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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Angel Oak Income ETF Summary
Angel Oak UltraShort Income ETF Summary
Portfolio Holdings Information
Additional Payments to Dealers
How to Buy and Sell Shares
Dividends, Distribution, and Taxes
Distribution
Premium/Discount Information
Additional Notices
Financial Highlights

1


ANGEL OAK INCOME ETF SUMMARY
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Angel Oak Income ETF (the “Fund”) is current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees
0.99%
Other Expenses1, 2
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.99%
Less Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement3
-0.20%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement3
0.79%
1    Estimated for the current fiscal year.
2    Angel Oak Capital Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) is responsible for substantially all the expenses of the Fund (including expenses of the Trust relating to the Fund), except for the advisory fees, payments under the Fund’s 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees for funds advised by the Adviser), brokers’ commissions and any other transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, litigation and potential litigation and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.
3    The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse certain expenses (exclusive of interest expenses, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees for funds advised by the Adviser which are waived), brokers’ commissions and any other transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, and litigation and potential litigation and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to limit the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement to 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (the “Expense Limit”) through May 31, 2024. The contractual arrangement may only be changed or eliminated by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. The Adviser may recoup from the Fund any waived amount or reimbursed expenses pursuant to this agreement if such recoupment does not cause the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after such recoupment to exceed the lesser of (i) the Expense Limit in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and (ii) the Expense Limit in effect at the time of recoupment and the recoupment is made within three years after the end of the month in which the Adviser incurred the expense.
Expense Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then continue to hold or sell 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. The example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. The fee waiver and expense reimbursement discussed in the table above is reflected only for the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
One Year Three Years
$81 $295
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period November 7, 2022 (commencement of operations) through January 31, 2023, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 59% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), asset-backed securities (“ABS”), including securities or
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securitizations backed by assets such as unsecured consumer loans, credit card receivables, student loans, automobile loans, loans financing solar energy systems, and residential and commercial real estate, and other debt securitizations (collectively, “Structured Products”); mortgage loans, secured and unsecured consumer loans, commercial loans and pools of such loans (collectively, “Loans”); corporate debt, including bank-issued subordinated debt; equity securities of banks, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), or other issuers; and U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in CLOs and CDOs, which are backed by a pool of loans or a pool of debt, respectively. CLOs and CDOs are similar to CMOs, but differ as to the type of underlying loan or debt.
The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including closed-end investment companies and open-end investment companies, which may operate as traditional mutual funds, ETFs or business development companies (“BDCs”). The other investment companies in which the Fund invests may be part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund.
The Fund will concentrate its investments in agency and non-agency RMBS and CMBS (collectively, “MBS”). This means that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in MBS (measured at the time of purchase). The Fund will not concentrate its investments in any other group of industries. The Fund’s policy to concentrate its investments in MBS is fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval.
The fixed income instruments in which the Fund invests may include those of issuers from the United States and other countries. The Fund’s investments in foreign debt securities will typically be denominated in U.S. dollars.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in investments that are deemed to be illiquid, which may include private placements, certain Rule 144A securities (which are subject to resale restrictions), and securities of issuers that are bankrupt or in default.
The Fund may invest, without limitation, in securities of any maturity and duration. Maturity refers to the length of time until a debt security’s principal is repaid with interest. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates that incorporates a security’s yield, coupon, final maturity and call and put features and prepayment exposure into one measure with a higher duration indicating greater sensitivity to interest rates. For example, if a portfolio has a duration of two years, and interest rates increase (fall) by 1%, the portfolio would decline (increase) in value by approximately 2%. However, duration may not accurately reflect the true interest rate sensitivity of instruments held by the Fund and, therefore the Fund’s exposure to changes in interest rates.
The Fund may invest in high-yield securities and securities that are not rated by any rating agencies. These “high-yield” securities (also known as “junk bonds”) will be rated BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Rating Group (“S&P”) or will be of equivalent quality rating from another Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organization. If a bond is unrated, the Adviser may determine whether it is of comparable quality and therefore eligible for the Fund’s investment. Although the Fund will not acquire investments of issuers that are in default at the time of investment, the Fund may hold such securities if an investment subsequently defaults.
In pursuing its investment objectives or for hedging purposes, the Fund may utilize borrowing and various types of derivative instruments, including swaps, futures contracts, and options, although not all such derivatives will be used at all times. Such derivatives may trade over-the-counter or on an exchange and may principally be used for one or more of the following purposes: speculation, currency hedging, duration management, credit deterioration hedging, hedges against broad market movements, or to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund may borrow to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, which generally means that the Fund may borrow up to one-third of its total assets. The Fund may also invest in repurchase agreements and borrow through reverse repurchase agreements.
The Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than diversified funds.
The Fund is an actively managed ETF, which is a fund that trades like other publicly-traded securities. The Fund is not an index fund and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
The Fund’s allocation of its assets into various asset classes within its investment strategy will depend on the views of the Adviser as to the best value relative to what is currently presented in the marketplace. Investment decisions are made based on fundamental research and analysis to identify issuers with the ability to improve their credit profile over time with attractive valuations, resulting in both income and potential capital appreciation. In selecting investments, including Structured Products, the Adviser may consider maturity, yield and ratings information and opportunities for price appreciation among other criteria. The Adviser also analyzes a variety of factors when selecting investments for the Fund, such as collateral quality, credit support, structure and market conditions. The Adviser attempts to diversify risks that arise from position sizes, geography, ratings, duration, deal structure and collateral values. The Adviser will also seek to invest in securities that have relatively low volatility. The Adviser seeks to limit risk of principal by targeting assets that it considers undervalued. From time to time, the Fund may allocate its assets so as to focus on particular types of securities.
As part of its investment process, the Adviser also considers certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) and sustainability factors that it believes could have a material negative or positive impact on the risk profiles of the issuers or
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underlying collateral assets of certain securities in which the Fund may invest. These determinations may not be conclusive, and securities that may be negatively impacted by such factors may be purchased and retained by the Fund while the Fund may divest or not invest in securities that may be positively impacted by such factors. The Adviser may sell investments, including Structured Products, if it determines that any of the mentioned factors have changed materially from its initial analysis, that other factors indicate that an investment is no longer earning a return commensurate with its risk, or that a different security will better help the Fund achieve its investment objective.
Principal Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment risks before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. There may be circumstances that could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit at a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Fixed-Income Instruments Risks. The Fund will invest in fixed-income instruments and securities. Such investments may be secured, partially secured or unsecured and may be unrated, and whether or not rated, may have speculative characteristics. The market price of the Fund’s investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. Generally, when interest rates rise, the values of fixed-income instruments fall, and vice versa. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed-income instruments as interest rates change. In addition, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. A fund with a negative average portfolio duration may decline in value as interest rates decrease. Most high yield investments pay a fixed rate of interest and are therefore vulnerable to inflation risk (inflation rates are currently elevated relative to normal conditions). The obligor of a fixed-income instrument may not be able or willing to pay interest or to repay principal when due in accordance with the terms of the associated agreement.
General Market Risk. The capital markets may experience periods of disruption, instability and volatility. Political, geopolitical, natural and other events, including war, terrorism, trade disputes, government shutdowns, market closures, natural and environmental disasters, epidemics, pandemics and other public health crises and related events have led, and in the future may lead, to economic uncertainty, decreased economic activity, increased market volatility and other disruptive effects on U.S. and global economies and markets. Such conditions may materially and adversely affect the markets globally and in the jurisdictions in which the Fund invests, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations.
Interest Rate Risk. The Fund is exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates, including the possibility that, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
Prepayment Risk. When interest rates decline, fixed income securities with stated interest rates may have the principal paid earlier than expected, requiring the Fund to invest the proceeds at generally lower interest rates.
Structured Products Risks. The Fund may invest in Structured Products, including CLOs, CDOs, CMOs, CBOs, and other asset-backed securities and debt securitizations. Some Structured Products have credit ratings, but are typically issued in various classes with various priorities. Normally, Structured Products are privately offered and sold (that is, they are not registered under the securities laws), which means less information about the security may be available as compared to publicly offered securities and only certain institutions may buy and sell them. As a result, investments in Structured Products may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. An active dealer market may exist for Structured Products that qualify for Rule 144A transactions, but there can be no assurance that such a market will exist or will be active enough for the Fund to sell such securities. In addition to the typical risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities, CLOs and CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default, decline in value or quality or be downgraded by a rating agency; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of Structured Products that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (vi) the Structured Product’s manager may perform poorly. The senior and junior tranches of Structured Products may have floating or variable interest rates based on LIBOR and are subject to the risks associated with securities tied to LIBOR, including the risks associated with the pending replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate. The Fund may also invest in the equity tranches of a Structured Product, which typically represent the first loss position in the Structured Product, are unrated and are subject to higher risks. Equity tranches of Structured Products typically do not have a fixed coupon and payments on equity tranches will be based on the income received from the underlying collateral and the payments made to the senior tranches, both of which may be based on floating rates based on LIBOR.
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Borrowing Risks and Leverage Risks. Borrowing for investment purposes creates leverage, which will exaggerate the effect of any change in the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio on the Fund’s NAV and, therefore, may increase the volatility of the Fund.
Extension Risk. An issuer could exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by the Fund (such as a mortgage-backed security) later than expected. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. Under these circumstances, the value of the obligation will decrease, and the Fund will also suffer from the inability to reinvest in higher yielding securities.
Concentration in Certain Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The risks of concentrating in residential mortgage-backed securities (agency and non-agency) and commercial mortgage-backed securities include susceptibility to changes in lending standards, interest rates and lending rates, and the risks associated with the market’s perception of issuers, the creditworthiness of the parties involved and investing in real estate securities.
U.S. Government Securities Risks. U.S. government securities are not guaranteed against price movement and may decrease in value. Some U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, while others may be supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of a federal agency or U.S. government sponsored enterprise (“GSE”) or only by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such agencies and GSEs, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so. Other obligations are backed solely by the GSE’s own resources. Investments in securities issued by GSEs that are not backed by the U.S. Treasury are subject to higher credit risk than those that are backed by the U.S. Treasury.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risks. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risks of traditional fixed-income instruments. However, they are also subject to prepayment risk and extension risk, meaning that if interest rates fall, the underlying debt may be repaid ahead of schedule, reducing the value of the Fund’s investments and if interest rates rise, there may be fewer prepayments, which would cause the average bond maturity to rise, increasing the potential for the Fund to lose money. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are also susceptible to changes in lending standards and lending rates. In addition, mortgage-backed securities comprised of subprime mortgages and investments in other asset-backed securities collateralized by subprime loans may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk and valuation risk. Additionally, such securities may be subject to a higher degree of liquidity risk, because the liquidity of such investments may vary dramatically over time.
Certain mortgage-backed securities may be secured by pools of mortgages on single-family, multi-family properties, as well as commercial properties. Similarly, asset-backed securities may be secured by pools of loans, such as corporate loans, student loans, automobile loans and credit card receivables. The credit risk on such securities is affected by homeowners or borrowers defaulting on their loans. The values of assets underlying mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may decline and therefore may not be adequate to cover underlying investors. Some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities have experienced extraordinary weakness and volatility in recent years. Possible legislation in the area of residential mortgages, credit cards, corporate loans and other loans that may collateralize the securities in which the Fund may invest could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments. To the extent the Fund focuses its investments in particular types of mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities, the Fund may be more susceptible to risk factors affecting such types of securities.
Unrated Securities Risks. Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities and involve the risk that Angel Oak may not accurately evaluate the security’s comparative credit rating.
Residential Loans and Mortgages Risk. In addition to interest rate, default and other risks of fixed income securities, investments in whole loans and debt instruments backed by residential loans or mortgages, (or pools of loans or mortgages) carry additional risks, including the possibility that the quality of the collateral may decline in value and the potential for the liquidity of residential loans and mortgages to vary over time. These risks are greater for subprime residential and mortgage loans. Because they do not trade in a liquid market, residential loans typically can only be sold to a limited universe of institutional investors and may be difficult for the Fund to value. In addition, in the event that a loan is foreclosed on, the Fund could become the owner (in whole or in part) of any collateral, which may include, among other things, real estate or other real or personal property, and the Fund would bear the costs and liabilities of owning, holding or disposing of such property.
REIT Risk. A REIT is a company that owns or finances income-producing real estate. Through its investments in REITs, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in the real estate market, including decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters. The value of a REIT may also be affected by the management or development of underlying properties, which may also be subject to mortgage loans, and the underlying mortgage loans may be subject to the risk of default.
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ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and may invest in other ETFs, and, as a result of this structure, is exposed directly or indirectly to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV, which may also lead to a widening of bid/ask spreads quoted for Shares, and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. If a shareholder purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and may lead to a widening of bid/ask spreads quoted for Shares.
Cash Transactions Risk. Unlike certain ETFs, the Fund may effect creations and redemptions in cash or partially in cash. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and subsequently recognize gains on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. As such, investments in Shares may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that distributes portfolio securities entirely in-kind.
Foreign Securities Risks. Investments in securities or other instruments of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks not involved in domestic investments and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies. Financial markets in foreign countries often are not as developed, efficient or liquid as financial markets in the United States, and therefore, the prices of non-U.S. securities and instruments can be more volatile. In addition, the Fund will be subject to risks associated with adverse political and economic developments in foreign countries, which may include the imposition of economic sanctions or other similar measures. Generally, there is less readily available and reliable information about non-U.S. issuers due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards and regulatory practices.
Bank Subordinated Debt Risks. Banks may issue subordinated debt securities, which have a lower priority to full payment behind other more senior debt securities. In addition to the risks generally associated with fixed income instruments (e.g., interest rate risk, counterparty risk, credit risk, etc.), bank subordinated debt is also subject to risks inherent to banks. Because banks are highly regulated and operate in a highly competitive environment, it may be difficult for a bank to meet its debt obligations. Banks also may be affected by changes in legislation and regulations applicable to the financial markets. Bank subordinated debt is often issued by smaller community banks that may be overly concentrated in a specific geographic region, lack the capacity to comply with new regulatory requirements or lack adequate capital.
Subordinated debt, senior debt and preferred securities of banks and diversified financials companies are subject to the risks generally associated with the financials sector. See “Financials Sector Risk.”
Financials Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the financials sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis that began in 2007. This sector has experienced significant losses in the past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of past or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in this sector and have caused significant losses.
Management Risk. The Fund may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
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Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser, and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Adviser, or the Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund's business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to transact in Fund shares may be affected.
New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, it can invest a greater portion of its assets in obligations of a single issuer than a “diversified” fund. The Fund may therefore be more susceptible than a diversified fund to being adversely affected by a single corporate, economic, political or regulatory occurrence.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
Floating or Variable Rate Securities Risk. Floating or variable rate securities pay interest at rates that adjust in response to changes in a specified interest rate or reset at predetermined dates (such as the end of a calendar quarter). Securities with floating or variable interest rates are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as comparable market interest rates. Although floating or variable rate securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate risk than fixed rate securities, they are subject to credit, liquidity and default risk and may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, which could impair their value.
Liquidity and Valuation Risks. It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been valued for purposes of the Fund’s net asset value, causing the Fund to be less liquid and unable to sell securities for what the Adviser believes is the appropriate price of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity and for investments that trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could sell the investment at that time. Based on its investment strategies, a significant portion of the Fund’s investments can be difficult to value and potentially less liquid and therefore particularly prone to these risks.
Other Investment Companies Risks. The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in mutual funds, ETFs, and other investment companies, which may include those that are part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund (“affiliated underlying funds”). There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. ETFs may be less liquid than other investments, and thus their share values more volatile than the values of the investments they hold. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted for a number of reasons.
The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in allocating the Fund’s assets to underlying funds, such as a potential conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio managers may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in allocating the Fund’s assets among underlying funds, as certain of the Fund’s portfolio managers may also manage an affiliated underlying fund in which the Fund may invest. Both the Adviser and the Fund’s portfolio managers have a fiduciary duty to the Fund to act in the Fund’s best interest when selecting underlying funds. Under the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser will carefully analyze any such potential conflicts of interest and will take steps to minimize and, where possible, eliminate them.
Rating Agencies Risks. Ratings are not an absolute standard of quality, but rather general indicators that reflect only the view of the originating rating agencies from which an explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained. There is no assurance that a particular rating will continue for any given period of time or that any such rating will not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely. Such changes may negatively affect the liquidity or market price of the securities in which the Fund invests. The ratings of Structured Products may not adequately reflect the credit risk of those assets due to their structure.
LIBOR Risk. Instruments in which the Fund invests may pay interest at floating rates based on LIBOR or may be subject to interest caps or floors based on LIBOR. The Fund and issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests may also obtain financing at floating rates based on LIBOR. Derivative instruments utilized by the Fund and/or issuers of instruments in which
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the Fund may invest may also reference LIBOR. The Fund also may utilize leverage or borrowings primarily based on LIBOR. One-week and two-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings were discontinued at the end of 2021, and the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has announced that the remaining U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings will continue to be provided on a representative basis until mid-2023. As of January 1, 2022, as a result of supervisory guidance from U.S. regulators, some U.S. regulated entities have ceased entering into new LIBOR contracts with limited exceptions. While publication of the one-, three- and six- month Sterling and Japanese yen LIBOR settings continued for a limited time on the basis of a changed methodology (known as “synthetic LIBOR”), these synthetic LIBOR settings were designated by the FCA as unrepresentative of the underlying market they sought to measure and were solely available for use in legacy transactions. The FCA has indicated that they will require the publication of synthetic LIBOR for the one-, three- and six-month for U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings after June 30, 2023, until at least the end of September 2024, although usage of these synthetic LIBOR settings may be prohibited or prevented by applicable law. Certain bank-sponsored committees in other jurisdictions, including Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland, have selected alternative reference rates denominated in other currencies. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments that reference LIBOR without including fallback provisions and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to the Fund’s investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or NAV. The effect of a phase out of LIBOR on instruments in which the Fund may invest is currently unclear. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions, and there is significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies. To the extent that any replacement rate differs from that utilized for a Structured Product that holds those securities, the Structured Product would experience an interest rate mismatch between its assets and liabilities. Recently, some Structured Products have included, or have been amended to include, language permitting the Structured Product’s investment manager to implement a market replacement rate upon the occurrence of certain material disruption events. However, not all Structured Products may adopt such provisions, nor can there be any assurance that Structured Products’ investment managers will undertake the suggested amendments when able. In cases where LIBOR replacement language is absent or insufficient, certain legislative transition mechanisms may apply, causing LIBOR to be replaced with a rate selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act was signed into law. This law provides a statutory fallback mechanism on a nationwide basis to replace LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) for certain contracts that reference LIBOR and contain no, or insufficient, fallback provisions. Final implementing regulations in respect of the law have been promulgated although the effect that they may have on the transition from LIBOR is uncertain. The transition from LIBOR to alternative interest rates could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. It remains uncertain how such changes would affect the Fund, issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests and financial markets generally.
Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. Shares of the Fund are offered to certain other investment companies, large retirement plans and other large investors. In addition, a third party investor, the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser, an AP, a market maker, or another entity may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a limited period of time. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that shareholders may purchase or redeem a large amount of shares of the Fund. To satisfy such large shareholder redemptions, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. In addition, large purchases of Fund shares could adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund does not immediately invest cash it receives and therefore holds more cash than it ordinarily would. Large shareholder activity could also generate increased transaction costs and cause adverse tax consequences. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on the Exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the Shares.
Illiquid Investments Risks. The Fund may, at times, hold illiquid investments, by virtue of the absence of a readily available market for certain of its investments, or because of legal or contractual restrictions on sales. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to dispose of an investment at a time or price that is most beneficial to the Fund.
Regulatory and Legal Risks. U.S. and non-U.S. government agencies and other regulators regularly adopt new regulations and legislatures enact new statutes that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation that applies to the Fund. These statutes and regulations may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund or the taxation of its shareholders.
Community Bank Risks. The Fund’s investments in community banks may make the Fund more economically vulnerable in the event of a downturn in the banking industry, including economic downturns impacting a particular region. Community banks may also be subject to greater lending risks than larger banks, including the risks associated with mortgage loans, and may have fewer resources to devote towards employing and retaining strong management employees and implementing a thorough compliance program. Additionally, community banks are subject to substantial regulations that could adversely affect their ability to operate and the value of the Fund investments, including from future banking regulations.
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High-Yield Securities Risks. High-yield securities (also known as junk bonds) carry a greater degree of risk and are more volatile than investment grade securities and are considered speculative. High-yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy, or are more highly indebted than other companies. This means that they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. Changes in the value of high-yield securities are influenced more by changes in the financial and business position of the issuing company than by changes in interest rates when compared to investment grade securities. The Fund’s investments in high-yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk.
Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risks. A reverse repurchase agreement is the sale by the Fund of a debt obligation to a party for a specified price, with the simultaneous agreement by the Fund to repurchase that debt obligation from that party on a future date at a higher price. Similar to borrowing, reverse repurchase agreements provide the Fund with cash for investment purposes, which creates leverage and subjects the Fund to the risks of leverage. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and/or if the value of collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of securities.
Derivatives Risks. The Fund’s derivatives and other similar instruments (collectively referred to in this section as “derivatives” or “derivative instruments”) have risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets, rate or index; the loss of principal, including the potential loss of amounts greater than the initial amount invested in the derivative instrument; the possible default of the other party to the transaction; and illiquidity of the derivative investments. Changes in the value of a derivative may also create margin delivery or settlement payment obligations for the Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. Certain derivatives may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss. The use of derivatives is also subject to operational risk which refers to risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, system failures, inadequate controls, and human error, as well as legal risk which refers to the risk of loss resulting from insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract. Derivatives are also subject to market risk which refers to the risk that markets could experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts fund returns and the fund’s obligations and exposures. Certain of the Fund’s transactions in derivatives could also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders, which may result in the Fund realizing more short-term capital gain and ordinary income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions, which may adversely impact the Fund’s after-tax returns.
The derivative instruments and techniques that the Fund may principally use include:
Futures. A futures contract is a standardized agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specific price at a specific future time. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the derivatives risks discussed above, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.
Options. If the Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument or futures contract on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. If the Fund sells an option, it sells to another person the right to buy from or sell to the Fund a specific amount of the underlying instrument or futures contract on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium received by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.
Swaps. A swap contract is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange payments at specified dates on the basis of a specified notional amount, with the payments calculated by reference to specified securities, indexes, reference rates, currencies or other instruments. Swap agreements are particularly subject to counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation, correlation, leverage, operational and legal risk. Swaps could result in losses if interest rate or foreign currency exchange rates or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by the Fund or if the reference index, security or investments do not perform as expected. The use of credit default swaps can result in losses if the Fund’s assumptions regarding the creditworthiness of the underlying obligation prove to be incorrect.
Risks Relating to Fund’s RIC Status. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to a regulated investment company (“RIC”) and its shareholders under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for
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any reason and becomes subject to corporate tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce its net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of its distributions.
Uncertain Tax Treatment. Below investment grade instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease accruing interest, original issue discount (“OID”) or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable, which may make it difficult for the Fund to satisfy the annual distribution requirements applicable to RICs.
Equity Market Risk. Equity securities are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value. The equity market may experience declines, and companies whose equity securities are in the Fund’s portfolio may not increase their earnings at the rate anticipated. The Fund’s net asset value and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities.
Repurchase Agreement Risks. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of fixed-income securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank or broker-dealer. The Fund may incur a loss if the other party to a repurchase agreement is unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations to repurchase the underlying security.
Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. Performance information will be available once the Fund has at least one calendar year of performance. Updated performance information is available online at www.angeloakcapital.com.
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser. Angel Oak Capital Advisors, LLC.
Portfolio Managers.
Sam Dunlap, Chief Investment Officer, Public Strategies of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Clayton Triick, CFA®, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Colin McBurnette, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Berkin Kologlu, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Kin Lee, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Matthew R. Kennedy, CFA®, Head of Corporate Credit and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Nichole Hammond, CFA®, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Johannes Palsson, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Cheryl Pate, CFA®, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Ward Bortz, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only Authorized Participants (“APs”) (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
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An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the Fund’s website at www.angeloakcapital.com.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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ANGEL OAK ULTRASHORT INCOME ETF SUMMARY
Investment Objective
The Angel Oak UltraShort Income ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide current income while seeking to minimize price volatility and maintain liquidity.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees
0.55%
Other Expenses1, 2
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.55%
Less Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement3
-0.26%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement3
0.29%
1    Estimated for the current fiscal year.
2    Angel Oak Capital Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) is responsible for substantially all the expenses of the Fund (including expenses of the Trust relating to the Fund), except for the advisory fees, payments under the Fund’s 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees for funds advised by the Adviser), brokers’ commissions and any other transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, and litigation and potential litigation and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.
3    The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse certain expenses (exclusive of interest expenses, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees for funds advised by the Adviser which are waived), brokers’ commissions and any other transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, and litigation and potential litigation and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to limit the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement to 0.29% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (the “Expense Limit”) through May 31, 2024. The contractual arrangement may only be changed or eliminated by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. The Adviser may recoup from the Fund any waived amount or reimbursed expenses pursuant to this agreement if such recoupment does not cause the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after such recoupment to exceed the lesser of (i) the Expense Limit in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and (ii) the Expense Limit in effect at the time of recoupment and the recoupment is made within three years after the end of the month in which the Adviser incurred the expense.
Expense Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then continue to hold or sell 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. The example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. The fee waiver and expense reimbursement discussed in the table above is reflected only for the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
One Year Three Years
$30 $150
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period October 24, 2022 (commencement of operations) through January 31, 2023, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
In pursuing its investment objective, the Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest in securities which cause the Fund to have a dollar-weighted average maturity of less than two years and a dollar-weighted average duration of less than one year.
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The Fund invests primarily in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), asset-backed securities (“ABS”), including securities or securitizations backed by assets such as credit card receivables, student loans, automobile loans, and residential and commercial real estate, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), and other debt securitizations (collectively, “Structured Products”); corporate debt and other debt securities; and U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in CLOs.
The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including closed-end investment companies and open-end investment companies, which may operate as traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) or business development companies (“BDCs”). The other investment companies in which the Fund invests may be part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund.
The Fund will concentrate its investments in agency and non-agency RMBS and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) (collectively, “MBS”). This means that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in MBS (measured at the time of purchase). The Fund will not concentrate its investments in any other group of industries. The Fund’s policy to concentrate its investments in MBS is fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval.
The fixed income instruments in which the Fund invests may include those of issuers from the United States and other countries. The Fund’s investments in foreign debt securities will typically be denominated in U.S. dollars.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in investments that are deemed to be illiquid, which may include private placements, certain Rule 144A securities (which are subject to resale restrictions), and securities of issuers that are bankrupt or in default.
The Fund is not a money market fund and does not seek to maintain a stable net asset value (“NAV”).
The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities.
The Fund may invest, without limitation, in securities of any maturity and duration, but, under normal circumstances, the Fund will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of less than two years and a dollar-weighted average duration of less than one year. Maturity refers to the length of time until a debt security’s principal is repaid with interest. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. Duration incorporates a security’s yield, coupon, final maturity, call and put features and prepayment exposure into one measure, with a higher duration indicating greater sensitivity to interest rates. For example, if a portfolio has a duration of two years, and interest rates increase (fall) by 1%, the portfolio would decline (increase) in value by approximately 2%. However, duration may not accurately reflect the true interest rate sensitivity of instruments held by the Fund and, therefore the Fund’s exposure to changes in interest rates.
The Fund may invest in high-yield securities and securities that are not rated by any rating agencies. These “high-yield” securities (also known as “junk bonds”) will be rated BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Rating Group (“S&P”) or will be of equivalent quality rating from another Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organization. If a bond is unrated, the Adviser may determine whether it is of comparable quality and therefore eligible for the Fund’s investment. Although the Fund will not acquire investments of issuers that are in default at the time of investment, the Fund may hold such securities if an investment subsequently defaults.
In pursuing its investment objective or for hedging purposes, the Fund may utilize borrowing, and various types of derivative instruments, including structured products, swaps, futures contracts, and options, although the Adviser expects that not all such derivatives will be used at all times. Such derivatives may trade over-the-counter or on an exchange and may principally be used for one or more of the following purposes: speculation, currency hedging, duration management, credit deterioration hedging, hedges against broad market movements, or to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund may borrow to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, which generally means that the Fund may borrow up to one-third of its total assets. The Fund may also invest in reverse repurchase agreements.
The Fund’s allocation of its assets into various asset classes within its investment strategy will depend on the views of the Adviser as to the best value relative to what is currently available in the marketplace. Investment decisions are made based on fundamental research and analysis to identify issuers with the ability to improve their credit profile over time with attractive valuations, resulting in both income and potential capital appreciation. In selecting investments, including Structured Products, the Adviser may consider maturity, yield, and ratings information and opportunities for price appreciation among other criteria. The Adviser also analyzes a variety of factors when selecting investments for the Fund, such as collateral quality, credit support, structure and market conditions. The Adviser attempts to diversify risks that arise from position sizes, geography, ratings, duration, deal structure and collateral values. The Adviser will also seek to invest in securities that have relatively low volatility. The Adviser seeks to limit risk of principal by targeting assets that it considers undervalued. From time to time, the Fund may allocate its assets so as to focus on particular types of securities.
As part of its investment process, the Adviser also considers certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) and sustainability factors that it believes could have a material negative or positive impact on the risk profiles of the issuers or underlying collateral assets of certain securities in which the Fund may invest. These determinations may not be conclusive, and
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securities that may be negatively impacted by such factors may be purchased and retained by the Fund while the Fund may divest or not invest in securities that may be positively impacted by such factors. The Adviser may sell investments, including Structured Products, if it determines that any of the mentioned factors have changed materially from its initial analysis or that other factors indicate that an investment is no longer earning a return commensurate with its risk or that a different security will better help the Fund achieve its investment objective.
The Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than diversified funds.
The Fund is an actively managed ETF, which is a fund that trades like other publicly-traded securities. The Fund is not an index fund and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
Principal Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment risks before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. There may be circumstances that could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit at a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Fixed-Income Instruments Risks. The Fund will invest in fixed-income instruments and securities. Such investments may be secured, partially secured or unsecured and may be unrated, and whether or not rated, may have speculative characteristics. The market price of the Fund’s investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. Generally, when interest rates rise, the values of fixed-income instruments fall, and vice versa. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed-income instruments as interest rates change. In addition, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. A fund with a negative average portfolio duration may decline in value as interest rates decrease. Most high yield investments pay a fixed rate of interest and are therefore vulnerable to inflation risk (inflation rates are currently elevated relative to normal conditions). The obligor of a fixed-income instrument may not be able or willing to pay interest or to repay principal when due in accordance with the terms of the associated agreement.
General Market Risk. The capital markets may experience periods of disruption, instability and volatility. Political, geopolitical, natural and other events, including war, terrorism, trade disputes, government shutdowns, market closures, natural and environmental disasters, epidemics, pandemics and other public health crises and related events have led, and in the future may lead, to economic uncertainty, decreased economic activity, increased market volatility and other disruptive effects on U.S. and global economies and markets. Such conditions may materially and adversely affect the markets globally and in the jurisdictions in which the Fund invests, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations.
Interest Rate Risk. The Fund is exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates, including the possibility that, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
Prepayment Risk. When interest rates decline, fixed income securities with stated interest rates may have the principal paid earlier than expected, requiring the Fund to invest the proceeds at generally lower interest rates.
Structured Products Risks. The Fund may invest in Structured Products, including CLOs, CDOs, CMOs, and other asset-backed securities and debt securitizations. Some Structured Products have credit ratings, but are typically issued in various classes with various priorities. Normally, Structured Products are privately offered and sold (that is, they are not registered under the securities laws), which means less information about the security may be available as compared to publicly offered securities and only certain institutions may buy and sell them. As a result, investments in Structured Products may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. An active dealer market may exist for Structured Products that qualify for Rule 144A transactions, but there can be no assurance that such a market will exist or will be active enough for the Fund to sell such securities. In addition to the typical risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities, CLOs and CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default, decline in value or quality or be downgraded by a rating agency; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of Structured Products that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (vi) the Structured Product’s manager may perform poorly. The senior and junior tranches of Structured Products may have floating or variable interest rates based on LIBOR and are subject to the risks associated with securities tied to LIBOR, including the risks associated with the pending replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate. The
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Fund may also invest in the equity tranches of a Structured Product, which typically represent the first loss position in the Structured Product, are unrated and are subject to higher risks. Equity tranches of Structured Products typically do not have a fixed coupon and payments on equity tranches will be based on the income received from the underlying collateral and the payments made to the senior tranches, both of which may be based on floating rates based on LIBOR.
Borrowing Risks and Leverage Risks. Borrowing for investment purposes creates leverage, which will exaggerate the effect of any change in the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio on the Fund’s NAV and, therefore, may increase the volatility of the Fund.
Extension Risk. An issuer could exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by the Fund (such as a mortgage-backed security) later than expected. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. Under these circumstances, the value of the obligation will decrease, and the Fund will also suffer from the inability to reinvest in higher yielding securities.
Concentration in Certain Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The risks of concentrating in residential mortgage-backed securities (agency and non-agency) and commercial mortgage-backed securities include susceptibility to changes in lending standards, interest rates and lending rates, and the risks associated with the market’s perception of issuers, the creditworthiness of the parties involved and investing in real estate securities.
U.S. Government Securities Risks. U.S. government securities are not guaranteed against price movement and may decrease in value. Some U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, while others may be supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of a federal agency or U.S. government sponsored enterprise (“GSE”) or only by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such agencies and GSEs, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so. Other obligations are backed solely by the GSE’s own resources. Investments in securities issued by GSEs that are not backed by the U.S. Treasury are subject to higher credit risk than those that are backed by the U.S. Treasury.
Unrated Securities Risks. Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities and involve the risk that Angel Oak may not accurately evaluate the security’s comparative credit rating.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risks. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risks of traditional fixed-income instruments. However, they are also subject to prepayment risk and extension risk, meaning that if interest rates fall, the underlying debt may be repaid ahead of schedule, reducing the value of the Fund’s investments and if interest rates rise, there may be fewer prepayments, which would cause the average bond maturity to rise, increasing the potential for the Fund to lose money. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are also susceptible to changes in lending standards and lending rates. In addition, mortgage-backed securities comprised of subprime mortgages and investments in other asset-backed securities collateralized by subprime loans may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk and valuation risk. Additionally, such securities may be subject to a higher degree of liquidity risk, because the liquidity of such investments may vary dramatically over time.
Certain mortgage-backed securities may be secured by pools of mortgages on single-family, multi-family properties, as well as commercial properties. Similarly, asset-backed securities may be secured by pools of loans, such as corporate loans, student loans, automobile loans and credit card receivables. The credit risk on such securities is affected by homeowners or borrowers defaulting on their loans. The values of assets underlying mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may decline and therefore may not be adequate to cover underlying investors. Some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities have experienced extraordinary weakness and volatility in recent years. Possible legislation in the area of residential mortgages, credit cards, corporate loans and other loans that may collateralize the securities in which the Fund may invest could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments. To the extent the Fund focuses its investments in particular types of mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities, the Fund may be more susceptible to risk factors affecting such types of securities.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and may invest in other ETFs, and, as a result of this structure, is exposed directly or indirectly to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV, which may also lead to a widening of bid/ask spreads quoted for Shares, and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
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Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums or discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs. If a shareholder purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and may lead to a widening of bid/ask spreads quoted for Shares.
Cash Transactions Risk. Unlike certain ETFs, the Fund may effect creations and redemptions in cash or partially in cash. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and subsequently recognize gains on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. As such, investments in Shares may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that distributes portfolio securities entirely in-kind.
Foreign Securities Risks. Investments in securities or other instruments of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks not involved in domestic investments and may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than investments in securities of U.S. companies. Financial markets in foreign countries often are not as developed, efficient or liquid as financial markets in the United States, and therefore, the prices of non-U.S. securities and instruments can be more volatile. In addition, the Fund will be subject to risks associated with adverse political and economic developments in foreign countries, which may include the imposition of economic sanctions or other similar measures. Generally, there is less readily available and reliable information about non-U.S. issuers due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards and regulatory practices.
Management Risk. The Fund may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser, and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Adviser, or the Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund's business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to transact in Fund shares may be affected.
New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, it can invest a greater portion of its assets in obligations of a single issuer than a “diversified” fund. The Fund may therefore be more susceptible than a diversified fund to being adversely affected by a single corporate, economic, political or regulatory occurrence.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
Floating or Variable Rate Securities Risk. Floating or variable rate securities pay interest at rates that adjust in response to changes in a specified interest rate or reset at predetermined dates (such as the end of a calendar quarter). Securities with floating or variable interest rates are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as comparable market interest rates. Although floating or variable rate securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate risk than fixed rate securities, they are subject to credit, liquidity and default risk and may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, which could impair their value.
Liquidity and Valuation Risks. It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been valued for purposes of the Fund’s net asset value, causing the Fund to be less liquid and unable to sell securities for what the Adviser believes is the appropriate price of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity and for investments that trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available information and may not
Angel Oak UltraShort Income ETF    16


accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could sell the investment at that time. Based on its investment strategies, a significant portion of the Fund’s investments can be difficult to value and potentially less liquid and therefore particularly prone to these risks.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. Frequent trading increases the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and may increase transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. Increased transaction costs could detract from the Fund’s performance.
Other Investment Companies Risks. The Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in mutual funds, ETFs, and other investment companies, which may include those that are part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund (“affiliated underlying funds”). There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. ETFs may be less liquid than other investments, and thus their share values more volatile than the values of the investments they hold. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted for a number of reasons.
The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in allocating the Fund’s assets to underlying funds, such as a potential conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio managers may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in allocating the Fund’s assets among underlying funds, as certain of the Fund’s portfolio managers may also manage an affiliated underlying fund in which the Fund may invest. Both the Adviser and the Fund’s portfolio managers have a fiduciary duty to the Fund to act in the Fund’s best interest when selecting underlying funds. Under the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser will carefully analyze any such potential conflicts of interest and will take steps to minimize and, where possible, eliminate them.
Rating Agencies Risks. Ratings are not an absolute standard of quality, but rather general indicators that reflect only the view of the originating rating agencies from which an explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained. There is no assurance that a particular rating will continue for any given period of time or that any such rating will not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely. Such changes may negatively affect the liquidity or market price of the securities in which the Fund invests. The ratings of Structured Products may not adequately reflect the credit risk of those assets due to their structure.
LIBOR Risk. Instruments in which the Fund invests may pay interest at floating rates based on LIBOR or may be subject to interest caps or floors based on LIBOR. The Fund and issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests may also obtain financing at floating rates based on LIBOR. Derivative instruments utilized by the Fund and/or issuers of instruments in which the Fund may invest may also reference LIBOR. The Fund also may utilize leverage or borrowings primarily based on LIBOR. One-week and two-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings were discontinued at the end of 2021, and the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has announced that the remaining U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings will continue to be provided on a representative basis until mid-2023. As of January 1, 2022, as a result of supervisory guidance from U.S. regulators, some U.S. regulated entities have ceased entering into new LIBOR contracts with limited exceptions. While publication of the one-, three- and six- month Sterling and Japanese yen LIBOR settings continued for a limited time on the basis of a changed methodology (known as “synthetic LIBOR”), these synthetic LIBOR settings were designated by the FCA as unrepresentative of the underlying market they sought to measure and were solely available for use in legacy transactions. The FCA has indicated that they will require the publication of synthetic LIBOR for the one-, three- and six-month for U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings after June 30, 2023, until at least the end of September 2024, although usage of these synthetic LIBOR settings may be prohibited or prevented by applicable law. Certain bank-sponsored committees in other jurisdictions, including Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland, have selected alternative reference rates denominated in other currencies. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments that reference LIBOR without including fallback provisions and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to the Fund’s investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or NAV. The effect of a phase out of LIBOR on instruments in which the Fund may invest is currently unclear. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions, and there is significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies. To the extent that any replacement rate differs from that utilized for a Structured Product that holds those securities, the Structured Product would experience an interest rate mismatch between its assets and liabilities. Recently, some Structured Products have included, or have been amended to include, language permitting the Structured Product’s investment manager to implement a market replacement rate upon the occurrence of certain material disruption events. However, not all Structured Products may adopt such provisions, nor can there be any assurance that Structured Products’ investment managers will undertake the suggested amendments when able. In cases where LIBOR replacement language is absent or insufficient, certain legislative transition mechanisms may apply, causing LIBOR to be replaced with a rate selected by the Board of
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Governors of the Federal Reserve System. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act was signed into law. This law provides a statutory fallback mechanism on a nationwide basis to replace LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) for certain contracts that reference LIBOR and contain no, or insufficient, fallback provisions. Final implementing regulations in respect of the law have been promulgated although the effect that they may have on the transition from LIBOR is uncertain. The transition from LIBOR to alternative interest rates could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. It remains uncertain how such changes would affect the Fund, issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests and financial markets generally.
Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. Shares of the Fund are offered to certain other investment companies, large retirement plans and other large investors. In addition, a third party investor, the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser, an AP, a market maker, or another entity may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a limited period of time. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that shareholders may purchase or redeem a large amount of shares of the Fund. To satisfy such large shareholder redemptions, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. In addition, large purchases of Fund shares could adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund does not immediately invest cash it receives and therefore holds more cash than it ordinarily would. Large shareholder activity could also generate increased transaction costs and cause adverse tax consequences. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on the Exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the Shares.
Illiquid Investments Risks. The Fund may, at times, hold illiquid investments, by virtue of the absence of a readily available market for certain of its investments, or because of legal or contractual restrictions on sales. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to dispose of an investment at a time or price that is most beneficial to the Fund.
NAV Risk. The Fund is not a money market fund, does not attempt to maintain a stable NAV, and is not subject to the rules that govern the quality, maturity, liquidity and other features of securities that money market funds may purchase. Under normal conditions, the Fund’s investment may be more susceptible than a money market fund to interest rate risk, valuation risk, credit risk, and other risks relevant to the Fund’s investments. The Fund’s NAV per share will fluctuate.
Regulatory and Legal Risks. U.S. and non-U.S. government agencies and other regulators regularly adopt new regulations and legislatures enact new statutes that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation that applies to the Fund. These statutes and regulations may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund or the taxation of its shareholders.
High-Yield Securities Risks. High-yield securities (also known as junk bonds) carry a greater degree of risk and are more volatile than investment grade securities and are considered speculative. High-yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy, or are more highly indebted than other companies. This means that they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. Changes in the value of high-yield securities are influenced more by changes in the financial and business position of the issuing company than by changes in interest rates when compared to investment grade securities. The Fund’s investments in high-yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk.
Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risks. A reverse repurchase agreement is the sale by the Fund of a debt obligation to a party for a specified price, with the simultaneous agreement by the Fund to repurchase that debt obligation from that party on a future date at a higher price. Similar to borrowing, reverse repurchase agreements provide the Fund with cash for investment purposes, which creates leverage and subjects the Fund to the risks of leverage. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and/or if the value of collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of securities.
Derivatives Risks. The Fund’s derivatives and other similar instruments (collectively referred to in this section as “derivatives” or “derivative instruments”) have risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets, rate or index; the loss of principal, including the potential loss of amounts greater than the initial amount invested in the derivative instrument; the possible default of the other party to the transaction; and illiquidity of the derivative investments. Changes in the value of a derivative may also create margin delivery or settlement payment obligations for the Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. Certain derivatives may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss. The use of derivatives is also subject to operational risk which refers to risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, system failures, inadequate controls, and human error, as well as legal risk which refers to the risk of loss resulting from insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract. Derivatives are also subject to market risk which refers to the risk that markets could experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts
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fund returns and the fund’s obligations and exposures. Certain of the Fund’s transactions in derivatives could also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders, which may result in the Fund realizing more short-term capital gain and ordinary income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions, which may adversely impact the Fund’s after-tax returns.
The derivative instruments and techniques that the Fund may principally use include:
Futures. A futures contract is a standardized agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specific price at a specific future time. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the derivatives risks discussed above, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.
Options. If the Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument or futures contract on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. If the Fund sells an option, it sells to another person the right to buy from or sell to the Fund a specific amount of the underlying instrument or futures contract on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium received by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.
Swaps. A swap contract is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange payments at specified dates on the basis of a specified notional amount, with the payments calculated by reference to specified securities, indexes, reference rates, currencies or other instruments. Swap agreements are particularly subject to counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation, correlation, leverage, operational and legal risk. Swaps could result in losses if interest rate or foreign currency exchange rates or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by the Fund or if the reference index, security or investments do not perform as expected. The use of credit default swaps can result in losses if the Fund’s assumptions regarding the creditworthiness of the underlying obligation prove to be incorrect.
Risks Relating to Fund’s RIC Status. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to a regulated investment company (“RIC”) and its shareholders under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any reason and becomes subject to corporate tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce its net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of its distributions.
Uncertain Tax Treatment. Below investment grade instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease accruing interest, original issue discount (“OID”) or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable, which may make it difficult for the Fund to satisfy the annual distribution requirements applicable to RICs.
Repurchase Agreement Risks. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of fixed-income securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank or broker-dealer. The Fund may incur a loss if the other party to a repurchase agreement is unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations to repurchase the underlying security.
Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have a full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. Performance information will be available once the Fund has at least one calendar year of performance. Updated performance information is available online at www.angeloakcapital.com.
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser. Angel Oak Capital Advisors, LLC.
Portfolio Managers.
Sam Dunlap, Chief Investment Officer, Public Strategies of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Clayton Triick, CFA®, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
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Colin McBurnette, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Berkin Kologlu, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Kin Lee, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Matthew R. Kennedy, CFA®, Head of Corporate Credit and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Nichole Hammond, CFA®, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Johannes Palsson, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Cheryl Pate, CFA®, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Ward Bortz, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2022.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the Fund’s website at www.angeloakcapital.com.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ OBJECTIVES,
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
The following information is in addition to, and should be read along with, the description of the Angel Oak Income ETF’s (the “Income ETF”) and the Angel Oak UltraShort Income ETF’s (the “UltraShort Income ETF”) (each a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”) investment objectives, principal investment strategies and principal investment risks in the summary sections above.
Each Fund is an ETF, which is a fund that trades like other publicly-traded securities. The Fund is not an index fund. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
The name, investment objective and policies of the Funds are similar to other funds advised by the Adviser. However, the investment results of a Fund may be higher or lower than, and there is no guarantee that the investment results of the Fund will be comparable to, any other of these funds.
Investment Objective
Each Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval. Each Fund will provide 60 days’ advance notice of any change in its investment objective.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Income ETF
The Fund invests primarily in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), asset-backed securities (“ABS”), including securities or securitizations backed by assets such as unsecured consumer loans, credit card receivables, student loans, automobile loans, loans financing solar energy systems, and residential and commercial real estate, and other debt securitizations (collectively, “Structured Products”); mortgage loans, secured and unsecured consumer loans, commercial loans and pools of such loans (collectively, “Loans”); corporate debt, including bank-issued subordinated debt; equity securities of banks, real estate investment trusts, or other issuers; and U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities.
The Fund will concentrate its investment in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) (collectively, “MBS”). This means that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in MBS (measured at the time of purchase). The Fund will not concentrate its investments in any other group of industries. The Fund’s policy to concentrate its investments in MBS is fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund may make direct investments in mortgage loans.
The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including closed-end investment companies and open-end investment companies, which may operate as traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), or business development companies (“BDCs”). The other investment companies in which the Fund invests may be part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund.
Except as otherwise discussed herein, the Fund may invest, without constraint, in a variety of instruments that are not limited with respect to their issuer, quality, maturity, currency, structure, yield, duration, or any other characteristic.
The Fund’s portfolio may include significant investments in high-yield securities and fixed-income securities that are not rated by any rating agencies. Such bonds, if rated, will be in the lower rating categories of the major rating agencies (BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group (“S&P”) or an equivalent rating from another National Recognized Statistical Ratings Organization) or will be determined by the Adviser to be of similar quality.
The fixed income instruments in which the Fund invests may include those of issuers from the United States and other countries. The Fund’s investments in foreign debt securities will typically be denominated in U.S. dollars.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in investments that are deemed to be illiquid, which may include private placements, certain Rule 144A securities (which are subject to resale restrictions), and securities of issuers that are bankrupt or in default.
The Fund’s use of borrowing, derivatives and reverse repurchase agreements may be deemed to create leverage, which can increase the Fund’s volatility and the effect, positive or negative, of the Fund’s investments on its NAV. The 1940 Act generally limits the extent to which the Fund may utilize borrowings to one-third of the Fund’s total assets at the time utilized. The Fund’s use of derivatives and other similar instruments is subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, certain derivatives risk management program, and reporting requirements under Rule 18f-4. In the future, the Fund could qualify as a “limited derivatives user” as defined in Rule 18f-4 (or its use of derivatives and other similar instruments could satisfy the conditions of certain exemptions from the rule), in which case the Fund would not be required to comply with such requirements.
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Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund uses derivatives to gain or adjust exposure to markets, sectors, securities and currencies and to manage exposure to risks relating to creditworthiness, interest rate spreads, volatility and changes in yield curves. In certain market environments, the Fund may use interest rate swaps and futures contracts to help protect its portfolio from interest rate risk. The Fund’s hedging strategies may include the use of derivatives with underlying instruments that are not specified in the Fund’s principal investment strategies (for example, the Fund may invest in total return swaps on the S&P 500 Index to hedge against broad market exposure).
The Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than diversified funds.
The Fund is an actively managed ETF, which is a fund that trades like other publicly-traded securities. The Fund is not an index fund and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
The Fund’s portfolio of fixed-income instruments will depend on the views of the Adviser as to the best value relative to what is currently presented in the marketplace. The Fund’s portfolio managers lead a team of sector specialists responsible for researching opportunities within their sector and making recommendations to the Fund’s portfolio managers.
Investment decisions are made based on fundamental research and analysis to identify issuers with the ability to improve their credit profile over time with attractive valuations, resulting in both income and potential capital appreciation. In selecting investments, including Structured Products, the Adviser may consider maturity, yield and ratings information and opportunities for price appreciation among other criteria. The Adviser also analyzes a variety of factors when selecting investments for the Fund, such as collateral quality, credit support, structure and market conditions. The Adviser attempts to diversify risks that arise from position sizes, geography, ratings, duration, deal structure and collateral values. The Adviser will also seek to invest in securities that have relatively low volatility. The Adviser seeks to limit risk of principal by targeting assets that it considers undervalued. From time to time, the Fund may allocate its assets so as to focus on particular types of securities.
As part of its investment process, the Adviser also considers certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) and sustainability factors that it believes could have a material negative or positive impact on the risk profiles of the issuers or underlying collateral assets of certain securities in which the Fund may invest. These determinations may not be conclusive, and securities that may be negatively impacted by such factors may be purchased and retained by the Fund while the Fund may divest or not invest in securities that may be positively impacted by such factors. The Adviser may sell investments, including Structured Products, if it determines that any of the mentioned factors have changed materially from its initial analysis or that other factors indicate that an investment is no longer earning a return commensurate with its risk or that a different security will better help the Fund achieve its investment objective.
In evaluating a security’s ESG and sustainability factors, the Adviser will use its own proprietary assessments of such factors and may also reference standards as set forth by recognized global organizations, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (“UN SDGs”), the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investing (“UN PRI”), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), the Carbon Disclosure Project (“CDP”), the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) and the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”). Examples of the types of factors the Adviser may consider as part of its proprietary assessment, include, without limitation: environmental issues, such as carbon emissions and energy efficiency; social issues, such as affordable housing and community investment; and corporate governance issues, such as board independence and diversity. The Fund may also invest in other investment companies that focus on ESG and sustainability factors, including the Angel Oak Financials Income Impact Fund.
Additionally, the Adviser may engage proactively with issuers or trustees to encourage them to improve their ESG and sustainability factors. In this regard, the Adviser may engage in direct dialogue with company management, including through in-person meetings, phone calls, electronic communications, and letters. These engagement activities are designed to facilitate the Adviser’s efforts to identify opportunities for issuers and trustees to improve their ESG and sustainability practices and to work collaboratively with managers and trustees to establish concrete objectives and to develop a plan for meeting those objectives. The Fund may invest in securities issued by companies or securitization platforms whose ESG and sustainability practices, at the time of the investment, do not fully meet the Adviser’s proprietary standards, with the expectation that the Adviser’s engagement efforts and/or the company’s own initiatives will lead to improvements in ESG and sustainability practices over time. It may also exclude those issuers or securitization platforms that are not receptive to the Adviser’s engagement efforts, as determined in the Adviser’s sole discretion. ESG and sustainability factors will not be considered with respect to investments in U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities, money market instruments, and derivatives.
Principal Investment Strategies of the UltraShort Income ETF
In pursuing its objective, the Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest in securities which cause the Fund to have a dollar-weighted average maturity of less than two years and a dollar-weighted average duration of less than one year.
The Fund invests primarily in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), asset-backed securities (“ABS”), including securities or securitizations backed by assets such as unsecured consumer loans, credit card receivables, student
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loans, automobile loans, loans financing solar energy systems, and residential and commercial real estate, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), and other debt securitizations (collectively, “Structured Products”); corporate debt and other debt securities; and U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities.
The Fund will concentrate its investments in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) (collectively, “MBS”). This means that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in MBS (measured at the time of purchase). The Fund will not concentrate its investments in any other group of industries. The Fund’s policy to concentrate its investments in MBS is fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund may make direct investments in mortgage loans.
The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including closed-end investment companies and open-end investment companies, which may operate as traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) or business development companies (“BDCs”). The other investment companies in which the Fund invests may be part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund.
Except as otherwise discussed herein, the Fund may invest, without constraint, in a variety of instruments that are not limited with respect to their issuer, quality, currency, structure, yield, or any other characteristic.
The fixed income instruments in which the Fund invests may include those of issuers from the United States and other countries. The Fund’s investments in foreign debt securities will typically be denominated in U.S. dollars.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in investments that are deemed to be illiquid, which may include private placements, certain Rule 144A securities (which are subject to resale restrictions), and securities of issuers that are bankrupt or in default.
The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities which may result in higher portfolio turnover. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders.
The Fund’s use of borrowing, derivatives, and reverse repurchase agreements may be deemed to create leverage, which can increase the Fund’s volatility and the effect, positive or negative, of the Fund’s investments on its NAV. The 1940 Act generally limits the extent to which the Fund may utilize borrowings to one-third of the Fund’s total assets at the time utilized. The Fund’s use of derivatives and other similar instruments is subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, certain derivatives risk management program, and reporting requirements under Rule 18f-4. In the future, the Fund could qualify as a “limited derivatives user” as defined in Rule 18f-4 (or its use of derivatives and other similar instruments could satisfy the conditions of certain exemptions from the rule), in which case the Fund would not be required to comply with such requirements.
Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund uses derivatives to gain or adjust exposure to markets, sectors, securities, and currencies and to manage exposure to risks relating to creditworthiness, interest rate spreads, volatility, and changes in yield curves. In certain market environments, the Fund may use interest rate swaps and futures contracts to help protect its portfolio from interest rate risk. The Fund’s hedging strategies may include the use of derivatives with underlying instruments that are not specified in the Fund’s principal investment strategies (for example, the Fund may invest in total return swaps on the S&P 500 Index to hedge against broad market exposure).
The Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than diversified funds.
The Fund is an actively managed ETF, which is a fund that trades like other publicly-traded securities. The Fund is not an index fund and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
The Fund’s portfolio of fixed-income instruments will depend on the views of the Adviser as to the best value relative to what is currently presented in the marketplace. The Fund’s portfolio managers lead a team of sector specialists responsible for researching opportunities within their sector and making recommendations to the Fund’s portfolio managers.
Investment decisions are made based on fundamental research and analysis to identify issuers with the ability to improve their credit profile over time with attractive valuations, resulting in both income and potential capital appreciation. In selecting investments, including Structured Products, the Adviser may consider maturity, yield and ratings information and opportunities for price appreciation among other criteria. The Adviser also analyzes a variety of factors when selecting investments for the Fund, such as collateral quality, credit support, structure and market conditions. The Adviser attempts to diversify risks that arise from position sizes, geography, ratings, duration, deal structure and collateral values. The Adviser will also seek to invest in securities that have relatively low volatility. The Adviser seeks to limit risk of principal by targeting assets that it considers undervalued. From time to time, the Fund may allocate its assets so as to focus on particular types of securities.
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As part of its investment process, the Adviser also considers certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) and sustainability factors that it believes could have a material negative or positive impact on the risk profiles of the issuers or underlying collateral assets of certain securities in which the Fund may invest. These determinations may not be conclusive, and securities that may be negatively impacted by such factors may be purchased and retained by the Fund while the Fund may divest or not invest in securities that may be positively impacted by such factors. The Adviser may sell investments, including Structured Products, if it determines that any of the mentioned factors have changed materially from its initial analysis or that other factors indicate that an investment is no longer earning a return commensurate with its risk or that a different security will better help the Fund achieve its investment objective.
In evaluating a security’s ESG and sustainability factors, the Adviser will use its own proprietary assessments of such factors and may also reference standards as set forth by recognized global organizations, including the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investing, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (“UN SDGs”), the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investing (“UN PRI”), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), the Carbon Disclosure Project (“CDP”), the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) and the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”). Examples of the types of factors the Adviser may consider as part of its proprietary assessment, include, without limitation: environmental issues, such as carbon emissions and energy efficiency; social issues, such as affordable housing and community investment; and corporate governance issues, such as board independence and diversity. The Fund may also invest in other investment companies that focus on ESG and sustainability factors, including the Angel Oak Financials Income Impact Fund.
Additionally, the Adviser may engage proactively with issuers or trustees to encourage them to improve their ESG and sustainability factors. In this regard, the Adviser may engage in direct dialogue with company management, including through in-person meetings, phone calls, electronic communications, and letters. These engagement activities are designed to facilitate the Adviser’s efforts to identify opportunities for issuers and trustees to improve their ESG and sustainability practices and to work collaboratively with managers and trustees to establish concrete objectives and to develop a plan for meeting those objectives. The Fund may invest in securities issued by companies or securitization platforms whose ESG and sustainability practices, at the time of the investment, do not fully meet the Adviser’s proprietary standards, with the expectation that the Adviser’s engagement efforts and or the company’s own initiatives will lead to improvements in ESG and sustainability practices over time. It may also exclude those issuers or securitization platforms that are not receptive to the Adviser’s engagement efforts, as determined in the Adviser’s sole discretion. ESG and sustainability factors will not be considered with respect to investments in U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency securities, money market instruments, and derivatives.
Temporary Defensive Positions
From time to time, each Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. In such instances, a Fund may hold up to 100% of its assets in cash; short-term U.S. government securities and government agency securities; investment grade money market instruments; investment grade fixed-income securities; repurchase agreements; commercial paper and cash equivalents. Each Fund may invest in the securities described above at any time to maintain liquidity, pending selection of investments by the Adviser, or if the Adviser believes that sufficient investment opportunities that meet the Fund’s investment criteria are not available. By keeping cash on hand, a Fund may be able to meet shareholder redemptions without selling securities and realizing gains and losses. As a result of engaging in these temporary measures, the applicable Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds
The principal risks of investing in the Funds are summarized below. You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment risks before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. There may be circumstances that could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit at a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bank Subordinated Debt Risk (Income ETF only). Banks may issue subordinated debt securities, which have a lower priority to full payment behind other more senior debt securities. This means, for example, that if the issuing bank were to become insolvent, subordinated debt holders may not receive a full return of their principal because the bank would have to satisfy the claims of senior debt holders first. In addition to the risks generally associated with fixed income instruments (e.g., interest rate risk, credit risk, etc.), bank subordinated debt is also subject to risks inherent to banks. Because banks are highly regulated and operate in a highly competitive environment, it may be difficult for a bank to meet its debt obligations. Banks also may be affected by changes in legislation and regulations applicable to the financial markets. This is especially true in light of the large amount of regulatory developments in recent years. Bank subordinated debt is often issued by smaller community banks that may be overly concentrated in a specific geographic region, lack the capacity to comply with new regulatory requirements or lack adequate capital. Smaller banks may also have a lower capacity to withstand negative developments in the market in general. If any of these or other factors were to negatively affect a bank’s operations, the bank could fail to make payments on its debt obligations, which would hurt a Fund’s bank subordinated debt investments. Subordinated debt, senior debt and
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preferred securities of banks and diversified financials companies are subject to the risks generally associated with the financials sector. See “Financials Sector Risk.”
Borrowing Risks and Leverage Risks. Borrowing for investment purposes creates leverage, which will exaggerate the effect of any change in the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio on the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and, therefore, may increase the volatility of the Fund. Money borrowed will be subject to interest and other costs (including commitment fees and/or the cost of maintaining minimum average balances). Unless the income and capital appreciation, if any, on securities acquired with borrowed funds exceed the cost of borrowing, the use of leverage will diminish the investment performance of the Fund. In addition, pursuant to an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), a Fund may borrow from another Fund for temporary purposes, to the extent such participation is consistent with the Fund’s and the lending Fund’s investment objective and investment policies.
Community Bank Risks (Income ETF only). A Fund’s investments in community banks may make the Fund more economically vulnerable in the event of a downturn in the banking industry. Community banks may face heightened risks of failure during times of economic downturns, including those impacting a particular region, than larger banks. Community banks may also be subject to greater lending risks than larger banks, including the risks associated with mortgage loans. The ability of management of financial institutions to identify, measure, monitor and control the risks of an institution’s activities and to ensure a financial institution’s safe, sound and efficient operation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations are critical. Community banks may have fewer resources to devote towards employing and retaining strong management employees and implementing a thorough compliance program. Additionally, banking institutions are subject to substantial regulations that could adversely affect their ability to operate and the value of a Fund’s investments, including from future banking regulations. Ownership of the stock of certain types of regulated banking institutions may subject the Fund to additional regulations. Investments in banking institutions and transactions related to Fund investments may require approval from one or more regulatory authorities. If a Fund were deemed to be a bank holding company or thrift holding company, bank holding companies or thrift holding companies that invest in the Fund would be subject to certain restrictions and regulations.
Concentration in Certain Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Concentration risk results from maintaining exposure to the performance of the residential and commercial mortgages held in the mortgage-backed securities in which a Fund will invest. The risk of concentrating in these types of investments is that a Fund will be susceptible to the risks associated with mortgage-backed securities as discussed below, changes in lending standards, interest rates and lending rates, and the risks associated with the market’s perception of issuers, the creditworthiness of the parties involved and investing in real estate securities.
Covenant Lite Loan Risk (Income ETF only). The Fund may obtain exposure to “covenant lite” loans. Covenants contained in loan documentation are intended to protect lenders by imposing certain restrictions and other limitations on a borrower’s operations or assets and by providing certain information and consent rights to lenders. Covenant lite loans may lack financial maintenance covenants that in certain situations can allow lenders to claim a default on the loan to seek to protect the interests of the lenders. The absence of financial maintenance covenants in a covenant lite loan might result in a lower recovery in the event of a default by the borrower. Covenant lite loans have become much more prevalent in recent years.
Credit Risk. A Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or repurchase agreement, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The downgrade of the credit of a security held by a Fund may decrease its value. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. Measures such as average credit quality may not accurately reflect the true credit risk of a Fund. This is especially the case if a Fund consists of securities with widely varying credit ratings. Therefore, if a Fund has an average credit rating that suggests a certain credit quality, the Fund may in fact be subject to greater credit risk than the average would suggest. This risk is greater to the extent a Fund uses leverage or derivatives in connection with the management of the Fund. In addition, under current conditions, there is an increasing amount of issuers that are unprofitable, have little cash on hand and/or are unable to pay the interest owed on their debt obligations and the number of such issuers may increase if demand for their goods and services falls, borrowing costs rise due to governmental action or inaction or other reasons. Also, the issuer, guarantor or counterparty may suffer adverse changes in its financial condition or reduced demand for its goods and services or be adversely affected by economic, political, public health or social conditions that could lower the credit quality (or the market’s perception of the credit quality) of the issuer or instrument, leading to greater volatility in the price of the instrument and in shares of a Fund.
If an issuer, guarantor or counterparty declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, a Fund would likely be adversely affected in its ability to receive principal or interest owed or otherwise to enforce the financial obligations of the other party. A Fund may be subject to increased costs associated with the bankruptcy process and experience losses as a result of the deterioration of the financial condition of the issuer, guarantor or counterparty. The risks to a Fund related to such bankruptcies are elevated given the currently distressed economic, market, labor and public health conditions.
Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform business and operational functions, funds (such as a Fund) and their service providers may be prone to operational and
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information security risks resulting from cyberattacks and/or technological malfunctions. In general, cyberattacks are deliberate, but unintentional events may have similar effects. Cyberattacks include, among others, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, preventing legitimate users from accessing information or services on a website, releasing confidential information without authorization, and causing operational disruption. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets or proprietary information, or cause a Fund, the Adviser, and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of a Fund, the Adviser, or such Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its respective shareholders. For instance, cyberattacks or technical malfunctions may interfere with the processing of shareholder or other transactions, affect a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject such Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance costs. Cyberattacks or technical malfunctions may render records of Fund assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of the Fund inaccessible or inaccurate or incomplete. A Fund may also incur substantial costs for cybersecurity risk management in order to prevent cyber incidents in the future. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
Derivatives Risks. A Fund’s derivatives and other similar investments (referred to collectively in this section as “derivatives” or “derivative investments”) have risks similar to their underlying instruments and may have additional risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying instrument, rate or index, which creates the possibility that the loss on such instruments may be greater than the gain in the value of the underlying instrument, rate or index; the loss of principal; the possible default of the other party to the transaction; illiquidity of the derivative investments; risks arising from margin requirements and settlement payment obligations; and risks arising from mispricing or valuation complexity. The use of derivatives is also subject to operational risk which refers to risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, system failures, inadequate controls, and human error, as well as legal risk which refers to the risk of loss resulting from insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract. Derivatives are also subject to market risk which refers to the risk that markets could experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts fund returns and the fund’s obligations and exposures. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, a Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding, or may not recover at all. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of a counterparty to a derivative transaction, the derivative contract would typically be terminated at its fair market value. If a Fund is owed this fair market value in the termination of the derivative contract and its claim is unsecured, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such counterparty, and will not have any claim with respect to the underlying instrument. Certain of the derivative investments in which a Fund may invest may, in certain circumstances, give rise to a form of financial leverage, which may magnify the risk of owning such instruments. The ability to successfully use derivative investments depends on the ability of the Adviser to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. In addition, amounts paid by a Fund as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to the Fund’s derivative investments would not be available to the Fund for other investment purposes, which may result in lost opportunities for gain.
Regulation of the derivatives market presents additional risks to a Fund and may limit the ability of a Fund to use, and the availability or performance of, such instruments.
The derivative instruments and techniques that a Fund may principally use include:
Futures. A futures contract is a standardized agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specific price at a specific future time. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the derivatives risks discussed above, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed a Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.
Options. If a Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument or futures contract on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. If a Fund sells an option, it sells to another person the right to buy from or sell to the Fund a specific amount of the underlying instrument or futures contract on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium received by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because
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of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.
Swaps. A swap contract is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange payments at specified dates on the basis of a specified notional amount, with the payments calculated by reference to specified securities, indexes, reference rates, currencies or other instruments. Most swap agreements provide that when the period payment dates for both parties are the same, the payments are made on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with only the net amount paid by one party to the other). A Fund’s obligations or rights under a swap contract entered into on a net basis will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement, based on the relative values of the positions held by each counterparty. Swap agreements are particularly subject to counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation, correlation, leverage, operational and legal risk. Certain standardized swaps are now subject to mandatory central clearing requirements and are required to be exchange-traded. While central clearing and exchange-trading are intended to reduce counterparty and liquidity risk, they do not make swap transactions risk-free. Swaps could result in losses if interest rate or foreign currency exchange rates or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by a Fund or if the reference index, security or investments do not perform as expected. A Fund’s use of swaps may include those based on the credit of an underlying investment, commonly referred to as “credit default swaps.” Where a Fund is the buyer of a credit default swap contract, it would be entitled to receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation from the counterparty to the contract only in the event of a default or similar event by a third party on the debt obligation. If no default occurs, a Fund would have paid to the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract and received no benefit from the contract. When a Fund is the seller of a credit default swap contract, it receives the stream of payments but is obligated to pay an amount equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation upon the default or similar event of that obligation. The use of credit default swaps can result in losses if a Fund’s assumptions regarding the creditworthiness of the underlying obligation prove to be incorrect. Periodically, the CFTC and exchanges change the position limits to which futures, options on futures and some swaps are subject. To the extent these contracts are traded, the Fund may be constrained by how many contracts it may trade. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission in October 2020 adopted amendments to its position limits rules that establish certain new and amended position limits for 25 specified physical commodity futures and related options contracts traded on exchanges, other futures contracts and related options directly or indirectly linked to such 25 specified contracts, and any over the counter transactions that are economically equivalent to the 25 specified contracts. The Adviser will need to consider whether the exposure created under these contracts might exceed the new and amended limits in anticipation of the applicable compliance dates, and the limits may constrain the ability of a Fund to use such contracts.
Equity Market Risk (Income ETF only). A Fund’s investments in equity securities may subject the Fund to volatility and the following risks: (i) prices of stock may fall over short or extended periods of time; (ii) cyclical movements of the equity market may cause the value of the Fund’s securities to fluctuate drastically from day to day; and (iii) individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and or economic trends and developments.
ETF Risks. Each Fund is an ETF and they may invest in other ETFs, and, as a result of the structure, is exposed directly or indirectly to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV, which may also lead to a widening of bid/ask spreads quoted for Shares, and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
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Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. The market price of Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares. The Adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500 Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and may lead to a widening of bid/ask spreads quoted for Shares. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s Shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Cash Transactions. Unlike certain ETFs, a Fund may effect its creations and redemptions in cash or partially in cash. As a result, an investment in a Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in such ETFs. Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with transactions designed to raise cash to meet redemption requests. If a Fund effects a portion of redemptions for cash, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds, which may involve transaction costs. If a Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause a Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required. A Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with applicable tax rules. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF.
Extension Risk. An issuer could exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by a Fund (such as a mortgage-backed security) later than expected. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. Under these circumstances, the value of the obligation will decrease, and a Fund will also suffer from the inability to reinvest in higher yielding securities.
Financials Sector Risk (Income ETF only). Companies in the group of industries related to banks and diversified financials are often subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Governmental regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the group of industries related to banks and diversified financials, including effects not intended by such regulation. The impact of past or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or on the industries as a whole cannot be predicted. The Fund’s emphasis on community banks may make a Fund more economically vulnerable in the event of a downturn in the banking industry. Community banks may face heightened risks of failure during times of economic downturns than larger banks. Community banks may also be subject to greater lending risks than larger banks.
Certain risks may impact the value of investments in the group of industries related to banks and diversified financials more severely than those of investments outside these industries, including the risks associated with companies that operate with substantial financial leverage. Companies in the group of industries related to banks and diversified financials may also be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations, credit rating downgrades and adverse conditions in other related markets.
Insurance companies are subject to extensive government regulation in some countries and can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, general economic conditions, price and marketing competition, the imposition of premium rate caps or other changes in government regulation or tax law. Different segments of the insurance industry can be significantly affected by mortality and morbidity rates, environmental clean-up costs and catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes and terrorist acts.
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During the financial crisis that began in 2007, the deterioration of the credit markets impacted a broad range of mortgage, asset-backed, auction rate, sovereign debt and other markets, including U.S. and non-U.S. credit and interbank money markets, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. A number of large financial institutions failed during that time, merged with stronger institutions or had significant government infusions of capital. Instability in the financial markets caused certain financial companies to incur large losses. Some financial companies experienced declines in the valuations of their assets, took actions to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. Some financial companies borrowed significant amounts of capital from government sources and may face future government-imposed restrictions on their businesses or increased government intervention. Those actions caused the securities of many financial companies to decline in value.
The group of industries related to banks and diversified financials is also a target for cyber attacks and may experience technology malfunctions and disruptions. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology failures have become increasingly frequent and have caused significant losses.
Risks specific to the bank and diversified financial group of industries also may include:
Asset Quality and Credit Risk. When financial institutions loan money, commit to loan money or enter into a letter of credit or other contract with a counterparty, they incur credit risk, or the risk of losses if their borrowers do not repay their loans or their counterparties fail to perform according to the terms of their contract. The companies in which a Fund will invest offer a number of products which expose them to credit risk, including loans, leases and lending commitments, derivatives, trading account assets and assets held-for-sale. Financial institutions allow for and create loss reserves against credit risks based on an assessment of credit losses inherent in their credit exposure (including unfunded credit commitments). This process, which is critical to their financial results and condition, requires difficult, subjective and complex judgments, including forecasts of economic conditions and how these economic predictions might impair the ability of their borrowers to repay their loans. As is the case with any such assessments, there is always the chance that the financial institutions in which a Fund invests will fail to identify the proper factors or that they will fail to accurately estimate the impacts of factors that they identify. Failure to identify credit risk factors or the impact of credit factors may result in increased non-performing assets, which will result in increased loss reserve provisioning and reduction in earnings. Poor asset quality can also affect earnings through reduced interest income which can impair a bank’s ability to service debt obligations or to generate sufficient income for equity holders. Bank failure may result due to inadequate loss reserves, inadequate capital to sustain credit losses or reduced earnings due to non-performing assets. A Fund will not have control over the asset quality of the financial institutions in which the Fund will invest, and these institutions may experience substantial increases in the level of their non-performing assets which may have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s investments.
Capital Risk. A bank’s capital position is extremely important to its overall financial condition and serves as a cushion against losses. U.S. banking regulators have established specific capital requirements for regulated banks. Federal banking regulators proposed amended regulatory capital regulations in response to the Dodd-Frank Act and the international capital and liquidity requirements set forth by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (“Basel III”) protocols which would impose even more stringent capital requirements. In the event that a regulated bank falls below certain capital adequacy standards, it may become subject to regulatory intervention including, but not limited to, being placed into a FDIC-administered receivership or conservatorship. The regulatory provisions under which the regulatory authorities act are intended to protect depositors. The deposit insurance fund and the banking system are not intended to protect shareholders or other investors in other securities issued by a bank or its holding company. The effect of inadequate capital can have a potentially adverse consequence on the institution’s financial condition, its ability to operate as a going concern and its ability to operate as a regulated financial institution and may have a material adverse impact on a Fund’s investments.
Earnings Risk. Earnings are the primary means for financial institutions to generate capital to support asset growth, to provide for loan losses and to support their ability to pay dividends to shareholders. The quantity as well as the quality of earnings can be affected by excessive or inadequately managed credit risk that may result in losses and require additions to loss reserves, or by high levels of market risk that may unduly expose an institution’s earnings to volatility in interest rates. The quality of earnings may also be diminished by undue reliance on extraordinary gains, nonrecurring events, or favorable tax effects. Future earnings may be adversely affected by an inability to forecast or control funding and operating expenses, net interest margin compression improperly executed or ill-advised business strategies, or poorly managed or uncontrolled exposure to other risks. Deficient earnings can result in inadequate capital resources to support asset growth or insufficient cash flow to meet the financial institution’s near term obligations. Under certain circumstances, this may result in the financial institution being required to suspend operations or the imposition of a cease-and-desist order by regulators which could potentially impair a Fund’s investments.
Management Risk. The ability of management to identify, measure, monitor and control the risks of an institution’s activities and to ensure a financial institution’s safe, sound and efficient operation in compliance with applicable laws
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and regulations are critical. Depending on the nature and scope of an institution’s activities, management practices may need to address some or all of the following risks: credit, market, operating, reputation, strategic, compliance, legal, liquidity and other risks. A Fund will not have direct or indirect control over the management of the financial institutions in which the Fund will invest and, given the Fund’s long-term investment strategy, it is likely that the management teams and their policies may change. The inability of management to operate their financial institution in a safe, sound and efficient manner in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, or changes in management of financial institutions in which a Fund invests, may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investment.
Litigation Risk. Financial institutions face significant legal risks in their businesses, and the volume of claims and amount of damages and penalties claimed in litigation and regulatory proceedings against financial institutions remain high. Substantial legal liability or significant regulatory action against the companies in which a Fund invests could have material adverse financial effects or cause significant reputational harm to these companies, which in turn could seriously harm their business prospects. Legal liability or regulatory action against the companies in which a Fund invests could have material adverse financial effects on the Fund and adversely affect the Fund’s earnings and book value.
Market Risk. The financial institutions in which a Fund will invest are directly and indirectly affected by changes in market conditions. Market risk generally represents the risk that values of assets and liabilities or revenues will be adversely affected by changes in market conditions. Market risk is inherent in the financial instruments associated with the operations and activities including loans, deposits, securities, short-term borrowings, long-term debt, trading account assets and liabilities, and derivatives of the financial institutions in which a Fund will invest. Market risk includes, but is not limited to, fluctuations in interest rates, equity and futures prices, changes in the implied volatility of interest rates, equity and futures prices and price deterioration or changes in value due to changes in market perception or actual credit quality of the issuer. Accordingly, depending on the instruments or activities impacted, market risks can have wide ranging, complex adverse effects on the operations and overall financial condition of the financial institutions in which a Fund will invest as well as adverse effects on the Fund’s results from operations and overall financial condition.
Monetary Policy Risk. Monetary policies have had, and will continue to have, significant effects on the operations and results of financial institutions. There can be no assurance that a particular financial institution will not experience a material adverse effect on its net interest income in a changing interest rate environment. Factors such as the liquidity of the global financial markets, and the availability and cost of credit may significantly affect the activity levels of customers with respect to the size, number and timing of transactions. Fluctuation in interest rates, which affect the value of assets and the cost of funding liabilities, are not predictable or controllable, may vary and may impact economic activity in various regions.
Competition. The group of industries related to banks and diversified financials, including the banking sector, is extremely competitive, and it is expected that the competitive pressures will increase. Merger activity in the financial services industry has resulted in and is expected to continue to result in, larger institutions with greater financial and other resources that are capable of offering a wider array of financial products and services. The group of industries related to banks and diversified financials has become considerably more concentrated as numerous financial institutions have been acquired by or merged into other institutions. The majority of financial institutions in which a Fund will invest will be relatively small with significantly fewer resources and capabilities than larger institutions; this size differential puts them at a competitive disadvantage in terms of product offering and access to capital. Technological advances and the growth of e-commerce have made it possible for non-financial institutions and non-bank financial institutions to offer products and services that have traditionally been offered by banking and other financial institutions. It is expected that the cross-industry competition and inter-industry competition will continue to intensify and may be adverse to the financial institutions in which a Fund invests.
Regulatory Risk. Financial institutions, including community banks, are subject to various state and federal banking regulations that impact how they conduct business, including but not limited to how they obtain funding, their ability to operate, and the value of a Fund’s investments. Changes to these regulations could have an adverse effect on their operations and operating results and a Fund’s investments. The Funds expect to make long-term investments in financial institutions that are subject to various state and federal regulations and oversight. Congress, state legislatures and the various bank regulatory agencies frequently introduce proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the banking industry in response to the Dodd-Frank Act, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) rulemaking or otherwise. The likelihood and timing of any proposals or legislation and the impact they might have on the Fund’s investments in financial institutions affected by such changes cannot be determined and any such changes may be adverse to a Fund’s investments. Ownership of the stock of certain types of regulated banking institutions may subject a Fund to additional regulations. Investments in banking institutions and transactions related to a Fund’s investments may require approval from one or more regulatory authorities. If a Fund were deemed to be a
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bank holding company or thrift holding company, bank holding companies or thrift holding companies that invest in the Fund would be subject to certain restrictions and regulations.
Fixed-Income Instruments Risks. Changes in interest rates generally will cause the value of fixed-income instruments held by a Fund to vary inversely to such changes. Prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed income instruments as interest rates change. In addition, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates that incorporates a security’s yield, coupon, final maturity and call features, among other characteristics. However, duration may not accurately reflect the true interest rate sensitivity of instruments held by a Fund and, therefore the Fund’s exposure to changes in interest rates. If an issuer calls or redeems an instrument held by a Fund during a time of declining interest rates, a Fund might need to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore may not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates.
Fixed-income instruments that are fixed-rate are generally more susceptible than floating rate instruments to price volatility related to changes in prevailing interest rates. The prices of floating rate fixed-income instruments tend to have less fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates, but will have some fluctuation, particularly when the next interest rate adjustment on such security is further away in time or adjustments are limited in amount over time. A Fund may invest in short-term securities that, when interest rates decline, affect the Fund’s yield as these securities mature or are sold and the Fund purchases new short-term securities with lower yields. Subordinated debt securities that receive payments of interest and principal after other more senior security holders are paid carry the risk that the issuer will not be able to meet its obligations and that the subordinated investments may lose value. An obligor’s willingness and ability to pay interest or to repay principal due in a timely manner may be affected by its cash flow.
Fixed-income and debt market conditions are highly unpredictable and some parts of the market are subject to dislocations. In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, as with other serious economic disruptions, governmental authorities and regulators enacted significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including providing direct capital infusions into companies, creating new monetary programs and lowering interest rates considerably. These actions present heightened risks to fixed-income and debt instruments, and such risks could be even further heightened if these actions are reversed or are ineffective in achieving their desired outcomes. In light of these actions and current conditions, interest rates and bond yields in the U.S. and many other countries were, until recently, at or near historic lows, and some countries experienced negative rates and yields. Low or negative interest rates magnify the Fund’s susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminishing yield and performance. More recently, interest rates in the U.S. and many other countries have begun rising. Fluctuations in interest rates expose fixed-income and debt markets to significant volatility and reduced liquidity for the Fund's investments.
Floating or Variable Rate Securities Risk. Floating or variable rate securities pay interest at rates that adjust in response to changes in a specified interest rate or reset at predetermined dates (such as the end of a calendar quarter). Securities with floating or variable interest rates are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as comparable market interest rates. Conversely, floating or variable rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. The impact of interest rate changes on floating or variable rate securities is typically mitigated by the periodic interest rate reset of the investments. Floating or variable rate securities can be rated below investment grade or unrated; therefore, a Fund relies heavily on the analytical ability of the Adviser. Lower-rated floating or variable rate securities are subject to many of the same risks as high yield securities, although these risks are reduced when the instruments are senior and secured as opposed to many high yield securities that are junior and unsecured. Floating or variable rate securities are often subject to restrictions on resale, which can result in reduced liquidity.
Foreign Securities Risks. Certain foreign countries may impose exchange control regulations, restrictions on repatriation of profit on investments or of capital invested, local taxes on investments, and restrictions on the ability of issuers of non-U.S. securities to make payments of principal and interest to investors located outside the country, whether from currency blockage or otherwise. In addition, the Funds will be subject to risks associated with adverse political and economic developments in foreign countries, including seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, the imposition of economic or trade sanctions, different legal systems and laws relating to bankruptcy and creditors’ rights and the potential inability to enforce legal judgments, all of which could cause a Fund to lose money on its investments in non-U.S. securities. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures, including counter sanctions and other retaliatory actions, that may be imposed could vary broadly in scope, and their impact is difficult to ascertain. These types of measures may include, but are not limited to, banning a sanctioned country or certain persons or entities associated with such country from global payment systems that facilitate cross-border payments, restricting the settlement of securities transactions by certain investors, and freezing the assets of particular countries, entities or persons. The imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, result in a decline in the value and/or liquidity of securities issued by the sanctioned country or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, downgrades in the credit ratings of the sanctioned country's securities or those of companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, currency devaluation or volatility, and increased market
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volatility and disruption in the sanctioned country and throughout the world. Sanctions and other similar measures could directly or indirectly limit or prevent a Fund from buying and selling securities (in the sanctioned country and other markets), significantly delay or prevent the settlement of securities transactions, and adversely impact a Fund's liquidity and performance. The cost of servicing external debt will also generally be adversely affected by rising international interest rates, as many external debt obligations bear interest at rates which are adjusted based upon international interest rates. Because non-U.S. securities may trade on days when a Fund’s shares are not priced, NAV may change at times when the Fund’s shares cannot be sold.
Foreign banks and securities depositories at which a Fund holds its foreign securities and cash may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory oversight. Additionally, many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments.
Less information may be publicly available with respect to foreign issuers than is available with respect to U.S. companies. Accounting standards in non-U.S. countries may differ from U.S. accounting standards. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be more difficult to completely and accurately assess a company’s financial condition. The volume of transactions on foreign stock exchanges is generally lower than the volume of transactions on U.S. exchanges. Therefore, the market for securities that trade on foreign stock exchanges may be less liquid and their prices may be more volatile than securities that trade on U.S. securities.
In recent years, the European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns in, or rising government debt levels of, several European countries. These events may spread to other countries in Europe, including countries that do not use the Euro. These events may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Fund’s investments.
General Market Risk. The capital markets may experience periods of disruption, instability and volatility due to, among other things, social, political, economic and other conditions and events such as natural disasters, terrorism, epidemics and pandemics. Such conditions may materially and adversely affect the markets globally and the issuers, industries, governments and jurisdictions in which a Fund invests, which may have a negative impact on a Fund’s performance. These impacts can be exacerbated by failures of governments and societies to adequately respond to an emerging event or threat.
The NAV of a Fund and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities. The market value of securities in which a Fund invests is based upon the market’s perception of value and is not necessarily an objective measure of the securities’ value. Other general market risks include: (i) the market may not recognize what the Adviser believes to be the true value or growth potential of the securities held by the Fund; (ii) the earnings of the companies in which a Fund invests will not continue to grow at expected rates, thus causing the price of the underlying securities to decline; (iii) the smaller a company’s market capitalization, the greater the potential for price fluctuations and volatility of its securities due to lower trading volume for the securities, less publicly available information about the company and less liquidity in the market for the security; (iv) the potential for price fluctuations in the security of a medium capitalization company may be greater than that of a large capitalization company; (v) the Adviser’s judgment as to the growth potential or value of a security may prove to be wrong; and (vi) a decline in investor demand for the securities held by a Fund also may adversely affect the value of the securities.
In addition, securities in a Fund’s portfolio may cause a Fund to lose value and/or underperform in comparison to securities in general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), deflation (or expectations for deflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, market instability, debt crises and downgrades, embargoes, tariffs, sanctions and other trade barriers, regulatory events, other governmental trade or market control programs and related geopolitical events. In addition, the value of a Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence of global events, such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters or events, country instability, and infectious disease epidemics/pandemics. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and significantly adversely impact the economy. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have previously responded to serious economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. An unexpected or sudden reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, could increase volatility in securities markets, which could adversely affect a Fund’s investments. Any market disruptions could also prevent a Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner. Increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets can lead to events or conditions in one country, region or financial market adversely impacting a different country, region or financial market. Thus, investors should closely monitor current market conditions to determine whether a Fund meets their individual financial needs and tolerance for risk.
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High-Yield Securities Risks. Below investment grade instruments are commonly referred to as “junk” or high-yield instruments and are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Lower grade instruments may be particularly susceptible to economic downturns. It is likely that a prolonged or deepening economic recession could adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such instruments to repay principal and pay interest thereon, increase the incidence of default for such instruments and severely disrupt the market value of such instruments.
Lower grade instruments, though higher yielding, are characterized by higher risk. The retail secondary market for lower grade instruments, which are often thinly traded or subject to irregular trading, may be less liquid than that for higher rated instruments. Such instruments can be more difficult to sell and to value than higher rated instruments because there is generally less public information available about such securities. As a result, subjective judgment may play a greater role in valuing such instruments. Adverse conditions could make it difficult at times for a Fund to sell certain instruments or could result in lower prices than those used in calculating the Fund’s NAV. Because of the substantial risks associated with investments in lower grade instruments, investors could lose money on their investment in the Fund, both in the short-term and the long-term.
Illiquid Investments Risks. A Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. A Fund may also invest in restricted securities. Investments in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of a Fund’s assets invested in illiquid investments if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these securities.
Illiquid and restricted investments may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when a Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid and restricted investments generally is more volatile than that of more liquid investments, which may adversely affect the price that a Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of such investments. Illiquid and restricted investments are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets. The Adviser’s judgment may play a greater role in the valuation process. Investment of a Fund’s assets in illiquid and restricted securities may restrict the Fund’s ability to take advantage of market opportunities. To dispose of an unregistered security, a Fund, where it has contractual rights to do so, may have to cause such security to be registered. A considerable period may elapse between the time the decision is made to sell the security and the time the security is registered, thereby enabling a Fund to sell it. Contractual restrictions on the resale of securities vary in length and scope and are generally the result of a negotiation between the issuer and acquirer of the securities. In either case, a Fund would bear market risks during that period. Liquidity risk may impact a Fund’s ability to meet shareholder redemptions and as a result, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at inopportune prices.
Certain fixed-income instruments are not readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Fixed-income instruments may not be listed on any national securities exchange and no active trading market may exist for certain of the fixed-income instruments in which a Fund will invest. Where a secondary market exists, the market for some fixed-income instruments may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Trade settlement periods may take longer than seven days for transactions of leveraged loans, meaning it could take the Fund significant time to receive money after selling its investments. In addition, dealer inventories of certain securities are at historic lows in relation to market size, which indicates a potential for reduced liquidity as dealers may be less able to “make markets” for certain fixed-income securities.
Certain Structured Products, including CLOs, CDOs, CMOs, CBOs, and other asset-backed securities and debt securitizations, may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market. Structured Products are typically privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws, which means less information about the security may be available as compared to publicly offered securities and only certain institutions may buy and sell them. As a result, investments in Structured Products may be characterized by a Fund as illiquid securities.
Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, as with other serious economic disruptions, governmental authorities and regulators enacted significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including providing direct capital infusions into companies, creating new monetary programs and lowering interest rates considerably. As a result, interest rates in the United States and many parts of the world were, until recently, near recent historically low levels. More recently, interest rates in the United States and many other countries have begun rising. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, including market volatility, and may adversely affect the Fund's performance. A change in interest rates may be sudden and significant, with unpredictable effects on the financial markets and the Fund's investments. Should interest rates decrease, the Fund's investments in certain variable-rate and fixed rate debt securities may be adversely affected.
Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. Shares of the Funds are offered to certain other investment companies, large retirement plans and other large investors. In addition, a third party investor, the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser, an AP, a market maker, or another entity may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a limited period of time. As a result, a Fund is subject to the risk that shareholders may purchase or redeem a large amount of shares of the Fund. To satisfy such large shareholder redemptions, a Fund may have to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may
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negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. In addition, large purchases of Fund shares could adversely affect a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund does not immediately invest cash it receives and therefore holds more cash than it ordinarily would. Large shareholder activity could also generate increased transaction costs and cause adverse tax consequences. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on the Exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the Shares.
LIBOR Risk. Instruments in which a Fund invests may pay interest at floating rates based on LIBOR or may be subject to interest caps or floors based on LIBOR. A Fund and issuers of instruments in which a Fund invests may also obtain financing at floating rates based on LIBOR. Derivative instruments utilized by a Fund and/or issuers of instruments in which a Fund may invest may also reference LIBOR. The Fund also may utilize leverage or borrowings primarily based on LIBOR. One-week and two-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings were discontinued at the end of 2021, and the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has announced that the remaining U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings will continue to be provided on a representative basis until mid-2023. As of January 1, 2022, as a result of supervisory guidance from U.S. regulators, some U.S. regulated entities have ceased entering into new LIBOR contracts with limited exceptions. While publication of the one- three- and six- month Sterling and Japanese yen LIBOR settings continued for a limited time on the basis of a changed methodology (known as “synthetic LIBOR”), these synthetic LIBOR settings were designated by the FCA as unrepresentative of the underlying market they sought to measure and were solely available for use in legacy transactions. The FCA has indicated that they will require the publication of synthetic LIBOR for the one-, three- and six-month for U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings after June 30, 2023, until at least the end of September 2024, although usage of these synthetic LIBOR settings may be prohibited or prevented by applicable law. Certain bank-sponsored committees in other jurisdictions, including Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland, have selected alternative reference rates denominated in other currencies. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments that reference LIBOR without including fallback provisions and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to a Fund’s investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or NAV. The effect of a phase out of LIBOR on instruments in which the Fund may invest is currently unclear.
While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions, and there is significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies. To the extent that any replacement rate differs from that utilized for a Structured Product that holds those securities, the Structured Product would experience an interest rate mismatch between its assets and liabilities. Recently, some Structured Products have included, or have been amended to include, language permitting the Structured Product’s investment manager to implement a market replacement rate upon the occurrence of certain material disruption events. However, not all Structured Products may adopt such provisions, nor can there be any assurance that Structured Products’ investment managers will undertake the suggested amendments when able. In cases where LIBOR replacement language is absent or insufficient, certain legislative transition mechanisms may apply, causing LIBOR to be replaced with a rate selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act was signed into law. This law provides a statutory fallback mechanism on a nationwide basis to replace LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) for certain contracts that reference LIBOR and contain no, or insufficient, fallback provisions. Final implementing regulations in respect of the law have been promulgated although the effect that they may have on the transition from LIBOR is uncertain. The transition from LIBOR to alternative interest rates could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. It remains uncertain how such changes would affect the Fund, issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests and financial markets generally.
Alteration of the terms of a debt instrument or a modification of the terms of other types of contracts to replace LIBOR or another interbank offered rate (“IBOR”) with a new reference rate could result in a taxable exchange and the realization of income and gain/loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The IRS has issued final regulations regarding the tax consequences of the transition from IBOR to a new reference rate in debt instruments and non-debt contracts. Under the final regulations, alteration or modification of the terms of a debt instrument to replace an operative rate that uses a discontinued IBOR with a qualified rate (as defined in the final regulations) including true up payments equalizing the fair market value of contracts before and after such IBOR transition, to add a qualified rate as a fallback rate to a contract whose operative rate uses a discontinued IBOR or to replace a fallback rate that uses a discontinued IBOR with a qualified rate would not be taxable. The IRS may provide additional guidance, with potential retroactive effect.
Liquidity and Valuation Risks. It may be difficult for a Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a favorable price. The capacity of traditional fixed-income market makers has not kept pace with the consistent growth in the fixed-income markets in recent years, which has led to reductions in the capacity of such market makers to engage in fixed-income trading and, as a result, dealer inventories of corporate fixed-income and floating rate instruments are at or near historic lows relative to market size. These concerns may be more pronounced in the case of high yield fixed-income and floating rate instruments than higher quality fixed-income instruments. Market makers tend to provide stability and liquidity to debt-securities markets through their intermediary services, and their reduced capacity and number could lead to diminished liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed-income markets. As a result, a Fund could be unable to pay redemption proceeds
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within the allowable time period due to adverse market conditions, an unusually high volume of redemption requests or other reasons, unless it sells other portfolio investments under unfavorable conditions, thereby adversely affecting the Fund. In addition, a Fund’s ability to sell an instrument under favorable conditions may also be negatively impacted by, among other things, the sale of the same or similar instruments by other market participants at the same time.
To the extent that there is not an established liquid market for instruments in which a Fund invests, or there is a reduced number or capacity of traditional market makers with respect to certain instruments, trading in such instruments may be relatively inactive or irregular. In addition, during periods of reduced market liquidity or market turmoil, or in the absence of readily accessible market quotations for an investment in a Fund’s portfolio, the ability of the Fund to assign an accurate daily value to that investment may be limited and the Adviser, on behalf of the Fund, may be required to perform a fair valuation of the instrument. Fair value determinations are inherently subjective and reflect good faith judgments based on available information. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the determination of an instrument’s fair value, conducted in accordance with the valuation procedures, will in fact approximate the price at which a Fund could sell that instrument at the time of the fair valuation. The Funds rely on various sources of information to value investments and calculate net asset value. The Funds may obtain pricing information from third parties that are believed to be reliable. In certain cases, this information may be unavailable or this information may be inaccurate because of errors by the third parties, technological issues, absence of current or reliable market data or otherwise, which could impact a Fund’s ability to accurately value its investments or calculate its NAV.
Investors who purchase or redeem shares of a Fund on days when the Fund is holding instruments that have been fair valued may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the instruments had not been fair valued or if the Fund had employed an alternative valuation methodology. Such risks may be more pronounced in a rising interest rate environment, and, to the extent the Fund that holds a significant percentage of fair valued or otherwise difficult to value securities, it may be particularly susceptible to the risks associated with valuation. For additional information about valuation determinations, see “Determination of Net Asset Value” below. Portions of a Fund’s portfolio that are fair valued or difficult to value vary from time to time. A Fund’s shareholder reports contain detailed information about a Fund’s holdings that are fair valued or difficult to value, including values of such holdings as of the dates of the reports.
Management Risk. Each Fund is actively managed and its performance may reflect the Adviser’s ability to make decisions which are suited to achieving a Fund’s investment objective. Additionally, the Adviser’s consideration of certain ESG factors when making investment decisions may affect a Fund’s performance relative to that of funds that do not consider ESG factors. Due to its active management, a Fund could underperform other funds with a similar investment objective.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risks. The price paid by a Fund for asset-backed securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities and the average life of such securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying assets. The value of these securities may be significantly affected by changes in lending standards, interest rates and lending rates, and the risks associated with the market’s perception of issuers, the creditworthiness of the parties involved, and investing in real estate securities. The foregoing risks or similar developments may adversely impact the default risk for the properties and loans underlying mortgage-backed securities investments, the value of and income generated by these investments, and could also result in reduced mortgage-backed securities liquidity. The foregoing risks or similar developments may adversely impact the default risk for the properties and loans underlying mortgage-backed securities investments, the value of and income generated by these investments, and could also result in reduced mortgage-backed securities liquidity.
The ability of a Fund to successfully utilize these instruments may depend on the ability of the Fund’s Adviser to forecast interest rates and other economic factors correctly. These securities may have a structure that makes their reaction to interest rate changes and other factors difficult to predict, making their value highly volatile.
In addition to the risks associated with other asset-backed securities as described above, mortgage-backed securities are subject to the general risks associated with investing in real estate securities; that is, they may lose value if the value of the underlying real estate to which a pool of mortgages relates declines. In addition, mortgage-backed securities comprised of subprime mortgages and investments in other asset-backed securities collateralized by subprime loans may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk and valuation risk. Additionally, such securities may be subject to a higher degree of liquidity risk, because the liquidity of such investments may vary dramatically over time.
In addition, CMOs, which are mortgage-backed securities that are typically collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities, and multi-class pass-through securities, are commonly structured as equity interests in a trust composed of mortgage loans or other mortgage-backed securities. CMOs are usually issued in multiple classes, often referred to as “tranches,” with each tranche having a specific fixed or floating coupon rate and stated maturity or final distribution date. Under the traditional CMO structure, the cash flows generated by the mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities in the collateral pool are used to first pay interest and then pay principal to the holders of the CMOs. Subject to the provisions of individual CMO issues, the cash flow generated by the underlying collateral (to the extent it exceeds the amount required to pay the stated interest) is used to retire the bonds. As a result of these and other structural characteristics, CMOs entail greater
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market, prepayment and liquidity risks than other mortgage-backed securities, and may be more volatile or less liquid than other mortgage-backed securities.
Mortgage-backed securities may be issued by governments or their agencies and instrumentalities, such as, in the United States, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They may also be issued by private issuers but represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass-through securities issued or guaranteed by a government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities. In addition, mortgage-backed securities may be issued by private issuers and be collateralized by securities without a government guarantee. Such securities usually have some form of private credit enhancement.
Pools created by private issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments. Notwithstanding that such pools may be supported by various forms of private insurance or guarantees, there can be no assurance that the private insurers or guarantors will be able to meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. A Fund may invest in private mortgage pass-through securities without such insurance or guarantees. Any mortgage-backed securities that are issued by private issuers are likely to have some exposure to subprime loans as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. In addition, such securities are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that would generally apply to securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee, thereby increasing their credit risk. The risk of non-payment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by mortgage pools that contain subprime loans, but a level of risk exists for all loans. Market factors adversely affecting mortgage loan repayments may include a general economic downturn, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, a drop in the market prices of real estate, or an increase in interest rates resulting in higher mortgage payments by holders of adjustable rate mortgages.
NAV Risk (UltraShort Income ETF only). The Fund is not a money market fund, does not attempt to maintain a stable NAV, and is not subject to the rules that govern the quality, maturity, liquidity and other features of securities that money market funds may purchase. Under normal conditions, the Fund’s investment may be more susceptible than a money market fund to interest rate risk, valuation risk, credit risk, and other risks relevant to the Fund’s investments. The Fund’s NAV per share will fluctuate.
New Fund Risk. Each Fund is a recently organized investment company with limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision. Moreover, investors will not be able to evaluate a Fund against one or more comparable funds on the basis of relative performance until the Fund has established a track record. In addition, until the Fund achieves a larger scale, the performance of certain of its investments may disproportionately impact the performance of the Fund, which may be subject to heightened volatility. As a new fund, the Fund also may be subject to a “ramp-up” period during which it may not be fully invested or able to meet its investment objective or investment policies. A new fund or a fund with fewer assets under management may be more significantly affected by purchases and redemptions of its Creation Units than a fund with relatively greater assets under management would be affected by purchases and redemptions of its shares. As compared to a larger fund, a new or smaller fund is more likely to sell a comparatively large portion of its portfolio to meet significant Creation Unit redemptions, or invest a comparatively large amount of cash to facilitate Creation Unit purchases, in each case when the fund otherwise would not seek to do so. Such transactions may cause funds to make investment decisions at inopportune times or prices or miss attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of securities resulted in gains and the fund redeems Creation Units for cash, or otherwise cause a fund to perform differently than intended. While such risks may apply to funds of any size, such risks are heightened in funds with fewer assets under management. In addition, new funds may not be able to fully implement their investment strategy immediately upon commencing investment operations, which could reduce investment performance.
Non-Diversification Risk. Each Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. A non-diversified fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. Consequently, the securities of a particular issuer or a small number of issuers may constitute a significant portion of a Fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect a Fund’s performance or subject a Fund’s shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by more diversified investment companies.
Other Investment Companies Risks. Because the Funds generally invest in other investment companies (including those that are part of the same group of investment companies as the Funds (“affiliated underlying funds”)) that invest in fixed-income securities, risks associated with investments in other investment companies will include fixed-income securities risks. In addition to the brokerage costs associated with a Fund’s purchase and sale of the underlying securities, ETFs and mutual funds incur fees that are separate from those of a Fund. As a result, a Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of the ETFs and mutual funds, in addition to Fund expenses. Because a Fund is not required to hold shares of underlying funds for any minimum period, it may be subject to, and may have to pay, short-term redemption fees imposed by the underlying funds. ETFs are subject to additional risks such as the fact that the market price of its shares may trade above or below its NAV or an active market may not develop. A Fund has no control over the investments and related risks taken by the underlying funds in which it invests.
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In addition to risks generally associated with investments in investment company securities, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to traditional mutual funds: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may be above or below its NAV; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; (iv) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate; and (v) underlying ETF shares may be de-listed from the exchange or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) may temporarily stop stock trading.
A Fund’s investments in other investment companies may include investments in closed-end funds (“CEFs”). Shares of CEFs frequently trade at a price per share that is less than a fund’s NAV. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any CEF purchased by a Fund will ever decrease or that when the Fund seeks to sell shares of a CEF it can receive the NAV of those shares. CEFs have lower levels of daily volume when compared to open-end companies. There are greater risks involved in investing in securities with limited market liquidity.
The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in allocating a Fund’s assets to underlying funds, such as a potential conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds. In addition, a Fund’s portfolio managers may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in allocating the Fund’s assets among underlying funds, as certain of the Fund’s portfolio managers may also manage an affiliated underlying fund in which the Fund may invest. Both the Adviser and a Fund’s portfolio managers have a fiduciary duty to a Fund to act in the Fund’s best interest when selecting underlying funds. Under the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser will carefully analyze any such potential conflicts of interest and will take steps to minimize and, where possible, eliminate them.
Additionally, to the extent that a Fund serves as an “acquired fund” to another affiliated or unaffiliated investment company, the Fund’s ability to invest in other investment companies and private funds may be limited and, under these circumstances, the Fund’s investments in other investment companies and private funds will be consistent with applicable law and/or exemptive rules adopted by or exemptive orders obtained from the SEC. For example, to the extent the Fund serves as an acquired fund in a fund of funds arrangement in reliance on Rule 12d1-4 under the Investment Company Act, the Fund would be prohibited from purchasing or otherwise acquiring the securities of an investment company or private fund if, after such purchase or acquisition, the aggregate value of the Fund’s investments in such investment companies and private funds would exceed 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, subject to limited exceptions (including for investments in money market funds).
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund’s annual portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year, as well as within a given year. The portfolio turnover rate is not considered a limiting factor in the execution of investment decisions for the Fund. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. A high portfolio turnover may increase the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, resulting in a greater portion of the Fund’s distributions being treated as a dividend to the Fund’s shareholders. In addition, a higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund.
Prepayment Risk. When interest rates decline, fixed income securities with stated interest rates may have their principal paid earlier than expected. This may result in a Fund having to reinvest that money at lower prevailing interest rates, which can reduce the returns of the Fund.
Rating Agencies Risk. Rating agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings and an issuer’s current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates. In addition, rating agencies are subject to an inherent conflict of interest because they are often compensated by the same issuers whose securities they grade.
Regulatory and Legal Risks. U.S. and non-U.S. government agencies and other regulators regularly adopt new regulations and legislatures enact new statutes that affect the investments held by a Fund, the strategies used by a Fund or the level of regulation or taxation that applies to a Fund. These statutes and regulations and any future statutes and regulations may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of a Fund or the taxation of its shareholders. Changes in government legislation, regulation and/or intervention may change the way the Adviser or a Fund is regulated, affect the expenses incurred directly by a Fund and the value of its investments and limit and/or preclude a Fund’s ability to implement, or increase a Fund’s costs associated with implementing, its investments strategies. Changes to tax laws and regulations may also result in certain tax consequences for a Fund and/or investors. Government regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences. Moreover, government regulation may have unpredictable and unintended effects. In addition to exposing a Fund to potential new costs and expenses, additional regulation or changes to existing regulation may also require changes to a Fund’s investment practices. The Adviser cannot predict the effects of any new governmental regulation that may be implemented, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect a Fund’s ability to achieve its respective investment objective.
REIT Risk (Income ETF only). Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. The value of a REIT may also rise and fall in response to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. In addition, to the extent the Fund holds interests in REITs, it is expected that investors in the Fund will bear two layers of asset-based management fees and expenses (directly at
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the Fund level and indirectly at the REIT level). The risks of investing in REITs include certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general, regional and local economic conditions; fluctuations in interest rates and property tax rates; shifts in zoning laws, environmental regulations and other governmental action such as the exercise of eminent domain; cash flow dependency; increased operating expenses; lack of availability of mortgage funds; losses due to natural disasters; overbuilding; losses due to casualty or condemnation; changes in property values and rental rates; the management or development of properties, which may be subject to mortgage loans that are subject to the risk of default; and other factors.
Repurchase Agreement Risks. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by a Fund of fixed-income securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that a Fund will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future. Repurchase agreements involve the risk that a seller will become subject to bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings or fail to repurchase a security from a Fund. In such situations, a Fund may incur losses including as a result of (i) a possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period while a Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, (ii) a possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period, and (iii) expenses of enforcing its rights.
Residential Loans and Mortgages Risk. The Fund may acquire residential loans and mortgages (including through participations, assignments and whole loans) from third-party mortgage originators. In addition to interest rate, default and other risks of fixed income securities, residential loans and mortgages carry additional risks, including the possibility that the quality of the collateral may decline in value and the potential for the liquidity of residential loans and mortgages to vary over time. In addition, in the event that a loan is foreclosed on, the Fund could become the owner (in whole or in part) of any collateral, which may include, among other things, real estate or other real or personal property, and the Fund would bear the costs and liabilities of owning, holding or disposing of such property. These risks are greater for subprime residential and mortgage loans.
The Fund may also experience difficulty disposing of loans, which do not trade in a liquid market and typically can only be sold to a limited number of institutional investors. The absence of a liquid market for these instruments could adversely impact their value and may inhibit the Fund’s ability to dispose of them at times when it would be desirable to do so, including in response to particular economic events, such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. Because they do not trade in a liquid market residential loans may also be difficult for the Fund to value.
Investing in loans may subject the Fund to greater levels of credit risk, call risk, settlement risk and liquidity risk than other types of fixed income instruments. Transactions involving loans may also involve greater costs than transactions involving more actively traded securities. In addition, a number of factors, including restrictions on transfers, irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads, and extended trade settlement periods may make it more difficult for the Fund to acquire, dispose of or accurately price such instruments relative to other types of investments. As a result, the Fund may not be able to realize the full value for loans and there may be extended delays in the Fund’s receipt of proceeds from the sale of a loan, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. Because transactions in many loans are subject to extended trade settlement periods, proceeds from the sale of a loan may not be immediately available to the Fund. As a result, proceeds related to the sale of loans may not be available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund’s repurchase obligations for a period after the sale of the loans, and, as a result, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations.
When acquiring residential loans, the Fund relies on third-party mortgage originators to originate mortgage loans that comply with applicable law. Mortgage loan originators and brokers are subject to strict and evolving consumer protection laws and other legal obligations with respect to the origination of residential mortgage loans. These laws may be highly subjective and open to interpretation and, as a result, a regulator or court may determine that that there has been a violation where an originator or servicer of mortgage loans reasonably believed that the law or requirement had been satisfied. Failure or alleged failure of originators or servicers to comply with these laws and regulations could subject the Fund, as an assignee or purchaser of these loans or securities backed by these loans, to, among other things, delays in foreclosure proceedings, increased litigation expenses, monetary penalties and defenses to foreclosure, including by recoupment or setoff of finance charges and fees collected, and in some cases could also result in rescission of the affected residential mortgage loans, which could adversely impact the Fund’s business and financial results. While some of these laws may not explicitly hold the Fund responsible for the legal violations of these third parties, federal and state agencies and private litigants have increasingly sought to impose such liability. Various regulators and plaintiffs’ lawyers have also sought to hold assignees of mortgage loans liable for the alleged violations of the originating lender under theories of express or implied assignee liability. Accordingly, the Fund may be subject to fines, penalties or civil liability based upon the conduct of the mortgage lenders that originated the mortgage loans such Fund holds.
Despite the Fund’s efforts to manage credit risk related to the residential mortgage loans the Fund acquires, there are many aspects of credit risk that the Fund cannot control. The Fund’s due diligence process may not be effective at preventing or limiting compliance violations or borrower delinquencies and defaults, and the loan servicing companies that service the mortgage loans may not comply with applicable servicing regulations or investor requirements. Prior to acquiring loans, the Fund will perform due diligence and the Fund will rely on resources and data available to it from the seller, which may be
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limited. The Fund’s due diligence efforts may not detect matters that could lead to losses. If the Fund’s due diligence processes are not adequate, and the Fund fails to detect certain loan defects or compliance issues related to origination, the Fund may incur losses. The Fund could also incur losses if a counterparty that sold the Fund a loan is unwilling or unable (e.g., due to its financial condition) to repurchase that loan or asset or pay damages to the Fund if the Fund determines subsequent to purchase that one or more of the representations or warranties made to the Fund in connection with the sale was inaccurate. There may be less readily available information about loans and their underlying borrowers than is the case for other types of investments and issuers. In addition, because loans may not be considered “securities,” investors in loans, such as the Fund, may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws, although they may be entitled to certain contractual remedies.
The mortgage loans that the Fund purchases, and in which the Fund directly and indirectly invests through RMBS, CMBS or other investments, may be concentrated in a specific state or states. Weak economic conditions in these locations or any other location (which may or may not affect real property values), may affect the ability of borrowers to repay their mortgage loans on time. Properties in certain jurisdictions may be more susceptible than homes located in other parts of the country to certain types of uninsurable hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters. Declines in the residential real estate market of a particular jurisdiction may reduce the values of properties located in that jurisdiction, which would result in an increase in the loan-to-value ratios. Any increase in the market value of properties located in a particular jurisdiction would reduce the loan-to-value ratios of the mortgage loans and could, therefore, make alternative sources of financing available to the borrowers at lower interest rates, which could result in an increased rate of prepayment of the mortgage loans.
Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risks. A reverse repurchase agreement is the sale by a Fund of a debt obligation to a party for a specified price, with the simultaneous agreement by the Fund to repurchase that debt obligation from that party on a future date at a higher price. Similar to borrowing, reverse repurchase agreements provide a Fund with cash for investment purposes, which creates leverage and subjects a Fund to the risks of leverage, including increased volatility. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. A Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of securities. Reverse repurchase agreements also create Fund expenses and require that a Fund have sufficient cash available to purchase the debt obligations when required. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the debt obligation that is the subject of the reverse repurchase agreement could decline significantly below the price at which a Fund is obligated to repurchase the security. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, a Fund’s use of the proceeds from the sale of the securities may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce a Fund’s obligations to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as borrowings made by the Fund and are a form of leverage which also may increase the volatility of the Fund.
Risks Relating to A Fund’s RIC Status. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to a RIC and its shareholders under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), a Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. Very generally, to qualify as a RIC, a Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, net income from certain publicly traded partnerships or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in stock or other securities. A Fund must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of each of its taxable years. Failure to meet these diversification requirements on the last day of a quarter may result in a Fund having to dispose of certain investments quickly to prevent the loss of RIC status. Any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices or times, and may result in substantial losses to a Fund. In addition, to be eligible for the special tax treatment accorded RICs, a Fund must meet the annual distribution requirement, requiring it to distribute with respect to each taxable year an amount at least equal to 90% of the sum of its “investment company taxable income” (generally its taxable ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, and determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and its net tax-exempt income (if any), to its shareholders. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any reason and becomes subject to corporate tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce its net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of its distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on a Fund and its shareholders. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions to re-qualify as a RIC.
Sector Risk. To the extent a Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
Structured Products Risks. A Fund may invest in Structured Products, including CLOs, CDOs, CMOs, CBOs, and other asset-backed securities and debt securitizations. Structured Products are subject to the normal interest rate, default and other risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities. Additionally, the risks of an investment in a Structured Product depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the Structured Product or other asset-backed
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security in which a Fund invests. A Fund generally may have the right to receive payments only from the Structured Product, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity that sold the underlying collateral assets. Such collateral may be insufficient to meet payment obligations and the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default. Also, the class of the Structured Product may be subordinate to other classes, values may be volatile, and disputes with the issuer may produce unexpected investment results.
The ability of the Structured Product to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. For example, performance tests (based on interest coverage or other financial ratios or other criteria) may restrict a Fund’s ability, as holder of the equity interests in a Structured Product, to receive cash flow from these investments. There is no assurance any such performance tests will be satisfied. Also, a Structured Product may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the Structured Product may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the Structured Product’s debt. As a result, there may be a lag, which could be significant, between the repayment or other realization on a loan or other assets in, and the distribution of cash out of, a Structured Product, or cash flow may be completely restricted for the life of the Structured Product. If a Fund does not receive cash flow from any such Structured Product that is necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement for maintaining a Fund’s RIC status, and a Fund is unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, a Fund could fail to maintain its status as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on a Fund’s financial performance.
Structured Products are typically privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws, which means less information about the security may be available as compared to publicly offered securities and only certain institutions may buy and sell them. As a result, investments in certain Structured Products or other asset-backed securities may be characterized by a Fund as illiquid securities. An active dealer market may exist for Structured Products that can be resold in Rule 144A transactions, but there can be no assurance that such a market will exist or will be active enough for a Fund to sell such securities. A Fund may invest in any tranche of a Structured Product, including the subordinated/equity tranches. If applicable accounting pronouncements or SEC staff guidance require a Fund to consolidate the Structured Product’s financial statements with a Fund’s financial statements, any debt issued by the Structured Product would be generally treated as if it were issued by a Fund. Further, there can be no assurance that a bankruptcy court, in the exercise of its broad equitable powers, would not order that a Fund’s assets and liabilities be substantively consolidated with those of a Structured Product, rather than kept separate, and that creditors of the Structured Product would have claims against the consolidated bankruptcy estate (including a Fund’s assets). If a Structured Product is not consolidated with a Fund, a Fund’s only interest in the Structured Product will be the value of its retained subordinated interest and the income allocated to it, which may be more or less than the cash a Fund received from the Structured Product, and none of the Structured Product’s liabilities would be reflected as a Fund’s liabilities. If the assets of a Structured Product are not consolidated with a Fund’s assets and liabilities, then the leverage incurred by such Structured Product may or may not be treated as borrowings by a Fund for purposes applicable limitations on a Fund’s ability to issue debt.
In addition to the general risks associated with fixed-income securities discussed herein, Structured Products carry additional risks, including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may default, decline in value or quality or be downgraded by a rating agency; (iii) the possibility that the investments in Structured Products are subordinate to other classes or tranches thereof; (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes among investors or with the issuer or unexpected investment results; and (v) a forced “fire sale” liquidation may occur due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures.
The activities of the issuers of certain Structured Products will generally be directed by a collateral manager. In a Fund’s capacity as holder of interests in such a Structured Product, a Fund is generally not able to make decisions with respect to the management, disposition or other realization of any investment, or other decisions regarding the business and affairs, of the Structured Product. Consequently, the success of the securitizations in will depend, in part, on the financial and managerial expertise of the collateral manager.
To the extent that an affiliate of the Adviser serves as the sponsor and/or collateral manager of a Structured Product in which a Fund invests, or the Adviser or its affiliates hold other interests in Structured Products in which a Fund invests, a Fund may be limited in its ability to participate in certain transactions with the Structured Product and may not be able to dispose of its interests in the Structured Product if no secondary market exists for the interests. Even if a secondary market exists, the Adviser or its affiliates at times may possess material non-public information that may restrict a Fund’s ability to dispose of its interests in the Structured Product. A Fund does not currently contemplate making investments in any specific investments sponsored by the Adviser or an affiliate; however, to the extent a Fund does, it will do so only as permitted under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
To the extent the Fund invests in the equity tranches of a Structured Product, such investments typically represent the first loss position, are unrated and are subject to greater risk. To the extent that any losses are incurred by the Structured Product in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by the owners of the equity interests, which may include the Fund. Any
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equity interests that a Fund holds in a Structured Product will not be secured by the assets of the Structured Product or guaranteed by any party, and a Fund will rank behind all creditors of the Structured Product, including the holders of the secured notes issued by the Structured Product. Equity interests are typically subject to certain payment restrictions in the indenture governing the senior tranches. Accordingly, equity interests may not be paid in full, may be adversely impacted by defaults by a relatively small number of underlying assets held by the Structured Product and may be subject to up to 100% loss. Structured Products may be highly levered, and therefore equity interests may be subject to a higher risk of loss, including the potential for total loss. The market value of equity interests may be significantly affected by a variety of factors, including changes in interest rates, changes in the market value of the collateral held by the securitization, defaults and recoveries on that collateral and other risks associated with that collateral. The leveraged nature of equity interest is likely to magnify these impacts. Equity interests typically do not have a fixed coupon and payments on equity interests will be based on the income received from the underlying collateral and the payments made to the senior tranches, both of which may be based on floating rates. While the payments on equity interest will be variable, equity interests may not offer the same level of protection against changes in interest rates as other floating rate instruments. Equity interests are typically illiquid investments and subject to extensive transfer restrictions, and no party is under any obligation to make a market for equity interests. At times, there may be no market for equity interests, and a Fund may not be able to sell or otherwise transfer equity interests at their fair value, or at all, in the event that it determines to sell them.
Uncertain Tax Treatment. A Fund may invest a portion of its net assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments and certain other instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease accruing interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. Although a Fund will seek to address these and other issues to the extent necessary to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income that it does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax, no assurances can be given that the Fund will not be adversely affected as a result of such issues.
Unrated Securities Risks. The Fund may purchase unrated securities which are not rated by a rating agency if the Adviser determines that the security is of comparable quality to a rated security that the Fund may purchase. Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities and involve the risk that the Adviser may not accurately evaluate the security’s comparative credit rating. Analysis of creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-quality debt securities. To the extent that the Fund purchases unrated securities, the Fund’s success in achieving its investment objective may depend more heavily on the Adviser’s creditworthiness analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in rated securities.
U.S. Government Securities Risks. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or GSEs, including, for example, pass-through certificates issued by Ginnie Mae, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies or GSEs, such as securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency or GSE, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies or GSEs, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by a Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about the Funds’ daily portfolio holdings is available at www.angeloakcapital.com. A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
Adviser.  Angel Oak Capital Advisors, LLC (“the Adviser”), 3344 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1725, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, serves as investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser has overall supervisory management responsibility for the general management and investment of each Fund’s portfolio. The Adviser was formed in 2009 and provides advisory services to registered investment companies, unregistered funds, institutions, and other investors. As of March 31, 2023, the Adviser had assets under management of approximately $12.18 billion. The Adviser is 93.3% owned by Angel Oak Asset Management Holdings, LLC.
The Income ETF is required to pay the Adviser a fee equal to 0.99% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The UltraShort Income ETF is required to pay the Adviser a fee equal to 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Under the advisory agreement, the Adviser is responsible for substantially all the expenses of the Funds (including expenses of the Trust relating to the Funds), except for the advisory fees, payments under a Fund’s 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, dividend and interest expenses related to short
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sales, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees for funds advised by the Adviser), and litigation and potential litigation and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of a Fund’s business. A discussion of the factors that the Board of Trustees considered in approving the Funds’ advisory agreement is available in the Funds’ annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse certain expenses (exclusive of interest expenses, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees for funds advised by the Adviser which are waived), brokers’ commissions and any other transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, and litigation and potential litigation and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to limit the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement to 0.79% of the Income ETF’s average daily net assets and 0.29% of the UltraShort Income ETF’s average daily net assets (the “Expense Limits”) through May 31, 2024. The Expense Limits exclude certain expenses (e.g., interest on borrowings), and consequently, each Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement may be higher than such Fund’s Expense Limit. The contractual waivers and expense reimbursements may be changed or eliminated at any time by the Board of Trustees, on behalf of a Fund, upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. The contractual waivers and expense reimbursements may not be terminated by the Adviser without the consent of the Board of Trustees. The Adviser may recoup from a Fund any waived amount or reimbursed expenses with respect to the Fund pursuant to this agreement if such recoupment does not cause the Fund to exceed the current Expense Limit or the Expense Limit in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement (whichever is lower) and the recoupment is made within three years after the end of the month in which the Adviser incurred the expense.
In addition, the Adviser has contractually agreed through at least May 31, 2024 to waive the amount of the Fund’s management fee to the extent necessary to offset the proportionate share of the management fees incurred by the Fund through its investment in an underlying fund for which the Adviser also serves as investment adviser. This arrangement may only be changed or eliminated by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser.
Management of any Subadviser to a Fund. The Funds, the Trust and the Adviser have obtained an exemptive order with respect to the Funds that permits the Funds to operate in a “manager of managers” structure whereby the Adviser, subject to certain conditions, can hire new subadvisers for the Funds, and materially amend the terms of subadvisory agreements with subadvisers, each subject to Board approval but without obtaining prior shareholder approval. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board) to oversee the subadvisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. Within 90 days of retaining a new subadviser, shareholders of the Fund(s) will receive notification of the change. The manager of managers structure enables the Funds to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of subadvisory agreements. The structure does not permit investment advisory fees paid by the Funds to be increased or change the Adviser’s obligations under its investment advisory agreement with the Trust. Furthermore, any subadvisory agreements with affiliates of the Funds or the Adviser will require shareholder approval.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The Adviser’s investment team includes:
Sam Dunlap is Chief Investment Officer, Public Strategies of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Dunlap is also responsible for managing some of the separately managed accounts for the Adviser’s clients. Mr. Dunlap began his capital markets career in 2002 and has investment experience across multiple sectors of fixed income markets. Prior to joining the Adviser in 2009, Mr. Dunlap spent six years marketing and structuring interest rate derivatives with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey where he focused on both interest rate hedging products and interest rate linked structured notes. Mr. Dunlap’s previous experience included two years at Wachovia in Charlotte, North Carolina supporting the agency mortgage pass-through trading desk. Mr. Dunlap received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Georgia.
Clayton Triick, CFA®, is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Triick is a portfolio manager within the asset-backed securities markets within the structured products group and focuses on cross asset allocation and interest rate risk management of Angel Oak funds, the short duration strategies, and institutional separately managed accounts. Mr. Triick has been in the investment management industry since 2008 and has experience across multiple sectors of fixed income. Prior to joining Angel Oak in 2011, Mr. Triick worked for YieldQuest Advisors, where he was a member of the investment committee focusing on interest rate risk, currency risk, and commodity of the portfolios alongside directly managing the closed-end fund allocations within portfolios and individual accounts. Mr. Triick holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation.
Colin McBurnette is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. McBurnette focuses on security and portfolio analytics. Prior to joining the Adviser in 2012, Mr. McBurnette worked for Prodigus Capital Management, where he served on the investment committee and ran the analytics group. He was responsible for acquisition and management of their distressed debt portfolio, as well as the development of their proprietary financial technology platform. Previously, Mr. McBurnette worked in the Real Estate Capital Markets group for Wachovia Bank and Wells Fargo where he focused on risk
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management for their commercial real estate REPO lines. Mr. McBurnette holds a B.B.A. in Finance and in Real Estate from the University of Georgia.
Berkin Kologlu is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Kologlu has over 20 years’ experience in fixed income products and focuses on building and managing strategies within the Collateralized Loan Obligation (CLO) market. He spent the previous six years as an Executive Director at UBS, covering structured products and client solutions. Prior to UBS, Mr. Kologlu worked at Bank of America, where he focused on the structuring and marketing of CLOs and synthetic CDOs backed by corporate credit. Before Bank of America, Mr. Kologlu worked in Turkey as a commercial banker, where he was responsible for lending to large cap corporations. He received his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey.
Kin Lee is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Lee focuses on building and managing strategies within the Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) market. Mr. Lee began his career in 1993 and most recently served as Executive Director at Nomura Securities International from 2012 until he joined the Adviser in 2014. He also held the previous role of Head of CMBS Trading for both Mizuho Securities and RBS Greenwich Capital. Mr. Lee also worked in CMBS trading with Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette. Mr. Lee holds a B.S. in Industrial Management and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University.
Matthew R. Kennedy, CFA®, is Head of Corporate Credit and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Kennedy has over 20 years of capital markets and asset management experience. Prior to joining the Adviser in 2016, Mr. Kennedy spent seven years as a portfolio manager with Rainier Investment Management, LLC, where he served as Director of Fixed Income Management and was responsible for managing the Predecessor High Yield Fund among other clients. Mr. Kennedy began his investment career in 1995 at GE Financial Assurance, where he served as a Senior Analyst and made investment recommendations for investment grade, high yield, and private placement portfolios. From 1991 through 1994, he was a CPA and Auditor at Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Kennedy is a member of the CFA Institute and the Seattle Society of Financial Analysts. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Mr. Kennedy received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, with specializations in Finance and Accounting, from Washington State University.
Nichole Hammond, CFA®, is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Ms. Hammond has over 20 years’ experience in the corporate bond market across multiple industrial and financial subsectors. Prior to joining the Adviser in 2017, Ms. Hammond spent 15 years at Wells Capital Management. Ms. Hammond was most recently a Senior Analyst for Wells Capital Management’s Montgomery Core Fixed Income team, responsible for research and investment strategy in the corporate bond portfolio with a focus on global financials. Ms. Hammond holds a B.A. in Business Administration, specializing in Finance, from the University of Washington. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation and is a member of the CFA® Institute.
Johannes Palsson is a Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Palsson’s primary focus is on investment research and management of community and regional bank debt across the Adviser’s investment strategies. Prior to joining Angel Oak in 2011, Mr. Palsson served as Chief Financial Officer for The Brand Banking Company, where he managed the overall finance function. He began his career at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in 1996, where the scope of his responsibilities included interest rate risk modeling and investment strategies. Mr. Palsson holds a B.S. degree in Finance from Georgia State University and an M.B.A. from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
Cheryl Pate, CFA®, is a Senior Portfolio Manager at the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Ms. Pate has more than 15 years’ experience in financial services and primarily focuses on investment research in the community and regional bank debt space. Ms. Pate joined the Adviser in 2017 from Morgan Stanley, where she spent 10 years in equity research focusing on the financial sector. Ms. Pate led the Consumer & Specialty Finance research team as an Executive Director and Senior Lead Analyst. Ms. Pate’s research coverage included the consumer finance, specialty finance, mortgage servicing/originations, mortgage REIT, payments, fintech and banking industries. Ms. Pate holds a B.S. in Commerce (Finance) from the University of British Columbia and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Ward Bortz is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and a Portfolio Manager of each Fund. Mr. Bortz’s portfolio management responsibilities are focused on the firm’s ETFs and strategy design. He has been in the financial services industry since 2006. Before joining the Adviser, Mr. Bortz was a senior investment professional at some of the largest asset managers in the world, including Invesco, BlackRock and Dimensional Fund Advisors. He worked in a variety of roles including portfolio management, research, trading and strategy across fixed income, equities, and alternatives. Mr. Bortz holds a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and an M.B.A. focused on finance and asset pricing from Columbia Business School.
The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including their compensation structure, other accounts managed, and ownership of shares of the Funds.
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO DEALERS
In addition to dealer concessions and payments made by the Distributor for distribution and shareholder servicing, the Adviser or its affiliates, at their own expense and out of their own assets, may make additional payments (“Additional Payments”) to, or enter
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into arrangements with, financial intermediaries or other persons in consideration of services, arrangements, significant investments in Fund shares or other activities that the Adviser and its affiliates believe may, among other things, benefit a Fund’s business, facilitate investment in Fund shares or otherwise benefit the Fund’s shareholders. Additional Payments include payments to certain selling or shareholder servicing agents for the Funds, which includes broker-dealers. These Additional Payments are made in connection with the sale and distribution of shares of the Funds or for services to the Funds and their shareholders. These Additional Payments, which may be significant, are paid by the Adviser or its affiliates, out of their own resources, which may include profits derived from servicing the Funds. Such payments by such parties may create an incentive for these financial institutions to recommend that you purchase Fund shares. Payments of the type described above are sometimes referred to as revenue sharing payments.
In return for these Additional Payments, the Adviser expects to receive certain marketing or servicing advantages that are not generally available to funds that do not make such payments. Such advantages are expected to include, without limitation, significant investments in the Fund; placement of the Funds on a list of funds offered as investment options to the selling agent’s clients (sometimes referred to as “Shelf Space”); access to the selling agent’s registered representatives; and the ability to assist in training and educating the selling agent’s registered representatives.
The Additional Payments may create potential conflicts of interests between an investor and a selling agent who is recommending a particular fund over other funds. Before investing, you should consult with your financial consultant and review carefully any disclosure by the selling agent as to what monies they receive from fund advisers and distributors, as well as how your financial consultant is compensated.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to a Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by a Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
In addition, certain affiliates of the Fund and the Adviser may purchase and resell Shares of the Funds pursuant to this Prospectus.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with a Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Funds employ fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Funds and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
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Determination of NAV
The price you pay for your shares is based on the applicable Fund’s NAV. Each Fund’s NAV is calculated at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the NYSE is open for business (the NYSE is closed on weekends, most federal holidays and Good Friday). Each Fund’s NAV is calculated by dividing the value of the Fund’s total assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares outstanding.
In the event a Fund holds portfolio securities that trade in foreign markets or that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.
In calculating a Fund’s NAV, portfolio investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value, which is ordinarily determined based on official closing prices or the last reported sale prices of an instrument. Where no such closing price or sale price is reported, market value is determined based on quotes obtained from market makers or prices supplied by one or more third-party pricing source (“Pricing Services”), which may include evaluated prices. The types of investments in which the Funds typically invest are generally valued on the basis of evaluated prices provided by Pricing Services. Such prices may be based on a number of factors, including, among other things, information obtained from market makers and estimates based on recent market prices for investments with similar characteristics. If market or evaluated prices are not readily available (including when they are not reliable), or if an event occurs after the close of the trading market but before the calculation of the applicable NAV that materially affects the values, assets may be valued at a fair value, pursuant to guidelines established by the Adviser as the Funds’ valuation designee. For example, the Funds may be obligated to fair value a foreign security because many foreign markets operate at times that do not coincide with those of the major U.S. markets. Events that could affect the values of foreign portfolio holdings may occur between the close of the foreign market and the time of determining the NAV, and would not otherwise be reflected in the NAV. When pricing securities using the fair value guidelines, the Adviser (with the assistance of the Funds’ Pricing Services and other service providers) seek to assign the value that represents the amount that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon a current sale of the securities. The fair value guidelines include the consideration of pricing information from one or more Pricing Service, which information is monitored by the Adviser daily. The Board of Trustees oversees the Adviser’s implementation of the fair value guidelines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, given the subjectivity inherent in fair valuation and the fact that events could occur after NAV calculation, the actual market prices for a security may differ from the fair value of that security as determined by the Funds at the time of NAV calculation. Thus, discrepancies between fair values and actual market prices may occur on a regular and recurring basis. These discrepancies do not necessarily indicate that the fair value methodology is inappropriate. The Adviser will adjust the fair values assigned to securities in the Funds’ portfolios, to the extent necessary, as soon as market prices become available. The Adviser (and the Funds’ service providers) continually monitor and evaluate the appropriateness of their fair value methodologies through systematic comparisons of fair values to the actual next available market prices of securities contained in the Funds’ portfolios. To the extent a Fund invests in other mutual funds, the Fund’s NAV is calculated based, in part, upon the NAVs of such mutual funds; the prospectuses for those mutual funds in which the Funds will invest describe the circumstances under which those mutual funds will use fair value pricing, which, in turn, affects their NAVs.
Because the Funds rely on various sources to calculate their NAVs, the Funds are subject to certain operational risks associated with reliance on the Pricing Services and other third-party service providers and data sources. A Fund’s NAV calculation may be impacted by operational risks arising from factors such as failures in systems and technology. Such failures may result in delays in the calculation of a Fund’s NAV and/or the inability to calculate NAV over extended time periods. The Funds may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Funds is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
Each Fund typically distributes to its shareholders net investment income, if any, on a monthly basis and distributes any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. Each Fund will declare and pay net investment income and capital gain distributions in cash, if any. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
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Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
Each Fund has elected or intends to elect and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a RIC. If a Fund meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
Each Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by such Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Dividends received by a Fund from an ETF or underlying fund taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. Certain of a Fund’s investment strategies may limit its ability to make distributions eligible for the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income.
Dividends received by a Fund from an ETF or underlying fund taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from a Fund.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If a Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from the sale of the Shares.
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If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by a Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of Shares by non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), a Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
Each Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of a Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market its holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
A Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. Such Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause such Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, such Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Each Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. Such Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause such Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, such Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Foreign Investments by the Funds
To the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest such Fund received from sources in foreign countries.
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Each Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. Such Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause such Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, such Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in each Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is 111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of Fund assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of each Fund is available on the Funds’ website at www.angeloakcapital.com.
ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of, the timing, prices, or quantities of Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
The Adviser and the Funds make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for each Fund’s most recent fiscal period. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company Ltd., the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Funds’ financial statements, is included in the Funds’ annual report, which is available upon request.

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Angel Oak Income ETF
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding during each period) 
For the 
Period Ended
January 31, 2023 (a)
Selected Per Share Data:
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 20.00 
Income from investment operations:
Net investment income (loss) 0.26  (b)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (c) 0.23 
Total from investment operations 0.49 
Less distributions to shareholders:
From net investment income (0.10)
Total distributions (0.10)
Net asset value, end of period $ 20.39 
Total return on net asset value (d)(e) 2.41  %
Total return on market value (d)(f) 2.49  %
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted) $ 33,636 
Ratio of expenses to average net asset before waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 0.99  %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets after waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 0.79  %
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 5.44  %
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets after waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 5.64  %
Portfolio turnover rate (d) 59.43  %
(a)Fund commenced operations on November 7, 2022.
(b) Net investment income/(loss) per share has been calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share may include balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with the aggregate gain/(loss) in the Statements of Operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d) Not annualized for periods less than one year.
(e)  Total return on net asset value is computed based upon the net asset value of common stock on the first business day and the closing net asset value on the last business day of the period. Dividends and distributions are assumed to be reinvested.
(f)   Total return on market value is computed based upon the New York Stock Exchange market price of the Fund’s shares and excludes the effect of brokerage commissions. Dividends and distributions are assumed to be reinvested.
(g)  Annualized for periods less than one year.


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Angel Oak UltraShort Income ETF
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding during each period) 
For the 
Period Ended
January 31, 2023 (a)
Selected Per Share Data:
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 50.00 
Income from investment operations:
Net investment income (loss) 0.69  (b)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (c) 0.27 
Total from investment operations 0.96 
Less distributions to shareholders:
From net investment income (0.38)
Total distributions (0.38)
Net asset value, end of period $ 50.58 
Total return on net asset value (d)(e) 1.92  %
Total return on market value (d)(f) 1.90  %
Ratios and Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted) $ 46,534 
Ratio of expenses to average net asset before waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 0.55  %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets after waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 0.29  %
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 4.80  %
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets after waiver and reimbursement/recoupment (g) 5.06  %
Portfolio turnover rate (d) 22.80  %
(a)Fund commenced operations on October 24, 2022.
(b) Net investment income/(loss) per share has been calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share may include balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with the aggregate gain/(loss) in the Statements of Operations due to share transactions for the period.
(d) Not annualized for periods less than one year.
(e)  Total return on net asset value is computed based upon the net asset value of common stock on the first business day and the closing net asset value on the last business day of the period. Dividends and distributions are assumed to be reinvested.
(f)   Total return on market value is computed based upon the New York Stock Exchange market price of the Fund’s shares and excludes the effect of brokerage commissions. Dividends and distributions are assumed to be reinvested.
(g)  Annualized for periods less than one year.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
You can find additional information about the Funds in the following documents:
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports: While this Prospectus describes the Funds’ potential investments, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports (when available) detail the Funds’ actual investments as of their report dates. In the annual report, you will find a discussion by Fund management of recent market conditions, economic trends, and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI): The SAI supplements the Prospectus and contains detailed information about the Funds and their investment restrictions, risks, policies, and operations, including the Funds’ policies and procedures relating to the disclosure of portfolio holdings by the Funds’ affiliates. A current SAI for the Funds is on file with SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference, which means it is considered part of this Prospectus.
How to Obtain Copies of Other Fund Documents
You can obtain free copies of the current SAI and the Funds’ Annual and Semi-Annual Reports (when available) and request other information about the Funds or make shareholder inquiries, in any of the following ways:
You can get free copies of the current Annual and Semi-Annual Reports (when available), as well as the SAI, by contacting the Funds at (800) 617-0004 or obtain a copy online at www.angeloakcapital.com. You may also request other information about the Funds and make shareholder inquiries. The requested documents will be sent within three business days of receipt of the request.
You may also obtain reports and other information about the Funds 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].
Investment Company Act No. 811-22980

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