Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund may be subject to federal income taxes and may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gain tax rates, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a retirement plan, in which case you may be subject to federal income tax upon withdrawal from such tax deferred arrangements. In addition, dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund also may be subject to state and local taxes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
EMERGING MARKETS FUND
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to achieve long-term capital growth. The Fund considers its investment objective to be a fundamental policy that cannot be changed without shareholder approval.
Investment Manager and Sub-Manager
Mirae Asset USA is the investment manager for the Fund. Mirae Asset USA has retained Mirae Asset Hong Kong to act as sub-manager to portions of the Fund’s portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, measured at the time of purchase, in equity securities (i) of issuers in emerging markets or (ii) that are tied economically to emerging markets, provided that, in either case, the issuers of any such securities are deemed by the Investment Manager to be Sector Leaders (as defined below). This is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund; such policy may be changed with Board approval (shareholder approval is not required), with 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders.
The Investment Manager defines “Sector Leaders” to be those issuers that are highly ranked, or those that the Investment Manager expects to be highly ranked in the future, in terms of market share or market capitalization within their respective country, region, industry, products produced or services offered, as applicable.
In determining whether an issuer is, or is likely to be, highly ranked, the Investment Manager considers, among other things: (i) issuers with a sustainable long-term business model or strategy that the Investment Manager considers to be a competitive advantage; (ii) issuers with businesses that the Investment Manager expects to benefit from long-term economic trends; and (iii) issuers with management practices and philosophies that the Investment Manager considers beneficial to shareholder value.
The Investment Manager considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: (i) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community; (ii) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or (iii) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Investment Manager determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: (i) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; (iii) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and (iv) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets.
For market capitalization determination, the Investment Manager considers, on a country-by-country basis, the rankings published by generally recognized classification systems, such as the MSCI GICS. The Investment Manager may invest in issuers across all industry sectors, as defined by MSCI GICS.
For market share determination, the Investment Manager generally uses its proprietary analysis of an issuer’s competitive positioning within its respective industry on a province, state, country or regional basis. The Investment Manager also may consider product segments or types of services provided by an issuer that are outside of the issuer’s generally recognized industry classification. The Investment Manager’s proprietary analysis may include consideration of third-party data on market share.
The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securities that are traded in currencies other than U.S. dollars; therefore, the Fund may buy and sell foreign (non-U.S.) currencies to facilitate transactions in portfolio securities. The Fund usually does not hedge against possible variations in exchange rates.
The Fund may sell a security for a variety of reasons. At any given time, the Fund may sell a security that the Investment Manager thinks is approaching full valuation. Additionally, the Fund may sell a security if changing circumstances affect the original reasons for its purchase, a company exhibits deteriorating fundamentals, or more attractive opportunities are identified. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. Equity securities consist of common stock and related securities, such as preferred stock and depositary receipts. Depositary receipts represent ownership of securities in foreign companies and are held in banks and trust companies. They can include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), which are traded in U.S. markets and are U.S. dollar- denominated, Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), which are traded in foreign markets and may not be denominated in the same currency as the security they represent.
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The Investment Manager generally seeks to manage risk through diversification of issuers across regions, countries and industry sectors. Although the Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in issuers located in a single country or in a limited number of countries, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in at least three different countries. Under normal market conditions, the Fund intends to invest substantially all of its net assets in non-U.S. companies.
EMERGING MARKETS GREAT CONSUMER FUND
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to achieve long-term capital growth. The Fund considers its investment objective to be a fundamental policy that cannot be changed without shareholder approval.
Investment Manager and Sub-Manager
Mirae Asset USA is the investment manager for the Fund. Mirae Asset USA has retained Mirae Asset Hong Kong to act as sub- manager to portions of the Fund’s portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, measured at the time of purchase, in equity securities (i) of issuers in emerging markets or (ii) that are tied economically to emerging markets, provided that, in either case, the issuers of any such securities are expected to be beneficiaries of the increasing consumption and growing purchasing power of individuals in the world’s emerging markets. This is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund; such policy may be changed with Board approval (shareholder approval is not required), with 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders.
The Investment Manager’s Great Consumer investment strategy focuses on investments that the Investment Manager believes will benefit from the collective direct and indirect economic effect resulting from increased consumption activities and growing purchasing power of individuals within the world’s emerging economies.
The Investment Manager considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: (i) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community; (ii) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or (iii) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Investment Manager determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: (i) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; (iii) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and (iv) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets.
The Investment Manager expects that emerging markets will experience rapid growth in domestic consumption driven by key trends such as population growth, increasing industrialization, income growth, wealth accumulation, increasing consumption among youths and the pursuit of a higher quality of life. The Fund will invest in issuers across a range of industry sectors that may benefit from increasing consumption in emerging markets. Such industries may include, but are not limited to, consumer staples, consumer discretionary, financial, information technology, healthcare and telecommunication services.
The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securities that are traded in currencies other than U.S. dollars; therefore, the Fund may buy and sell foreign (non-U.S.) currencies to facilitate transactions in portfolio securities. The Fund usually does not hedge against possible variations in exchange rates.
The Fund may sell a security for a variety of reasons. At any given time, the Fund may sell a security that the Investment Manager thinks is approaching full valuation. Additionally, the Fund may sell a security if changing circumstances affect the original reasons for its purchase, a company exhibits deteriorating fundamentals, or more attractive opportunities are identified. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. Equity securities consist of common stock and related securities, such as preferred stock and depositary receipts. Depositary receipts represent ownership of securities in foreign companies and are held in banks and trust companies. They can include ADRs, which are traded in U.S. markets and are U.S. dollar-denominated, and GDRs and EDRs, which are traded in foreign markets and may not be denominated in the same currency as the security they represent. Although the Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in issuers located in a single country or in a limited number of countries, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in at least three different countries. Under normal market conditions, the Fund intends to invest substantially all of its net assets in non-U.S. companies.
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OTHER INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Illiquid Investments. Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. A security is considered illiquid if the Fund reasonably expects it 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 (including repurchase agreements in excess of seven days).
Initial Public Offerings. Each Fund may, from time to time, invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings.
Rights. Each Fund may purchase securities pursuant to the exercise of subscription rights. Subscription rights allow an issuer’s existing shareholders to purchase additional common stock at a price substantially below the market price of the shares.
Temporary Defensive Investments. As a temporary defensive measure, each Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in other types of securities such as nonconvertible debt securities, government and money market securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, or may hold cash. A Fund may make these investments or increase its investment in these securities when the Investment Manager is unable to find enough attractive long-term investments, to reduce exposure to such Fund’s primary investments when the Investment Manager believes it is advisable to do so, or to meet anticipated levels of redemptions. Each Fund normally will invest a portion of its portfolio in U.S. dollars or short-term interest bearing U.S. dollar denominated securities to provide for possible redemptions. Investments in short-term debt securities can be sold easily and have limited risk of loss but earn only limited returns. Temporary defensive investments may limit a Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective.
Warrants. A warrant gives a Fund the right to buy stock and specifies the amount of underlying stock, the purchase or exercise price, and the date the warrant expires. A Fund has no obligation to exercise the warrant. A warrant has value only if the Fund is able to exercise it or sell it before it expires.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
The Funds cannot guarantee that they will achieve their respective investment objectives. Many factors affect the Funds’ performance. Each Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions and interest rates and in response to other economic, political, or financial developments. A Fund’s reaction to these developments will be affected by the types of securities in which the Fund invests, the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of an issuer, and the Fund’s level of investment in the securities of that issuer. When you sell your shares, they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you could lose money.
The following are certain risks associated with investing in the Funds. Each Fund’s summary highlights certain risks associated with investing in that Fund. The principal risks of investing in a Fund may change over time as the Investment Manager adapts to changing market conditions in pursuit of that Fund’s long-term investment objective. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” related to an investment in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
Asset Allocation Risk. All Funds. Each Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend, in part, on the Investment Manager’s ability to select the best allocation of assets across the various countries and regions. There is a risk that the Investment Manager’s evaluations and assumptions may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions.
Depositary Receipts Risk. All Funds. There may be less material information available regarding issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the related foreign securities.
Foreign Securities Risk. All Funds. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. These risks include fluctuations in foreign currencies; imposition of additional taxes; trading, settlement, custodial and other operational risks; and risks arising from the less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of some foreign markets. All of these factors can make foreign investments more volatile and potentially less liquid than U.S. investments. In addition, foreign markets can perform differently from the U.S. market. Foreign investments involve special risks, including:
Currency Risk: Foreign investments typically are issued and traded in foreign currencies. When a Fund invests in foreign currencies or securities that trade in foreign currencies, the Fund may be adversely affected by the changes in exchange rates of foreign currencies. When the foreign currencies depreciate relative to the U.S. dollar, a Fund’s investments in foreign currencies or securities that trade in foreign currencies may lose value.
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Foreign currencies may fluctuate due to various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in interest rates, foreign government interventions, adverse political or economic conditions of certain countries, changes in investors’ appetite for risk, and changes in policies of central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund.
Political and Economic Developments: The political, economic and social structures of certain countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Therefore, foreign investments remain subject to political, economic and social developments in such countries. In addition, foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, imposition of restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, and tax increases.
Limited Availability of Information and Legal Recourse: There may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most U.S. companies, since foreign companies are generally not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the United States. Legal remedies for investors in foreign companies may be more limited than the remedies available to investors in U.S. companies.
Limited Markets: Certain foreign investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than most U.S. investments, which means the Investment Manager may at times be unable to sell these foreign investments at desirable prices. For the same reason, it may at times be difficult to value a Fund’s foreign investments.
Foreign Banks and Securities Depositories Risk: Some foreign banks and securities depositories in which the Funds hold their foreign securities may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, brokerage commissions, and other costs of buying, selling or holding securities in foreign markets are often higher than in the United States. This can reduce amounts the Funds can earn on their investments. Foreign settlement and clearance procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically involved with the settlement of U.S. investments. Communications between the United States and emerging markets countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions. These problems may make it difficult for the Funds to carry out transactions.
Foreign Markets Closing: Foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. Furthermore, certain foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate its NAV. As a result, the value of the Fund's holdings may change on days when shareholders are not able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares.
Emerging Markets Risks. All Funds. The risks of foreign investments are typically greater in less developed countries. Risks of investment in developing or emerging economies and markets include (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) the smaller size of the securities markets and the lower volume of trading, which may result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies that may restrict the Funds’ investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests, or expropriation or confiscation of assets or property, which could result in the Funds’ loss of their entire investment in that market; (iv) less developed legal and regulatory structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (v) inaccurate, incomplete or misleading financial information on companies in which the Funds invest; (vi) securities of companies may trade at prices not consistent with traditional valuation measures; (vii) limitations on foreign ownership, which may impact the price of a security purchased or held by the Funds; and (viii) higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation relative to more developed markets.
Equity Securities Risk. All Funds. Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, each of which represents an ownership interest in a company. The value of a company’s equity securities may fluctuate as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. The price of equity securities also may fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries. In addition, they may be affected due to changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. Preferred stock may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.
Geographic Concentration Risk. All Funds. Certain of the Funds will invest primarily in securities of issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries; however, each of the Funds may invest a substantial amount of its assets (i.e., more than 25% of its assets) in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. Social, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country or region could significantly affect the market in that country or region. In addition, global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact the issuers of securities in a different country or region. From time to time, a small number of companies and industries may represent a large portion of the market in a particular country or region, and these companies and industries can be sensitive to adverse social, political, economic, or regulatory developments.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. Principal Risk for Emerging Markets Fund; Other Investment Risk for EM Great Consumer Fund. Each Fund may engage in active and frequent trading to achieve its principal investment objectives. Frequent trading increases transaction costs, which could detract from a Fund’s performance. This may also result in the realization and distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains as compared to a fund with less active trading policies, which would increase an investor’s tax liability unless shares are held through a tax deferred or exempt vehicle.
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Inflation Risk. All Funds. Inflation risk is the risk that the present value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. The present value of a Fund’s assets and distributions can decline as inflation increases.
Large-Cap Securities Risk. All Funds. Securities issued by large-cap companies tend to be less volatile than securities issued by smaller companies. However, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during strong economic periods, and may be unable to respond as quickly to competitive challenges.
Legal and Regulatory Risk. All Funds. Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur during the term of a Fund that may adversely affect the Fund. The regulatory environment for funds is evolving, and changes in the regulation of funds may adversely affect the value of investments held by a Fund and the ability of a Fund to obtain the leverage it might otherwise obtain or to pursue its trading strategy. In addition, the securities and futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements. The SEC, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies. The regulation of derivatives transactions and funds that engage in such transactions is an evolving area of law and is subject to modification by governmental and judicial action. On August 19, 2022, SEC Rule 18f-4 (the “Derivatives Rule”) went into effect. The Derivatives Rule regulates registered investment companies’ use of derivatives. The Derivatives Rule limits a Fund’s derivatives exposure, requires a Fund to adopt a derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager to manage the program and communicate to a Fund’s Board. In addition, in connection with the adoption of the Derivatives Rule, the SEC also prescribes the elimination of the asset segregation framework arising from prior SEC guidance for covering derivatives and certain financial instruments. With respect to reverse repurchase agreements or other similar financing transactions in particular, Rule 18f-4 permits a fund to enter into such transactions if the fund either (i) complies with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the Investment Company Act, and combines the aggregate amount of indebtedness associated with all tender option bonds or similar financing with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the relevant asset coverage ratio, or (ii) treats all tender option bonds or similar financing transactions as derivatives transactions for all purposes under Rule 18f-4. However, subject to certain conditions, funds that do not invest heavily in derivatives may be deemed “limited derivatives users” and would not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. To the extent a Fund uses derivatives, compliance with the Derivatives Rule could impact the effectiveness or raise the costs of a Fund’s derivatives transactions, impede the employment of the Fund’s derivatives strategies or adversely affect Fund performance and cause the Fund to lose value.
In recent years, the global financial markets have undergone pervasive and fundamental disruptions, which have led to extensive and unprecedented governmental intervention. Such intervention has in certain cases been implemented on an “emergency” basis, suddenly and substantially eliminating market participants’ ability to continue to implement certain strategies or manage the risk of their outstanding positions. In addition – as one would expect given the complexities of the financial markets and the limited time frame within which governments have felt compelled to take action – these interventions have typically been unclear in scope and application, resulting in confusion and uncertainty which in itself has been materially detrimental to the efficient functioning of the markets as well as previously successful investment strategies. It is impossible to predict what additional interim or permanent governmental restrictions may be imposed on the markets and/or the effect of such restrictions on the Funds’ strategies.
Risks of Investing in Asia. All Funds. There are specific risks associated with investing in Asia, including the risk of severe political or military disruption. The development of Asian economies, and particularly those of China, Japan and South Korea, may also be affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea, including the ongoing military threat from North Korean forces. Though efforts to ease tensions and to increase economic, cultural and humanitarian contacts between North Korea and South Korea have been made from time to time, the situation remains a source of tension and is currently volatile. There can be no assurance that such efforts will continue to occur or will ease discord between North Korea and South Korea or regional tensions. Lack of available information regarding North Korea is also a significant risk factor. Other significant ongoing political and military factors in Asia that may affect Asian economies and markets include the Chinese military threat to Taiwan and the South China Seas, as well as nuclear arms threats between India and Pakistan.
Asia comprises countries in all stages of economic development. The majority of the economies in the region can be characterized as either developing or newly industrialized. The smaller size of certain developing economies in Asia may result in a high concentration of holdings and high trading volume in a small number of issuers in such economies. For example, India experiences many of the market risks associated with developing economies, including relatively low levels of liquidity, which may result in extreme volatility in the prices of Indian securities. In addition, as another example, securities trading on South Korean securities markets are concentrated in a relatively small number of issuers, which results in potentially fewer opportunities. Also, South Korea’s financial sector has shown certain signs of systemic weakness and illiquidity, which could be a material risk for investments in South Korea. Furthermore, brokers in such markets generally are fewer in number and less well- capitalized than brokers in the United States, increasing the risk of default and delay in settlement. The limited size of the markets for some Asian securities can also make them more susceptible to investor perceptions, which can impact their value and liquidity.
Certain Asian countries rely heavily on international trade and may be vulnerable to trade barriers and other protectionist measures, as well as fluctuations in the prices of key exports, such as primary commodities, that could have an adverse effect on the value of a Fund’s portfolio.
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Some Asian economies may experience overextension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, rising unemployment, high inflation, underdeveloped financial services sectors, lack of publicly available information regarding issuers in the region, economic recessions, governmental intervention, political instability and less efficient markets. The economies of many Asian countries are dependent on the economies of the United States, Europe and other Asian countries, and events in any of these economies could negatively impact the economies of Asian countries. In addition, many of the economies of Asian countries are intertwined, which may cause them to experience recessions at the same time. Currency fluctuations, devaluations, trading restrictions and political and social instability in any one Asian country can have a significant effect on the entire Asian region.
Asian issuers are also subject to different laws and regulations than United States issuers, which may result in imperfect information and a lack of clarity. Standardized audit, accounting and financial standards, tax regulations and regulations and legislation pertaining to shareholders’ rights are less developed in Asian jurisdictions. As a corollary, legal and regulatory reforms in certain Asian countries may be untested in the courts and their implications for issuers and shareholders alike may remain unclear for some time.
Risk of Natural Disasters and Epidemics: Certain regions of Asia are susceptible to natural disasters that may have a severe impact on the value of a Fund’s investments. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19 virus was first detected in China and subsequently spread globally. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. Certain regions of Asia are particularly susceptible to earthquakes, for example, as has been the experience in Sichuan Province in China (most recently in 2008), as well as in Indonesia and other Asian nations.
Restrictions on Investment and Repatriation: Some countries impose restrictions and controls regarding investment by foreigners. Among other things, they may require prior governmental approvals, impose limits on the amount or types of securities that may be held by foreigners or impose limits on the types of companies in which foreigners may invest. These restrictions may at times limit or preclude a Fund’s investment in certain countries and may increase a Fund’s costs and expenses. Indirect foreign investment may, in some cases, be permitted through investment funds that have been specifically authorized for that purpose. Because of the limited number of authorizations granted in such countries, however, units or shares in most of the investment funds authorized in those countries may at times trade at a substantial premium over the value of their underlying assets. There can be no certainty that these premiums will be maintained, and if the restrictions on direct foreign investment in the relevant country were significantly liberalized, premiums might be reduced, eliminated altogether, or turned into a discount. In addition, certain countries impose restrictions and controls on repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in a country’s balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Investing in entities either in, or which have a substantial portion of their operations in, Asia may require a Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local government approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund. Controls may exist, in varying degrees, over the repatriation of capital and profits that result from foreign investment. There can be no assurance that a Fund will be permitted to repatriate capital or profits, if any, over the life of its activities.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk. All Funds. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to increased market volatility, which may disrupt U.S. and world economies and markets and may have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the value of a Fund and its investments. Such events include the continuing pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit) and the ongoing trade disputes between the United States and China. Likewise, natural and environmental disasters and systemic market dislocations may be highly disruptive to economies and markets. Those events as well as other changes in foreign and domestic economic and political conditions also could adversely affect individual issuers or related groups of issuers, securities markets, interest rates, credit ratings, inflation, investor sentiment and other factors affecting the value of a Fund and its investments. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses, such as COVID-19, in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market or region might adversely affect markets, issuers and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the United States. Securities and financial markets may be susceptible to market manipulation or other fraudulent trade practices, which could disrupt the orderly functioning of these markets or adversely affect the value of investments traded in these markets, including investments held by the Funds.
Governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with changes to fiscal and monetary policy, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. Certain of those policy changes have been and continue to be implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such policy changes may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities. The effect of recent efforts undertaken by the U.S. Federal Reserve to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the reduction of the federal funds target rate, and other monetary and fiscal actions that may be taken by the U.S. federal government to stimulate the U.S. economy, are not yet fully known. Although vaccines for COVID-19 have become more widely available, the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the outbreak of any variants, the pace of recovery (which may vary from market to market) and its full impacts are also unknown, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time, especially in certain sectors in which the Fund may make investments.
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The Funds could lose money due to the effects of a market disruption. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets. To satisfy any repurchase requests during periods of extreme volatility, such as those associated with COVID-19, it is more likely the Funds will be required to dispose of portfolio investments at unfavorable prices compared to their intrinsic value. You should review this prospectus and the SAI to understand the Funds’ discretion to implement temporary defensive measures.
On February 24, 2022, Russia commenced a military attack on Ukraine. The conflict and hostilities between the two countries could result in more widespread conflict and could have a severe adverse effect on the region and the market for securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas. In addition, sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other countries, and any sanctions imposed in the future could have a significant adverse impact on the Russian economy and related markets. How long such conflict will last and whether it will escalate further cannot be predicted. Impacts from the conflict and related events could have significant impact on the performance of the Funds, and the value of an investment in a Fund may decline significantly.
Risks of Investing in China. All Funds. China is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investors should bear in mind that significant market price swings may be expected in China, and such swings can disrupt the investment strategy of a Fund from time to time. In many instances, market prices may defy expectation for prolonged periods of time and are influenced by movements of large funds as a result of short-term factors, counter- speculative measures or other reasons. Market volatility of a significant magnitude can sometimes weaken what is deemed to be a sound fundamental basis for investing in a particular market such as China. Investment expectations may therefore fail to be realized in such instances.
The Chinese government has been reforming economic and market practices and providing a larger sphere for private ownership of property for over 30 years. While these reforms are intended to encourage economic growth and more market-oriented policies, the Chinese government may alter or discontinue such reforms at any time. Furthermore, the Chinese government continues to influence heavily the course of the Chinese markets, including through nationalization of companies or expropriation of assets and changes in the law. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies that may be connected to governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. China’s aging infrastructure, growing income inequality and worsening environmental conditions also are factors that may affect the Chinese economy. China’s dependence on exports makes the Chinese markets vulnerable to currency fluctuations, economic downturns in other countries and adverse developments in trade policies by China and/or its trading partners. Concerns exist regarding a potential trade war between China and the United States, which may trigger a significant reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry, all of which may have a negative impact on a fund’s investments. The legal and regulatory regime in China, especially as this relates to the securities market, is constantly evolving, and any such change may adversely affect the performance of the Funds.
Additionally, internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, could disrupt economic development in China. A state of hostility continues to exist between China and Taiwan, and territorial border disputes persist with certain neighboring countries. Chinese economic development is also vulnerable to developments on the Korean peninsula, including political tension or military actions, China’s relationship with Japan and the economic growth and stability of Hong Kong. There is also a greater risk involved in currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation as a result of internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries.
Hong Kong: Since Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, it has been governed by a quasi-constitution known as the “Basic Law.” The Basic Law guarantees a high degree of autonomy in certain matters until 2047, while defense and foreign affairs are the responsibility of the central government in Beijing. Any attempt by China to exert control over Hong Kong’s economic, political or legal structures or its existing social policy could negatively affect investor confidence in Hong Kong, thereby negatively affecting markets and business performance and adversely affecting the Fund’s investments. In addition, the Hong Kong dollar trades at a fixed exchange rate in relation to (or is “pegged” to) the U.S. dollar, currently HK$7.75 – $7.85 to US$1.00, which has contributed to the growth and stability of the Hong Kong economy. However, it is uncertain as to how long the currency peg will continue or what effect the establishment of an alternative exchange rate system would have on the Hong Kong economy.
Further, Hong Kong’s primary economic sectors, such as real estate, tourism, retail and finance, are volatile. It is not certain whether recent growth levels will be sustained. The economy of Hong Kong may be significantly affected by developments in China and elsewhere in Asia, the United States and Europe, including decreasing imports or changes in the trade policies of Hong Kong’s trading partners. This may have an adverse impact on the economy of Hong Kong, and therefore, the prospects of potential positive returns on a Fund’s investments.
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Risks of Investing in China A Shares All Funds. The Fund has access to certain eligible China A Shares via Stock Connect. Stock Connect is a mutual market access program through which foreign investors such as the Fund can deal in selected securities listed on a China stock exchange through the SEHK and the clearing house in Hong Kong. Stock Connect allows overseas investors such as the Fund to purchase and hold securities listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzen Stock Exchange; and allows investors from China to purchase and hold shares listed on the SEHK. While Stock Connect provides a new channel for investors from Hong Kong and overseas to access the China stock market directly, Stock Connect is novel in nature. As a result, investing in China A Shares through Stock Connect presents various risks, including, but not limited to:
Local Market Rules, Foreign Shareholding Restrictions and Disclosure Obligations: Under Stock Connect, China listed companies and trading of China A Shares are subject to market rules and disclosure requirements in the China stock market. Any changes in laws, regulations and policies of the China A Shares market or rules in relation to Stock Connect may affect share prices. There are also foreign shareholding trading quotas and other investment restrictions, trading suspensions and stock recalls, additional trading costs and disclosure obligations that are applicable to China A Shares acquired via Stock Connect. China A Shares are also subject to additional clearing and settlement default risk and custody risks. In addition, the Fund cannot assure that the Fund’s ownership of China A Shares acquired via Stock Connect or title thereto is assured in all circumstances because the shares are by the Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited as the nominee holder of the shares.
Operational Risk: Stock Connect is premised on the functioning of the operational systems of the relevant market participants. Market participants are able to participate in this program subject to meeting certain information technology capability, risk management and other requirements as may be specified by the relevant exchange and/or clearing house. Further, the “connectivity” in the Stock Connect program requires routing orders across the border and the development of new information technology systems on the part of the SEHK and exchange participants. There is no assurance that the systems of the SEHK and market participants will function properly or will continue to be adapted to changes and developments in both markets, which could disrupt trading in both markets through Stock Connect and the Funds’ ability to access the China A Share market and hence to pursue their investment strategy. In addition, Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore an investment in China A Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days when the Chinese markets are open but Stock Connect is not trading. In addition, investments through Stock Connect are not covered by Hong Kong or China’s investor compensation funds, and therefore the Fund would not be entitled to compensation from those funds for losses incurred as result of the default by a licenses intermediary.
Regulatory Risk: Stock Connect is subject to regulations promulgated by regulatory authorities and to implementation rules made by the stock exchanges in mainland China and Hong Kong. Further, new regulations may be promulgated from time to time by the regulators in connection with operations and cross-border legal enforcement in connection with cross-border trades under Stock Connect. The regulations are untested so far and there is no certainty as to how they will be applied. Moreover, the current regulations are subject to change. There can be no assurance that Stock Connect will not be abolished. The Funds which may invest in mainland China markets through Stock Connect may be adversely affected as a result of such changes.
Selection Risk. All Funds. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by the Fund will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. If a Fund’s expectations regarding particular stocks are not met, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Small- and Mid-Cap Securities Risk. All Funds. Securities of small- and mid-sized companies may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than securities of larger companies. Small- and mid-cap companies may have limited financial resources, product lines and markets, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volumes than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs.
Stock Market Volatility. All Funds. The value of equity securities fluctuates in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments. In the short term, equity prices, especially in foreign markets, can fluctuate dramatically in response to these developments. Different parts of the market and different types of equity securities can react differently to these developments. For example, “large cap” stocks can react differently from “small cap” stocks, and “growth” stocks can react differently from “value” stocks. Issuer, political, or economic developments can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry or economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Terrorism and related geo-political risks and public health crises, such as COVID-19, have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
OTHER INVESTMENT RISKS
Defensive Investment Strategies Risk. All Funds. Each Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies by temporarily investing for defensive purposes in short-term obligations (such as cash or cash equivalents) when adverse market, economic or political conditions exist. To the extent that a Fund invests defensively, it may not be able to pursue its investment objective. A Fund’s defensive investment position may not be effective in protecting its value.
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Initial Public Offering Risk. All Funds. Securities issued in initial public offerings have no trading history, and information about the issuers may be available for very limited periods. Under certain market conditions, a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. There is no guarantee that a Fund will be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs or that it may be able to invest to the extent desired because only a small portion of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, a Fund may only hold such securities for a short period of time. When a Fund’s size is smaller, any gains or losses from IPO securities may have an exaggerated impact on the Fund’s performance than when the Fund is larger. Although IPO investments may have a positive impact on the performance of a Fund, investors should not rely on past gains from IPOs as an indication of future performance. There can be no assurance that a Fund will have favorable IPO investment opportunities in the future or that a Fund’s investments in IPOs will have a positive impact on a Fund’s performance.
Issuer-Specific Risks. All Funds. Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can affect the value of a security or an instrument. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Liquidity Risk. All Funds. Liquidity of individual securities varies considerably. Illiquid investments may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments, and may be subject to wider fluctuations in market value. Also, the Funds may not be able to dispose of illiquid investments at a more favorable price or beneficial time.
Rights Risk. All Funds. The failure to exercise such rights would result in the dilution of a Fund’s interest in the issuing company. The market for such rights is not well developed, and, accordingly, the Fund may not always realize full value on the sale of rights.
Warrants Risk. All Funds. If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and a Fund loses any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock.
Cybersecurity and Disaster Recovery Risks. All Funds. Information and technology systems relied upon by the Funds, the Investment Manager, the sub-manager, the Funds’ service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodian, transfer agent, administrator, distributor and other financial intermediaries) and/or the issuers of securities in which a Fund invests may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons, security breaches, usage errors, power outages and catastrophic events such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Although the Investment Manager has implemented measures to manage risks relating to these types of events, if these systems are compromised, become inoperable for extended periods of time or cease to function properly, significant investment may be required to fix or replace them. The failure of these systems and/or of disaster recovery plans could cause significant interruptions in the operations of the Funds, the Investment Manager, the sub-manager, the Funds’ service providers and/or issuers of securities in which a Fund invests and may result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to investors (and the beneficial owners of investors), impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value or impede trading. Such a failure could also harm the reputation of the Funds, the Investment Manager and sub-manager, the Funds’ service providers and/or issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, subject such entities and their respective affiliates to legal claims or otherwise affect their business and financial performance.
CHANGES IN POLICIES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Changes in Policies. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) may change a Fund’s investment strategies and other policies without shareholder approval, except as otherwise indicated. Each Fund considers its investment objective to be a fundamental policy that cannot be changed without shareholder approval.
Additional Information on Investment Strategies and Risks. The Funds may invest in various types of securities and engage in various investment techniques and practices that are not the principal focus of the Funds and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. The types of securities and investment techniques and practices in which each Fund may engage are discussed, together with their risks, in the Funds’ SAI, which you may obtain by contacting the transfer agent, FIS Investor Services, LLC. See the back cover for the address and phone number.
Description of Fund Benchmarks. The following is a description of each Fund’s benchmark index. One cannot invest directly in an index.
Each Fund’s benchmark index is MSCI Emerging Markets Index, an unmanaged free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets.
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Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Funds disclose their month-end portfolio holdings on the Trust’s public website (http://investments.miraeasset.us) 30 days or more after the month-end. The Funds also disclose their top ten holdings approximately 15 days or more after calendar quarter-end. The Funds may also disclose the top three and bottom three performing holdings in quarterly commentaries that are released within 30 days after calendar quarter-end. A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures for disclosing its holdings is available in the Trust’s SAI. Each Fund files its portfolio holdings with the SEC and the holdings are publicly available twice each fiscal year on Form N-CSR (with respect to each annual and semi-annual period) and twice each fiscal year on Form N-PORT (with respect to the first and third quarters of the Fund’s fiscal year).
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA) LLC
Mirae Asset USA, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10036, is the investment manager for each of the Funds. Mirae Asset USA, an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), was organized in 2008 to provide investment advisory services for investment companies and other clients. Mirae Asset USA is indirectly majority-owned by Mirae Asset Global Investment Co., Ltd (“Mirae Asset Korea”) and indirectly minority-owned by Mirae Asset Hong Kong. As of June 30, 2022, Mirae Asset USA had approximately $5 billion in assets under management.
Under the investment management agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and Mirae Asset USA (the “Investment Management Agreement”), Mirae Asset USA agrees to provide, or arrange for the provision of, investment advisory and certain management services to the Funds, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Mirae Asset USA is also obligated to provide all the office space, facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to perform its duties thereunder.
Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd.
In accordance with the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, Mirae Asset USA has retained Mirae Asset Hong Kong to act as a sub-manager for Emerging Markets Fund and EM Great Consumer Fund. Mirae Asset Hong Kong, Level 15, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong, an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, was established in December 2003 and engages in portfolio management activities primarily for individuals, institutional investors and investment trusts. Mirae Asset Hong Kong is wholly owned by Mirae Asset Korea. As of April 29, 2022, Mirae Asset Hong Kong had approximately $6.93 billion in assets under management.
All Funds
For its services as investment manager, Mirae Asset USA is entitled to receive a monthly fee equal on an annual basis to a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund as set forth below:
| Fund | Rate of Management Fee | |
| Emerging Markets Fund | 0.99% | |
| EM Great Consumer Fund | 0.99% |
Mirae Asset USA has contractually agreed to waive its management fee through August 31, 2023 and, if necessary, to reimburse each Fund so that total operating expenses (excluding interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred as a result of the Fund’s investments and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) of such Fund do not exceed the following percentage of its average daily net assets:
| Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets | ||||||
| Class A | Class C | Class I | ||||
| Emerging Markets Fund | 1.40% | 2.15% | 1.15% | |||
| EM Great Consumer Fund | 1.40% | 2.15% | 1.15% | |||
If, within three years following any amounts waived or reimbursed with respect to any share class, the operating expenses of such share class paid by a Fund are less than the expense limit for such share class, the applicable share class of such Fund may have to repay Mirae Asset USA all or a portion of the fees waived or reimbursed during the three-year period. Amounts recaptured under the agreement, if any, are limited to the lesser of (i) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the recapture with respect to that share class under the agreement. To receive any such repayment, Mirae Asset USA or an affiliate must be the investment manager or administrator to the Fund at the time of payment, and the Board of Trustees must approve the payment of such reimbursement. The expense limitation agreement may be terminated prior to August 31, 2023 upon 90 days’ prior written notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund.
For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2022, Mirae Asset USA received from Emerging Markets Fund and EM Great Consumer Fund a management fee equal to 0.62% and 0.96%, respectively, of the average daily net assets of each Fund.
Pursuant to the sub-management agreement, with respect to each Fund, Mirae Asset USA compensates Mirae Asset Hong Kong out of the management fee it receives from the applicable Fund for providing sub-advisory services. Such fees are payable monthly at an annualized rate of the average daily net assets of each Fund as listed below.
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Emerging Markets Fund: 35% of those fees derived from assets allocated to, and managed by, the Sub-Manager. The minimum and maximum allocation amounts upon which the Sub-Manager is paid is 30% and 70%, respectively, of the average daily percentage of the Fund’s net assets.
EM Great Consumer Fund: 35% of those fees derived from assets allocated to, and managed by, the Sub-Manager. The minimum and maximum allocation amounts upon which the Sub-Manager is paid is 30% and 70%, respectively, of the average daily percentage of the Fund’s net assets.
A discussion of the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Investment Management Agreement with Mirae Asset USA with respect to each Fund and the sub-management agreement between Mirae Asset USA and Mirae Asset Hong Kong with respect to each applicable Fund is included in the Trust’s semi-annual shareholder report for the period ended October 31, 2021.
Portfolio Managers
The following provides additional information about the individual portfolio manager(s) who have or share primary responsibility for managing each Fund’s investments. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities of the Funds they manage.
Emerging Markets Fund
Information about William Malcolm Dorson, Rahul Chadha and Phil Lee, the portfolio managers jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of Emerging Markets Fund, is set forth below.
| Portfolio Managers | Since | Recent Professional Experience | ||
| William Malcolm Dorson | 2016 | William Malcolm Dorson is a Portfolio Manager focusing on the emerging markets ex-Asia. Prior to joining Mirae Asset as an investment analyst in 2015, Mr. Dorson was an investment analyst at Ashmore Group from 2013 to 2015 where he covered Latin America. From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Dorson worked at Citigroup, as an Assistant Vice President focusing on asset management for ultra-high net worth clients. Mr. Dorson began his career in 2006 as an analyst on the convertible securities team at Deutsche Bank. Mr. Dorson holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, an M.A. in International Studies from the Lauder Institute, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Dorson is based in New York and is fluent in Portuguese. | ||
| Rahul Chadha | 2010 | Rahul Chadha is a Co-Chief Investment Officer of Mirae Asset Hong Kong. Prior to joining Mirae Asset Hong Kong as a Senior Portfolio Manager in 2006, Mr. Chadha was with Aviva Life Insurance from 2003 to 2005 as a senior research analyst on their India team and with Standard Chartered Mutual Funds from 2005 to 2006 as a senior equity analyst responsible for sector coverage in India. He holds a Master of Finance and Control degree and a Bachelor of Business Studies degree from the University of Delhi and is fluent in Hindi. | ||
| Phil Lee | 2021 | Mr. Lee has been with Mirae Asset Hong Kong since 2007. He has lead the Asia Pacific Research Team since 2014 and started managing the Luxembourg-domiciled Mirae Asset Asia Growth Equity Fund in January 2015. He has also managed a number of China flagship funds domiciled in Luxembourg and Korea since March 2019. He is the author of the book titled “The Future of Asia Investment” (in Korean), in which he analyzed Asian investment opportunities. He is also a regular columnist to various news media in Korea. Phil earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Seoul National University. He speaks Korean, English and reads Mandarin. |
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EM Great Consumer Fund
Information about William Malcolm Dorson, Joohee An and Sol Ahn, the portfolio managers jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of EM Great Consumer Fund, is set forth below.
| Portfolio Managers | Since | Recent Professional Experience | ||
| William Malcolm Dorson | 2016 | William Malcolm Dorson is a Portfolio Manager focusing on the emerging markets ex-Asia. Prior to joining Mirae Asset as an investment analyst in 2015, Mr. Dorson was an investment analyst at Ashmore Group from 2013 to 2015 where he covered Latin America. From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Dorson worked at Citigroup, as an Assistant Vice President focusing on asset management for ultra-high net worth clients. Mr. Dorson began his career in 2006 as an analyst on the convertible securities team at Deutsche Bank. Mr. Dorson holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, an M.A. in International Studies from the Lauder Institute, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Dorson is based in New York and is fluent in Portuguese. | ||
| Joohee An | 2010 | Joohee An is a Senior Portfolio Manager with Mirae Asset Hong Kong, where she manages investments in the Asia region and is a core member of the Global Investment Team in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Mirae Asset Hong Kong as a Portfolio Manager/Investment Analyst in 2009, Ms. An was at Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Ltd. in Seoul, where she worked as an investment analyst and portfolio manager from 2006 to 2009. She was an equity analyst at LG Securities from 2004 to 2006. Ms. An has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Yonsei University and is fluent in Korean. | ||
| Sol Ahn | 2019 | Sol Ahn is a Portfolio Manager at Mirae Asset Hong Kong, where she focuses on researching and analyzing companies in the consumer discretionary, services and materials sectors. Ms. Ahn began her career in 2006 as an intern at Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. In the same year, she joined Mirae Asset Global Investments in Seoul, spending a year as an investment analyst covering the industrials sector. Before moving to Hong Kong, she worked for the Global Investments Division for two years as an Investment Analyst supporting portfolio managers with analysis of industries and companies in emerging markets. Ms. Ahn holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Korea University, and participated in a one-year exchange program studying in the Faculty of Business and IMBA at Antai School of Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and is fluent in Korean, English and Mandarin. |
The Administrator and Fund Accounting Agent
Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (“Citi”), located at 4400 Easton Commons, Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio 43219, acts as the administrator and fund accounting agent for the Funds pursuant to a services agreement by and between the Trust and Citi. In connection with its role as fund accounting agent, Citi performs record maintenance, accounting, financial statement and regulatory filing services for each Fund.
The Transfer Agent
FIS Investor Services LLC (“FIS” or the “Transfer Agent”) located at 4249 Easton Way, Suite 400, Columbus, Ohio 43219, is the transfer agent for the Funds pursuant to a transfer agency agreement by and between the Trust and FIS. In connection with its role as the transfer agent, FIS performs bookkeeping, data processing and administrative services for the maintenance of shareholder accounts.
The Distributor
Funds Distributor, LLC, located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, the Trust’s principal underwriter (the “Distributor”), acts as the Funds’ distributor in connection with the offering of the Funds’ shares. The Distributor may enter into arrangements with banks, broker-dealers or other financial institutions through which investors may purchase or redeem shares.
None of Citi, the Transfer Agent or the Distributor is affiliated with Mirae Asset USA or its affiliates.
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ACCOUNT INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHARE CLASSES
Each of the Funds offers Class A, Class C and Class I Shares through this Prospectus. The different share classes allow you to choose among different types of sales charges and different levels of ongoing operating expenses, as illustrated in the following tables. The class of shares that is best for you depends on a number of factors, including the amount you plan to invest and how long you plan to hold the shares. You should consult your financial adviser to help you decide which share class is best for you.
If you purchase your Fund shares through a financial adviser (such as a broker or bank), the financial adviser may receive commissions or other concessions which are paid from various sources, such as from the sales charges and distribution and service fees.
Set forth below is information about the manner in which the Funds offer shares. A financial intermediary may offer Fund shares subject to variations in or elimination of Fund sales charges (“variations”), provided such variations are described in Appendix A. All variations described in Appendix A are applied by the identified financial intermediary. Sales charge variations may apply to purchases, sales, exchanges and reinvestments of Fund shares and a shareholder transacting in Fund shares through an intermediary identified on Appendix A should read the terms and conditions of Appendix A carefully. A variation that is specific to a particular financial intermediary is not applicable to shares held directly with the Funds or through another intermediary. Please consult your financial intermediary with respect to any variations listed in Appendix A.
The following chart provides a summary of the differences among the classes of shares.
| Class A | Class C | Class I | ||||
| Initial Sales Charge | Initial sales charge applies. Deducted from your investment so that not all of your purchase payment is invested. | No initial sales charge. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. | No initial sales charge. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. | |||
| Deferred Sales Charge | Generally no deferred sales charge. May be charged a 1.00% deferred sales charge for purchases of $1 million or more that are redeemed within 18 months of investment. | 1.00% deferred sales charge applies. Payable if you redeem within one year of purchase. | No deferred sales charge. | |||
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fee | 0.25% Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fee. | 1.00% Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fee. | No Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fee. | |||
| Availability | Generally available. | Generally available. | Limited availability. Please see “Account Information – Description of the Shares Classes – Class I Shares” below for eligibility requirements. |
Class A Shares
Class A Shares of each Fund pay an annual distribution and service (12b-1) fee equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets of Class A Shares.
You can purchase Class A Shares at the net asset value per share plus an initial sales charge (referred to as the Offering Price). The sales charge as a percentage of your investment decreases as the amount you invest increases. The current sales charge rates are as follows:
| Amount of Purchase | Sales
Charge* as a Percentage of Offering Price |
Sales
Charge* as a Percentage of Net Amount Invested |
Dealer
Reallowance as a Percentage of the Offering Price | |||
| Less than $50,000 | 5.75% | 6.10% | 5.00% | |||
| $50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.75% | 4.99% | 4.50% | |||
| $100,000 but less than $250,000 | 4.00% | 4.17% | 3.75% | |||
| $250,000 but less than $500,000 | 3.00% | 3.09% | 2.75% | |||
| $500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 2.20% | 2.25% | 1.95% | |||
| $1,000,000 or more | None** | None** | None*** |
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| * | Because of rounding in the calculation of offering price, actual sales charges you pay may be more or less than those calculated using these percentages. |
| ** | No initial sales charge applies on investments of $1 million or more. However, a deferred sales charge of 1.00% is imposed on certain redemptions of such investments within 18 months of purchase. See “Purchase and Redemption of Shares – Additional Information About Sales Charges for Class A Shares” in the SAI for more information. |
| *** | Brokers that initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1 million or more may receive a sales commission of up to 1.00% of the offering price of Class A Shares. See “Purchase and Redemption of Shares – Additional Information About Sales Charges for Class A Shares” in the SAI for more information. Please note if a client or financial intermediary is unable to provide account verification on purchases receiving million dollar breakpoints due to rights of accumulation, sales commissions will be forfeited. Purchases eligible for sales charge waivers as described under “Class A Shares – Initial Sales Charge Waivers” are not eligible for sales commissions on purchases of $1 million or more. |
No initial sales charge applies to shares that you buy through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains.
You may be eligible for reductions and waivers of sales charges. Sales charges may be reduced or waived under certain circumstances and for certain groups. Information about reductions and waivers of sales charges is set forth below. Please consult your broker, financial intermediary, or financial adviser for assistance. For specific sales charge discount variations applicable to shares purchased through certain financial intermediaries please see Appendix A to this Prospectus “Financial Intermediary Sales Charge Variations.”
Initial Sales Charge Reductions
You may qualify for reduced sales charges in the following cases:
Letter of Intent. If you intend to purchase at least $100,000 of Class A Shares of a Fund, you may wish to complete the Letter of Intent section of your account application form. By doing so, you agree to invest a certain amount over a 13-month period. The maximum intended investment allowable under a letter of intent is $1,000,000. You would pay a sales charge on any Class A Shares you purchase during the 13 months based on the total amount to be invested under the Letter of Intent.
You are not obligated to purchase the amount specified in the Letter of Intent. If you purchase less than the amount specified, however, you must pay the difference between the sales charge paid and the sales charge applicable to the purchases actually made. The Funds will hold such amount in shares in escrow. The Funds will pay the escrowed funds to your accounts when the intended investment is completed, if it is completed within the 13-month period. You must indicate that future purchases are subject to the Letter of Intent.
Rights of Accumulation. The value of eligible accounts across all mutual funds, regardless of share class, sponsored or advised by Mirae Asset USA (the “Mirae Asset Mutual Funds”) maintained by you and each member of your immediate family may be combined with the value of your current purchase to obtain a lower sales charge for that purchase (according to the chart on page 26). For purposes of obtaining a breakpoint discount, a member of your “immediate family” includes your spouse, parent, stepparent, legal guardian, children and/or stepchildren under age 21, father-in-law, mother-in-law and partnerships created through civil unions, in each case including adoptive relationships. Eligible accounts include:
| ● | Individual accounts; |
| ● | Joint accounts between the individuals described above; |
| ● | Certain fiduciary accounts; |
| ● | Single participant retirement plans; and |
| ● | Solely controlled business accounts. |
Fiduciary accounts include trust and estate accounts. Fiduciary accounts may be aggregated with the accounts described above so long as there are no beneficiaries other than you and members of your immediate family. In addition, a fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a fiduciary account that may have multiple accounts and/or beneficiaries.
For example, if you own Class A Shares of Emerging Markets Fund that have an aggregate value of $100,000, and make an additional investment in Class A Shares of Emerging Markets Fund of $4,000, the sales charge applicable to the additional investment would be 4.00%, rather than the 5.75% normally charged on a $4,000 purchase. Please contact your broker to establish a new account under Rights of Accumulation.
For purposes of determining whether you are eligible for a reduced Class A initial sales charge, investments will be valued at their current offering price (including any applicable sales charge) or the original investment amount, whichever is higher. You should retain any records necessary to substantiate the public offering price originally paid.
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To receive a reduction in your Class A initial sales charge, you must let your financial adviser or the Transfer Agent know at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. You may be asked by your financial adviser or the Transfer Agent to provide account statements or other information regarding related accounts of you or your immediate family in order to verify your eligibility for a reduced sales charge, including, where applicable, information about accounts opened with a different financial adviser.
Certain brokers or financial advisers may not offer these programs or may impose conditions or fees to use these programs. You should consult with your broker or your financial adviser prior to purchasing a Fund’s shares.
Initial Sales Charge Waivers
Initial sales charges on Class A Shares will be waived for the following types of purchases:
| 1. | Purchase by any other investment company in connection with the combination of such company with a Fund by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise. |
| 2. | Reinstatement by a shareholder that has redeemed shares of a Mirae Asset Mutual Fund and reinvests the proceeds in that Mirae Asset Mutual Fund or another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund, provided the reinvestment is made within 90 days of the redemption. |
| 3. | Fund direct purchases by a tax-exempt organization enumerated in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and private, charitable foundations that in each case make a lump-sum purchase of $100,000 or more. |
| 4. | Purchase by a unit investment trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”) that has shares of a Fund as a principal investment. |
| 5. | Purchase by a financial institution purchasing Class A Shares of a Fund for clients participating in select fee-based asset allocation programs or wrap fee programs that has an agreement in place with respect to such purchases. |
| 6. | Purchase by a registered investment adviser or financial planner that places trades for its own accounts or the accounts of its clients and that charges a management, consulting or other fees for its services; and any client of such investment adviser or financial planner that places trades for its own account where there is an agreement in place with respect to such purchases. |
| 7. | Purchases by authorized retirement plans serviced or sponsored by a financial intermediary provided that such financial intermediary has entered into an agreement with the Funds or Distributor with respect to such purchases at NAV. |
| 8. | Purchase by an employee or a registered representative of an entity with a selling agreement with the Distributor to sell shares of one or more of the Mirae Asset Mutual Funds. |
| 9. | Purchase by any member of the immediate family of a person qualifying under (8) or (9) above, including a spouse, parent, stepparent, legal guardian, children and/or stepchildren under age 21, father-in-law, mother-in-law and partnerships created through civil unions, in each case including adoptive relationships. |
| 10. | Purchase by a registered management investment company that has an agreement with Mirae Asset USA or the Distributor for that purpose. |
| 11. | Exchanges of Class A Shares of one Mirae Asset Mutual Fund for Class A Shares of another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund. |
| 12. | Purchases by financial intermediaries who have entered into an agreement with the Funds’ distributor to offer shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. |
| 13. | For additional sales charge discount variations applicable to shares purchased through certain financial intermediaries, please see Appendix A to this Prospectus “Financial Intermediary Sales Charge Variations.” |
Some financial intermediaries do not provide all of the sales charge waivers that are available when you purchase directly from the Funds, including sales charge waivers for certain types of accounts, investors, relationships or transactions. Consult your financial advisor to determine which sales charge waivers, if any, you are entitled to receive when purchasing through your financial intermediary. It is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the purchaser’s financial intermediary of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or reductions. For further information on sales charge waivers, contact the Transfer Agent.
Class C Shares
You pay no initial sales charge if you purchase Class C Shares. However, a 1.00% deferred sales charge will apply to redemptions of shares made within 12 months of buying them, as discussed below. Brokers that initiate and are responsible for purchase of Class C Shares may receive a sales commission at the time of sale of up to 1.00% of the purchase price of such Class C Shares of a Fund. No deferred sales charge applies to shares that you buy through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains.
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You will also pay an annual distribution and service (12b-1) fee of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of Class C Shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time, these fees increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying the initial sales charge associated with Class A Shares. It is generally less advantageous to purchase Class C Shares than Class A Shares in aggregate amounts equal to or greater than $1,000,000. Purchase orders for Class C Shares above this amount generally will not be accepted.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC)
You pay a CDSC of 1.00% when you redeem:
| ● | Class A Shares that were bought without paying a front end sales charge as part of an investment of at least $1,000,000 within 18 months of purchase. |
| ● | Class C Shares within 12 months of purchase. |
The CDSC is calculated based on the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or the proceeds of your redemption. Shares purchased through reinvestment of distributions are not subject to a CDSC. These time periods include the time you held Class C Shares of another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund of which you may have exchanged for Class C Shares of the Fund you are redeeming.
You will not pay a CDSC to the extent that the value of the redeemed shares represents reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions or capital appreciation of shares redeemed. When you redeem shares, we will assume that you are redeeming first shares representing reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, then any appreciation on shares redeemed, and then remaining shares held by you for the longest period of time. For the purposes of the CDSC, we will calculate the holding period of shares acquired through an exchange of shares of a Mirae Asset Mutual Fund from the date you acquired the original shares of such Mirae Asset Mutual Fund.
CDSC Waivers
The CDSC payable upon redemptions of shares will be waived for:
| ● | Exchanges described in “How To Purchase, Redeem and Exchange Shares – How To Exchange Shares” below; |
| ● | Redemptions within one year of a shareholder’s death; |
| ● | Redemptions in connection with a shareholder’s disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) subsequent to the purchase of the applicable shares; |
| ● | Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Trust, Mirae Asset USA or its affiliates; |
| ● | Minimum required distributions made from an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other retirement plan account after you reach age 70 ½; |
| ● | Redemptions related to the payment of custodial IRA fees in accounts held directly with the Funds or where a financial intermediary is able to waive the fee pursuant to an agreement in place with the Funds or Distributor; |
| ● | Redemptions initiated by a Fund; |
| ● | Redemptions by retirement plans of shares held in plan level or omnibus accounts maintained by a retirement plan administrator or recordkeeper provided such retirement plan has entered into an agreement with the Funds or Distributor with respect to such redemptions; |
| ● | Redemptions from an account held directly at the Funds when you can demonstrate hardship (including, but not limited to, redemptions related to death, disability or qualified domestic relations order), as determined in the absolute discretion of a Fund; and |
| ● | Redemptions of Class A Shares where no broker was compensated for the sale. |
CDSC Aging Schedule
As discussed above, certain investments in Class A and Class C Shares will be subject to a CDSC. The aging schedule applies to the calculation of the CDSC.
Purchases of Class A or Class C Shares made on any day during a calendar month will age one month on the same day of the following month, and the same day of each subsequent month. For example, if an investor purchases Class C Shares of a Fund on April 15, 2023, such purchase of Class C Shares will age one month on May 15, 2023. Therefore, if the investor redeems the Class C Shares purchased prior to April 15, 2024, such investor will be required to pay the 1.00% CDSC.
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No CDSC is assessed on the value of your account represented by appreciation or additional shares acquired through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions. Therefore, when you redeem your shares, only the value of the shares in excess of these amounts (i.e., your direct investment) is subject to a CDSC. The applicability of a CDSC will not be affected by exchanges or transfers of registration, except as described in the SAI.
Class I Shares
Class I Shares are not subject to any sales charge. However, Class I Shares are only available to certain investors. Eligible Class I Share investors include:
| ● | Funds of funds; |
| ● | Participants in authorized retirement plans serviced or sponsored by a financial intermediary provided that such financial intermediary has entered into an agreement with the Funds or Distributor with respect to such purchases; |
| ● | Certain financial intermediaries that charge their customers transaction fees with respect to their customers’ investments in the Funds; |
| ● | Endowments, foundations, corporations, and high net worth individuals using an unaffiliated bank, thrift or trust company that has an agreement with the Distributor and the bank, thrift or trust has discretion over the account; |
| ● | Investors participating in select fee-based arrangements sponsored by non-affiliated broker-dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with the Distributor; and |
| ● | Directors/trustees, officers and employees of the Trust, Mirae Asset USA, the sub-manager to the Mirae Asset Mutual Funds and/or their respective affiliates for accounts held directly at the Funds (minimums may be waived for such accounts). |
Financial intermediaries may have eligibility requirements, including lower investment minimum or plan asset requirements, for their clients or customers investing in Class I Shares that may differ from the requirements for investors purchasing directly from the Fund. Your financial intermediary can help you determine whether you are eligible to buy Class I Shares.
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE FEES
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Payments
The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has adopted plans (the “Plans”) with respect to the Class A and Class C Shares that allow each Fund to pay distribution fees for the marketing, distribution and sale of those share classes pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, and shareholder servicing fees for certain services provided to its shareholders. The Class I Shares do not have a 12b-1 plan. Because 12b-1 fees are paid out of a Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Under the Plans, Class A and Class C Shares may pay distribution fees to the Distributor for distribution and sales support services. The distribution fees may be used to pay for distribution services and to pay affiliates of Mirae Asset USA for sales support services provided in connection with the sale of Class A or Class C Shares, as applicable. The distribution fees also may be used to pay brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals (including Mirae Asset USA and its affiliates) (“Service Organizations”) for sales support services and related expenses. Class I Shares do not pay a distribution fee.
Under the Plans, each of the Funds also pays shareholder servicing fees to Service Organizations whereby the Service Organizations provide support services to their customers who own Class A and Class C Shares in return for these fees. The shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to the Plans are fees payable for the administration and servicing of shareholder accounts and not costs which are primarily intended to result in the sale of the Fund’s shares. All Class A and Class C Shares pay this shareholder servicing fee. Class I Shares do not pay a shareholder servicing fee.
The 12b-1 fees for each Fund vary by share class as follows:
| ● | Class A Shares pay a 12b-1 fee at the annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares. |
| ● | Class C Shares pay a 12b-1 fee at the annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Class C Shares. The Distributor may use up to 0.25% of the fee for shareholder servicing for Class C Shares and up to 0.75% for distribution for Class C Shares. |
In the case of Class C Shares, 12b-1 fees, together with the CDSC, are used to finance the costs of advancing brokerage commissions paid to dealers and investment representatives.
The 12b-1 amounts received by the Distributor may be used to reimburse Mirae Asset USA for distribution-related and/or shareholder servicing expenses incurred directly by Mirae Asset USA. The Distributor does not retain any 12b-1 amounts it receives as profit.
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Other Fund Payments
In addition, the Funds may pay fees to Service Organizations for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other services associated with shareholders whose funds are held of record in omnibus accounts, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered clearing agents. These payments may be made in addition to fees paid to the Service Organizations by the Distributor pursuant to the Plans. These Service Organizations also may be appointed as agents for or authorized by the Funds to accept on their behalf purchase and redemption requests that are received in good order. Subject to Fund approval, certain of these companies may be authorized to designate other entities to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds. These payments are generally based on either (i) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a Service Organization or (ii) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by a Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.
Class I Shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Funds to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Class I Shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.
Other Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Service Providers
Mirae Asset USA and its affiliates may make payments to Service Organizations relating to distribution and sales support activities out of their own resources or other sources available to them (and not as an additional charge to the Fund). Mirae Asset USA or its affiliates may pay to Service Organizations a portion of the fees for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency and shareholder services described above at its or their own expense and out of its or their legitimate profits. Mirae Asset USA and its affiliates may compensate affiliated and unaffiliated Service Organizations for the sale and distribution of shares of a Fund or for these other services to the Fund and shareholders. These payments would be in addition to the Fund payments described in this Prospectus and may be a fixed dollar amount, may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by the Service Organization, or may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments by Mirae Asset USA and its affiliates may be substantial. Payments by Mirae Asset USA may include amounts that are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing” payments. “Revenue sharing” payments include payments for distribution-related expenses, such as marketing, promotional or related expenses, to Service Organizations through which investors may purchase shares of a Fund. In some circumstances, these revenue sharing payments may create an incentive for a Service Organization or its representatives to recommend or sell shares of the Fund to you. Please contact your Service Organization for details about revenue sharing payments it may receive. For more information, see the SAI.
HOW TO PURCHASE, REDEEM AND EXCHANGE SHARES
You can speak to an Investor Services Representative between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on any Fund business day by calling 1-888-335-3417.
You may purchase, redeem and exchange Class A, Class C and Class I Shares of the Funds in the manner described below. In addition, you may be eligible to participate in certain investor services and programs to purchase, exchange and redeem these classes of shares, which are described in the next section under the caption “Investor Programs.”
Each Fund calculates the NAV of each class of its shares as of the close of regular trading of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day that the NYSE is open for trading. Your purchase or redemption order will be determined based on the NAV per share of the applicable share class next calculated, after the deduction of applicable sales charges and any required tax withholding, if your order is complete (has all required information) and the Transfer Agent receives your order by (i) the Transfer Agent’s close of business, if placed through a financial intermediary, so long as the financial intermediary (or its authorized designee) received your order by the valuation time; (ii) or the valuation time, if placed directly by you (not through a financial intermediary such as a broker or bank) to the Transfer Agent.
The Funds have authorized one or more brokers to receive on their behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Funds’ behalf. Such intermediaries may include financial advisers, custodians, trustees, retirement plan administrators or recordkeepers. A Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives the order. Customer orders will be priced at the Fund’s NAV next computed after they are received by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee. You may be charged a fee if you effect transactions through a broker or other agent.
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How to Purchase Shares
Initial and Subsequent Investment Minimums
The table below sets forth the minimum initial investment, the minimum subsequent investment and the minimum account balance of each Fund for Class A and Class C Shares.
| Type of Account | Minimum Initial Investment (per Fund) |
Minimum
Subsequent Investment (per Fund) |
Minimum Account Balance (per Fund) | |||
| Regular | $2,000 | $100 | $1,000 | |||
| IRA and Roth IRA | $500 | $50 | $500 | |||
| Coverdell Education Savings Account (Educational IRA) | $500 | $50 | $500 | |||
| Systematic Investment Plan | $500 | $50 | $500 |
The minimum initial investment for Class I Shares of a Fund is $250,000, subject to certain exceptions. The minimum subsequent investment for Class I Shares of a Fund is $25,000. The minimum account balance for Class I Shares is $250,000. Financial intermediaries may have eligibility requirements, including lower initial investment minimum requirements, for their clients or customers investing in Class I Shares, which may differ from the requirements for investors purchasing directly from the Fund.
Information about Investment and Account Minimums
Except as noted below, the Funds require that you maintain a minimum account balance as listed above. If your account value declines below the respective minimum because you have redeemed or exchanged some of your shares, a Fund may notify you of its intent to liquidate your account unless it reaches the required minimum. You may prevent such liquidation by increasing the value of your account to at least the minimum within sixty (60) days after notice from a Fund.
The Funds may be limited in their ability to monitor or ensure that accounts opened through a financial intermediary meet the minimum investment requirements. Nevertheless, the Funds expect that financial intermediaries will comply with the Funds’ investment requirements including applicable investment minimums. In the event a Fund is unable to prevent an account with a below minimum balance from opening, the Fund reserves the right to liquidate the account at any time.
Initial investment minimums do not apply to investments made by the Trustees of the Trust and employees of Mirae Asset USA, the sub-manager of the Mirae Asset Mutual Funds, their affiliates or their family members.
The initial investment minimum may be reduced or waived for investments made by investors in wrap-free programs or other asset-based advisory fee programs where reduction or waiver of investment minimums is a condition for inclusion in the program.
Financial intermediaries may have investment minimum requirements for their clients or customers investing in Class A Shares that are higher than the requirements for investors purchasing directly from the Fund. If you purchase Fund shares through a financial intermediary, you should contact the intermediary for more information about what investment minimums and eligibility requirements will be applied to your account.
The Funds reserve the right to waive any investment or account minimum to the extent such a decision is determined to be in the best interests of the Funds. The Funds also reserve the right to liquidate your account regardless of size.
When you buy shares, be sure to specify the class of shares. If you do not choose a share class, your investment will be made in Class A Shares. If you are not eligible for the class you have selected, your investment may be refused. However, we recommend that you discuss your investment with a financial adviser before you make a purchase to be sure that the Fund and the share class are appropriate for you. In addition, consider the Funds’ investment objectives, principal investment strategies and principal risks, as well as factors listed under “Description of the Share Classes” to determine which Fund and share class is most appropriate for your situation.
Opening Your Account
You can open a new account in any of the following ways:
Financial Adviser. You can establish an account by having your financial adviser process your purchase.
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Third-Party Intermediaries. Shares of the Funds may be purchased through various securities brokers and benefit plan administrators or their sub-agents (“Third-Party Intermediaries”). These Third-Party Intermediaries may charge you a fee for their services. You should contact them directly for information regarding how to invest or redeem through them. In addition, they may charge you service or transaction fees. If you purchase or redeem shares through a Third-Party Intermediary, you will, generally, receive the NAV calculated after receipt of the order by them on any day the NYSE is open for trading.
Third-Party Intermediaries may have different eligibility requirements and may set deadlines for receipt of orders that are earlier than the order deadline of the Funds due to processing or other reasons. An investor purchasing through a Third-Party Intermediary should read the Prospectus in conjunction with the materials provided by the Third-Party Intermediary describing the procedures to purchase and redeem Fund shares. If you purchase Fund shares through a Third-Party Intermediary, you should contact the Third-Party Intermediary for more information about what investment minimums and eligibility requirements, service fee and order deadlines will be applied to your account.
By Mail. Please call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-335-3417 or visit http://investments.miraeasset.us to obtain an application. Make checks payable to Mirae Asset Discovery Funds. Mail the check, along with your completed application, to the applicable address below:
| Regular Mail: | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, P.O.Box 183165, Columbus, Ohio 43218-3165 | |
| Express, Registered or Certified Mail: | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, 4249 Easton Way, Suite 400, Columbus, Ohio 43219 |
Payment for the purchase of shares received by mail will be credited to a shareholder’s account at the net asset value per share next determined after receipt. Such payment need not be converted into federal funds (monies credited to the Funds’ custodian bank by a Federal Reserve Bank) before acceptance.
By Wire. Please call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-335-3417 for instructions on purchasing shares by wire. If money is to be wired, your Account Application must have been received and accepted by the Transfer Agent and an account established in your name. Your bank may charge a wire fee. Wire orders will be accepted only on a day on which the Funds and the custodian and Transfer Agent are open for business. A wire purchase will not be considered made until your account has been opened and the wired money is received in good order.
Shareholders will receive the next determined net asset value per share after receipt of such wire. Any delays which may occur in wiring money, including delays which may occur in processing by the banks, are not the responsibility of the Funds or the Transfer Agent. There is presently no fee for the receipt of wired funds, but the Funds reserve the right to charge you for this service.
Current shareholders may open a new identically registered account by one of the following methods:
By Telephone Exchange. You may exchange $2,000 ($500 for IRAs, Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and Systematic Investment Plans) or more from your existing account to another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund account.
The Funds will generally not accept investments from foreign investors (e.g., foreign financial institutions; non-U.S. persons), other than affiliates of Mirae Asset USA. The Funds do not generally accept foreign correspondent or foreign private banking accounts.
Adding to Your Account
There are several ways you can make additional investments in your account (subject to the minimum subsequent investment described above):
| ● | Ask your financial adviser to purchase shares on your behalf; |
| ● | Send a check along with the returnable portion of your statement; |
| ● | Contact the Transfer Agent with your order then wire additional investments through your bank as instructed above; |
| ● | Authorize transfers by telephone between your bank account and your Fund account through Automated Clearinghouse. You may elect this privilege on your account application or through a written request; |
| ● | Exchange shares from another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund; or |
| ● | Through a Systematic Investment Plan (please see “Account Information – Investor Programs – Purchase and Redemption Programs for Class A and Class C Shares” for details). |
How to Exchange Shares
You can exchange your Class A, Class C and Class I Shares for shares of the same class of other Mirae Asset Mutual Funds at NAV by having your financial adviser process your exchange request or by contacting the Transfer Agent directly. A share exchange is a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. In order to be eligible for exchange, shares of a Fund must be registered in your name or in the name of your financial adviser for your benefit for at least 15 days. The minimum exchange amount to establish a new account is the same as the investment minimum for your initial purchase. You may exchange $100 ($50 for IRAs, Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and Systematic Investment Plans) from your existing account to another existing Mirae Asset Mutual Fund account. Shares otherwise subject to a CDSC will not be charged a CDSC in an exchange. However, when you redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the shares you redeem may be subject to a CDSC, depending upon when you originally purchased the shares you exchanged. For purposes of computing the CDSC, the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date of original purchase and will not be affected by any exchange.
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Class A shareholders of a Fund may exchange their shares for Class I Shares of the same Fund provided that they: (i) hold their shares directly at the Funds’ Transfer Agent or through a Third-Party Intermediary that has a valid Class I selling agreement with the Funds, or its Distributor, authorizing such an exchange; and (ii) are eligible to invest in Class I Shares in accordance with the criteria set forth in the Funds’ most recent Prospectus. Any exchange is subject to the Funds’ discretion to accept or reject the exchange. No sales charges or other Fund charges will apply to any such exchange, including any CDSC that would otherwise apply to the redemption. For federal income tax purposes, a same-Fund exchange generally will not result in a recognition by the investor of gain or loss. A shareholder should contact the Transfer Agent or the shareholder’s Third-Party Intermediary before such an exchange.
Certain financial intermediaries have share class conversion programs whereby Class C Shares that are no longer subject to a CDSC are converted to Class A Shares of the same Fund. Please see Appendix A and consult your financial intermediary for more information.
How to Redeem Shares
You may redeem your shares either by having your financial adviser process your redemption or by contacting the Transfer Agent directly. Shares of the Funds may be redeemed by mail or, if authorized, by telephone. The value of shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the market value of the investments held by the Funds at the time of redemption.
You may give up some level of security in choosing to buy or sell shares by telephone rather than by mail. The Funds use procedures designed to give reasonable assurance that telephone instructions are genuine, including recording the transactions, testing the identity of the shareholder placing the order, and sending prompt written confirmation of transactions to the shareholder of record. If these procedures are followed, a Fund and its service providers are not liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that they believe to be genuine.
Under unusual circumstances such as when the NYSE is closed, trading on the NYSE is restricted or if there is an emergency, the Funds may suspend redemptions or postpone payment. If you purchased the shares you are redeeming by check, a Fund may delay the payment of the redemption proceeds until the check used for purchase has cleared, which may take up to 10 business days from the purchase date.
You may receive redemption proceeds of your sale of shares of a Fund in a check, ACH, or federal wire transfer. Other than as described above, the Funds typically expect that it will take one to three days following the receipt of your redemption request made in “good order” to pay out redemption proceeds; however, while not expected, payment of redemption proceeds may take up to seven days. Each Fund maintains a cash balance that serves as a primary source of liquidity for meeting redemption requests. The Funds may also use the proceeds from the sale of portfolio securities to meet redemption requests if consistent with the management of the Fund. The Funds also maintain a credit facility that serves as an additional source of liquidity for meeting redemption requests. The Funds reserve the right to redeem in-kind as described under “Policies You Should Know About” below. Each of these redemption methods may be used regularly and in stressed market conditions in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC.
Redeeming Through Your Financial Adviser. You can request that your financial adviser to process a redemption on your behalf. Your financial adviser will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to the Transfer Agent and may charge you for this service. The Funds have authorized one or more brokers to receive on their behalf redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive redemption orders on the Funds’ behalf. Such intermediaries may include financial advisers, custodians, trustees, retirement plan administrators or recordkeepers. A Fund will be deemed to have received a redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives the order. A customer orders will be priced at the Fund’s NAV next computed after it is received by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee. Your financial adviser or broker may charge service fees for handling redemption transactions. Your shares also may be subject to a CDSC.
Redeeming Directly Through the Transfer Agent. You can redeem your shares in any of the following ways:
By Telephone. You can call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-335-3417 to have shares redeemed from your account and the proceeds wired or electronically transferred directly to a pre-designated bank account or mailed to the address of record. The Transfer Agent will request personal or other information from you and will generally record the calls. You may elect not to receive this privilege on your account application.
By Mail. Each Fund will redeem its shares at the net asset value per share next determined after the request is received in “good order.” The net asset value per share of the Fund is determined as of the close of regular trading of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) each business day the NYSE is open for trading. Requests should be sent to the applicable address below:
| Regular Mail: | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, P.O.Box 183165, Columbus, Ohio 43218-3165 | |
| Express, Registered or Certified Mail: | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, 4249 Easton Way, Suite 400, Columbus, Ohio 43219 |
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Requests in “good order” must include the following documentation:
| (a) | a letter of instruction, specifying the name on the account registration, the Fund’s name, the account number, the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, the class of shares to be redeemed, signed by all registered owners of the shares in the exact names in which they are registered; |
| (b) | any required signature guarantees (see “Signature Guarantees” below); and |
| (c) | other supporting legal documents, if required, in the case of estates, trusts, guardianships, custodianships, corporations, pension and profit sharing plans and other organizations. |
By Wire and/or Automated Clearinghouse (“ACH”). A redemption in excess of $5,000 may be wired to the financial institution that is indicated on your account application. Please note that proceeds sent via wire will arrive the next business day and a $10.00 fee applies to Class A and Class C Shares. Redemptions in excess of $100 may be sent via ACH and will arrive in 2-3 business days with no additional fee.
Note: If an address change has occurred within 30 calendar days of the redemption, a signature guarantee will be required.
Call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-335-3417 for additional instructions.
Signature Guarantees. To protect you and the Funds against fraud, certain redemption options will require a medallion signature guarantee. A medallion signature guarantee verifies the authenticity of your signature. You can obtain one from most banking institutions or securities brokers participating in a Medallion Program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association, but not from a notary public. Signature guarantees from financial institutions that do not reflect one of the following are not part of the program and will not be accepted. The acceptable Medallion programs are Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”), Stock Exchange Medallion Program (“SEMP”), or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Program (“NYSE MSP”). The Transfer Agent will need written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a medallion signature guarantee for each owner, for any of the following:
| ● | A written request to redeem $100,000 or more; |
| ● | A change to a shareholder’s record name without supporting documentation (such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.); |
| ● | A redemption from an account for which the address or account registration has changed within the last 30 days; |
| ● | A request to send redemption and distribution proceeds to any person, address, brokerage firm or bank account not on record; |
| ● | A request to send redemption and distribution proceeds to an account with a different registration (name or ownership) from yours; |
| ● | An addition or change to ACH or wire instructions; telephone redemption or exchange options; or any other election in connection with your account. |
The Transfer Agent reserves the right to require a signature guarantee(s) on all redemptions.
INVESTOR PROGRAMS
As a shareholder of a Fund, a number of services and investment programs are available to you. Some of these services and programs, however, may not be available to you if your shares are held in the name of your financial adviser or if your investment in the Fund is made through a retirement plan.
Purchase and Redemption Programs for Class A and Class C Shares
For your convenience, the following purchase and redemption programs are made available to you with respect to Class A and Class C Shares, without extra charge.
Systematic Investment Plan. You can make cash investments through your checking account or savings account on any day of the month. If you do not specify a date, the investment will occur automatically on or about the fifteenth day of the month, or, if such day is not a business day, on the prior business day.
Reinvestments Without A Sales Charge. You can reinvest dividend and capital gain distributions into your account without a sales charge to add to your investment easily and automatically.
Distribution Investment Program. You may purchase shares of any Fund without paying an initial sales charge or a CDSC upon redemption by automatically reinvesting dividend and capital gain distributions from the same class of another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund.
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Systematic Withdrawal Plan. A non-retirement plan shareholder who has an account balance of at least $5,000 in any Fund may establish a systematic withdrawal plan to receive monthly, quarterly or periodic redemptions from his or her account for any designated amount of $100 or more.
Shareholders may designate which day they want the automatic withdrawal to be processed. If you do not specify a date, the investment will automatically occur on the fifteenth day of the month, or, if such day is not a business day, on the prior business day. Each payment under this systematic withdrawal is funded through the redemption of your Fund shares. The check amounts may be based on the redemption of a fixed dollar amount or fixed share amount. The systematic withdrawal plan provides for income dividends and capital gains distributions, if any, to be reinvested in additional shares. Shares are then liquidated as necessary to provide for withdrawal payments. Since the withdrawals are in amounts selected by the investor and have no relationship to yield or income, payments received cannot be considered as yield or income on the investment and the resulting liquidations may deplete or possibly extinguish the initial investment, and any reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions. Requests for increases in withdrawal amounts or to change payee must be submitted in writing, signed exactly as the account is registered and contain medallion signature guarantee(s) as described under “How to Purchase, Redeem and Exchange Shares – Signature Guarantees.” Any such requests must be received by the Transfer Agent ten days prior to the date of the first systematic withdrawal. A systematic withdrawal plan may be terminated at any time by the shareholder, the Trust, or its agent on written notice, and will be terminated when all shares of the Funds under the systematic withdrawal plan have been liquidated or upon receipt by the Trust of notice of death of the shareholder.
VALUATION OF FUND SHARES
You may purchase shares of a Fund at their offering price, which is the net asset value per share, plus any applicable sales charge. You may redeem shares of a Fund at their net asset value per share less any applicable deferred sales charge. The price of each class of a Fund’s shares is based on the Fund’s net asset value, or NAV, which is calculated as of the close of regular trading of the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day that the NYSE is open for trading. The days that the NYSE is closed are listed in the SAI.
To determine NAV, a Fund values its assets at current market values, or at a fair value (for securities issued by non-U.S. companies or if current market values are not available) each day pursuant to fair value methods approved by the Board of Trustees. The net asset value per share of each share class is computed by dividing the total value of the assets of the applicable Fund attributable to that share class, less the liabilities attributable to that share class, by the total number of the Fund’s outstanding shares in that share class.
Your purchase or redemption order will be determined based on the NAV per share of the applicable share class next calculated, after the deduction of applicable sales charges and any required tax withholding, if your order is complete (has all required information) and the Transfer Agent receives your order by (i) the Transfer Agent’s close of business, if placed through a financial intermediary, so long as the financial intermediary (or its authorized designee) received your order by the valuation time; or (ii) close of the NYSE, if placed directly by you (not through a financial intermediary such as a broker or bank) to shareholder services.
The Funds have authorized one or more brokers to receive on their behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Funds’ behalf. Such intermediaries may include financial advisors, custodians, trustees, retirement plan administrators or recordkeepers. A Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives the order. Customer orders will be priced at the Fund’s NAV next computed after they are received by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee.
The Funds, if applicable, use market quotations to value securities issued by U.S. companies. In certain cases, the Funds may use fair value methods approved by the Board each day that the NYSE is open for trading. As a result, a Fund’s value for a security is likely to be different from quoted market prices.
Foreign securities, currencies and other assets denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar, as provided by an independent pricing service or reporting agency. Most securities listed on a foreign exchange are valued at the most recent sale price at the close of the exchange on which the security is primarily traded. In certain countries, market maker prices are used since they are the most representative of the daily trading activity.
Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including securities for which a Fund’s Investment Manager determines that the closing market prices do not represent the securities’ current value because of an intervening “significant event”) will be valued at fair value pursuant to procedures approved by the Board. Circumstances in which market quotations may not be readily available include, but are not limited to, when the security’s trading has been halted or suspended, when the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when under normal conditions it would be open, or a significant event with respect to a security or securities has occurred after the close of the market or exchange on which the security or securities principally trades and before the time the Fund calculates net asset value. Securities trading in overseas markets present time zone arbitrage opportunities when events affecting portfolio security values occur after the close of the overseas market but prior to the close of the U.S. market. Also, Mirae Asset USA and Mirae Asset Hong Kong believe that foreign securities values may be affected by volatility that occurs in U.S. markets on a trading day after the close of foreign securities markets.
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The Board has adopted valuation procedures for the Funds and has delegated day-to-day responsibility for fair value determinations to Mirae Asset USA’s Valuation Committee. All fair value determinations will be reported to the Board. In certain circumstances, the administrative agent for the Trust may obtain and utilize fair value pricing information from independent fair value pricing services approved by the applicable Fund’s Investment Manager to determine the fair value of a security and/or may provide such information to the Fund’s Investment Manager in connection with the Investment Manager’s fair value determination.
There can be no assurance, however, that a fair value used by the Funds on any given day will more accurately reflect the market value of a security or securities than the market price of such security or securities. A security’s valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining fair value. Fair valuation of a Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of a Fund’s NAV by short-term traders.
Because each of the Funds invests in securities that are traded primarily in non-United States markets, the value of its holdings could change at a time when you are unable to buy or sell Fund shares. This is because many of the non-U.S. markets are open on days or at times when the Funds do not price their shares.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
Each Fund intends to pay dividends and distributions of substantially all of its net income (including any realized net capital gain), if any, to its shareholders annually, and, if necessary, may make additional distributions to meet applicable regulatory requirements.
Distribution Options
The following distribution options are generally available to all accounts and you may change your distribution option as often as you desire by having your financial adviser notify the Transfer Agent or by contacting the Transfer Agent services directly:
| ● | Dividend and capital gain distributions reinvested in additional shares of the same Fund (this option will be assigned if no other option is specified); |
| ● | Dividend distributions in cash; capital gain distributions reinvested in additional shares of the same Fund; |
| ● | Dividend and capital gain distributions in cash; or |
| ● | Dividend and capital gain distributions reinvested in additional shares of another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund of your choice. Reinvestments (net of any tax withholding) will be made in additional full and fractional shares of the same class of shares at the NAV as of the close of business on the reinvestment date, which is the NAV next computed for the Fund. Your request to change a distribution option must be received by the Transfer Agent at least five business days before a distribution in order to be effective for that distribution. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption checks. You can choose to have your cash dividends and distributions deposited directly to your bank account or all sent to you by check. Tell us your preference on your application. If you choose to reinvest your dividends and distributions, you will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if you had received such dividends and distributions and used them to purchase additional shares. |
Taxes
The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.
Federal Tax Treatment of Distributions. Each Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.
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Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of a Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you. Distributions of “qualifying dividends” will also generally be taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. In general, if 95% or more of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of dividends received from domestic corporations or “qualified” foreign corporations (“qualifying dividends”), then all distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be taxed at long-term capital gain rates. But if less than 95% of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of qualifying dividends, then distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be qualifying dividends only to the extent they are derived from qualifying dividends earned by the Fund. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have met a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend). The amount of a Fund’s distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), a high portfolio turnover rate or investments in debt securities or non-qualified foreign corporations.
Distributions from a Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.
It is expected that the Funds will be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign income taxes with respect to dividends or interest received from (and, in some cases, gains recognized on shares of stock of) non-U.S. companies. The Funds expect to be eligible to make an election to treat a proportionate amount of those taxes as constituting a distribution to each shareholder, which would allow you either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit, subject to applicable limitations, or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction.
A relatively small portion of distributions paid by a Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. Only the portions of Fund dividends that are attributable to dividends a Fund receives from U.S. companies may qualify for this dividends- received deduction. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may also be reduced as a result of the Fund's securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities.
If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”
Sales and Exchanges. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale, exchange or redemption of your shares, including an exchange for shares of another Fund, based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over 12 months at the time you dispose of them.
Certain special tax rules may apply to losses realized in some cases. Any loss realized on shares held for 6 months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of a Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of a Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.
For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, each Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold or exchanged. Each Fund has elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.
IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales, exchanges and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.
Backup Withholding. The Funds may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.
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U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of RICs such as the Funds, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Funds’ net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Funds’ interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Funds.
Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale, exchange or redemption of shares in the Funds, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Funds.
In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.
The Funds will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide the applicable IRS Form W-8 that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.
All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Funds.
State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on sales, exchanges, and redemption of the Fund shares and income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of a Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.
More information about taxes is contained in the SAI.
POLICIES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Along with the instructions on the previous pages, the policies below may affect you as a shareholder. Some of this information, such as the section on dividends and taxes, applies to all investors, including those investing through investment providers.
If you are investing through a securities broker-dealer, check the materials you received from them. As a general rule, you should follow the information in those materials wherever it contradicts the information given here. Please note that a securities broker-dealer may charge its own fees.
Redemptions in-Kind. If a Fund determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Fund to make a payment wholly or partly in cash, the Fund may pay the redemption proceeds in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of readily marketable securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in payment of redemptions. In addition, investors will remain subject to market fluctuations in the value of these securities until the securities are sold.
Lost Accounts. The Transfer Agent will consider your account lost if correspondence to your address of record is returned as undeliverable on two consecutive occasions, unless the Transfer Agent determines your new address. When an account is “lost,” all distributions on the account will be reinvested in additional Fund shares. In addition, the amount of any outstanding checks (unpaid for six months or more) or checks that have been returned to the Transfer Agent will be reinvested at the then-current net asset value and the checks will be canceled. However, checks will not be reinvested into accounts with a zero balance. Unclaimed accounts may be subject to state escheatment laws, and the Funds and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to the shareholders or their representatives for compliance with those laws in good faith.
Policies About Transactions. The Funds are open for business each day the NYSE is open for trading. Each Fund calculates its share price every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (typically 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, but sometimes earlier, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading, such as on days in advance of certain holidays, or unscheduled suspensions of trading).
You can place an order to buy or sell shares at any time during the Funds’ normal business hours. Once your order request is received in good order, it will be processed at the next share price calculated.
Because orders placed through broker-dealers must be forwarded to the Transfer Agent before they can be processed, you will need to allow extra time. A representative of your broker-dealer should be able to tell you when your order will be processed.
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Transactions Initiated by Telephone or Electronically. Since many transactions may be initiated by telephone or electronically, it is important to understand that as long as the applicable Fund takes reasonable steps to ensure that an order to purchase or redeem shares is genuine, such as recording calls or requesting personalized security codes or other information, the Fund is not responsible for any losses that may occur. For transactions conducted over the Internet, the Funds recommend the use of a secure Internet browser. In addition, you should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them.
Wire Transactions. When you ask us to send or receive a wire, please note that while the Funds do not currently charge a fee to receive wires, it is possible that your bank may charge fees. Wire transactions are completed within 24 hours. The Funds can only send wires of $5,000 or more and accept wires of $1,000 or more.
Right to Reject, Restrict, Cancel or Limit Purchase and Exchange Orders. Purchases and exchanges should be made for investment purposes only. The Funds do not accept cash or cash equivalents (such as money orders, cashier’s checks, bank drafts or traveler’s checks), credit cards or credit card checks, third party checks, starter checks or monetary instruments in bearer form. The Funds reserve the right to prohibit other forms of payment. The Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer may grant written exceptions from these prohibitions, if consistent with the Funds’ Anti-Money Laundering Program and the intent of applicable anti- money laundering laws. The Funds reserve the right to reject, restrict, cancel (within one day of receipt) or limit any specific purchase or exchange request. We are required by law to obtain certain personal information from you which will be used to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, we reserve the right to close your account or take such other steps as we deem reasonable.
Because an exchange request involves both a request to redeem shares of one Mirae Asset Mutual Fund and to purchase shares of another Mirae Asset Mutual Fund, the Funds consider the underlying redemption and purchase requests conditioned upon the acceptance of each of these underlying requests. Therefore, in the event that the Funds reject an exchange request, neither the redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. When a Fund determines that the level of exchanges on any day may be harmful to its remaining shareholders, that Fund may reject the exchange request or delay the payment of exchange proceeds for up to seven days to permit cash to be raised through the orderly liquidation of its portfolio securities to pay the redemption proceeds. In the case of delay, the purchase side of the exchange will be delayed until the exchange proceeds are paid by the redeeming Fund. If an exchange has been rejected or delayed, shareholders may still place an order to redeem their shares.
Frequent Purchase and Redemption of Shares. The Funds are designed for long-term investors and discourage short-term trading (market timing) and other excessive trading practices. These practices may be detrimental to a Fund and its long-term shareholders by disrupting portfolio management strategies, increasing brokerage and administrative costs, harming Fund performance and diluting the value of shares. Such trading may also require a Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions, which could cause taxable events that impact shareholders.
The Board has considered and evaluated the risks of short-term trading activities by a Fund’s shareholder and has adopted policies and procedures that seek to discourage and not accommodate short-term trading and other excessive trading practices. The Board has determined that the imposition of a redemption fee on the exchange and redemption of shares is unnecessary and that the Trust’s fair valuation policies and procedures (which may reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders), as well as the Investment Manager’s periodic review of shareholder trading activity, among other things, serve as a sufficient deterrent to short-term trading. The Funds reserve the right to institute a redemption fee at any time.
The Funds have a number of features in place intended to eliminate the possibility, or reduce the impact of any intentional short-term trading in the Funds. Specifically, the Funds employ fair value pricing to limit the potential for time-zone arbitrage. Furthermore, the Investment Manager monitors sales and redemptions daily through a sales reporting program and has developed additional reports to monitor any short-term trading in the Funds. Any suspicious activity is investigated. Shares purchased through reinvested dividends or capital gains, as well as redemption of shares from accounts, such as asset allocation programs that offer automatic re-balancing, wrap-fee accounts, or similar types of accounts or programs, and certain types of retirement accounts that provide default investment options are viewed as not having market-timing implications and will not be monitored or flagged for investigation. Each Fund also maintains a cash balance that serves as a primary source of liquidity for meeting redemptions. The Funds also maintain a credit facility with Citibank, N.A. that can further limit the disruption from redemptions on portfolio management strategies and the potential impact on other shareholders.
Because the Funds may receive purchases and sales orders through financial intermediaries that use omnibus or retirement accounts, the Funds cannot always detect short-term trading. However, the Funds’ distribution agreements with its intermediaries provide Fund management with the ability to identify investors whose trading practices violate the Funds’ restrictions on short-term trading. The vast majority of omnibus accounts in the Funds are fully disclosed or are otherwise coded to identify individual underlying accounts so that the Investment Manager can block them from further purchases if necessary. Where omnibus accounts are not fully disclosed or identified, the Funds’ agreements with its intermediaries allow Fund management to request additional information when necessary to identify potential short-term traders.
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The financial intermediary through which you may purchase shares of a Fund may also independently attempt to identify trading it considers inappropriate, which may include frequent or short-term trading, and take steps to deter such activity. In some cases, the intermediary may require the Funds’ consent or direction to undertake those efforts, but the Funds may have little or no ability to modify the parameters or limits on trading activity set by the intermediary. If you purchase Fund shares through a financial intermediary, you should contact the intermediary for more information about whether and how restrictions or limitations on trading activity will be applied to your account.
Reinstatement Privilege. You may decide to reinstate the shares that you have redeemed within the past 90 days. You must send a letter to the Transfer Agent, stating your intention to use the reinstatement privilege, along with your check for all or a portion of the previous redemption proceeds. Shares will be purchased at NAV on the day the check is received. Shares will be purchased into the account from which the redemption was made. The proceeds must be reinvested in the same share class. If shares were redeemed from a Class C account, the purchase will be processed so that no CDSC charges will be assessed against it in the future, but any CDSC charges that were incurred as a result of the original redemption will not be reversed.
Unclaimed Accounts. Under certain circumstances, a shareholder’s shares in a Fund may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Fund Rights
You should be aware that the Funds may do any of the following:
| ● | Withhold federal income tax on your distributions if the Fund has been notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding, or if you fail to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number or certification that you are exempt from backup withholding. |
| ● | Close your account and send you the proceeds if your balance falls below $1,000 (or $500 for retirement accounts); charge you $10 a year if your account balance falls below $1,000; in either case, the Funds will give you 60 days’ notice so you can either increase your balance or close your account (these policies do not apply to any case where a fall in share price created the low balance). |
| ● | Reject a new account application if you do not provide a correct social security or taxpayer identification number; if the account has already been opened, we may give you 30 days’ notice to provide the correct number. |
| ● | Pay you for shares you sell by “redeeming in kind,” that is, by giving you marketable securities (which typically will involve brokerage costs for you to liquidate) rather than cash; the Fund generally will not make a redemption in kind unless your requests over a 90-day period total more than $250,000 or 1.00% of the value of the Fund’s net assets, whichever is less. |
| ● | Change, add or withdraw various services, fees and account policies. |
Foreign Investors
The Funds will generally not accept investments from foreign investors (e.g., foreign financial institutions; non-U.S. persons), other than from affiliates of Mirae Asset USA. Where a Fund does accept such investments from a foreign investor, the Transfer Agent is expected to conduct due diligence on such foreign investors as may be required under the USA PATRIOT Act and applicable Treasury or SEC rules, regulations and guidance. In addition to the due diligence, the Funds have instructed the Transfer Agent to escalate foreign investors to the Fund’s Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, including all foreign correspondent accounts established in the United States for a foreign financial institution.
Customer Identification and Verification
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means to you: When you open an account, the applicable Fund will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow the Fund to identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the identity of all persons opening a mutual fund account. The Funds are required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
In certain instances, the Funds are required to collect documents to fulfill their legal obligations. Documents provided in connection with your application will be used solely to establish and verify a customer’s identity, and the Funds shall have no obligation with respect to the terms of any such document. Attempts to collect the missing information required on the application will be performed by contacting either you or, if applicable, your broker. If this information is unable to be obtained within a time- frame established in the sole discretion of the applicable Fund, your application will be rejected.
| http://investments.miraeasset.us | 41 | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds |
Upon receipt of your application in proper form (or upon receipt of all identifying information required on the application), your investment will be accepted and your order will be processed at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of your application in proper form. However, the Funds reserve the right to close your account at the then-current day’s price if they are unable to verify your identity.
Attempts to verify your identity will be performed within a time-frame established in the sole discretion of the Funds. If a Fund is unable to verify your identity, the Fund reserves the right to liquidate your account at the then-current day’s price and remit proceeds to you via check. The Funds reserve the further right to hold your proceeds until your original check clears the bank. In such an instance, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax implications.
Anti-Money Laundering Program
Customer identification and verification is part of the Funds’ overall obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Trust has adopted an anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Funds from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. In this regard, the Funds reserve the right to (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order, (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of the Investment Manager, they are deemed to be in the best interest of a Fund or in cases where a Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if a Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents
The Trust delivers only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, shareholder reports and proxy statements, to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is known as “householding” and is intended to eliminate duplicate mailings and reduce expenses. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact the Funds at 1-888-335-3417, or write to Mirae Asset Discovery Funds, P.O. Box 183165, Columbus, Ohio 43218-3165.
| http://investments.miraeasset.us | 42 | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds |
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table below is intended to help investors understand each Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate of return that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares of the applicable Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the Funds’ financial statements and audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. Cohen & Company, Ltd.’s report on the fiscal year ended April 30, 2022 financial statements, along with each Fund’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2022, are incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and included in the Trust’s annual report, which is available upon request and without charge by calling 1-888-335-3417, on the Trust’s website at http://investments.miraeasset.us. or at the following hyperlink: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001489215/000110465922078295/tm2217553d2_ncsr.htm
| | | | Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
| | Net Investment Income (Loss)(a) |
| | Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Investments |
| | Total from Investment Activities |
| | Net Investment Income |
| | Net Realized Gains From Investments |
| | Total Distributions |
| | Net Asset Value, End of Period |
| | Total Return (excludes sales charge)(b) |
| | Ratio of Net Expenses to Average Net Assets |
| | Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets |
| | Ratio of Gross Expenses to Average Net Assets |
| | Net Assets, End of Period (000’s) |
| | Portfolio Turnover(c) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emerging Markets Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Class A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2022 | | | | $ | 15.46 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | (3.01) | | | | | | (3.01) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (1.05) | | | | | | (1.05) | | | | | $ | 11.40 | | | | | | (20.37)% | | | | | | 1.40% | | | | | | (0.02)% | | | | | | 1.78% | | | | | $ | 5,229 | | | | | | 106% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2021 | | | | $ | 9.86 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | 5.78 | | | | | | 5.78 | | | | | | (0.18) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.18) | | | | | $ | 15.46 | | | | | | 58.79% | | | | | | 1.40% | | | | | | (0.02)% | | | | | | 1.80% | | | | | $ | 3,566 | | | | | | 123% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2020 | | | | $ | 11.64 | | | | | | (0.02) | | | | | | (1.76) | | | | | | (1.78) | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 9.86 | | | | | | (15.29)% | | | | | | 1.40% | | | | | | (0.15)% | | | | | | 1.86% | | | | | $ | 2,552 | | | | | | 95% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2019 | | | | $ | 13.16 | | | | | | 0.02 | | | | | | (1.06) | | | | | | (1.04) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.48) | | | | | | (0.48) | | | | | $ | 11.64 | | | | | | (7.31)% | | | | | | 1.43%(e) | | | | | | 0.18% | | | | | | 1.87% | | | | | $ | 2,898 | | | | | | 156% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2018 | | | | $ | 10.80 | | | | | | (0.03) | | | | | | 2.39 | | | | | | 2.36 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 13.16 | | | | | | 21.85% | | | | | | 1.50% | | | | | | (0.22)% | | | | | | 2.08% | | | | | $ | 4,889 | | | | | | 72% | | |
| Class C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2022 | | | | $ | 14.28 | | | | | | (0.09) | | | | | | (2.76) | | | | | | (2.85) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (1.05) | | | | | | (1.05) | | | | | $ | 10.38 | | | | | | (20.95)% | | | | | | 2.15% | | | | | | (0.70)% | | | | | | 2.52% | | | | | $ | 1,670 | | | | | | 106% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2021 | | | | $ | 9.12 | | | | | | (0.09) | | | | | | 5.34 | | | | | | 5.25 | | | | | | (0.09) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.09) | | | | | $ | 14.28 | | | | | | 57.69% | | | | | | 2.15% | | | | | | (0.78)% | | | | | | 2.55% | | | | | $ | 2,176 | | | | | | 123% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2020 | | | | $ | 10.85 | | | | | | (0.06) | | | | | | (1.67) | | | | | | (1.73) | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 9.12 | | | | | | (15.94)% | | | | | | 2.15% | | | | | | (0.53)% | | | | | | 2.60% | | | | | $ | 1,661 | | | | | | 95% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2019 | | | | $ | 12.40 | | | | | | (0.08) | | | | | | (0.99) | | | | | | (1.07) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.48) | | | | | | (0.48) | | | | | $ | 10.85 | | | | | | (8.01)% | | | | | | 2.18%(e) | | | | | | (0.78)% | | | | | | 2.69% | | | | | $ | 2,466 | | | | | | 156% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2018 | | | | $ | 10.26 | | | | | | (0.11) | | | | | | 2.25 | | | | | | 2.14 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 12.40 | | | | | | 20.86% | | | | | | 2.25% | | | | | | (0.93)% | | | | | | 2.92% | | | | | $ | 2,162 | | | | | | 72% | | |
| Class I | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2022 | | | | $ | 15.78 | | | | | | 0.04 | | | | | | (3.08) | | | | | | (3.04) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (1.05) | | | | | | (1.05) | | | | | $ | 11.69 | | | | | | (20.14)% | | | | | | 1.15% | | | | | | 0.31% | | | | | | 1.52% | | | | | $ | 42,258 | | | | | | 106% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2021 | | | | $ | 10.05 | | | | | | 0.03 | | | | | | 5.91 | | | | | | 5.94 | | | | | | (0.21) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.21) | | | | | $ | 15.78 | | | | | | 59.28% | | | | | | 1.15% | | | | | | 0.22% | | | | | | 1.55% | | | | | $ | 57,212 | | | | | | 123% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2020 | | | | $ | 11.84 | | | | | | 0.06 | | | | | | (1.85) | | | | | | (1.79) | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 10.05 | | | | | | (15.12)% | | | | | | 1.15% | | | | | | 0.54% | | | | | | 1.60% | | | | | $ | 46,976 | | | | | | 95% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2019 | | | | $ | 13.39 | | | | | | 0.03 | | | | | | (1.07) | | | | | | (1.04) | | | | | | (0.03) | | | | | | (0.48) | | | | | | (0.51) | | | | | $ | 11.84 | | | | | | (7.14)% | | | | | | 1.18%(e) | | | | | | 0.27% | | | | | | 1.66% | | | | | $ | 76,438 | | | | | | 156% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2018 | | | | $ | 10.96 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | 2.43 | | | | | | 2.43 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 13.39 | | | | | | 22.17% | | | | | | 1.25% | | | | | | 0.03% | | | | | | 1.94% | | | | | $ | 66,004 | | | | | | 72% | | |
| Emerging Markets Great Consumer Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Class A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2022 | | | | $ | 20.02 | | | | | | (0.09) | | | | | | (5.98) | | | | | | (6.07) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (1.29) | | | | | | (1.29) | | | | | $ | 12.66 | | | | | | (31.48)% | | | | | | 1.40% | | | | | | (0.49)% | | | | | | 1.44% | | | | | $ | 28,652 | | | | | | 71% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2021 | | | | $ | 14.86 | | | | | | (0.07) | | | | | | 6.09 | | | | | | 6.02 | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.86) | | | | | | (0.86) | | | | | $ | 20.02 | | | | | | 40.70% | | | | | | 1.40% | | | | | | (0.35)% | | | | | | 1.45% | | | | | $ | 55,496 | | | | | | 49% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2020 | | | | $ | 15.03 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | (0.07) | | | | | | (0.07) | | | | | | (0.04) | | | | | | (0.06) | | | | | | (0.10) | | | | | $ | 14.86 | | | | | | (0.50)% | | | | | | 1.40% | | | | | | —%(d) | | | | | | 1.58% | | | | | $ | 31,766 | | | | | | 60% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2019 | | | | $ | 14.89 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | 0.14 | | | | | | 0.14 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 15.03 | | | | | | 0.94% | | | | | | 1.43%(e) | | | | | | —%(d) | | | | | | 1.66% | | | | | $ | 27,673 | | | | | | 46% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2018 | | | | $ | 11.82 | | | | | | (0.08) | | | | | | 3.15 | | | | | | 3.07 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 14.89 | | | | | | 25.97% | | | | | | 1.50% | | | | | | (0.53)% | | | | | | 1.78% | | | | | $ | 45,145 | | | | | | 52% | | |
| Class C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2022 | | | | $ | 18.46 | | | | | | (0.20) | | | | | | (5.47) | | | | | | (5.67) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (1.29) | | | | | | (1.29) | | | | | $ | 11.50 | | | | | | (31.99)% | | | | | | 2.15% | | | | | | (1.23)% | | | | | | 2.19% | | | | | $ | 12,011 | | | | | | 71% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2021 | | | | $ | 13.85 | | | | | | (0.19) | | | | | | 5.66 | | | | | | 5.47 | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.86) | | | | | | (0.86) | | | | | $ | 18.46 | | | | | | 39.68% | | | | | | 2.15% | | | | | | (1.11)% | | | | | | 2.20% | | | | | $ | 22,710 | | | | | | 49% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2020 | | | | $ | 14.08 | | | | | | (0.08) | | | | | | (0.09) | | | | | | (0.17) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.06) | | | | | | (0.06) | | | | | $ | 13.85 | | | | | | (1.24)% | | | | | | 2.15% | | | | | | (0.59)% | | | | | | 2.33% | | | | | $ | 15,850 | | | | | | 60% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2019 | | | | $ | 14.05 | | | | | | (0.12) | | | | | | 0.15 | | | | | | 0.03 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 14.08 | | | | | | 0.21% | | | | | | 2.18%(e) | | | | | | (0.93)% | | | | | | 2.41% | | | | | $ | 18,556 | | | | | | 46% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2018 | | | | $ | 11.24 | | | | | | (0.16) | | | | | | 2.97 | | | | | | 2.81 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 14.05 | | | | | | 25.00% | | | | | | 2.25% | | | | | | (1.20)% | | | | | | 2.53% | | | | | $ | 18,221 | | | | | | 52% | | |
| Class I | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2022 | | | | $ | 20.52 | | | | | | (0.04) | | | | | | (6.16) | | | | | | (6.20) | | | | | | — | | | | | | (1.29) | | | | | | (1.29) | | | | | $ | 13.03 | | | | | | (31.34)% | | | | | | 1.15% | | | | | | (0.24)% | | | | | | 1.19% | | | | | $ | 814,957 | | | | | | 71% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2021 | | | | $ | 15.18 | | | | | | (0.02) | | | | | | 6.22 | | | | | | 6.20 | | | | | | — | | | | | | (0.86) | | | | | | (0.86) | | | | | $ | 20.52 | | | | | | 41.03% | | | | | | 1.15% | | | | | | (0.10)% | | | | | | 1.20% | | | | | $ | 1,627,679 | | | | | | 49% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2020 | | | | $ | 15.34 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | (0.03) | | | | | | (0.03) | | | | | | (0.07) | | | | | | (0.06) | | | | | | (0.13) | | | | | $ | 15.18 | | | | | | (0.23)% | | | | | | 1.15% | | | | | | 0.01% | | | | | | 1.33% | | | | | $ | 545,917 | | | | | | 60% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2019 | | | | $ | 15.15 | | | | | | —(d) | | | | | | 0.19 | | | | | | 0.19 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 15.34 | | | | | | 1.25% | | | | | | 1.18%(e) | | | | | | 0.03% | | | | | | 1.41% | | | | | $ | 336,482 | | | | | | 46% | | |
| Year Ended April 30, 2018 | | | | $ | 12.00 | | | | | | (0.03) | | | | | | 3.18 | | | | | | 3.15 | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | | — | | | | | $ | 15.15 | | | | | | 26.25% | | | | | | 1.25% | | | | | | (0.23)% | | | | | | 1.53% | | | | | $ | 217,808 | | | | | | 52% | | |
(a) Calculated using the average shares method.
(b) Total Return reflects any fee waivers or reimbursements during the applicable period and would have been lower in their absence.
(c) Portfolio turnover rate is calculated on the basis of the Fund as a whole without distinguishing between classes of shares issued.
(d) Amount is less than $0.005 or 0.005%.
(e) The net expense ratio shown for the period is the blended ratio of the current expense limitation in effect as of August 28, 2018 and the higher limit in effect prior to that date.
| http://investments.miraeasset.us | 43 | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds |
Appendix A
Financial Intermediary Sales Charge Variations
The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from a Fund or through a financial intermediary. Specific intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales charge waivers or CDSC waivers. In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the shareholder’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. This Appendix will be updated based on information provided by the financial intermediaries. Neither the Fund, the Adviser nor the Distributor supervises the implementation of financial intermediary sales charge waivers, discounts, policies or procedures nor do they verify the intermediaries’ administration of such waivers, discounts, policies or procedures.
For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary listed below, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from a Fund or through another intermediary to receive Fund imposed waivers or discounts. Please see “Description of The Share Classes” starting on page 25 of this Prospectus for information about such waivers and discounts.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”)
Effective August 28, 2018, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
| ● | Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans |
| ● | Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules |
| ● | Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund |
| ● | Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account |
| ● | Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program |
| ● | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge. |
Class A Waivers Applicable to Purchase Through LPL Financial
For those accounts where LPL Financial is listed as the broker dealer, the Class A sales charge waivers listed under “Class A Shares: Initial Sales Charge Waivers” sub-section of the “Description of the Share Classes” section of the Prospectus apply, except that the Class A sales charge waiver number (7) (relating to purchases of Class A shares by employer- sponsored retirement plans) is replaced with the following waiver:
Class A shares may be purchased without a sales charge by group retirement plans, which are employer-sponsored retirement plans, deferred compensation plans, employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans.
To satisfy eligibility requirements, the plan must be a group retirement plan (more than one participant), the shares cannot be held in a commission-based brokerage account at LPL Financial, and
| ● | the shares must be held at a plan level or |
| ● | the shares must be held through an omnibus account of a retirement plan record-keeper. |
| http://investments.miraeasset.us | 44 | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds |
Group retirement plans include group employer-sponsored 401(k) plans, employer-sponsored 457 plans, employer- sponsored 403(b) plans, profit-sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans, retiree health benefit plans, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, KEOGHs, individual 401(k) or individual 403(b) plans do not qualify under this waiver.
LPL Financial is responsible for the implementation of this waiver on its platform.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”)
Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James
| ● | Shares purchased in an investment advisory program. |
| ● | Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family). |
| ● | Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James. |
| ● | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). |
| ● | A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James. |
CDSC Waivers on Classes A, B and C shares available at Raymond James
| ● | Death or disability of the shareholder. |
| ● | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus. |
| ● | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account. |
| ● | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in the fund’s prospectus. |
| ● | Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James. |
| ● | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement. |
Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, and/or rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent
| ● | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus. |
| ● | Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
| ● | Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets. |
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (“OPCO”)
Effective February 26, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an OPCO platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund's prospectus or SAI.
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Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at OPCO
| ● | Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan |
| ● | Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan |
| ● | Shares purchased through a OPCO affiliated investment advisory program |
| ● | Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family) |
| ● | Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same amount, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Restatement). |
| ● | A shareholder in the Fund's Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO |
| ● | Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members |
| ● | Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund's investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus |
CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares available at OPCO
| ● | Death or disability of the shareholder |
| ● | Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund's prospectus |
| ● | Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account |
| ● | Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 701/2 as described in the prospectus |
| ● | Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO |
| ● | Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement |
Front-end load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation &Letters of Intent
| ● | Breakpoints as described in this prospectus. |
| ● | Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the calculation of ROA only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets |
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TO GET MORE INFORMATION
Shareholder Reports. Additional information about the Funds’ investments is available in the Trust’s annual and semi- annual reports to shareholders. In the Trust’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). This tells you more about the Funds’ features and policies, including additional risk information. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this document (meaning that it is legally part of this Prospectus).
The Funds’ most recent annual and semi-annual reports and SAI are available, free of charge, upon request, by calling 1-888- 335-3417 or on the Trust’s website at http://investments.miraeasset.us. Shareholders may call 1-888-335-3417 to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries. The reports and other information about the Funds are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request, at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
To Make Investments
Mirae Asset Discovery Funds
P.O. Box 183165
Columbus, Ohio 43218-3165
http://investments.miraeasset.us
1-888-335-3417
Distributed
by:
Funds Distributor, LLC
SEC Investment Company Act File Number:
Mirae Asset Discovery Funds 811-22406
Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA) LLC, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10036
| http://investments.miraeasset.us | 47 | Mirae Asset Discovery Funds |