ck0001432353-20221130

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Global
X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF
NASDAQ:
BOTZ |
Global
X China Biotech Innovation ETF
NASDAQ:
CHB
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Global
X Internet of Things ETF
NASDAQ:
SNSR |
Global
X Telemedicine & Digital Health ETF
NASDAQ:
EDOC |
Global
X FinTech ETF
NASDAQ:
FINX |
Global
X Aging Population ETF
NASDAQ:
AGNG |
Global
X Video Games & Esports ETF
NASDAQ:
HERO |
Global
X Health & Wellness ETF
NASDAQ:
BFIT |
Global
X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF
NASDAQ:
DRIV |
Global
X CleanTech ETF
NASDAQ:
CTEC |
Global
X Cloud Computing ETF
NASDAQ:
CLOU |
Global
X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF
Cboe
BZX: PAVE |
Global
X Data Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure ETF
NASDAQ:
VPN |
Global
X AgTech & Food Innovation ETF
NASDAQ:
KROP |
Global
X Cybersecurity ETF
NASDAQ:
BUG |
Global
X Blockchain ETF
NASDAQ:
BKCH |
Global
X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF
NASDAQ:
AIQ |
Global
X Clean Water ETF
NASDAQ:
AQWA |
Global
X Metaverse ETF
NASDAQ:
VR |
Global
X Hydrogen ETF
NASDAQ:
HYDR |
Global
X Millennial Consumer ETF
NASDAQ:
MILN |
Global
X Solar ETF
NASDAQ:
RAYS |
Global
X Education ETF
NASDAQ:
EDUT |
Global
X Wind Energy ETF
NASDAQ:
WNDY |
Global
X Cannabis ETF
NASDAQ:
POTX |
Global
X Green Building ETF
NASDAQ:
GRNR |
Global
X Genomics & Biotechnology ETF
NASDAQ:
GNOM |
Global
X Thematic Growth ETF
NASDAQ:
GXTG |
Prospectus
April 1,
2023
The
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has not approved or disapproved these
securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to
the contrary is a criminal offense.
Shares
in a Fund (defined below) are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation or any other agency of the U.S. Government, nor are shares
deposits or obligations of any bank. Such shares in a Fund involve investment
risks, including the loss of principal.
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As
permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of the Funds’
shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you
specifically request paper copies of the reports from your financial
intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank). Instead, shareholder
reports will be available on the Funds’ website (www.globalxetfs.com/explore),
and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided
with a website link to access the report. If you already elected to
receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by
this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive
shareholder reports and other communications from the Funds electronically
anytime by contacting your financial intermediary. You may elect to
receive all future Fund shareholder reports in paper free of charge.
Please contact your financial intermediary to inform them that you wish to
continue receiving paper copies of Fund shareholder reports and for
details about whether your election to receive reports in paper will apply
to all funds held with your financial
intermediary. |
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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FUND
SUMMARIES |
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ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS |
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A
FURTHER DISCUSSION OF OTHER RISKS |
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PORTFOLIO
HOLDINGS INFORMATION |
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FUND
MANAGEMENT |
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DISTRIBUTOR |
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BUYING
AND SELLING FUND SHARES |
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FREQUENT
TRADING |
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DISTRIBUTION
AND SERVICES PLAN |
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DIVIDENDS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
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INVESTMENTS
BY INVESTMENT COMPANIES |
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TAXES |
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DETERMINATION
OF NET ASSET VALUE |
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PREMIUM/DISCOUNT
AND SHARE INFORMATION |
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TOTAL
RETURN INFORMATION |
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INFORMATION
REGARDING THE INDICES AND THE INDEX PROVIDERS |
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OTHER
SERVICE PROVIDERS |
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ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION |
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FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS |
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OTHER
INFORMATION |
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FUND
SUMMARIES
Global X
Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF
Ticker:
BOTZ
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF ("Fund")
seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and
yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Indxx Global Robotics &
Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index ("Underlying
Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
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Management
Fees: |
0.68% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.01% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.69% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
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One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$70 |
$221 |
$384 |
$859 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 29.86% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Indxx
Global Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index ("Underlying
Index"). The Fund's 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and requires 60
days prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed. The Fund may
lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total
assets (including the value of the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies in
developed markets that are involved in the development of robotics and/or
artificial intelligence, including companies involved in developing industrial
robots and production systems, automated inventory management, unmanned
vehicles, voice/image/text recognition, and medical robots or robotic
instruments (collectively, "Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Companies"),
as defined by Indxx, LLC, the provider of the Underlying Index ("Index
Provider").
The
eligible universe of the Underlying Index includes among the most liquid and
investable companies in accordance with the standard market capitalization and
liquidity criteria associated with developed markets, as defined by the Index
Provider. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market
capitalization of $300 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last
6 months (or since the IPO launch date for Significant IPOs as defined by the
Index Provider or 3 months,
in
the case of other IPOs) greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be
eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023,
components from the following countries were eligible for inclusion in the
Underlying Index: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
From
the eligible universe, the Index Provider identifies Robotics & Artificial
Intelligence Companies by applying a proprietary analysis that consists of two
primary components: theme identification and company analysis. As part of the
theme identification process, the Index Provider analyzes industry reports,
investment research and consumer data related to the robotics and artificial
intelligence industry in order to establish the themes that are expected to
provide the most exposure to the growth of the robotics and artificial
intelligence industry. As of January 31, 2023, the Index Provider has
identified the following four robotics and artificial intelligence themes: (1)
Industrial Robotics and Automation, (2) Unmanned Vehicles and Drones, (3)
Artificial Intelligence and (4) Non-Industrial Robotics (collectively, "Robotics
& Artificial Intelligence Themes"). In order to be included in the
Underlying Index, a company must be identified as having significant exposure to
these Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Themes, as determined by the Index
Provider. In the second step of the process, companies are analyzed based on two
primary criteria: revenue exposure and primary business operations. A company is
deemed to have significant exposure to the Robotics & Artificial
Intelligence Themes if (i) according to a public filing, it derives a
significant portion of its revenue from the Robotics & Artificial
Intelligence Themes, or (ii) it has stated its primary business to be in
products and services focused on the Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
Themes, as determined by the Index Provider. Accordingly, the Fund's assets will
be concentrated (that is, it will hold 25% or more of its total assets) in
companies that provide exposure to Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
Themes.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and rebalanced annually. At the annual
rebalance, a capping methodology is applied to reduce concentration in
individual securities and increase diversification of the Underlying Index. The
Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and
components primarily include industrials and information technology companies.
The Fund's investment objective and Underlying Index may be changed without
shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the machinery industry and had significant
exposure to the industrials and information technology
sectors.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment in the Fund is not
a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency, the Adviser or any of its
affiliates. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted
below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”),
trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective,
as well as other risks that are described in greater detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
Companies:
Robotics & Artificial Intelligence companies may have limited product lines,
markets, financial resources or personnel. These companies typically face
intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. These companies
are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely
affected by loss or impairment of those rights. There can be no assurance these
companies will be able to successfully protect their intellectual property to
prevent the misappropriation of their technology, or that competitors will not
develop technology that is substantially similar or superior to such companies’
technology. Robotics & Artificial Intelligence companies typically engage in
significant amounts of spending on research and development, and there is no
guarantee that the products or services produced by these companies will be
successful. Robotics & Artificial Intelligence companies are potential
targets for cyberattacks, which can have a materially adverse impact on the
performance of these companies. Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
companies, especially smaller companies, tend to be more volatile than companies
that do not rely heavily on technology. In addition, robotics and artificial
intelligence technology could face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the future,
which may limit the development of this technology and impede the growth of
companies that develop and/or utilize this technology. Similarly, the collection
of data from consumers and other sources could face increased scrutiny as
regulators consider how the data is collected, stored, safeguarded and used.
Robotics & Artificial Intelligence companies face increased risk from trade
agreements between countries that develop these technologies and countries in
which customers of these technologies are based. Lack of resolution or potential
imposition of trade tariffs may hinder the companies’ ability to successfully
deploy their inventories. The customers and/or suppliers of Robotics &
Artificial Intelligence companies may be concentrated in a particular country,
region or industry. Any adverse event affecting one of these countries, regions
or industries could have a negative impact on Robotics & Artificial
Intelligence companies. Through its portfolio companies’ customers and
suppliers, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian
Economic Risk
and European
Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk:
Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization
companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and
their securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Industrials Sector:
Companies in the industrials sector are subject to fluctuations in supply and
demand for their specific product or service. The products of manufacturing
companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments.
Government regulation, world events and economic conditions affect the
performance of companies in the industrials sector. Companies also may be
adversely affected by environmental damage and product liability claims.
Companies in the Industrial Sector face increased risk from trade agreements
between countries that develop these technologies and countries in which
customers of these technologies are based. Lack of resolution or potential
imposition of trade tariffs may hinder the companies’ ability to successfully
deploy their inventories.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Machinery Industry:
The machinery industry is capital-intensive. Working capital and cash flow
management can be crucial to a company's success, as investments in research and
development and acquisitions may be important to maintain sales and earnings. A
long capital investment cycle can add challenges to management decisions
regarding the expansion of capacity, which may limit a company’s ability to grow
during periods of increasing demand and may result in overcapacity during
periods of decreasing demand. The performance of the machinery industry may
therefore be highly dependent on the business cycle and highly correlated with
the performance of the broader equity market. Machinery industry companies with
large barriers to entry based on proprietary technology may face potentially
rapid product obsolescence. Conversely, machine industry companies that produce
commodity-like offerings are likely to face thin margins and must maintain
expansive distribution and support networks in order to maintain adequate
volume.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed
countries
tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally
experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain
developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and
strained international relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s
security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its
economy and the Fund’s investments. In addition, developed countries may be
impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners,
regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain
commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Japan:
The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic,
political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese
securities. Japan’s economy has suffered from low growth and low inflation for a
prolonged period of time since the collapse of its bubble economy, and that may
continue despite the efforts of the Bank of Japan and policymakers. In addition,
Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes,
volcanoes, typhoons and tsunamis, which could negatively affect the Fund.
Japan’s relations with its neighbors have at times been strained, and strained
relations with its neighbors or trading partners may cause uncertainty in the
Japanese markets and adversely affect the overall Japanese economy.
Risk
of Investing in Switzerland: Investments
in Swiss issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency,
security, and economic risks specific to Switzerland. International trade is a
large component of the Swiss economy and Switzerland depends upon exports to
generate economic growth. The Swiss economy relies on certain key trading
partners in order to sustain continued economic growth. Switzerland’s economic
growth generally mirrors slowdowns and growth spurts experienced in other
countries, including the U.S. and certain Western European
countries.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Investable
Universe of Companies Risk:
The investable universe of companies in which the Fund may invest may be
limited. If a company no longer meets the Index Provider’s criteria for
inclusion in the Underlying Index, the Fund may need to reduce or eliminate its
holdings in that company. The reduction or elimination of the Fund’s holdings in
the company may have an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund’s overall
portfolio holdings and on Fund performance.
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk: The Fund is classified as a
“non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940
("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that it may be more
volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund may invest its assets in a
smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a
single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses on a single investment may have
a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more
diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed
or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally, cyber
security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market
for
the Shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of
the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Shares, as
well as disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of extreme
market volatility or potential lack of assets in the Fund or an active trading
market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a significant premium or
discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the
Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes
in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s
shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout trading hours in
response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.
Valuation
Risk:
The sales price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the Underlying
Index, particularly for securities that trade in low value or volatile markets
or that are valued using a fair value methodology (such as during trading
halts). The value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on
days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's
Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
31.02% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-30.31% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Five
Years Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (09/12/2016) |
Global
X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF: |
|
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-42.49% |
-2.16% |
5.87% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-42.46% |
-2.23% |
5.81% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-25.09% |
-1.59% |
4.67% |
Indxx
Global Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index
(net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-42.20% |
-1.69% |
6.26% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.23% |
8.08% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Mr. To has been a Portfolio Manager
of
the Fund since March 1, 2018. Mr. Xie has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund
since March 1, 2019. Ms. Chan has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
June 10, 2019. Ms. Yang has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December
2020. Mr. Lu has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April
2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Global X
Internet of Things ETF
Ticker:
SNSR
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Internet of Things ETF ("Fund") seeks to provide
investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance,
before fees and expenses, of the Indxx Global Internet of Things Thematic Index
("Underlying Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.68% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.68% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$69 |
$218 |
$379 |
$847 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 8.40% of the average value of its
portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Indxx
Global Internet of Things Thematic Index ("Underlying Index"). The Fund's 80%
investment policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days prior written notice
to shareholders before it can be changed. The Fund may lend securities
representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including
the value of the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies in
developed markets that facilitate the Internet of Things industry, including
companies involved in wearable technology, home automation, connected automotive
technology, sensors, networking infrastructure/software, smart metering and
energy control devices (collectively, "Internet of Things Companies"), as
defined by Indxx, LLC, the provider of the Underlying Index ("Index Provider").
The Internet of Things refers to the network of physical objects (such as
electronic devices, wearables, connected vehicles, infrastructure, equipment,
smart home appliances, buildings) that are connected to the internet. Such
objects often utilize embedded semiconductors, sensors, and software to collect,
analyze, receive, and transfer data via networks enabled by technologies such as
WiFi, 4G and 5G telecommunications infrastructure, and fiber
optics.
The
eligible universe of the Underlying Index includes among the most liquid and
investable companies in accordance with the standard market capitalization and
liquidity criteria associated with developed markets, as defined by the Index
Provider. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market
capitalization of $300 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last
6 months (or since the IPO launch date for Significant IPOs as defined by the
Index Provider or 3 months,
in
the case of other IPOs) greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be
eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023,
components from the following countries were eligible for inclusion in the
Underlying Index: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
From
the eligible universe, the Index Provider identifies Internet of Things
Companies by applying a proprietary analysis that consists of two primary
components: theme identification and company analysis. As part of the theme
identification process, the Index Provider analyzes industry reports, investment
research and consumer data related to the Internet of Things industry in order
to establish the themes that are expected to provide the most exposure to the
growth of the Internet of Things industry. As of January 31, 2023, the
Index Provider has identified the following four Internet of Things themes: (1)
Consumer Internet of Things Technology, (2) Equipment, Vehicle, and
Infrastructure/Building Technology, (3) Semiconductors and Sensors and (4)
Networking Infrastructure/Software (collectively, "Internet of Things Themes").
In order to be included in the Underlying Index, a company must be identified as
having significant exposure to these Internet of Things Themes, as determined by
the Index Provider. In the second step of the process, companies are analyzed
based on two primary criteria: revenue exposure and primary business operations.
A company is deemed to have significant exposure to the Internet of Things
Themes if (i) according to a public filing, it derives a significant portion of
its revenue from the Internet of Things Themes, or (ii) it has stated its
primary business to be in products and services focused on the Internet of
Things Themes, as determined by the Index Provider. In addition, companies with
more diversified revenue streams may also be included in the Underlying Index if
they meet the following criteria: (1) identified as being critical to the
Internet of Things ecosystem due to scale in certain Internet of Things
technologies and services, (2) have a distinct business unit focused on Internet
of Things products and services, and (3) have a core competency that is expected
to benefit from increased adoption of Internet of Things, as determined by the
Index Provider. Companies that meet these criteria are eligible for inclusion in
the Underlying Index with a weighting cap of 2%. Accordingly, the Fund assets
will be concentrated (that is, it will hold 25% or more of its total assets) in
companies that provide products and services that provide exposure to Internet
of Things Themes.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and rebalanced annually. At the annual
rebalance, a capping methodology is applied to reduce concentration in
individual securities and increase diversification of the Underlying Index. The
Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and
components primarily include industrials and information technology companies.
The Fund's investment objective and Underlying Index may be changed without
shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the semiconductors and semiconductor
equipment industry and had significant exposure to the information technology
sector.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in greater
detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Internet of Things Companies: Internet
of Things companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources
or personnel. These companies typically face intense competition and potentially
rapid product obsolescence. In addition, many Internet of Things companies store
sensitive consumer information and could be the target of cybersecurity attacks
and other types of theft, which could have a negative impact on these companies.
As a result, Internet of Things companies may be adversely impacted by
government regulations, and may be subject to additional regulatory oversight
with regard to privacy concerns and cybersecurity risk. These companies are also
heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected
by loss or impairment of those rights. Internet of Things companies could be
negatively impacted by disruptions in service caused by hardware or software
failure, or by interruptions or delays in service by third-party data center
hosting facilities and maintenance providers. Internet of Things companies,
especially smaller companies, tend to be more volatile than companies that do
not rely heavily on technology. The customers and/or suppliers of Internet of
Things companies may be concentrated in a particular country, region or
industry. Any adverse event affecting one of these countries, regions or
industries could have a negative impact on Internet of Things companies. Through
its portfolio companies’ customers and suppliers, the Fund is specifically
exposed to Asian
Economic Risk and
European
Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Custody
Risk:
The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and
securities depositories appointed by the Fund's custodian. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments
in more developed markets. Less developed markets are more likely to experience
problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities
by local banks, agents and depositories.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which
may
include, but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or
cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand;
competition for resources; adverse labor relations; political or world events;
obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product
introductions that may affect the profitability or viability of companies in a
particular industry or sector. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments
may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in
securities of companies in a broader range of industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Industry:
The semiconductors and semiconductor equipment industry is highly competitive,
and certain companies in this industry may be restricted from operating in
certain markets due to the sensitive nature of these technologies. Companies in
this space generally seek to increase silicon capacity, improve yields, and
reduce die size in their product designs which may result in significant
increases in worldwide supply and downward pressure on prices. Companies
involved in the semiconductors and semiconductor equipment industry face
increased risk from trade agreements between countries that develop these
technologies and countries in which customers of these technologies are based.
Lack of resolution or potential imposition of trade tariffs may hinder the
companies’ ability to successfully deploy their inventories. The success of such
companies frequently depends on the ability to develop and produce competitive
new semiconductor technologies. Companies in this industry frequently undertake
substantial research and development expenses in order to remain competitive,
and a failure to successfully demonstrate advanced functionality and performance
can have a material impact on the company’s business.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Emerging Markets:
The Fund targets Internet of Things Companies globally and is expected to invest
in securities in emerging market countries. Investments in emerging markets may
be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets.
Securities markets of emerging market countries are less liquid, subject to
greater price volatility, have smaller market capitalizations, have less
government regulation, and are not subject to as
extensive
and frequent accounting, financial, and other reporting requirements as the
securities markets of more developed countries, and there may be greater risk
associated with the custody of securities in emerging markets. It may be
difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue claims against an emerging market
issuer in the courts of an emerging market country.
There
may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for
investigations into or litigation against emerging market companies and
shareholders may have limited legal rights and remedies. Emerging markets may be
more likely to experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in
economic conditions than more developed markets. Emerging market economies’
exposure to specific industries, such as tourism, and lack of efficient or
sufficient health care systems, could make these economies especially vulnerable
to global crises, including but not limited to, pandemics such as the global
COVID-19 pandemic. Certain emerging market countries may have privatized, or
have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries.
Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized.
Risk
of Investing in Taiwan: Investments
in Taiwanese issuers involve risks that are specific to Taiwan, including legal,
regulatory, political and economic risks. Political and economic developments of
Taiwan’s neighbors may have an adverse effect on Taiwan’s economy. Specifically,
Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China
have resulted in ongoing tensions, which may materially affect the Taiwanese
economy and its securities market.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk:
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to
the risk that it may be more volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund
may invest its assets in a smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger
proportion of its assets in a single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses
on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make
the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to
reduce
these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures
do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that
they are intended to address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not. ETFs that track indices with significant weight in emerging
markets issuers may experience higher tracking error than other ETFs that do not
track such indices.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares
trading
at a significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business
day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The
trading price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially,
throughout trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading
losses.
Valuation
Risk: The sales price the Fund could receive for
a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security and may differ
from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for securities that
trade in low value or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value
methodology (such as during trading halts). The value of the securities in
the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Fund's Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
32.24% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-22.57% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Five
Years Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (09/12/2016) |
Global
X Internet of Things ETF: |
|
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-25.33% |
9.01% |
11.95% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-25.48% |
8.80% |
11.70% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-14.89% |
7.09% |
9.61% |
Indxx
Global Internet of Things Thematic Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-25.17% |
9.35% |
12.30% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.23% |
8.08% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Mr. To has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
March 1, 2018. Mr. Xie has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since March 1,
2019. Ms. Chan has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since June 10, 2019. Ms.
Yang has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December 2020. Mr. Lu has
been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Global X
FinTech ETF
Ticker:
FINX
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X FinTech ETF ("Fund") seeks to provide investment
results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before
fees and expenses, of the Indxx Global Fintech Thematic Index ("Underlying
Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.68% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.68% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$69 |
$218 |
$379 |
$847 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 38.15% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Indxx
Global Fintech Thematic Index ("Underlying Index"). The Fund's 80% investment
policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days prior written notice to
shareholders before it can be changed. The Fund may lend securities representing
up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of
the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies in
developed markets that provide financial technology products and services,
including companies involved in mobile payments, peer-to-peer ("P2P") and
marketplace lending, financial analytics software and alternative currencies
(collectively, "FinTech Companies"), as defined by Indxx, LLC, the provider of
the Underlying Index ("Index Provider").
The
eligible universe of the Underlying Index includes among the most liquid and
investable companies in accordance with the standard market capitalization and
liquidity criteria associated with developed markets, as defined by the Index
Provider. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market
capitalization of $300 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last
6 months (or since the IPO launch date for Significant IPOs as defined by the
Index Provider or 3 months, in the case of other IPOs) greater than or equal to
$2 million in order to be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of
January 31, 2023, components from the following countries were eligible for
inclusion in the Underlying Index: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,
Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
From
the eligible universe, the Index Provider identifies FinTech Companies by
applying a proprietary analysis that consists of two primary components: theme
identification and company analysis. As part of the theme identification
process, the Index Provider analyzes industry reports, investment research and
consumer data related to the fintech industry in order to establish the themes
that are expected to provide the most exposure to the growth of the fintech
industry. As of January 31, 2023, the Index Provider has identified the
following six fintech themes: (1) Mobile Payments, (2) P2P and Marketplace
Lending, (3) Enterprise Solutions, (4) Blockchain and Alternative Currencies,
(5) Crowdfunding, and (6) Personal Finance Software and Automated Wealth
Management/Trading (collectively, "FinTech Themes"). In order to be included in
the Underlying Index, a company must be identified as having significant
exposure to these FinTech Themes, as determined by the Index Provider. In the
second step of the process, companies are analyzed based on two primary
criteria: revenue exposure and primary business operations. A company is deemed
to have significant exposure to the FinTech Themes if (i) it derives a
significant portion of its revenue from the FinTech Themes, or (ii) it has
stated its primary business to be in products and services focused on the
FinTech Themes, in each case as determined by the Index Provider. Accordingly,
the Fund assets will be concentrated (that is, it will hold 25% or more of its
total assets) in companies that provide exposure to FinTech Themes.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and rebalanced annually. At the annual
rebalance, a capping methodology is applied to reduce concentration in
individual securities and increase diversification of the Underlying Index. The
Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and
components primarily include financial and information technology companies. The
Fund's investment objective and Underlying Index may be changed without
shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the IT services and software industries and
had significant exposure to the information technology
sector.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in greater
detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in FinTech Companies:
FinTech companies may be adversely impacted by government regulations, economic
conditions, and deterioration in credit markets. These companies may have
significant exposure to consumers and businesses (especially small businesses)
in the form of loans and other financial products or services. FinTech companies
typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence.
In addition, many FinTech companies store sensitive consumer information and
could be the target of cybersecurity attacks and other types of theft, which
could have a negative impact on these companies. Many FinTech companies
currently operate under less regulatory scrutiny than traditional financial
services companies and banks, but there is significant risk that regulatory
oversight could increase in the future. Higher levels of regulation could
increase costs and adversely impact the current business models of some FinTech
companies. These companies could be negatively impacted by disruptions in
service caused by hardware or software failure, or by interruptions or delays in
service by third-party data center hosting facilities and maintenance providers.
FinTech companies involved in alternative currencies may face slow adoption
rates and be subject to higher levels of regulatory scrutiny in the future,
which could severely impact the viability of these companies. FinTech companies
with significant alternative currency exposure may also be negatively impacted
during high periods of volatility within the crypto markets. FinTech companies,
especially smaller companies, tend to be more volatile than companies that do
not rely heavily on technology. The customers and/or suppliers of FinTech
companies may be concentrated in a particular country, region, or industry. Any
adverse event affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have
a negative impact on FinTech companies. Through its portfolio companies’
customers and suppliers, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic
Risk, European Economic Risk and Latin American Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Compared
to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may
be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and their
securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the IT Services Industry: The
IT services industry can be significantly affected by competitive pressures,
such as technological developments, fixed-rate pricing, and the ability to
attract and retain skilled employees, and the success of companies in the
industry is subject to continued demand for IT services.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Software Industry:
The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition,
aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence.
Companies in the application software industry, in particular, may also be
negatively affected by the decline or fluctuation of subscription renewal rates
for their products and services, which may have an adverse effect on profit
margins. Companies in the systems software industry may be adversely affected
by, among other things, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in their
products and services, which may result in individual or class action lawsuits,
state or federal enforcement actions and other remediation costs.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Emerging Markets:
The Fund targets FinTech Companies globally and is expected to invest in
securities in emerging market countries. Investments in emerging markets may be
subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets.
Securities markets of emerging market countries are less liquid, subject to
greater price volatility, have smaller market capitalizations, have less
government regulation, and are not subject to as extensive and frequent
accounting, financial, and other reporting requirements as the securities
markets of more developed countries, and there may be greater risk associated
with the custody of securities in emerging markets. It may be difficult or
impossible for the Fund to pursue claims against an emerging market issuer in
the courts of an emerging market country.
There
may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for
investigations into or litigation against emerging market companies and
shareholders may have limited legal rights and remedies. Emerging markets may be
more likely to experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in
economic
conditions
than more developed markets. Emerging market economies’ exposure to specific
industries, such as tourism, and lack of efficient or sufficient health care
systems, could make these economies especially vulnerable to global crises,
including but not limited to, pandemics such as the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Certain emerging market countries may have privatized, or have begun the process
of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose
money or be re-nationalized.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk:
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to
the risk that it may be more volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund
may invest its assets in a smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger
proportion of its assets in a single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses
on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make
the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index.
Errors
in index data, index computations and/or the construction of the Underlying
Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not
be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at
all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading
losses.
Valuation
Risk: The sales price the Fund could receive for
a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security and may differ
from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for securities that
trade in low value or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value
methodology (such as during trading halts). The value of the securities in
the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Fund's Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
36.97% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-33.44% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Five
Years Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (09/12/2016) |
Global
X FinTech ETF: |
|
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-52.01% |
-1.50% |
4.82% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-52.01% |
-1.91% |
4.47% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-30.79% |
-1.14% |
3.77% |
Indxx
Global Fintech Thematic Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-51.92% |
-0.96% |
5.40% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.23% |
8.08% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Mr. To has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
March 1, 2018. Mr. Xie has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since March 1,
2019. Ms. Chan has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since June 10, 2019. Ms.
Yang has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December 2020. Mr. Lu has
been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales
persons
or other intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Ask your financial adviser or visit your financial
intermediary’s website for more information.
Global X Video
Games & Esports ETF
Ticker:
HERO
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Video Games & Esports ETF ("Fund") seeks to
provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield
performance, before fees and expenses, of the Solactive Video Games &
Esports Index ("Underlying Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.50% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.50% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$51 |
$160 |
$280 |
$628 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 55.72% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Solactive
Video Games & Esports Index ("Underlying Index") and in American Depositary
Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") based on the
securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund will also invest, under normal
circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment
purposes (if any), in Video Games & Esports Companies (as defined below),
and in ADRs and GDRs based on such securities. The Fund's 80% investment
policies are non-fundamental and require 60 days prior written notice to
shareholders before they can be changed. The Fund may lend securities
representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including
the value of the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies
that are positioned to benefit from increased consumption related to video games
and esports, including companies whose principal business is in video game
development/publishing, video game and esports content distribution and
streaming, operating/owning esports leagues/teams, and producing video
game/esports hardware (collectively, "Video Games & Esports Companies"), as
defined by Solactive AG, the provider of the Underlying Index ("Index
Provider").
In
constructing the Underlying Index, the Index Provider first applies a
proprietary natural language processing algorithm to the eligible universe,
which screens filings, disclosures and other public information (e.g.,
regulatory filings, earnings transcripts, etc.) for keywords that describe the
index theme, to identify and rank companies with direct exposure to the video
games and esports industry. Companies identified by the natural language
processing algorithm, as of the selection date, are further reviewed by the
Index Provider on the basis of revenue related to video games and esports
activities. To be eligible for the Underlying Index, a company is considered by
the Index Provider to be a Video Games & Esports Company if the company
generates at least 50% of its revenues from video games and esports activities,
as determined by the Index Provider. Video Games & Esports Companies are
those companies that (i) develop and/or publish video games, (ii) facilitate the
streaming or distribution of video gaming and/or esports content, (iii) operate
and/or own competitive esports leagues and/or competitive esports teams, and/or
(iv) produce hardware used in video games and/or esports, including augmented
and virtual reality.
To
be a part of the eligible universe of the Underlying Index, certain minimum
market capitalization and liquidity criteria, as defined by the Index Provider,
must be met. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market
capitalization of $200 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last
6 months greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be eligible for
inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023, companies listed
in the following countries were eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, Taiwan, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and re-weighted semi-annually. Modified
capitalization weighting seeks to weight constituents primarily based on market
capitalization, but subject to caps on the weights of the individual securities.
Generally speaking, this approach will limit the amount of concentration in the
largest market capitalization companies and increase company-level
diversification. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or
small-capitalization companies. As of January 31, 2023, the Underlying
Index had 50 constituents. The Fund's investment objective and Underlying Index
may be changed without shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the entertainment industry and had
significant exposure to the communication services
sector.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well
as
other risks that are described in greater detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Video Game & Esports Companies:
Video Game & Esports companies may have limited product lines, markets,
financial resources or personnel. These companies typically face intense
competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. Video Game & Esports
companies may be dependent on one or a small number of product or product
franchises for a significant portion of their revenue and profits. They may also
be subject to shifting consumer preferences, including preferences with respect
to gaming console platforms, and changes in consumer discretionary spending.
Video Game & Esports companies may be adversely impacted by government
regulations, and may be subject to additional regulatory oversight with regard
to privacy concerns and cybersecurity risk. Recently, Video Game & Esports
companies have faced enhanced regulatory scrutiny, and certain regulators have
at times suspended the issuance of licenses for new video games or limited the
hours that video games can be played by individuals. These companies are also
heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected
by loss or impairment of those rights. Video Game & Esports companies could
be negatively impacted by disruptions in service caused by hardware or software
failure. Video Game & Esports companies, especially smaller companies, tend
to be more volatile than companies that do not rely heavily on technology. The
customers and/or suppliers of Video Game & Esports companies may be
concentrated in a particular country, region or industry. Any adverse event
affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have a negative
impact on Video Game & Esports companies. Through its portfolio companies’
customers and suppliers, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian
Economic Risk and
European
Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk:
Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization
companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and
their securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Custody
Risk:
The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and
securities depositories appointed by the Fund's custodian. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments
in more developed markets. Less developed markets are more likely to experience
problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities
by local banks, agents and depositories.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which
may
include, but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or
cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand;
competition for resources; adverse labor relations; political or world events;
obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product
introductions that may affect the profitability or viability of companies in a
particular industry or sector. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments
may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in
securities of companies in a broader range of industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Communication Services Sector: Companies
in the communication services sector may be affected by industry competition,
substantial capital requirements, government regulation, cyclicality of revenues
and earnings, obsolescence of communications products and services due to
technological advancement, a potential decrease in the discretionary income of
targeted individuals and changing consumer tastes and interests.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Entertainment Industry:
Entertainment companies may be impacted by high costs of research and
development of new content and services in an effort to stay relevant in a
highly competitive industry, and entertainment products may face a risk of rapid
obsolescence. Entertainment companies are subject to risks that include
cyclicality of revenues and earnings, changing tastes and topical interests, and
decreases in the discretionary income of their targeted consumers. Sales of
content through physical formats and traditional content delivery services may
be displaced by new content delivery mechanisms, such as streaming technology,
and it is possible that such new content delivery mechanisms may themselves
become obsolete over time. The entertainment industry is regulated, and
changes to rules regarding advertising and the content produced by entertainment
companies can increase overall production and distribution costs. Companies in
the entertainment industry have at times faced increased regulatory pressure
which has delayed or prohibited the release of entertainment content.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in China:
Investment exposure to China subjects the Fund to risks specific to China.
Economic,
Political and Social Risk
China
may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social
instability. Concerns about the rising government and household debt levels
could impact the stability of the Chinese economy. China is an emerging market
and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison
to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has
undertaken reform of economic and market practices, including recent reforms to
liberalize its capital markets and expand the sphere for private ownership of
property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience
inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental
influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social
instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese
authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Internal social
unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military
conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in
China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency
convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation.
China
has experienced major health crises. These health crises include, but are not
limited to, the rapid and pandemic spread of novel viruses commonly known as
SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Such health crises could exacerbate
political, social, and economic risks previously mentioned.
Export
growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Elevated
trade tensions between China and its trading partners, including the imposition
of U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese goods and increased international pressure
related to Chinese trade policy and forced technology transfers and intellectual
property protections, may have a substantial impact on the Chinese economy.
Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of
additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened
trade tensions between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged
Chinese cyber activity), or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key
trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The
continuation or worsening of the current political climate between China and the
U.S. could result in additional regulatory restrictions being contemplated or
imposed in the U.S. or in China that could impact the Fund’s ability to invest
in certain companies.
Security
Risk
China
has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in
state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments.
Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing
restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or
Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers of securities
in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security,
including the contagion of infectious viruses or diseases, may cause uncertainty
in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund’s
investments.
Heavy
Government Control and Regulation
Chinese
companies, including Chinese companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges, are
not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards
or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries, and as a result,
information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less
reliable or complete. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining
information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese
companies and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. Investments in China
may be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and
property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and
repatriation of capital. Furthermore, government actions against leaders or
other key figures within companies, or speculation about such actions, may lead
to sudden and unpredictable falls in the value of securities within the
Fund.
Tax
Risk
China
has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years and may amend or revise
its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive
effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law could reduce the after-tax profits
of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits
of companies in China in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in Chinese tax
rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Should
legislation limit U.S. investors’ ability to invest in specific Chinese
companies through A-shares or other share class listings that are part of the
underlying holdings, these shares may be excluded from Fund
holdings.
Special
Risk Considerations of Investing in China – Variable Interest Entity
Investments
For
purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on
U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as
Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”). In this structure, the Chinese-based
operating company is the VIE and establishes a shell company in a foreign
jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The shell company lists on a foreign
exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure
allows Chinese companies in which the Chinese government restricts foreign
ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the shell company has
no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the shell
company to consolidate the VIE’s financial statements with its own for
accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the
underlying Chinese operating company.
Therefore,
an investor in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, will have exposure to
the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and
has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because
the shell company only has specific rights provided for in these service
agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the
Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage
in activities that negatively impact investment value.
While
the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under
Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could
prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE’s
contractual arrangements with the listed shell company by making them invalid.
If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors
in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses
with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that
the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law
and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership,
it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and
operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed
shell company’s control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person
who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is
subject to legal
proceedings
or if any physical instruments for authenticating documentation, such as chops
and seals, are used without the Chinese-based issuer’s authorization to enter
into contractual arrangements in China. Chops and seals, which are carved stamps
used to sign documents, represent a legally binding commitment by the company.
Moreover, any future regulatory action may prohibit the ability of the shell
company to receive the economic benefits of the Chinese-based operating company,
which may cause the value of the Fund’s investment in the listed shell company
to suffer a significant loss. For example, in 2021, the Chinese government
prohibited use of the VIE structure for investment in after-school tutoring
companies. There is no guarantee that the Chinese government will not place
similar restrictions on other industries.
Chinese
equities that utilize the VIE structure to list in the U.S. as ADRs face the
risk of regulatory action from U.S. authorities, including the risk of
delisting. This will depend in part on whether U.S. regulatory authorities are
satisfied with their access to Mainland China and Hong Kong for the purpose of
conducting inspections on the quality of audits for these companies. Although
the U.S. and China reached an agreement in September 2022 to grant the U.S.
access for such inspections, there is no guarantee that the agreement will hold
up or that U.S. regulatory authorities will continue to feel satisfied with
their access. As of January 31, 2023, the Fund had significant exposure to VIEs,
as defined above.
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Emerging Markets:
Investments in emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than
investments in developed markets. Securities markets of emerging market
countries are less liquid, subject to greater price volatility, have smaller
market capitalizations, have less government regulation, and are not subject to
as extensive and frequent accounting, financial, and other reporting
requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries, and there
may be greater risk associated with the custody of securities in emerging
markets. It may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue claims against
an emerging market issuer in the courts of an emerging market
country.
There
may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for
investigations into or litigation against emerging market companies and
shareholders may have limited legal rights and remedies. Emerging markets may be
more likely to experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in
economic conditions than more developed markets. Emerging market economies’
exposure to specific industries, such as tourism, and lack of efficient or
sufficient health care systems, could make these economies especially vulnerable
to global crises, including but not limited to, pandemics such as the global
COVID-19 pandemic. Certain emerging market countries may have privatized, or
have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries.
Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized.
Risk
of Investing in Japan:
The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic,
political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese
securities. Japan’s economy has suffered from low growth and low inflation for a
prolonged period of time since the collapse of its bubble economy, and that may
continue despite the efforts of the Bank of Japan and policymakers. In addition,
Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes,
volcanoes, typhoons and tsunamis, which could negatively affect the Fund.
Japan’s relations with its neighbors have at times been strained, and strained
relations with its neighbors or trading partners may cause uncertainty in the
Japanese markets and adversely affect the overall Japanese economy.
Risk
of Investing in South Korea: Investments
in South Korean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political,
currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to South Korea. In
addition, economic and political developments of South Korea’s neighbors,
including escalated tensions involving North Korea and any outbreak of
hostilities involving North Korea, or even the threat of an outbreak of
hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk:
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to
the risk that it may be more volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund
may invest its assets in a smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger
proportion of its assets in a single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses
on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make
the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market
volatility
or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the
Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying Index does not. ETFs that
track indices with significant weight in emerging markets issuers may experience
higher tracking error than other ETFs that do not track such indices.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.
Valuation
Risk:
The sales price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the Underlying
Index, particularly for securities that trade in low value or volatile markets
or that are valued using a fair value methodology (such as during trading
halts). The value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on
days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's
Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
40.47% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-16.70% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (10/25/2019) |
Global
X Video Games & Esports ETF: |
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-33.52% |
7.94% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-33.53% |
7.77% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-19.84% |
6.18% |
Solactive
Video Games & Esports Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-33.32% |
8.43% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.87% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Messrs. To and Xie and Ms. Chan have been Portfolio
Managers of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Ms. Yang has been a Portfolio
Manager of the Fund since December 2020. Mr. Lu has been a Portfolio Manager of
the Fund since April 2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Global X
Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF
Ticker:
DRIV
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF ("Fund") seeks
to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield
performance, before fees and expenses, of the Solactive Autonomous &
Electric Vehicles Index ("Underlying Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
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|
Management
Fees: |
0.68% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.68% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$69 |
$218 |
$379 |
$847 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 34.76% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Solactive
Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Index ("Underlying Index"). The Fund's 80%
investment policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days prior written notice
to shareholders before it can be changed. The Fund may lend securities
representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including
the value of the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies
that are involved in the development of electric vehicles and/or autonomous
vehicles, including companies that produce electric/hybrid vehicles,
electric/hybrid vehicle components and materials, autonomous driving technology,
and network connected services for transportation, (collectively, "Autonomous
and Electric Vehicle Companies"), as defined by Solactive AG, the provider of
the Underlying Index ("Index Provider").
The
eligible universe of the Underlying Index includes among the most liquid and
investable companies in accordance with the market capitalization and liquidity
criteria associated with the eligible markets, as defined by the Index Provider.
As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market capitalization
of $500 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last 6 months
greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be eligible for inclusion in the
Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023, companies from the following
countries were eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index: Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New
Zealand,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea,
Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
From
the eligible universe, the Index Provider identifies Autonomous and Electric
Vehicle Companies by applying a proprietary natural language processing
algorithm process that seeks to identify companies with exposure to the
following categories:
•Electric
Vehicles ("EV")
- companies that produce electric/hybrid vehicles, including cars, trucks,
motorcycles/scooters, buses, and electric rail.
•Electric
Vehicle Components ("EVC")
- companies that produce electric/hybrid vehicle components, including electric
drivetrains, lithium-ion and other types of electric batteries, and fuel cells.
In addition, companies that produce the chemicals and raw materials (including
but not limited to lithium and cobalt) that comprise these electric/hybrid
vehicle components are eligible for inclusion.
•Autonomous
Vehicle Technology ("AVT")
- companies that build autonomous vehicles and/or develop hardware and software
that facilitates the development of autonomous vehicles, including sensors,
mapping technology, artificial intelligence, advanced driver assistance systems,
ride-share platforms, and network-connected services for
transportation.
In
order to be included in the Underlying Index, a company must be identified as
having exposure to these categories based on the ranking it receives from the
natural language processing algorithm ("Segment Score"), as determined by the
Index Provider. Within each category listed above, companies are ranked by the
Index Provider according to their respective Segment Score. The Index Provider
then reviews the companies to ensure relevance to one or more of the categories
above based on the business operations of the company. The Underlying Index is
comprised of the highest ranking 15 companies in the EV segment, the highest
ranking 30 companies in the EVC segment, and the highest ranking 30 companies in
the AVT segment, as determined by the Index Provider and subject to certain
buffer rules intended to reduce turnover. Accordingly, the Fund assets will be
concentrated (that is, it will hold 25% or more of its total assets) in
companies that provide exposure to electric vehicles and autonomous
vehicles.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted semi-annually. At the semi-annual
reconstitution, a capping methodology is applied to reduce concentration in
individual securities and increase diversification of the Underlying Index. The
Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and
components primarily include industrials, information technology, materials, and
consumer discretionary companies. The Fund's investment objective and Underlying
Index may be changed without shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the Lithium-Ion Battery industry and had
significant exposure to the consumer discretionary and information technology
sectors.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in greater
detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Autonomous & Electric Vehicle Companies:
Autonomous
& Electric Vehicle companies typically face intense competition and
potentially rapid product obsolescence. Many of these companies are also heavily
dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss
or impairment of those rights. There can be no assurance these companies will be
able to successfully protect their intellectual property to prevent the
misappropriation of their technology, or that competitors will not develop
technology that is substantially similar or superior to such companies’
technology. Autonomous & Electric Vehicle companies typically engage in
significant amounts of spending on research and development, capital
expenditures and mergers and acquisitions, and there is no guarantee that the
products or services produced by these companies will be successful. Companies
that produce the raw materials that are used in electric vehicles may be
concentrated in certain commodities, and therefore be exposed to the price
fluctuations of those commodities. In addition, autonomous vehicle technology
could face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the future, which may limit the
development of this technology and impede the growth of companies that develop
and/or utilize this technology. Autonomous & Electric Vehicle companies are
also potential targets for cyberattacks, which can have a materially adverse
impact on the performance of these companies. Autonomous & Electric Vehicle
companies rely on artificial intelligence and big data technologies for the
development of their platforms and, as a result, could face increased scrutiny
as regulators consider how the data is collected, stored, safeguarded and used.
The customers and/or suppliers of Autonomous & Electric Vehicle companies
may be concentrated in a particular country, region or industry. Any adverse
event affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have a
negative impact on Autonomous & Electric Vehicle companies. Through its
portfolio companies’ customers and suppliers, the Fund is specifically exposed
to Asian
Economic Risk,
European
Economic Risk
and North
American Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk:
Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization
companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and
their securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Custody
Risk:
The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and
securities depositories appointed by the Fund's custodian. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments
in more developed markets. Less developed markets are more likely to experience
problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities
by local banks, agents and depositories.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Automobiles Industry: The
automobiles industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in the industry may
suffer periodic operating losses. The industry can be significantly affected by
labor relations and fluctuating component prices. While most of the major
manufacturers are large, financially strong companies, many others are small and
can be non-diversified in both product line and customer base. Additionally,
developments in automotive technologies (e.g., autonomous vehicle technologies)
may require significant capital expenditures that may not generate profits for
several years, if any.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Consumer Discretionary Sector: The
consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and
international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers’
disposable income and consumer preferences, social trends and marketing
campaigns.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Lithium-Ion Battery Industry:
Securities in the Fund’s portfolio involved in the manufacturing of lithium-ion
batteries are subject to the effects of price fluctuations of traditional and
alternative sources of energy, developments in battery and alternative energy
technology, the possibility that government subsidies for alternative energy
will be eliminated and the possibility that lithium-ion technology is not
suitable for widespread adoption.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in China:
Investment exposure to China subjects the Fund to risks specific to China.
Economic,
Political and Social Risk
China
may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social
instability. Concerns about the rising government and household debt levels
could impact the stability of the Chinese economy. China is an emerging market
and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison
to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has
undertaken reform of economic and market practices, including recent reforms to
liberalize its capital markets and expand the sphere for private ownership of
property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience
inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental
influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social
instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese
authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Internal social
unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military
conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in
China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency
convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation.
China
has experienced major health crises. These health crises include, but are not
limited to, the rapid and pandemic spread of novel viruses commonly known as
SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Such health crises could exacerbate
political, social, and economic risks previously mentioned.
Export
growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Elevated
trade tensions between China and its trading partners, including the imposition
of U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese goods and increased international pressure
related to Chinese trade policy and forced technology transfers and intellectual
property protections, may have a substantial impact on the Chinese economy.
Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of
additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened
trade tensions between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged
Chinese cyber activity), or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key
trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The
continuation or worsening of the current political climate between China and the
U.S. could result in additional regulatory restrictions being contemplated or
imposed in the U.S. or in China that could impact the Fund’s ability to invest
in certain companies.
Security
Risk
China
has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in
state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments.
Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing
restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or
Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers of securities
in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security,
including the contagion of infectious viruses or diseases, may cause uncertainty
in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund’s
investments.
Heavy
Government Control and Regulation
Chinese
companies, including Chinese companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges, are
not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards
or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries, and as a result,
information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less
reliable or complete. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining
information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese
companies and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. Investments in China
may be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and
property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and
repatriation of capital. Furthermore, government actions against leaders or
other key figures within companies, or speculation about such actions, may lead
to sudden and unpredictable falls in the value of securities within the
Fund.
Tax
Risk
China
has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years and may amend or revise
its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive
effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law could reduce the after-tax profits
of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits
of companies in China in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in Chinese tax
rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Should
legislation limit U.S. investors’ ability to invest in specific Chinese
companies through A-shares or other share class listings that are part of the
underlying holdings, these shares may be excluded from Fund
holdings.
Special
Risk Considerations of Investing in China – Variable Interest Entity
Investments
For
purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on
U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as
Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”). In this structure, the Chinese-based
operating company is the VIE and establishes a shell company in a foreign
jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The shell company lists on a foreign
exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure
allows Chinese companies in which the Chinese government restricts foreign
ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the shell company has
no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the shell
company to consolidate the VIE’s financial statements with its own for
accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the
underlying Chinese operating company.
Therefore,
an investor in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, will have exposure to
the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and
has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because
the shell company only has specific rights provided for in these service
agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the
Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage
in activities that negatively impact investment value.
While
the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under
Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could
prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE’s
contractual arrangements with the listed shell company by making them invalid.
If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors
in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses
with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that
the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law
and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership,
it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and
operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed
shell company’s control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person
who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is
subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating
documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based
issuer’s authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops
and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally
binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may
prohibit the ability of the shell company to receive the economic benefits of
the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund’s
investment in the listed shell company to suffer a significant loss. For
example, in 2021, the Chinese government prohibited use of the VIE structure for
investment in after-school tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the
Chinese government will not place similar restrictions on other
industries.
Chinese
equities that utilize the VIE structure to list in the U.S. as ADRs face the
risk of regulatory action from U.S. authorities, including the risk of
delisting. This will depend in part on whether U.S. regulatory authorities are
satisfied with their access to Mainland China and Hong Kong for the purpose of
conducting inspections on the quality of audits for these companies. Although
the U.S. and China reached an agreement in September 2022 to grant the U.S.
access for such inspections, there is no guarantee that the agreement will hold
up or that U.S. regulatory authorities will continue to feel satisfied with
their access.
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Emerging Markets:
The Fund targets Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Companies globally and is
expected to invest in securities in emerging market countries. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in
developed markets. Securities markets of emerging market countries are less
liquid, subject to greater price volatility, have smaller market
capitalizations, have less government regulation, and are not subject to as
extensive and frequent accounting, financial, and other reporting requirements
as the securities markets of more developed countries, and there may be greater
risk associated with the custody of securities in emerging markets. It may be
difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue claims against an emerging market
issuer in the courts of an emerging market country.
There
may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for
investigations into or litigation against emerging market companies and
shareholders may have limited legal rights and remedies. Emerging markets may be
more likely to experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in
economic conditions than more developed markets. Emerging market economies’
exposure to specific industries, such as tourism, and lack of efficient or
sufficient health care systems, could make these economies especially vulnerable
to
global
crises, including but not limited to, pandemics such as the global COVID-19
pandemic. Certain emerging market countries may have privatized, or have begun
the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities
may lose money or be re-nationalized.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not. ETFs that track indices with significant weight in emerging
markets issuers may experience higher tracking error than other ETFs that do not
track such indices.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.
Valuation
Risk:
The sales price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the Underlying
Index, particularly for securities that trade in low value or volatile markets
or
that are valued using a fair value
methodology (such as during trading halts). The value of the securities in
the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Fund's Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
12/31/2020 |
42.08% |
Worst
Quarter: |
3/31/2020 |
-24.71% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (04/13/2018) |
Global
X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF: |
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-33.63% |
7.66% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-33.82% |
7.33% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-19.77% |
5.95% |
Solactive
Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-33.57% |
7.85% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.54% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Mr. To has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
the Fund's inception. Mr. Xie has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
March 1, 2019. Ms. Chan has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since June 10,
2019. Ms. Yang has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December 2020. Mr.
Lu has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Global X Cloud
Computing ETF
Ticker:
CLOU
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Cloud Computing ETF ("Fund") seeks to provide
investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance,
before fees and expenses, of the Indxx Global Cloud Computing Index ("Underlying
Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.68% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.68% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$69 |
$218 |
$379 |
$847 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 31.21% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Indxx
Global Cloud Computing Index ("Underlying Index") and in American Depositary
Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") based on the
securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund's 80% investment policy is
non-fundamental and requires 60 days prior written notice to shareholders before
it can be changed. The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of
the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of the collateral
received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies
that are positioned to benefit from the increased adoption of cloud computing
technology, including but not limited to companies whose principal business is
in offering computing Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS"), Platform-as-a-Service
("PaaS"), Infrastructure-as-a-Service ("IaaS"), managed server storage space and
data center real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), and/or cloud and edge
computing infrastructure and hardware (collectively, "Cloud Computing
Companies"), as defined by Indxx LLC, the provider of the Underlying Index
("Index Provider").
In
constructing the Underlying Index, the Index Provider first identifies FactSet
Industries related to cloud computing. Companies within these Industries, as of
the selection date, are further reviewed by the Index Provider on the basis of
revenue related to cloud computing activities. To be eligible for the Underlying
Index, a company is considered by the Index Provider to be a Cloud Computing
Company if the company generates at least 50% of its revenues from cloud
computing activities, as determined by the Index Provider. The Index Provider
classifies Cloud Computing Companies as those companies that (i)
license
and deliver software over the internet on a subscription basis (SaaS), (ii)
provide a platform for creating software applications which are delivered over
the internet (PaaS), (iii) provide virtualized computing infrastructure over the
internet (IaaS), (iv) own and manage facilities customers use to store data and
servers, including data center REITs, and/or (v) manufacture or distribute
infrastructure and/or hardware components used in cloud and edge computing
activities, as determined by the Index Provider. In addition, companies that
generate at least $500 million of revenue from providing public cloud
infrastructure (but less than 50% of their overall revenues), are eligible for
inclusion in the Underlying Index. These companies are subject to an individual
weight cap of 2% and an aggregate weight cap of 10% at each semi-annual
rebalance.
To
be a part of the eligible universe of the Underlying Index, certain minimum
market capitalization and liquidity criteria, as defined by the Index Provider,
must be met. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market
capitalization of $200 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last
6 months (or since the IPO launch date for Significant IPOs as defined by the
Index Provider) greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be eligible for
inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023, companies listed
in the following countries were eligible for inclusion in the Indxx Global Cloud
Computing Index: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China,
Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong
Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia,
Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Qatar, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United
States.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and re-weighted semi-annually. Modified
capitalization weighting seeks to weight constituents primarily based on market
capitalization, but subject to caps on the weights of the individual securities.
Generally speaking, this approach will limit the amount of concentration in the
largest market capitalization companies and increase company-level
diversification. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or
small-capitalization companies, and components primarily include information
technology companies. As of January 31, 2023, the Underlying Index had 36
constituents. The Fund's investment objective and Underlying Index may be
changed without shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the software industry and had significant
exposure to the information technology
sector.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well
as
other risks that are described in greater detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Real
Estate Stocks and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Investment
Risk:
The Fund may have exposure to companies that invest in real estate, such as
REITs, which exposes investors in the Fund to the risks of owning real estate
directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which real
estate companies are organized and operated. Real estate is highly sensitive to
general and local economic conditions and developments and characterized by
intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Many real estate companies,
including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which
increases risk and could adversely affect a real estate company's operations and
market value in periods of rising interest rates.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Cloud Computing Companies: Cloud
Computing companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources
or personnel. These companies typically face intense competition and potentially
rapid product obsolescence. In addition, many Cloud Computing companies store
sensitive consumer information and could be the target of cybersecurity attacks
and other types of theft, which could have a negative impact on these companies.
As a result, Cloud Computing companies may be adversely impacted by government
regulations, and may be subject to additional regulatory oversight with regard
to privacy concerns and cybersecurity risk. These companies are also heavily
dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss
or impairment of those rights. Cloud Computing companies could be negatively
impacted by disruptions in service caused by hardware or software failure, or by
interruptions or delays in service by third-party data center hosting facilities
and maintenance providers. Cloud Computing companies, especially smaller
companies, tend to be more volatile than companies that do not rely heavily on
technology. The customers and/or suppliers of Cloud Computing companies may be
concentrated in a particular country, region or industry. Any adverse event
affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have a negative
impact on Cloud Computing companies. Cloud Computing companies may participate
in monopolistic practices that could make them subject to higher levels of
regulatory scrutiny and/or potential break ups in the future, which could
severely impact the viability of these companies.
Through
its portfolio companies’ customers and suppliers, the Fund is specifically
exposed to Asian
Economic Risk,
European
Economic Risk
and North
American Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Compared
to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may
be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and their
securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Custody
Risk:
The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and
securities depositories appointed by the Fund's custodian. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments
in more developed markets. Less developed markets are more likely to experience
problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities
by local banks, agents and depositories.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Software Industry:
The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition,
aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence.
Companies in the application software industry, in particular, may also be
negatively affected by the decline or fluctuation of subscription renewal rates
for their products and services, which may have an adverse effect on profit
margins. Companies in the systems software industry may be adversely affected
by, among other things, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in their
products and services, which may result in individual or class action lawsuits,
state or federal enforcement actions and other remediation costs.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk: The Fund is classified as a
“non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940
("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that it may be more
volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund may invest its assets in a
smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a
single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses on a single investment may have
a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more
diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of
constraints,
may cause the Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or
adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not. ETFs that track indices with significant weight in emerging
markets issuers may experience higher tracking error than other ETFs that do not
track such indices.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading
losses.
Valuation
Risk: The sales price the Fund could receive for
a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security and may differ
from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for securities that
trade in low value or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value
methodology (such as during trading halts). The value of the securities in
the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Fund's Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
46.55% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-24.98% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (04/12/2019) |
Global
X Cloud Computing ETF: |
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-39.52% |
2.19% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-39.52% |
2.08% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-23.39% |
1.74% |
Indxx
Global Cloud Computing Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-39.10% |
2.83% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.89% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Messrs. To and Xie have been Portfolio Managers of the
Fund since the Fund's inception. Ms. Chan has been a Portfolio Manager of the
Fund since June 10, 2019. Ms. Yang has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund
since December 2020. Mr. Lu has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April
2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Global X Data
Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure ETF
Ticker:
VPN
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Data Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure ETF
("Fund") seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the
price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Solactive Data
Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure Index ("Underlying
Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.50% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.50% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$51 |
$160 |
$280 |
$628 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 36.96% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets, plus borrowings for investment
purposes (if any), in the securities of the Solactive Data Center REITs &
Digital Infrastructure Index (the "Underlying Index") and in American Depositary
Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") based on the
securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund's 80% investment policy is
non-fundamental and requires 60 days prior written notice to shareholders before
it can be changed.
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to companies that have business
operations in the fields of data centers, cellular towers, and/or digital
infrastructure hardware. Specifically, the Underlying Index will include
securities issued by “Data Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure Companies”
as defined by Solactive AG, the provider of the Underlying Index (the "Index
Provider"). Data Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure Companies are those
companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues, operating income, or
assets from the following business activities:
i.Data
Center Companies: Companies that own, operate, and/or develop data centers
(including data center REITs (as defined below)), which are publicly-listed
companies that own and manage facilities that customers use to safely and
efficiently store computer servers and data. Data Center Companies offer a range
of products and services to help secure, maintain, and facilitate the use of
servers and data within data centers, including providing uninterruptable power
supplies, temperature regulation, and physical security.
ii.Cellular
Tower Companies: Companies that own, operate and/or develop cellular towers
(including cellular tower REITs), which are publicly-listed companies that lease
antennae and equipment space on cellular towers to wireless carriers. Wireless
carriers utilize the cellular tower space provided by Cellular Tower Companies
to operate antennae and equipment that transmit and receive the signal reception
of cellular phones, televisions, radios, and other wireless communication
devices.
iii.Digital
Infrastructure Hardware Companies: Companies that manufacture, design, and/or
assemble the servers and/or other hardware often used in data centers and
cellular towers, including data center servers, processors and data center
switches.
Data
Center Companies and Cellular Tower Companies can be (but are not required to
be) structured as real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), which are publicly
listed companies that own or finance income-producing real estate assets. In
order to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
a company needs to satisfy several regulatory requirements including but not
limited to:
i.Investing
at least 75% of its assets in real estate.
ii.Deriving
at least 75% of its gross income from rents from real property, interest on
mortgages financing real property, or from sales of real estate.
iii.Distributing
at least 90% of its taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each
year.
In
constructing the Underlying Index, the Index Provider first applies a
proprietary natural language processing algorithm to the eligible universe,
which seeks to identify and rank companies that operate data centers and/or
companies with direct exposure to digital infrastructure based on filings,
disclosures and other public information (e.g. regulatory filings, earnings
transcripts, etc.). The highest ranking companies identified by the natural
language processing algorithm, as of the selection date, are further reviewed by
the Index Provider to confirm they derive at least 50% of their revenues,
operating income, or assets from Data Center REITs and/or Digital
Infrastructure.
The
eligible universe of the Underlying Index includes exchange-listed companies
that meet minimum market capitalization and liquidity criteria, as defined by
the Index Provider. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum
market capitalization of $200 million and a minimum average daily turnover for
the last 6 months greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be eligible
for inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023, companies
listed in the following countries were eligible for inclusion in the Underlying
Index: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea,
Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Fund may invest in
securities denominated in foreign currencies.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and re-weighted semi-annually. Modified
capitalization weighting seeks to weight constituents primarily based on market
capitalization, but subject to caps on the weights of the individual securities.
During each rebalance, the maximum weight of a Data Center Company or Cellular
Tower Company (defined by the Index Provider as companies that own, operate,
and/or develop data centers (including data center REITs) and cellular towers
(including Cellular Tower REITs)), respectively, is capped at 12% and the
maximum weight of a Digital Infrastructure Hardware Company (defined by the
Index Provider as companies that manufacture the servers and/or other hardware
often used in data centers and cellular towers, including semiconductors,
integrated circuits, and processors) is capped at 2%, the aggregate weight of
companies with a weight greater than or equal to 4.5% is capped at 45%, all
remaining companies are capped at a weight of 4.5%, and all constituents are
subject to a minimum weight of 0.3%. Generally speaking, this approach will
limit the amount of concentration in the largest market capitalization companies
but may increase the number of constituents included within the Underlying
Index. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization
companies, and components primarily include real estate and information
technology companies. As of January 31, 2023, the Underlying Index had 24
constituents. The Fund's investment objective and Underlying Index may be
changed without shareholder approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The
Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means it may invest a larger
percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the equity real estate investment industry
and had significant exposure to the real estate and information technology
sectors.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in greater
detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Real
Estate Stocks and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Investment
Risk:
The Fund may have exposure to companies that invest in real estate, such as
REITs, which exposes investors in the Fund to the risks of owning real estate
directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which real
estate companies are organized and operated. Real estate is highly sensitive to
general and local economic conditions and developments and characterized by
intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Many real estate companies,
including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which
increases risk and could adversely affect a real estate company's operations and
market value in periods of rising interest rates.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Data Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure
Companies:
Data Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure Companies are exposed to the risks
specific to the real estate market as well as the risks that relate specifically
to the way in which Data Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure Companies are
utilized and operated. Data Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure Companies
may be affected by unique supply and demand factors that do not apply to other
real estate sectors, such as changes in demand for communications
infrastructure, consolidation of tower sites, and new technologies that may
affect demand for data centers. Data Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure
Companies are particularly affected by changes in demand for wireless
infrastructure and wireless connectivity. Such demand is affected by numerous
factors including, but not limited to, consumer demand for wireless
connectivity; availability or capacity of wireless infrastructure or associated
land interests; location of wireless infrastructure; financial condition of
customers; increased use of network sharing, roaming, joint development, or
resale agreements by customers; mergers or consolidations by and among
customers;
governmental regulations, including local or state restrictions on the
proliferation of wireless infrastructure; and technological changes, including
those affecting the number or type of wireless infrastructure needed to provide
wireless connectivity to a given geographic area or resulting in the
obsolescence or decommissioning of certain existing wireless networks. Data
Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure Companies may be subject to external
risks including, but not limited to, natural disasters and supplier outages.
Certain geographical areas may be at higher risk for natural disasters, which
can increase the likelihood of power surges and supplier outages. Natural
disasters and supplier outages can lead to significant downtime, data loss, and
associated expenses. Data Center REITs and Digital Infrastructure Companies may
be subject to internal risks including, but not limited to, water supply and
climate risk and data security risk. Water damage or an imprecise climate may
cause extensive damage to critical infrastructure if adequate systems aimed at
water penetration and climate control are not installed. Data centers
increasingly rely on the use of electronic data, which may make them more
vulnerable to data security risk. Data centers are potential targets for
cyberattacks, which may have a materially adverse impact on the performance of
these companies. Data centers that do not implement more advanced access control
and security monitoring in response to internal and external threats may be at
greater risk of potential breaches or damage to data integrity.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Compared
to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may
be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and their
securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Equity Real Estate Investment Industry:
The Fund is concentrated in the Equity Real Estate Investment Industry, which
comprises Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). For more information, see
Asset
Class Risk - Real Estate Stocks and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Investment Risk in
the SUMMARY
OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
and A
FURTHER DISCUSSION OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
sections of the Prospectus.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Real Estate Sector:
The real estate sector includes real estate companies focused on commercial and
residential real estate development, sales, operations, and services, as well as
real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Real estate is highly sensitive to
general and local economic conditions and developments and characterized by
intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Many real estate companies
utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases risk and
could adversely affect a real estate company's operations and market value in
periods of rising interest rates.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Region: Investments
in the ASEAN region involve risks not typically associated with investments in
securities of issuers in more developed countries that may negatively affect the
value of your investment in the Fund. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia
and the Philippines present different economic and political conditions from
those in Western markets, and less social, political and economic stability. In
the past, some of these economies have experienced high interest rates, economic
volatility, inflation, currency devaluations and high unemployment rates.
Political instability could have an adverse effect on economic or social
conditions in these economies and may result in outbreaks of civil unrest,
terrorist attacks or threats or acts of war in the affected areas, any of which
could materially and adversely affect the companies in which the Fund may
invest.
Risk
of Investing in China:
Investment exposure to China subjects the Fund to risks specific to China.
Economic,
Political and Social Risk
China
may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social
instability. Concerns about the rising government and household debt levels
could impact the stability of the Chinese economy. China is an emerging market
and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison
to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has
undertaken reform of economic and market practices, including recent reforms to
liberalize its capital markets and expand the sphere for private ownership of
property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience
inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental
influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social
instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese
authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Internal social
unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military
conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in
China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency
convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation.
China
has experienced major health crises. These health crises include, but are not
limited to, the rapid and pandemic spread of novel viruses commonly known as
SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Such health crises could exacerbate
political, social, and economic risks previously mentioned.
Export
growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Elevated
trade tensions between China and its trading partners, including the imposition
of U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese goods and increased international pressure
related to Chinese trade policy and forced technology transfers and intellectual
property
protections,
may have a substantial impact on the Chinese economy. Reduction in spending on
Chinese products and services, institution of additional tariffs or other trade
barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and
the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity), or a
downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an
adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The continuation or worsening of the
current political climate between China and the U.S. could result in additional
regulatory restrictions being contemplated or imposed in the U.S. or in China
that could impact the Fund’s ability to invest in certain companies.
Security
Risk
China
has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in
state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments.
Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing
restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or
Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers of securities
in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security,
including the contagion of infectious viruses or diseases, may cause uncertainty
in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund’s
investments.
Heavy
Government Control and Regulation
Chinese
companies, including Chinese companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges, are
not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards
or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries, and as a result,
information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less
reliable or complete. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining
information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese
companies and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. Investments in China
may be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and
property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and
repatriation of capital. Furthermore, government actions against leaders or
other key figures within companies, or speculation about such actions, may lead
to sudden and unpredictable falls in the value of securities within the
Fund.
Tax
Risk
China
has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years and may amend or revise
its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive
effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law could reduce the after-tax profits
of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits
of companies in China in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in Chinese tax
rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Should
legislation limit U.S. investors’ ability to invest in specific Chinese
companies through A-shares or other share class listings that are part of the
underlying holdings, these shares may be excluded from Fund
holdings.
Special
Risk Considerations of Investing in China – Variable Interest Entity
Investments
For
purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on
U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as
Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”). In this structure, the Chinese-based
operating company is the VIE and establishes a shell company in a foreign
jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The shell company lists on a foreign
exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure
allows Chinese companies in which the Chinese government restricts foreign
ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the shell company has
no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the shell
company to consolidate the VIE’s financial statements with its own for
accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the
underlying Chinese operating company.
Therefore,
an investor in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, will have exposure to
the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and
has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because
the shell company only has specific rights provided for in these service
agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the
Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage
in activities that negatively impact investment value.
While
the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under
Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could
prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE’s
contractual arrangements with the listed shell company by making them invalid.
If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors
in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses
with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that
the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law
and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership,
it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and
operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed
shell company’s control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person
who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is
subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating
documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based
issuer’s authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops
and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally
binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may
prohibit the ability of the shell company to receive the economic benefits of
the Chinese-based
operating
company, which may cause the value of the Fund’s investment in the listed shell
company to suffer a significant loss. For example, in 2021, the Chinese
government prohibited use of the VIE structure for investment in after-school
tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the Chinese government will not
place similar restrictions on other industries.
Chinese
equities that utilize the VIE structure to list in the U.S. as ADRs face the
risk of regulatory action from U.S. authorities, including the risk of
delisting. This will depend in part on whether U.S. regulatory authorities are
satisfied with their access to Mainland China and Hong Kong for the purpose of
conducting inspections on the quality of audits for these companies. Although
the U.S. and China reached an agreement in September 2022 to grant the U.S.
access for such inspections, there is no guarantee that the agreement will hold
up or that U.S. regulatory authorities will continue to feel satisfied with
their access. As of January 31, 2023, the Fund had significant exposure to VIEs,
as defined above.
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Emerging Markets:
Investments in emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than
investments in developed markets. Securities markets of emerging market
countries are less liquid, subject to greater price volatility, have smaller
market capitalizations, have less government regulation, and are not subject to
as extensive and frequent accounting, financial, and other reporting
requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries, and there
may be greater risk associated with the custody of securities in emerging
markets. It may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue claims against
an emerging market issuer in the courts of an emerging market country. There may
be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations
into or litigation against emerging market companies and shareholders may have
limited legal rights and remedies. Emerging markets may be more likely to
experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions
than more developed markets. Emerging market economies’ exposure to specific
industries, such as tourism, and lack of efficient or sufficient health care
systems, could make these economies especially vulnerable to global crises,
including but not limited to, pandemics such as the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Certain emerging market countries may have privatized, or have begun the process
of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose
money or be re-nationalized.
Risk
of Investing in Indonesia: Investments
in Indonesian issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political,
security and economic risk specific to Indonesia. Among other things, the
Indonesian economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain
key trading partners, including China, Japan, Singapore and the United States.
In the past, Indonesia has experienced acts of terrorism, predominantly targeted
at foreigners. Such acts of terrorism have had a negative impact on tourism, an
important sector of the Indonesian economy.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Investable
Universe of Companies Risk:
The investable universe of companies in which the Fund may invest may be
limited. If a company no longer meets the Index Provider’s criteria for
inclusion in the Underlying Index, the Fund may need to reduce or eliminate its
holdings in that company. The reduction or elimination of the Fund’s holdings in
the company may have an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund’s overall
portfolio holdings and on Fund performance.
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk: The Fund is classified as a
“non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940
("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that it may be more
volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund may invest its assets in a
smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a
single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses on a single investment may have
a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more
diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not.
Reliance
on Trading Partners Risk: The
Fund invests in the Chinese economy, which is heavily dependent upon trading
with key partners. Any reduction in this trading, including as a result of
adverse economic conditions in a trading partner's economy, may cause an adverse
impact on the Chinese economy and on the companies in which the Fund invests.
Because of this interdependence, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to downturns
in other markets, and may be exposed to Asian Economic Risk, European Economic
Risk, and North American Economic Risk, as discussed more fully in the
Prospectus.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.
Valuation
Risk:
The sales price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the Underlying
Index, particularly for securities that trade in low value or volatile markets
or that are valued using a fair value methodology (such as during trading
halts). The value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on
days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's
Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
12/31/2021 |
11.62% |
Worst
Quarter: |
9/30/2022 |
-17.14% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (10/27/2020) |
Global
X Data Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure ETF: |
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-30.47% |
-6.16% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-31.06% |
-6.79% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-17.93% |
-4.82% |
Solactive
Data Center REITs & Digital Infrastructure Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-30.51% |
-6.19% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
4.33% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Messrs. To and Xie and Ms. Chan
have
been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Ms. Yang has
been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December 2020. Mr. Lu has been a
Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to
https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more
information.
Global X
Cybersecurity ETF
Ticker:
BUG
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Cybersecurity ETF ("Fund") seeks to provide
investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance,
before fees and expenses, of the Indxx Cybersecurity Index ("Underlying
Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.50% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.01% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.51% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$52 |
$164 |
$285 |
$640 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 57.81% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Indxx
Cybersecurity Index ("Underlying Index") and in American Depositary Receipts
("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") based on the securities in the
Underlying Index. The Fund will also invest, under normal circumstances, at
least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes (if any),
in Cybersecurity Companies (as defined below), and in ADRs and GDRs based on
such securities. The Fund's 80% investment policies are non-fundamental and
require 60 days prior written notice to shareholders before they can be changed.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the
Fund’s total assets (including the value of the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies
that are positioned to benefit from increased adoption of cybersecurity
technology, including but not limited to companies whose principal business is
in the development and management of security protocols preventing intrusion and
attacks to systems, networks, applications, computers, and mobile devices
(collectively, "Cybersecurity Companies"), as determined by Indxx LLC, the
provider of the Underlying Index ("Index Provider").
In
constructing the Underlying Index, the Index Provider first identifies FactSet
Industries related to cybersecurity. Companies within these FactSet Industries,
as of the selection date, are further reviewed by the Index Provider on the
basis of revenue related to cybersecurity activities. To be eligible for the
Underlying Index as a Cybersecurity Company, a company must generate at least
50% of its revenues from cybersecurity activities, which the Index Provider
classifies as the development and
management
of security protocols preventing intrusion and attacks to systems, networks,
applications, computers, and mobile devices.
To
be a part of the eligible universe of the Underlying Index, certain minimum
market capitalization and liquidity criteria, as defined by the Index Provider,
must be met. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum market
capitalization of $200 million and a minimum average daily turnover for the last
six months (or since the IPO launch date for Significant IPOs as defined by the
Index Provider) greater than or equal to $2 million in order to be eligible for
inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of January 31, 2023, companies listed
in the following countries were eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary,
Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United
States.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted and re-weighted semi-annually. Modified
capitalization weighting seeks to weight constituents primarily based on market
capitalization, but subject to caps on the weights of the individual securities.
Generally speaking, this approach will limit the amount of concentration in the
largest market capitalization companies and thereby increase exposure to other
companies. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization
companies, and components primarily include mid-capitalization companies. As of
January 31, 2023, the Underlying Index had 23 constituents. The Fund's
investment objective and Underlying Index may be changed without shareholder
approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index was concentrated in the software industry and had significant
exposure to the information technology
sector.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in greater
detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Cybersecurity Companies:
Cybersecurity companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial
resources or personnel. These companies typically face intense competition and
potentially rapid product obsolescence. Cybersecurity companies may be adversely
impacted by government regulations and actions, and may be subject to additional
regulatory oversight with regard to privacy concerns and cybersecurity risk.
Cybersecurity companies may also be negatively affected by the decline or
fluctuation of subscription renewal rates for their products and services, which
may have an adverse effect on profit margins. These companies are also heavily
dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss
or impairment of those rights. Cybersecurity companies, especially smaller
companies, tend to be more volatile than companies that do not rely heavily on
technology. The customers and/or suppliers of Cybersecurity companies may be
concentrated in a particular country, region or industry. Any adverse event
affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have a negative
impact on Cybersecurity companies. Confronting cyberthreats amid increasing
remote work environments could result in challenges for Cybersecurity companies.
Through its portfolio companies’ customers and suppliers, the Fund is
specifically exposed to Asian
Economic Risk and
European
Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Mid-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization
companies may have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less
liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In addition, mid-capitalization
companies may have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management
depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer
financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization
companies.
Small-Capitalization
Companies Risk:
Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization
companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and
their securities may be more volatile and less liquid.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Custody
Risk:
The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and
securities depositories appointed by the Fund's custodian. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments
in more developed markets. Less developed markets are more likely to experience
problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities
by local banks, agents and depositories.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and
increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Software Industry:
The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition,
aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence.
Companies in the application software industry, in particular, may also be
negatively affected by the decline or fluctuation of subscription renewal rates
for their products and services, which may have an adverse effect on profit
margins. Companies in the systems software industry may be adversely affected
by, among other things, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in their
products and services, which may result in individual or class action lawsuits,
state or federal enforcement actions and other remediation costs.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in South Korea: Investments
in South Korean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political,
currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to South Korea. In
addition, economic and political developments of South Korea’s neighbors,
including escalated tensions involving North Korea and any outbreak of
hostilities involving North Korea, or even the threat of an outbreak of
hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean
economy.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Investable
Universe of Companies Risk:
The investable universe of companies in which the Fund may invest may be
limited. If a company no longer meets the Index Provider’s criteria for
inclusion in the Underlying Index, the Fund may need to reduce
or
eliminate its holdings in that company. The reduction or elimination of the
Fund’s holdings in the company may have an adverse impact on the liquidity of
the Fund’s overall portfolio holdings and on Fund performance.
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Non-Diversification
Risk: The Fund is classified as a
“non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940
("1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that it may be more
volatile than a diversified fund because the Fund may invest its assets in a
smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a
single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses on a single investment may have
a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more
diversified funds.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may cause the
Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or adversely affect
the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of
dividends
or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the Underlying Index or the costs
to the Fund of complying with various new or existing regulatory requirements.
This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other
unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the Fund
incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying Index does not. ETFs that track
indices with significant weight in emerging markets issuers may experience
higher tracking error than other ETFs that do not track such indices.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.
Valuation
Risk:
The sales price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the Underlying
Index, particularly for securities that trade in low value or volatile markets
or that are valued using a fair value methodology (such as during trading
halts). The value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on
days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's
Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
32.85% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-20.48% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (10/25/2019) |
Global
X Cybersecurity ETF: |
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-33.68% |
11.19% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-33.92% |
10.91% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-19.76% |
8.75% |
Indxx
Cybersecurity Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-33.28% |
11.67% |
MSCI
ACWI Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-18.36% |
5.87% |
1
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from
those shown above. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold
Shares of the Fund through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
FUND
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser:
Global X Management Company LLC.
Portfolio
Managers:
The professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund are Nam To, CFA; Wayne Xie; Kimberly Chan; Vanessa Yang; and Sandy Lu, CFA
(“Portfolio Managers”). Messrs. To and Xie and Ms. Chan have been Portfolio
Managers of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Ms. Yang has been a Portfolio
Manager of the Fund since December 2020. Mr. Lu has been a Portfolio Manager of
the Fund since April 2022.
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares
of the Fund are or will be listed and traded at market prices on a national
securities exchange. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the exchange
through a broker-dealer. The price of Shares is based on market price, and
because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Shares may trade
at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). Only
“Authorized Participants” (as defined in the SAI) who have entered into
agreements with the Fund’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(“Distributor”), may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with
the Fund. The Fund will only issue or redeem Shares that have been aggregated
into blocks called Creation Units. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units
in return for a basket of cash and/or securities that the Fund specifies any day
that the national securities exchanges are open for business (“Business Day”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest
price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the
lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when
buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). To
access information regarding the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums
and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, please go to https://www.globalxetfs.com.
TAX
INFORMATION
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement,
such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case
distributions from such tax-advantaged arrangement may be taxable to you.
PAYMENTS
TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The
Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of Fund Shares and related
services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your
broker-dealer, sales persons or other intermediary or its employees or
associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more
information.
Global X
Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF
Ticker:
AIQ
Exchange: NASDAQ
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF ("Fund")
seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and
yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Indxx Artificial
Intelligence & Big Data Index ("Underlying
Index").
FEES AND
EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you
buy, hold, and sell shares (“Shares”) of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such
as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are
not reflected in the table and examples below.
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management
Fees: |
0.68% |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees: |
None |
Other
Expenses: |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses: |
0.68% |
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. This example
does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary
market. The example
assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or
lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year |
Three
Years |
Five
Years |
Ten
Years |
$69 |
$218 |
$379 |
$847 |
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, affect the Fund's
performance. For the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover
rate was 21.28% of the average value of
its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The
Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the Indxx
Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index ("Underlying Index"). The
Underlying Index is designed to track the performance of companies involved in
the development and utilization of artificial intelligence ("AI") and big data.
The Fund's 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days prior
written notice to shareholders before it can be changed. The Fund may lend
securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets
(including the value of the collateral received).
The
Underlying Index is designed to provide exposure to exchange-listed companies
that are positioned to benefit from the further development and utilization of
artificial intelligence technology in their products and services, as well as to
companies that provide hardware which facilitates the use of artificial
intelligence for the analysis of big data (collectively, "Artificial
Intelligence & Big Data Companies"), as defined by Indxx, LLC the provider
of the Underlying Index (the "Index Provider").
As
technology continues to advance, artificial intelligence and big data are
converging as complementary technology themes that enable companies to extract
useful information from large and complex data sets. The increasing availability
and accessibility of big data is creating more potential applications for
artificial intelligence technology, which further incentivizes companies to
develop capabilities in this area. Advances in artificial intelligence and big
data technology have the potential to impact companies across many sectors, and
are particularly applicable to companies that have acquired significant amounts
of consumer, industrial, financial or other types of
data.
The
eligible universe of the Underlying Index includes exchange-listed companies
that meet minimum market capitalization and liquidity criteria, as defined by
the Index Provider. As of January 31, 2023, companies must have a minimum
market capitalization of $500 million and a minimum average daily turnover for
the last 6 months (or since the IPO launch date for Significant IPOs as defined
by the Index Provider or 3 months, in the case of other IPOs) greater than or
equal to $2 million in order to be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying
Index. As of January 31, 2023, companies listed or incorporated in the
following countries were eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal,
Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom,
and the United States. In addition, ADRs and GDRs of companies incorporated or
with primary listing in China are eligible for inclusion.
From
the eligible universe, the Index Provider identifies Artificial Intelligence
& Big Data Companies by applying a proprietary analysis that seeks to
identify companies that can be classified in the following
categories:
•Artificial
Intelligence Developers
▪Artificial
Intelligence Applied to Products and Services - Companies
that have developed internal artificial intelligence capabilities (organically
or through acquisition) and are applying artificial intelligence technology
directly in their products and services. Artificial intelligence applications
include but are not limited to language/ image processing and recognition,
automated communications, threat detection, recommendation generation, and other
predictive analytics.
▪Artificial
Intelligence-as-a-Service ("AIaaS") for Big Data Applications - Companies
that provide artificial intelligence capabilities to their customers as a
service. Companies in this segment typically offer cloud-based platforms that
allow their customers to apply artificial intelligence techniques to big data
without the need for a direct investment in their own artificial
intelligence-related infrastructure or capabilities.
Many
companies in the Artificial Intelligence Developers category are considered "big
data owners" due to the large amounts of consumer, industry, financial or other
types of data that has been acquired through their platforms, products and
services. These companies have typically developed internal capabilities
in artificial intelligence technology and are using these capabilities to create
competitive advantage in their businesses. This category may include
companies from sectors including, but not limited to, Information Technology,
Industrials, Financials, and Consumer Discretionary.
•Artificial
Intelligence and Big Data Analytics Hardware
◦Artificial
Intelligence Hardware - Companies
that produce semiconductors, memory storage and other hardware that is utilized
for artificial intelligence applications. This currently includes, but is not
limited to, companies that produce graphics processing units (GPUs),
application-specific integrated circuit ("ASIC") chips, field-programmable gate
array ("FPGA") chips, and all-flash array storage.
◦Quantum
Computing - Companies
that are developing quantum computing technology. While currently in the
process of being commercialized, quantum computing is expected to have
significant potential for artificial intelligence and big data applications.
In
order to be included in the Underlying Index, a company must be classified in
the categories described above, as determined by the Index Provider. This
classification is based on a composite analysis of public filings, products and
services, official company statements and other information regarding direct
involvement in the artificial intelligence and big data categories as described
above. Eligible companies are then ranked by the Index Provider using a research
framework that assesses a company's exposure to these categories. Companies must
receive a minimum score within a given category to be selected in the Underlying
Index, as determined by the Index Provider. Accordingly, the Fund assets will be
concentrated (that is, it will hold 25% or more of its total assets) in
companies that provide exposure to Artificial Intelligence & Big Data.
The
Underlying Index is weighted according to a modified capitalization weighting
methodology and is reconstituted annually with a semi-annual re-weighting. The
Underlying Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and
components primarily include information technology companies. The Fund's
investment objective and Underlying Index may be changed without shareholder
approval.
The
Underlying Index is sponsored by the Index Provider, which is an organization
that is independent of, and unaffiliated with, the Fund and Global X Management
Company LLC, the investment adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Index Provider
determines the relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and
publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying
Index.
The
Adviser uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's
investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to
outperform the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions
when markets decline or appear overvalued.
The
Fund generally will use a replication strategy. A replication strategy is an
indexing strategy that involves investing in the securities of the Underlying
Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Underlying Index. However,
the Fund may utilize a representative sampling strategy with respect to the
Underlying Index when a replication strategy might be detrimental or
disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties
or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to
replicate the Underlying Index, in instances in which a security in the
Underlying Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as
a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification
requirements) that apply to the Fund but not the Underlying Index.
The
Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's performance
and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will exceed 95%. A
correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. If the Fund
uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater correlation to
the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling
strategy.
The Fund
concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that
the Underlying Index is concentrated. As of January 31, 2023, the
Underlying Index had significant exposure to the information technology
sector.
SUMMARY OF
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with any
investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the
Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
An investment
in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the
Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund is subject to the
principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net
asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its
investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in greater
detail in the Additional
Information About the Funds
section of this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”). The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance
of any particular risk factor.
Asset
Class Risk:
Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or otherwise held in the
Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities
markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.
Equity
Securities Risk:
Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more
volatile than other asset classes, as a result of such factors as a company’s
business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general
economic conditions.
Associated
Risks Related to Investing in Artificial Intelligence & Big Data
Companies:
Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Companies typically face intense
competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. These companies are also
heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected
by loss or impairment of those rights. There can be no assurance these companies
will be able to successfully protect their intellectual property to prevent the
misappropriation of their technology, or that competitors will not develop
technology that is substantially similar or superior to such companies’
technology. Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Companies typically engage in
significant amounts of spending on research and development and mergers and
acquisitions, and there is no guarantee that the products or services produced
by these companies will be successful. Artificial Intelligence & Big Data
Companies are potential targets for cyberattacks, which can have a materially
adverse impact on the performance of these companies. In addition, artificial
intelligence technology could face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the future,
which may limit the development of this technology and impede the growth of
companies that develop and/or utilize this technology. Similarly, the collection
of data from consumers and other sources could face increased scrutiny as
regulators consider how the data is collected, stored, safeguarded and used.
Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Companies may face regulatory fines and
penalties, including potential forced break-ups, that could hinder the ability
of the companies to operate on an ongoing basis. The customers and/or suppliers
of Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Companies may be concentrated in a
particular country, region or industry. Any adverse event affecting one of these
countries,
regions
or industries could have a negative impact on Artificial Intelligence & Big
Data Companies. Country, government, and/or region-specific regulations or
restrictions could have an impact on Artificial Intelligence & Big Data
companies. Through its portfolio companies’ customers and suppliers, the Fund is
specifically exposed to Asian
Economic Risk,
European
Economic Risk
and North
American Economic Risk.
Capitalization
Risk:
Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the
risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or
investor sentiment.
Large-Capitalization
Companies Risk: Large-capitalization
companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market.
Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better - or worse
- than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for
as long as several years.
Currency
Risk:
The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Because the
Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if
currencies of the underlying securities depreciate against the U.S. dollar or if
there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currencies. Currency exchange
rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a
result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning, which could have
a significant negative impact on the Fund.
Custody
Risk:
The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and
securities depositories appointed by the Fund's custodian. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments
in more developed markets. Less developed markets are more likely to experience
problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities
by local banks, agents and depositories.
Focus
Risk:
To the extent that the Underlying Index focuses in investments related to a
particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also focus its
investments to approximately the same extent. Similarly, if the Underlying Index
has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund’s investments will
likely have significant exposure to such sectors. In such event, the Fund’s
performance will be particularly susceptible to adverse events impacting such
industry or sector, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand; competition for resources; adverse labor relations;
political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased
competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or
viability of companies in a particular industry or sector. As a result, the
value of the Fund’s investments may rise and fall more than the value of shares
of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of
industries or sectors.
Risks
Related to Investing in the Information Technology Sector: Companies
in the information technology sector are subject to rapid changes in technology
product cycles; rapid product obsolescence; government regulation; and increased
competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from
foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology
companies and companies that rely heavily on technology tend to be more volatile
than the overall market and also are heavily dependent on patent and
intellectual property rights. In addition, information technology companies may
have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or
personnel.
Foreign
Securities Risk:
The Fund may invest, within U.S. regulations, in foreign securities. The Fund's
investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities
investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including
investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing
in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or
nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S.
securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities
of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic
events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political
or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security
traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing
price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the
security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose
money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign
issuer or market. Where all or a portion of the Fund's underlying securities
trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund's shares are
listed and trading is open, there may be differences between the last quote from
the security’s closed foreign market and the value of the security during the
Fund’s domestic trading day. This in turn could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.
Geographic
Risk: A
natural, biological or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in
which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business
operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse
impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region or in a region
economically tied to the affected region. The securities in which the Fund
invests and, consequently, the Fund are also subject to specific risks as a
result of their business operations, including, but not limited to:
Risk
of Investing in China:
Investment exposure to China subjects the Fund to risks specific to China.
Economic,
Political and Social Risk
China
may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social
instability. Concerns about the rising government and household debt levels
could impact the stability of the Chinese economy. China is an emerging market
and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison
to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has
undertaken reform of economic and market practices, including recent reforms to
liberalize its capital markets and expand the sphere for private ownership of
property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience
inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental
influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social
instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese
authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Internal social
unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military
conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in
China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency
convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation.
China
has experienced major health crises. These health crises include, but are not
limited to, the rapid and pandemic spread of novel viruses commonly known as
SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Such health crises could exacerbate
political, social, and economic risks previously mentioned.
Export
growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Elevated
trade tensions between China and its trading partners, including the imposition
of U.S. tariffs on certain Chinese goods and increased international pressure
related to Chinese trade policy and forced technology transfers and intellectual
property protections, may have a substantial impact on the Chinese economy.
Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of
additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened
trade tensions between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged
Chinese cyber activity), or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key
trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The
continuation or worsening of the current political climate between China and the
U.S. could result in additional regulatory restrictions being contemplated or
imposed in the U.S. or in China that could impact the Fund’s ability to invest
in certain companies.
Security
Risk
China
has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in
state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments.
Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing
restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or
Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers of securities
in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security,
including the contagion of infectious viruses or diseases, may cause uncertainty
in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund’s
investments.
Heavy
Government Control and Regulation
Chinese
companies, including Chinese companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges, are
not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards
or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries, and as a result,
information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less
reliable or complete. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining
information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese
companies and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. Investments in China
may be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and
property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and
repatriation of capital. Furthermore, government actions against leaders or
other key figures within companies, or speculation about such actions, may lead
to sudden and unpredictable falls in the value of securities within the
Fund.
Tax
Risk
China
has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years and may amend or revise
its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive
effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law could reduce the after-tax profits
of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits
of companies in China in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in Chinese tax
rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Should
legislation limit U.S. investors’ ability to invest in specific Chinese
companies through A-shares or other share class listings that are part of the
underlying holdings, these shares may be excluded from Fund
holdings.
Special
Risk Considerations of Investing in China – Variable Interest Entity
Investments
For
purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on
U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as
Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”). In this structure, the Chinese-based
operating company is the VIE and establishes a shell company in a foreign
jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands.
The
shell company lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual
arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the
Chinese government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign
investors. While the shell company has no equity ownership of the VIE, these
contractual arrangements permit the shell company to consolidate the VIE’s
financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for
economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating
company.
Therefore,
an investor in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, will have exposure to
the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and
has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because
the shell company only has specific rights provided for in these service
agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the
Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage
in activities that negatively impact investment value.
While
the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under
Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could
prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE’s
contractual arrangements with the listed shell company by making them invalid.
If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors
in the listed shell company, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses
with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that
the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law
and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership,
it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and
operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed
shell company’s control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person
who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is
subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating
documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based
issuer’s authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops
and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally
binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may
prohibit the ability of the shell company to receive the economic benefits of
the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund’s
investment in the listed shell company to suffer a significant loss. For
example, in 2021, the Chinese government prohibited use of the VIE structure for
investment in after-school tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the
Chinese government will not place similar restrictions on other
industries.
Chinese
equities that utilize the VIE structure to list in the U.S. as ADRs face the
risk of regulatory action from U.S. authorities, including the risk of
delisting. This will depend in part on whether U.S. regulatory authorities are
satisfied with their access to Mainland China and Hong Kong for the purpose of
conducting inspections on the quality of audits for these companies. Although
the U.S. and China reached an agreement in September 2022 to grant the U.S.
access for such inspections, there is no guarantee that the agreement will hold
up or that U.S. regulatory authorities will continue to feel satisfied with
their access. As of January 31, 2023, the Fund had significant exposure to VIEs,
as defined above.
Risk
of Investing in Developed Markets:
The Fund’s investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to
regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated
with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant
portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic
growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have
experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international
relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause
uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s
investments. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the
economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt
burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk
of Investing in Emerging Markets:
The Fund targets Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Companies globally and
is expected to invest in securities in emerging market countries. Investments in
emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in
developed markets. Securities markets of emerging market countries are less
liquid, subject to greater price volatility, have smaller market
capitalizations, have less government regulation, and are not subject to as
extensive and frequent accounting, financial, and other reporting requirements
as the securities markets of more developed countries, and there may be greater
risk associated with the custody of securities in emerging markets. It may be
difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue claims against an emerging market
issuer in the courts of an emerging market country.
There
may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for
investigations into or litigation against emerging market companies and
shareholders may have limited legal rights and remedies. Emerging markets may be
more likely to experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in
economic conditions than more developed markets. Emerging market economies’
exposure to specific industries, such as tourism, and lack of efficient or
sufficient health care systems, could make these economies especially vulnerable
to global crises, including but not limited to, pandemics such as the global
COVID-19 pandemic. Certain emerging market countries may have privatized, or
have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries.
Privatized entities may lose money or be
re-nationalized.
Risk
of Investing in South Korea: Investments
in South Korean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political,
currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to South Korea. In
addition, economic and political developments of South Korea’s neighbors,
including escalated tensions involving North Korea and any outbreak of
hostilities involving North Korea, or even the threat of an outbreak of
hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean
economy.
Risk
of Investing in the United States:
A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an
economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S.
economy.
International
Closed Market Trading Risk: To
the extent that the underlying investments held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s
Shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current
price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the
underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market).
These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that
may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds
("ETFs").
Issuer
Risk:
Fund performance depends on the performance of individual companies in which the
Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition of any of those companies may
cause the value of such company's securities to decline.
Market
Risk:
Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity may negatively affect
issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. If the securities held
by the Fund experience poor liquidity, the Fund may be unable to transact at
advantageous times or prices, which may decrease the Fund’s returns. In
addition, there is a risk that policy changes by central governments and
governmental agencies, including the U.S. Federal Reserve or the European
Central Bank, which could include increasing interest rates, could cause
increased volatility in financial markets and lead to higher levels of Fund
redemptions from Authorized Participants, which could have a negative impact on
the Fund. Furthermore, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of
terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments and trading of its Shares. For example, at the start of 2023,
central banks had already increased interest rates at the fastest rate on
record, and it is unknown how long this trend will continue and when inflation
will return to target levels. This increases the risk that monetary policy may
provide less support should economic growth slow. Additionally, China’s shift
away from a zero-COVID policy creates both opportunities and risks, causing
uncertainty for global economic growth. Market risk factors may result in
increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity in the securities markets. The
Fund’s NAV could decline over short periods due to short-term market movements
and over longer periods during market downturns.
Operational
Risk:
The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors,
including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors,
errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties,
failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Additionally,
cyber security failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the
Adviser, and 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. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks
through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to
address.
Passive
Investment Risk:
The Fund is not actively managed, and the Adviser does not attempt to take
defensive positions in declining markets. Unlike many investment companies, the
Fund does not seek to outperform its Underlying Index. Therefore, it would not
necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed,
respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that security generally is
underperforming. Additionally, if a constituent of the Underlying Index were
removed, even outside of a regular rebalance of the Underlying Index, the
Adviser anticipates that the Fund would sell such security. Maintaining
investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of
individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund
employed an active strategy.
Index-Related
Risk:
There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to
the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market
disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the
Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track
the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may
occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index
Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the
Fund and its shareholders.
Management
Risk:
The Fund may not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities
not included in its Underlying Index. The Adviser’s investment strategy, the
implementation of which is subject to a number of
constraints,
may cause the Fund to underperform the market or its relevant benchmark or
adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Tracking
Error Risk:
Tracking error may occur because of differences between the instruments held in
the Fund's portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing
differences, transaction costs incurred by the Fund, the Fund's holding of
uninvested cash, size of the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual of or
the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the
Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or
existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of
increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error
also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying
Index does not. ETFs that track indices with significant weight in emerging
markets issuers may experience higher tracking error than other ETFs that do not
track such indices.
Risks
Associated with Exchange-Traded Funds:
As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:
Authorized
Participants Concentration Risk:
The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as
Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions
directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated
to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those
Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation
and/or redemption orders, such as in times of market stress, Shares may be more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and/or at wider intraday bid-ask
spreads, and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from an exchange.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk may be heightened because the Fund
invests in non-U.S. securities.
Large
Shareholder Risk: Redemptions
by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on the Fund. If a
large shareholder were to redeem all, or a large portion, of its Shares, there
is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to maintain sufficient assets to
continue operations in which case the Board of Trustees may determine to
liquidate the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account
for a large percentage of the trading volume on a national securities exchange
and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market
price of the Shares.
Listing
Standards Risk: The
Fund is required to comply with listing requirements adopted by the listing
exchange. Non-compliance with such requirements may result in the Fund's shares
being delisted by the listing exchange. Any resulting liquidation of the Fund
could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs and could result in
negative tax consequences for its shareholders.
Market
Trading Risks and Premium/Discount Risks:
Shares of the Fund are publicly traded on a national securities exchange, which
may subject shareholders to numerous market trading risks. In stressed market
conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the
deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the
liquidity of the Shares, as well as disruptions to creations and redemptions,
the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of assets in the
Fund or an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a
significant premium or discount to NAV. 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. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading
price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates, in some cases materially, throughout
trading hours in response to changes in the Fund’s NAV.
Securities
Lending Risk:
Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to
return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to
recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a
replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to
the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities
increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the
Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These
events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities
on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be
able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy
matters.
Trading
Halt Risk:
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities,
or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be
restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its
investments and/or may incur substantial trading
losses.
Valuation
Risk: The sales price the Fund could receive for
a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security and may differ
from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for securities that
trade in low value or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value
methodology (such as during trading halts). The value of the securities in
the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to
purchase or sell the Fund's Shares.
PERFORMANCE
INFORMATION
The bar chart
and table that follow show how the Fund performed on a calendar year basis and
provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing the Fund's average
annual total returns for the indicated periods compared with the Fund's
benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance.
The Fund's
past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how
the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available online at
www.globalxetfs.com.
Annual Total
Returns (Years Ended December 31)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Quarter: |
6/30/2020 |
32.53% |
Worst
Quarter: |
6/30/2022 |
-22.73% |
Average Annual
Total Returns (for the Periods Ended December 31,
2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |
Since
Inception (05/11/2018) |
Global
X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF: |
|
|
·Return
before taxes |
-36.18% |
7.11% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions1 |
-36.26% |
6.98% |
·Return
after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares1 |
-21.36% |
5.57% |
Indxx
Artificial Intelligence & Big Data Index (net)
(Index
returns reflect invested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflect
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other
taxes) |
-35.93% |
7.53% |