ck0001090372-20220831
JACOB FORWARD
ETF
(JFWD)
a
series of Jacob Funds Inc.
Listed
on NYSE Arca, Inc.
PROSPECTUS
January
5, 2023
The
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved
of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus.
Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
JACOB
FORWARD ETF
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
FUND
SUMMARY
Investment
Objective
The Jacob Forward ETF (the “Fund”) seeks long-term growth of
capital.
Fees and
Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy,
hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as
brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not
reflected in the table and the Example below.
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Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment) |
Management
Fees1 |
0.75% |
Other
Expenses |
0.00% |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.75% |
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1 The management fee is
structured as a “unified fee,” out of which the Fund’s adviser pays all of the
ordinary operating expenses of the Fund, except for the following expenses, each
of which is paid by the Fund: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the
Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, taxes,
brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the
purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund
fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary or other
non-routine expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under
any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Expense
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell or
hold all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes
that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating
expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage
commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of
Shares. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
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1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
$77 |
$240 |
$417 |
$930 |
Portfolio
Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys
and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio
turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher
taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not
reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio
turnover rate was 62% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal
Investment Strategy
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in common stocks and
other equity securities of companies of all sizes. The Fund maintains a
portfolio of investments consisting primarily of common stocks. The Fund may
also invest in other equity securities, such as preferred stocks, rights, or
warrants. The Fund may have significant exposure to the information technology
sector.
The
Fund is managed utilizing a forward-looking investment strategy and seeks to
invest in companies that are participating or engaged in innovative and
disruptive technologies, products, or services. The Fund invests in a broad
group of companies, including many that are in their early stages of
development. In researching and selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser
is seeking strong, forward-looking management teams that can leverage innovative
technology to obtain durable competitive advantages in order to generate
superior rates of growth. The Adviser’s overall stock selections are based on
its qualitative and quantitative assessment of a company’s fundamental
prospects, particularly a company’s potential for superior long-term growth of
capital. It is the Adviser’s goal to maximize the growth potential of the Fund
while also striving to acquire securities at reasonable valuations relative to
their prospective growth rates.
The
Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s net assets primarily in U.S. companies, but
may gain exposure to foreign markets, including emerging markets, (i.e.,
those that are in the early stages of their industrial cycles), through the
global operations of U.S. companies, by purchasing depositary receipts or
securities of foreign companies traded on U.S. exchanges, or through direct
investment in foreign companies. The Adviser currently does not expect to invest
more than 25% of the Fund’s net assets directly in foreign
companies.
The
Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of
its assets in the securities of a single issuer or smaller number of issuers
than if it were a diversified fund.
Principal
Investment Risks
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. As with any
investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your
investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely
affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total
return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the
risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled
“Additional Information About the Fund.”
•Growth
Companies Risk:
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When
these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if
earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack
the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Different
investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market
conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s growth style may cause the Fund to
underperform funds that have a broader investment style.
•Information
Technology Sector Risk. Market
or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies
that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on
the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information
technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is
particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid
product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically
and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower
production costs.
•Common
Stock Risk:
Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders of common
stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred stocks and
debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to
receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred
stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common stocks are
susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and
decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of, their issuers
change.
•Market
Capitalization Risks:
◦Large
Capitalized Company Risk:
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
◦Mid
Capitalized Company Risk: The
securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines,
markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate
on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.
◦Smaller
Capitalized or Unseasoned Company Risk: Investments
in smaller capitalized or unseasoned companies may involve greater risks, in
part because they have limited product lines, markets and financial or
managerial resources. In addition, less frequently traded securities may be
subject to more abrupt price movements than securities of larger capitalized
companies.
◦Micro-Capitalized
Company Risk:
Investments in micro capitalization companies may involve greater risks, as
these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial or
managerial resources. Micro cap stocks often also have a more limited trading
market, such that the Adviser may not be able to sell stocks at an optimal time
or price. In addition, less frequently traded securities may be subject to more
abrupt price movements than securities of larger capitalized
companies.
•Market
Risk:
The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be adversely affected
by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how well the companies
in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may not favor the types
of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that the price(s) of one
or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will fall
or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a security’s
performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors
related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or geographic
region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk:
U.S. and international markets have experienced a significant period of
volatility in recent months and years due to a number of economic, political and
global macro factors, including the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a
global pandemic, which has at times resulted in public health issues, business
interruptions, growth concerns in the U.S. and overseas, layoffs, rising
unemployment claims, changed travel and social behaviors and reduced consumer
spending. The effects of COVID-19 may lead to a substantial economic downturn or
recession in the U.S. and global economies, the recovery from which is uncertain
and may last for an extended period of time. It is unknown how long
circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in
the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be
successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The
impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could
adversely affect Fund performance.
•ETF
Risks:
The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the
following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk: The
Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized
Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market
makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of
the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and
possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or unwilling or
otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders (either
because of valuation difficulties or for other reasons),
and
no other AP is able or willing to step forward to perform these services, or
(ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or
significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step
forward to perform their functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares:
Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions
imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may
significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be
advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV: As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount), which may
be due to supply and demand of Shares or other reasons. This risk is heightened
in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods
when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in
which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. If an investor
purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of
the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV
of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any
losses caused by a decrease in NAV. For example, during a “flash crash,” the
market prices of Shares may decline suddenly and significantly. Such a decline
may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by the Fund.
Flash crashes may cause APs and other market makers to limit or cease trading in
Shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders could suffer significant
losses to the extent that they sell Shares at these temporarily low market
prices. To the extent that the Fund holds securities that trade on foreign
exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the
Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of ETFs
that hold only domestic securities.
◦Trading: Although
Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be
traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that
Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed
market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of
the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid
than Shares.
•Limited
Operating History:
The Fund is a recently organized investment company with a limited operating
history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or
history on which to base their investment decision. The Fund may also experience
low trading volume and wide bid/ask spreads and may face the risk of being
delisted if the Fund does not meet certain conditions of the Exchange. If the
Fund were to be required to delist from the Exchange the value of the Fund may
rapidly decline and performance may be negatively impacted. In addition, any
resulting liquidation of the Fund could cause the Fund to incur elevated
transaction costs for the Fund and negative tax consequences for its
shareholders.
•Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The
risks of investing in foreign companies, including those located in emerging
market countries, can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may
include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less
government regulation, less publicly available information, limited trading
markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including recordkeeping
standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign
securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities exchanges and
securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include future
political and economic developments, the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction
might impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with respect to
foreign securities, the possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of
the foreign issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire
investment in a certain market) and the possible adoption of foreign
governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. These risks are typically
greater in emerging markets countries.
•Management
Risk:
Because the Fund is actively managed, an investment in the Fund is subject to
the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses applied by the Adviser
will not produce the desired results, and that the Fund’s investments may
underperform the market or applicable benchmarks.
•Non-Diversification
Risk. The Fund is
considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its
assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than
if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the
risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a
smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may
increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller
number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s
performance.
Performance
The
performance information that follows gives some indication of the risks of
investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s
performance for the most recent calendar year, and the table compares the Fund’s
average annual returns with those of a broad measure of market performance for
the most recent calendar year. Please note
that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an
indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at
www.jacobforwardetf.com.
Annual Total
Returns through December 31, 2022
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Best
Quarter |
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Q3 2022 |
5.10% |
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Worst
Quarter |
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Q2 2022 |
-41.69% |
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Average Annual
Total Returns through December 31, 2022
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| 1
Year |
Since
Inception
(July 13,
2021) |
Jacob
Forward ETF |
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Return
Before Taxes |
-56.40% |
-47.50% |
Return
After Taxes on Distributions |
-56.40% |
-47.55% |
Return
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund
Shares |
-33.39% |
-34.78% |
S&P
500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes) |
-18.11% |
-6.99% |
After-tax
returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal
income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local
taxes. Actual
after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from
those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold
their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements such as 401(k) plans or
individual retirement accounts. The return
after taxes on distribution and sale of fund shares may be higher than the
return before taxes because the method of calculation assumes generally that you
can use the short-term capital loss realized upon the sale of fund shares to
offset income of the same tax character from other sources thereby reducing the
amount of tax you otherwise might
owe.
Fund
Management
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC serves as the Adviser.
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Portfolio
Manager |
Title
with the Adviser |
Length
of Service with the Fund |
Ryan
I. Jacob |
Lead
Portfolio Manager |
Since
Inception (2021) |
Darren
Chervitz |
Co-Portfolio
Manager |
Since
Inception (2021) |
Purchase
and Sale of Shares
Shares
are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in
the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because
Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price
greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks of Shares or whole
multiples thereof, known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically,
broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems
Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated
amount of U.S. cash.
Investors
may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer
is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is
willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the
secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund,
including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is
available on the Fund’s website at www.jacobforwardetf.com.
Tax
Information
The
Fund’s distributions generally are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary
income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing
through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which
case your distributions generally may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn
from the tax-advantaged account.
Financial
Intermediary Compensation
If
you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
(such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay
Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including
participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more
knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other
activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related
to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the
Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased
Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more
information.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
Additional
Information about the Fund’s Investment Objective. The
Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. There is no
assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s
investment objective may be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund will
provide shareholders with notice of any such change.
Principal
Investment Strategies.
The
Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in common stocks and
other equity securities of companies of all sizes. The Fund maintains a
portfolio of investments consisting primarily of common stocks. The Fund may
also invest in other equity securities, such as preferred stocks, rights, or
warrants. Equity securities generally represent an ownership interest in a
company and their value is based on the success of the company’s business, any
income paid to shareholders, the value of the company’s assets, general market
conditions and investor demand. The Fund may have significant exposure to the
information technology sector.
The
Fund is managed utilizing a forward-looking investment strategy and seeks to
invest in companies that are participating or engaged in innovative and
disruptive technologies, products, or services. The Fund invests in a broad
group of companies, including many that are in their early stages of
development. In researching and selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser
is seeking strong, forward-looking management teams that endeavor to leverage
innovative technology to obtain durable competitive advantages in order to
generate superior rates of growth. The Adviser’s overall stock selections are
based on its qualitative and quantitative assessment of a company’s fundamental
prospects, particularly a company’s potential for superior long-term growth of
capital. Specifically, the Adviser looks for companies with expanding profit
margins, sales and earnings growth which, over a business cycle, can be expected
to produce high levels of free cash flow. Further, it is the Adviser’s goal to
maximize the growth potential of the Fund while also striving to acquire
securities at reasonable valuations relative to their prospective growth
rates.
The
Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s net assets primarily in U.S. companies, but
may gain exposure to foreign markets through the global operations of U.S.
companies, by purchasing depositary receipts or securities of foreign companies
traded on U.S. exchanges, or through direct investment in foreign companies.
Depositary receipts are certificates normally issued by U.S. banks that evidence
the ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. The Fund’s foreign investments may
include securities of companies in emerging market countries, so that the Fund
has the flexibility to take full advantage of investment opportunities in small
and micro capitalization companies. The Adviser currently does not expect to
invest more than 25% of the Fund’s net assets directly in foreign
companies.
The
Fund generally seeks to purchase securities as long-term investments, but the
Adviser will sell or reduce holdings when a company fails to meet its
expectations with regard to potential growth, addressable market, margin
erosion, management changes or price considerations. The Fund may employ rapid
trading strategies to capture incremental increases in the prices of securities,
to seek to protect against downside risk and to enhance the Fund’s
return.
The
Fund intends to hold some cash, short-term debt obligations, government
securities or other high-quality investments for reserves to cover redemptions
and unanticipated expenses, or to maintain liquidity while seeking appropriate
investments. There may be times, however, when the Fund attempts to respond to
unfavorable market, economic, political or other conditions by investing up to
100% of its assets in cash or those types of money market investments for
temporary defensive purposes. During those times, the Fund will not be able to
pursue its investment objective and, instead, will focus on preserving your
investment.
The
Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of
its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers
than if it were a diversified fund.
Additional
Information about the Fund’s Principal Risks. This
section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described
in the Fund Summary section above. Each risk described below is considered a
“principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it
appears. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s
performance and trading prices.
•Growth
Companies Risk:
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When
these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if
earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack
the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Different
investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market
conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund’s growth style may cause the Fund to
underperform funds that have a broader investment style.
•Information
Technology Sector Risk. Market
or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies
that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on
the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information
technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is
particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid
product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically
and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower
production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that
rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned
companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information
technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property
rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect
profitability.
•Common
Stock Risk:
Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. Holders of common
stock are generally subject to greater risk than holders of preferred stocks and
debt securities because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to
receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred
stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors. Furthermore. common stocks are
susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and
decreases in value as market confidence in, and perceptions of, their issuers
change.
•Market
Capitalization Risks:
◦Large
Capitalized Company Risk:
The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature
compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during
times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes.
◦Mid
Capitalized Company Risk: The
securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of
large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies
generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more
unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market
as a whole. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines,
markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate
on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.
◦Smaller
Capitalized or Unseasoned Company Risk: Investments
in small capitalization companies may involve greater risks, as these companies
tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial or managerial
resources. Small cap stocks often also have a more limited trading market, such
that the Adviser may not be able to sell stocks at an optimal time or price. In
addition, less frequently-traded securities may be subject to more abrupt price
movements than securities of larger capitalized companies.
◦Micro-Capitalized
Company Risk:
Investments in micro capitalization companies may involve greater risks, as
these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial or
managerial resources. Micro cap stocks often also have a more limited trading
market, such that the Adviser may not be able to sell stocks at an optimal time
or price. In addition, less frequently traded securities may be subject to more
abrupt price movements than securities of larger capitalized
companies.
•Market
Risk:
The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may be adversely affected
by fluctuations in the financial markets, regardless of how well the companies
in which the Fund invests perform. The market as a whole may not favor the types
of investments the Fund makes. Also, there is the risk that the price(s) of one
or more of the securities or other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will fall
or will fail to rise. Many factors can adversely affect a security’s
performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors
related to a specific company, government, industry, country, or geographic
region. Extraordinary events, including extreme economic or political
conditions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and other factors can
lead to volatility in local, regional, or global markets, which can result in
market losses that may be substantial. The impact of one of these types of
events may be more pronounced in certain regions, sectors, industries, or asset
classes in which the Fund invests, or it may be pervasive across the global
financial markets. The timing and occurrence of future market disruptions cannot
be predicted, nor can the impact that government interventions, if any, adopted
in response to such disruptions may have on the investment strategies of the
Fund or the markets in which the Fund invests.
•Recent
Market Events Risk:
U.S. and international markets have experienced significant periods of
volatility in recent months and years due to a number of economic, political and
global macro factors including the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a
global pandemic and related public health issues, growth concerns in the U.S.
and overseas, uncertainties regarding interest rates, trade tensions and the
threat of tariffs imposed by the U.S. and other countries. In particular, the
spread of COVID-19 worldwide has at times resulted in disruptions to supply
chains and customer activity, stress on the global healthcare system, temporary
and permanent layoffs in the private sector and rising unemployment claims,
reduced consumer spending, quarantines, cancellations, market declines, the
closing of borders, restrictions on travel, changed travel and social behaviors
and widespread concern and uncertainty, all of which may lead to a substantial
economic downturn or recession in the U.S. and global economies. The recovery
from the effects of COVID-19 is uncertain and may last for an extended period of
time. Health crises and related political, social and economic disruptions
caused by the spread of COVID-19 may also exacerbate other pre-existing
political, social and economic risks in certain countries. As a result, the risk
environment remains elevated. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to
manage the Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment
objective, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing
so.
•ETF
Risks:
The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the
following risks:
◦Authorized
Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration
Risk: The
Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized
Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market
makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of
the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and
possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or unwilling or
otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders (either
because of valuation difficulties or for other reasons), and no other AP is able
or willing to step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers
and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their
business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their
functions.
◦Costs
of Buying or Selling Shares:
Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage
commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker.
Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant
proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts
of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of
the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares
(the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares
(the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as
the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares
based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if Shares
have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little
trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base
in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may
cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares,
including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce
investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for
investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
◦Shares
May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV: As
with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market
prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate
the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than
the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount), which may
be due to supply and demand of Shares or other reasons. This risk is heightened
in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods
when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in
which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. If an investor
purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of
the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV
of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any
losses caused by a decrease in NAV. For example, during a “flash crash,” the
market prices of Shares may decline suddenly and significantly. Such a decline
may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by the Fund.
Flash crashes may cause APs and other market makers to limit or cease trading in
Shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders could suffer significant
losses to the extent that they sell Shares at these temporarily low market
prices. To the extent that the Fund holds securities that trade on foreign
exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the
Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of ETFs
that hold only domestic securities.
◦Trading:
Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or
traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can
be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be
maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for
reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable.
In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts
caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker”
rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the
S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g.,
7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading
in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the
market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with
any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the
liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying
portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.
•Limited
Operating History:
The Fund is a recently organized investment company with a limited operating
history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or
history on which to base their investment decision. The Fund may also experience
low trading volume and wide bid/ask spreads and may face the risk of being
delisted if the Fund does not meet certain conditions of the Exchange. If the
Fund were to be required to delist from the Exchange the value of the Fund may
rapidly decline and performance may be negatively impacted. In addition, any
resulting liquidation of the Fund could cause the Fund to incur elevated
transaction costs for the Fund and negative tax consequences for its
shareholders.
•Foreign
and Emerging Market Risk: The
risks of investing in foreign companies, including those located in emerging
market countries, can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may
include currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, less
government regulation, less publicly available information, limited trading
markets, differences in financial reporting standards, including recordkeeping
standards and less stringent regulation of securities markets. Foreign
securities markets generally have less volume than U.S. securities exchanges and
securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than
securities of comparable U.S. companies. Additional risks include future
political and economic
developments,
the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction might impose or increase withholding
taxes on income payable with respect to foreign securities, the possible
seizure, nationalization or expropriation of the foreign issuer or foreign
deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire investment in a certain
market) and the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions such as
exchange controls. These risks are typically greater in emerging markets
countries.
•Management
Risk:
Because the Fund is actively managed, an investment in the Fund is subject to
the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses applied by the Adviser
will not produce the desired results, and that the Fund’s investments may
underperform the market or applicable benchmarks.
•Non-Diversification
Risk.
The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest
more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of
issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more
exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual
issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This
may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively
smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s
performance.
PORTFOLIO
HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information
about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings will be available at
www.jacobforwardetf.com. A complete description of the Fund’s policies and
procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is
available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment
Adviser
The
Adviser, Jacob Asset Management of New York LLC, a federally registered
investment adviser, is a Delaware limited liability company with its principal
office located at 727 2nd
Street #106, Hermosa Beach, California 90254. Pursuant to the Fund’s Investment
Advisory Agreement, the Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio of securities and
makes the decisions with respect to the purchase and sale of investments,
subject to the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors. The Adviser
is also responsible for overseeing the performance of the Fund’s administrator
and other service providers. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund
pays the Adviser a management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly,
at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
The
management fee is structured as a “unified fee.” Therefore, under the Investment
Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all ordinary operating
expenses of the Fund, except for the following expenses, each of which is paid
by the Fund: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory
Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, taxes, brokerage commissions and
other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of
securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses,
accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary or non-routine expenses, and
distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan
adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
A
discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Directors’ approval of the
Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s Annual Report to
Shareholders for the fiscal period ending August 31, 2021.
Portfolio
Managers
The
following individuals are the Fund’s portfolio managers, each of whom is jointly
and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s
portfolio:
Ryan
I. Jacob
is the Lead Portfolio Manager of and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Fund. Mr. Jacob is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of
the Adviser, as well as President of Jacob Funds Inc. He has served as Lead
Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund’s inception. Mr. Jacob serves as
the Lead Portfolio Manager and a Co-Portfolio Manager for other series of Jacob
Funds Inc. Mr. Jacob also served as a financial analyst for Lepercq, de Neuflize
& Co. Inc. from September 1998 to June 1999 and as an analyst for Horizon
Asset Management from October 1994 through August 1998. Mr. Jacob also served as
the Director of Research for IPO Value Monitor, an investment related research
service from 1996 to August 1998. Previously, Mr. Jacob was an assistant
portfolio manager in the private clients group at Bankers Trust from October
1992 through October 1994. Mr. Jacob, a graduate of Drexel University, has over
27 years of investment experience.
Darren
Chervitz
has served as a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund’s inception. Mr.
Chervitz serves as the Lead Portfolio Manager and a Co-Portfolio Manager for
other series of Jacob Funds Inc. He has served as the Director of Research for
the Adviser since 1999. Prior to his employment with the Adviser, Mr. Chervitz
was a financial editor and reporter for CBS MarketWatch from August 1996 to July
1999. Mr. Chervitz was also a technology stock analyst for ZDTV from August 1996
to July 1999. Mr. Chervitz has over 23 years of financial industry and
investment experience.
The
Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’
compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage, and
the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.
HOW
TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may
acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for
redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. Each AP must be a member or participant
of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant
Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that
has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and
redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary
market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most
investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers.
Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be
bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded
securities.
When
buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage
commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the bid-ask spread on
your transactions. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at
market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares, and receive less
than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book
Entry
Shares
are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all
outstanding Shares.
Investors
owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its
participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s
participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies,
clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly
maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you
are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have
Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of
Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely
upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same
as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or
“street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent
Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The
Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of
Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board
evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases
and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem
Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help
keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates
frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also
determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase
portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To
minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the
Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and
redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by
the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the
right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination
of NAV
The
Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New
York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, each day
the NYSE is open for business. The NAV is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net
assets by its Shares outstanding.
In
calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market
quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing
service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If such information is
not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable,
the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established
by the Board (as described below).
Fair
Value Pricing
The
Board has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities
whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable.
For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been
de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s
primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a
security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or
(iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after
the close of the security’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing
a security, the Fund will take into account all reasonably available information
that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to,
fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the
issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or
specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to
fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in
accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and the fair value methodologies
included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and
variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the
Adviser will be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the
sale of such security.
Investments
by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1)
of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the
securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered
investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set
forth in
section
12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in any applicable
SEC exemptive order or rule under the 1940 Act, including that such investment
companies enter into an agreement with the Fund.
Delivery
of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding
is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a
method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which
a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who
share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different
names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If
you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of
prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer.
If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your
householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS,
DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
Dividends
and Distributions
The
Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, and distribute any net realized
capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and
pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be
reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through
whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is
responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to
you.
Taxes
The
following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax
considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment
in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor
about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible
application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The
Fund intends to elect and qualify each year for treatment as a regulated
investment company (“RIC”) under the Code. If it meets certain minimum
distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on
income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders.
However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution
requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in
fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for
distribution to shareholders.
Unless
your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged
account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax
consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed
on the Exchange; and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional
investors only).
Taxes
on Distributions
The
Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net
investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes,
distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or
qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are
determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them,
rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets
held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital
gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less
generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the
Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net
short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain
dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains,
which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up
to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions
of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income.
Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive
them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions
reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to
non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains,
provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend
income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or
certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession
or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In
addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain
foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily
tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Certain of the Fund’s
investment strategies may limit its ability to make distributions eligible for
the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income.
Shortly
after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the character of
any distributions received from the Fund.
U.S.
individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8%
Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,”
which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally
including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of
Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net
investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
In
general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in
which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be
treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally
taxable even if they are paid
from
income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were
included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You
may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other
distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though
it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If
the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of
the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of
capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be
taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a
higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a
shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess
of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from
the sale of the Shares.
If
you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a
foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by
the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%,
unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Fund may, under certain circumstances,
report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a
“short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this
30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met.
The
Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder
owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a
percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to
any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification
number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to
certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes
When Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any
capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a
long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year
and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year
or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or
less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain
Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses
may be limited.
Taxes
on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An
AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax
purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain
or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of
the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate
basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the
Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally
recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s
basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the
securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The
Internal Revenue Service may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon
an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under
the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their
holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic
position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor
with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be
deductible.
Any
capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally
treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than
one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for
one year or less, assuming such Creation Units are held as a capital asset.
The
Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery
of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may
sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption
proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital
gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied
the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it
includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of
Creation Units.
Foreign
Taxes
To
the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign
withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from
sources in foreign countries.
The
foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current
federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for
personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund
distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the
potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax
laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income
Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
The
Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the
SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis
and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role
in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or
sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 111 East Kilbourn
Avenue, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
The
Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, the Fund is authorized to
pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain
distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No
Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Fund, and there are no plans to impose
these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future,
because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will
increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other
types of sales charges.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT
INFORMATION
After
the Fund’s first quarter of operations, information regarding how often Shares
traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e.,
at a premium) or below (i.e.,
at a discount) the NAV of the Fund will be available, free of charge, on the
Fund’s website at www.jacobforwardetf.com.
ADDITIONAL
NOTICES
Shares
are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange is not
responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of, the timing,
prices, or quantities of Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or
calculation of the equation by which Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no
obligation or liability to owners of Shares in connection with the
administration, marketing, or trading of Shares.
Without
limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability
for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages
even if notified of the possibility thereof.
The
Adviser and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to
the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of
investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly.
FINANCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS
The
financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s
financial performance for the past five years or fewer. Certain information
reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the
table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an
investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and
distributions). This information has been audited by BBD, LLP, whose report,
along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the Fund’s most
recent annual report, which is available upon request.
The
table below sets forth financial data for a share of the Fund outstanding
throughout each year/period presented.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Year
Ended August 31, 2022 |
|
Period
Ended
August
31, 2021(1) |
|
Per
Share Data: |
|
|
| |
Net
asset value, beginning of year/period |
$ |
20.94 |
|
| $ |
20.00 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
Income
(loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
| |
Net
investment loss(2) |
(0.11) |
|
| (0.02) |
| |
Net
realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on
investment transactions |
(11.53) |
|
| 0.96 |
| |
Total
from investment operations |
(11.64) |
|
| 0.94 |
| |
Less
distributions from net investment income |
(0.07) |
|
| — |
| |
Net
asset value, end of year/period |
$ |
9.23 |
|
| $ |
20.94 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
Total
returns: |
|
|
| |
Net
Asset Value(3) |
-55.75 |
% |
| 4.70 |
% |
(5) |
Market
Value(4) |
-55.59 |
% |
| 4.55 |
% |
(5) |
|
|
|
| |
Supplemental
data and ratios: |
|
|
| |
Net
assets, end of year/period (in thousands) |
$ |
3,416 |
|
| $ |
7,538 |
| |
Ratio
of operating expenses to average net assets |
0.75 |
% |
| 0.75 |
% |
(6) |
Ratio
of net investment loss to average net assets |
(0.75) |
% |
| (0.75) |
% |
(6) |
Portfolio
turnover rate(7) |
62 |
% |
| 3 |
% |
(5) |
_______________
(1)Commencement
of investment operations on July 13, 2021.
(2)Net
investment loss per share represents net investment loss divided by the average
shares outstanding throughout the year/period.
(3)Net
asset value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at
the net asset value at the beginning of the year/period, reinvestment of all
dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period and redemption
on the last day of the period at net asset value.
(4)Market
value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at market
value at the beginning of the year/period, reinvestment of all dividends and
distributions at net asset value during the period and redemption on the last
day of the period at market value. The market value is determined by the
midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00 p.m. from the NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange.
Market value returns may vary from net asset value returns.
(5)Not
annualized
(6)Annualized.
(7)Portfolio
turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
January
5, 2023
JACOB
FORWARD ETF
a
series of Jacob Funds Inc.
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC
1-888-JACOB-FX (522-6239)
www.jacobforwardetf.com.
|
|
|
|
| |
Investment
Adviser
Jacob
Asset Management of New York LLC
Administrator
and Transfer Agent
and
Dividend Agent
U.S.
Bank Global Fund Services
Underwriter
and Distributor
Quasar
Distributors, LLC |
Custodian
U.S. Bank N.A.
Legal
Counsel
Stradley
Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
BBD,
LLP |
A
Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides additional detailed
information about the Fund. A current SAI dated January 5, 2023, as supplemented
from time to time, is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional
information about the Fund’s investment is available in the Fund’s annual
and
semi-annual
reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the
market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the
Fund’s performance after the first fiscal year the Fund is in operation. You may
obtain the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports without charge on the
Fund’s website
(www.jacobforwardetf.com) or
by calling the Fund at 1-888-JACOB-FX.
To
request other information or to make inquiries, please call your financial
intermediary or the Fund.
You
may visit the SEC’s Internet website (www.sec.gov) to view the SAI, material
incorporated by reference, and other information on the EDGAR database. In
addition, copies of these materials may be obtained, upon payment of a
duplicating fee, by sending an e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov.
Registration
No. 811-09447