Horizon Active Asset Allocation Fund

Advisor Class (HASAX)

Institutional Class (HASIX)

Investor Class (AAANX)

Horizon Active Risk Assist® Fund

Advisor Class (ARAAX)

Institutional Class (ACRIX)

Investor Class (ARANX)

   

Horizon Active Income Fund

Advisor Class (AIHAX)

Institutional Class (AIRIX)

Investor Class (AIMNX)

Horizon Equity Premium Income Fund

Advisor Class (HADUX)

Institutional Class (HIDDX)*

Investor Class (HNDDX)

   

Horizon Defined Risk Fund

Advisor Class (HADRX)

Institutional Class (HIDRX)*

Investor Class (HNDRX)

Horizon Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund

Advisor Class (USRTX)

Institutional Class (USRIX)*

Investor Class (USRAX)

   

Horizon Defensive Core Fund

Advisor Class (HESAX)

Institutional Class (HESIX)*

Investor Class (HESGX)

Horizon Tactical Fixed Income Fund

Advisor Class (HTFAX)

Institutional Class (HTFIX)*

Investor Class (HTFNX)

 

Horizon Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund

Advisor Class (HSMBX)

Institutional Class (HSMIX)*

Investor Class (HSMNX)

 

March 29, 2024

 

The Prospectus provides important information about the Funds that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

 

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

* As of the date of this Prospectus, the Institutional Class shares of the Horizon Equity Premium Income Fund, the Horizon Defined Risk Fund, the Horizon Defensive Core Fund, the Horizon Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund, the Horizon Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund, and the Horizon Tactical Fixed Income Fund have not commenced operations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY SECTIONS

1
Horizon Active Asset Allocation Fund 1
Horizon Active Risk Assist® Fund 7
Horizon Active Income Fund 14
Horizon Equity Premium Income Fund 20
Horizon Defined Risk Fund 26
Horizon Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund 32
Horizon Defensive Core Fund 37
Horizon Tactical Fixed Income Fund 43
Horizon Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund 49
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS' PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES 54
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS 55
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS 65
INVESTMENT ADVISER 65
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS 66
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED 67
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES 69
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES 71
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES 75
TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS, AND DISTRIBUTIONS 75
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF SHARES 77
HOUSEHOLDING 78
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 78
INDEX PROVIDER 78
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 80
PRIVACY NOTICE 102

 

 

SUMMARY SECTIONS

 

Horizon Active Asset Allocation Fund    

 

Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Horizon Active Asset Allocation Fund (the “Allocation Fund”) is capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Allocation Fund: 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Allocation Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional
Class
Investor
Class
Management Fees 0.99% 0.99% 0.99%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None None
Other Expenses 0.18% 0.13% 0.13%
Shareholder Servicing Expenses None None 0.10%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2) 1.62% 1.32% 1.42%

 

(1) This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the underlying funds owned by the Allocation Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Allocation Fund or deducted from Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Allocation Fund, the operating expenses set forth in the Allocation Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure.
(2) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Allocation Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses, such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Allocation Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Allocation Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Allocation Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Allocation Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $165 $511 $881 $1,922
Institutional Class $134 $418 $723 $1,590
Investor Class $145 $449 $776 $1,702

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Allocation 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Allocation Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year ended November 30, 2023, the Allocation Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 247% of the average value of the portfolio.

1

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Allocation Fund

The Allocation Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), seeks to achieve the Allocation Fund’s investment objective by allocating assets across one or more of the following sectors of the global securities markets:

 

U.S. Common Stocks
Foreign Developed Market Common Stocks
Emerging Market Common Stocks
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
Government Bonds
Corporate Bonds
International Bonds
Municipal Bonds
High Yield Bonds

 

Horizon selects asset classes using a flexible approach that allocates the Allocation Fund’s portfolio between asset classes that Horizon believes offer the opportunity for the highest projected return for a given amount of risk. This flexible approach to investing typically seeks to maximize returns by adjusting portfolio asset-allocations among various asset classes based upon near-term forecasts. Horizon assesses projected return and expected risk using a multi-disciplined approach consisting of economic, quantitative and fundamental analysis. Horizon expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve the Allocation Fund’s investment objective.

 

Horizon may execute the Allocation Fund’s strategy by investing in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) or by investing directly in individual securities or baskets of securities. Potential investments are reviewed for trading efficiency, liquidity, risk/return profile, and fit within overall portfolio diversification needs prior to investment. Horizon generally expects to select individual securities or baskets of securities instead of ETFs, when it believes such investments are more cost effective, more operationally efficient or will provide strategic exposure to a specific sector or market segment.

 

Horizon selects investments without restriction as to the issuer country, capitalization, currency, or maturity or credit quality of the securities or the securities held by each ETF. Under normal market conditions, the Allocation Fund invests a majority of its assets in equity securities or ETFs that invest primarily in equity securities; however, the Allocation Fund may invest in fixed income securities, including, without limitation, lower-quality fixed income securities commonly known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, which are generally rated lower than Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) or lower than BBB- by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or in ETFs that invest primarily in such securities. In addition, the Allocation Fund may buy or write options on puts or calls for investment purposes, to hedge other investments or to generate option premiums for the Allocation Fund, and may implement such investments through option combinations such as spreads, straddles, and collars.

 

The Allocation Fund’s option strategies may involve options combinations, such as spreads or collars. In “spread” transactions, the Allocation Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. When the Allocation Fund engages in spread transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. A “collar” position combines a put option purchased by the Allocation Fund (the right of the Allocation Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Allocation Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument, and the Allocation Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterparty’s right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position “collars” the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option. In each case, the premium received for writing an option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding option; however, downside protection may be limited as compared to just owning a single option. There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Allocation Fund may engage; however, the Allocation Fund will not use options for the purpose of increasing the Allocation Fund’s leverage with respect to any portfolio investment.

 

The Allocation Fund will typically sell portfolio securities to adjust portfolio allocations as described above, to seek to secure gains or limit potential losses, or when Horizon otherwise believes it is in the best interest of the Allocation Fund. Depending on market conditions, the Allocation Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy.

 

Principal Risks of the Allocation Fund

Many factors affect the Allocation Fund’s performance. The Allocation Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Allocation Fund invests. The Allocation Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Allocation Fund.

2

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Allocation Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Allocation Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Allocation Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Allocation Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Allocation Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to trading restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

 

Options Risk. Investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Allocation Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Allocation Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Allocation Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Allocation Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium. To the extent the Allocation Fund writes options on individual securities that it does not hold in its portfolio (i.e., “naked” options), it is subject to the risk that a liquid market for the underlying security may not exist at the time an option is exercised or when the Allocation Fund otherwise seeks to close out an option position. Naked call options, in particular, have speculative characteristics and the potential for unlimited loss.

 

ETF Risk. To the extent that the Allocation Fund invests in ETFs, you will indirectly pay fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Allocation Fund’s direct fees and expenses. As a result, the cost of investing in the Allocation Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETF shares and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the ETF and its underlying investments. These risks could include sector risk (increased risk from a focus on one or more sectors of the market), liquidity risk (risk that the Allocation Fund cannot dispose of its shares of the ETF promptly without a reduction in value) and risks associated with fixed income securities or foreign currencies.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”); Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which the Allocation Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or reduced liquidity. If the Allocation Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Allocation Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Allocation Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Allocation Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a stock’s performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular stocks in the Allocation Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Allocation Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select stocks based on quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Allocation Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Allocation Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Allocation Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Allocation Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

3

 

Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in securities of foreign companies, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect shareholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Allocation Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Fixed Income Risk. The value of investments in fixed income securities, options on fixed income securities and securities in which the underlying investments are fixed income securities, are expected to fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed income securities owned by the Allocation Fund or its underlying investments. Issuers of floating rate debt are exposed to higher interest payments in a rising rate environment. Issuers may default on interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings (“junk bonds”) have greater credit risk.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Allocation Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Allocation Fund’s performance.

 

Foreign Currency Risk. Foreign currency-linked investments risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies in which the underlying investment is long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in securities issued by companies whose principal business activities are outside the United States, or investing in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or ETFs focusing on such companies, may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies, and they are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of greater price volatility and possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations or currency exchange rates, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of cash or other assets from foreign markets, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments, which could affect such investments.

 

High Yield or Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality fixed income securities, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk).These investments are considered to be speculative in nature.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Allocation Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Allocation Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Allocation Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Allocation Fund or impairing its operations.

 

Real Estate Risk. Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.

 

Smaller and Medium Issuer Risk. Small and medium capitalization companies may be more vulnerable than larger, more established organizations to adverse business or economic developments. In addition, small and medium capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

 

Performance

 

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Allocation Fund by showing the Allocation Fund’s average returns for the last ten calendar years. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Allocation Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as an additional index that reflects the market sectors in which the Allocation Fund may invest. The Allocation Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Allocation Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

4

 

The Allocation Fund is the successor to the investment performance of the Predecessor Allocation Fund as a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Allocation Fund into the Allocation Fund on February 8, 2016. Accordingly, the performance information shown prior to February 8, 2016 is that of the Predecessor Allocation Fund. The Predecessor Allocation Fund was also advised by Horizon and had substantially the same investment objective, strategies and policies as the Allocation Fund.

 

Calendar Year Returns as of December 31

Investor Class

 

 

Year

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 18.28% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2020). The worst performance was -22.34% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2020).

 

Active Asset Allocation Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Five Years Ten Years*

Since Inception

of Class*

Investor Class        
Return Before Taxes 17.24% 10.30% 6.80% 8.27%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 17.08% 8.76% 5.01% 6.38%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 10.42% 7.74% 4.71% 5.91%
Advisor Class        
Return Before Taxes 16.95% 10.12% N/A 8.38%
Institutional Class        
Return Before Taxes 17.29% 10.40% N/A 9.01%
S&P 500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.29% 15.69% 12.03% 13.62%
S&P Global BMI ex-US Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 15.62% 7.13% 4.08% 5.50%

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on January 31, 2012. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on September 4, 2015, and Institutional Class shares commenced operations on September 9, 2016. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Allocation Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

The S&P 500 Total Return Index is an unmanaged market capitalization-weighted index which is comprised of the largest U.S. domiciled companies and includes the reinvestment of all dividends. The S&P Global BMI ex-U.S. Index is a comprehensive, rules-based index that represents the composition of global stock markets. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Allocation Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Allocation Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Allocation Fund since 2018. Dr. Dickson and Mr. Hill have been Co-Portfolio Managers of the Allocation Fund since 2020.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Allocation Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Allocation Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Allocation Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Allocation Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

 

Tax Information. The Allocation Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Allocation Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Allocation Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Allocation Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

6

 

Horizon Active Risk Assist® Fund    

 

Investment Objective: The investment objective of the Horizon Active Risk Assist® Fund (the “Risk Assist Fund”) is to capture the majority of the returns associated with equity market investments, while mitigating downside risk through use of a risk overlay strategy (the “Risk Assist strategy”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Risk Assist Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Risk Assist Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional
Class

Investor

Class

Management Fees 0.99% 0.99% 0.99%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None None
Other Expenses 0.12% 0.12% 0.12%
Interest Expense 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Remainder of Other Expenses 0.11% 0.11% 0.11%
Shareholder Servicing Expenses None None 0.10%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) 0.11% 0.11% 0.11%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2) 1.47% 1.22% 1.32%

 

(1) This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the underlying funds owned by the Risk Assist Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Risk Assist Fund or deducted from Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Risk Assist Fund, the operating expenses set forth in the Risk Assist Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure.
(2) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the Ratio to average net assets included in the Risk Assist Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Risk Assist Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Risk Assist Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Risk Assist Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Risk Assist Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $150 $465 $803 $1,757
Institutional Class $124 $387 $670 $1,477
Investor Class $134 $418 $723 $1,590

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Risk Assist 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Risk Assist Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Risk Assist Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 176% of the average value of the portfolio.

7

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Risk Assist Fund

The Risk Assist Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), seeks to achieve the Risk Assist Fund’s investment objective by using a multi-discipline active asset allocation investment approach. Horizon allocates the Risk Assist Fund’s assets across various sectors of the global securities markets. In addition, Horizon seeks to mitigate downside risk through its Risk Assist strategy, which is an active risk reduction strategy intended to guard against large declines in an equity portfolio.

 

Global Securities Strategy

 

Horizon executes its global securities allocation strategy by allocating assets across one or more of the following sectors of the global securities markets:

 

U.S. Common Stocks
Foreign Developed Market Common Stocks
Emerging Market Common Stocks
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
Government Bonds
Corporate Bonds
International Bonds
Municipal Bonds
High Yield Bonds

 

Horizon selects asset classes using a flexible approach that allocates the Risk Assist Fund’s portfolio between asset classes that Horizon believes offer the opportunity for the highest projected return for a given amount of risk. This flexible approach to investing typically seeks to maximize returns by adjusting portfolio asset-allocations among various asset classes based upon near-term forecasts. Horizon assesses projected return and expected risk using a multi-disciplined approach consisting of economic, quantitative and fundamental analysis. Horizon expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve the Risk Assist Fund’s investment objective. Depending on market conditions, the Risk Assist Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy.

 

Horizon may execute the Risk Assist Fund’s strategy by investing in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) or by investing directly in individual securities or baskets of securities. Potential investments are reviewed for trading efficiency, liquidity, risk/return profile, and fit within overall portfolio diversification needs prior to investment. Horizon generally expects to select individual securities or baskets of securities instead of ETFs, when it believes such investments are more cost effective, more operationally efficient or will provide strategic exposure to a specific sector or market segment.

 

Horizon selects investments without restriction as to the issuer country, capitalization, currency, or maturity or credit quality of the securities or the securities held by each ETF. Under normal market conditions, the Risk Assist Fund invests a majority of its assets in equity securities or ETFs that invest primarily in equity securities; however, the Risk Assist Fund may invest in fixed income securities, including, without limitation, lower-quality fixed income securities commonly known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, which are generally rated lower than Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) or lower than BBB- by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or in ETFs that invest primarily in such securities. In addition, the Risk Assist Fund may buy or write options on puts or calls for investment purposes, to hedge other investments or to generate option premiums for the Risk Assist Fund, and may implement such investments through option combinations such as spreads, straddles, and collars.

 

The Risk Assist Fund’s option strategies may involve options combinations, such as spreads or collars. In “spread” transactions, the Risk Assist Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. When the Risk Assist Fund engages in spread transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. A “collar” position combines a put option purchased by the Risk Assist Fund (the right of the Risk Assist Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Risk Assist Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument, and the Risk Assist Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterparty’s right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position “collars” the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option. In each case, the premium received for writing an option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding option; however, downside protection may be limited as compared to just owning a single option. There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Risk Assist Fund may engage; however, the Risk Assist Fund will not use options for the purpose of increasing the Risk Assist Fund’s leverage with respect to any portfolio investment.

 

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Additional Overlay: Risk Assist Strategy

 

Under the Risk Assist strategy, Horizon continually measures market conditions with a specific focus on characteristics that indicate abnormal or severe risk conditions (such as increases in market volatility and decreases in global equity markets), in order to apply a proprietary process that prompts a risk reduction of the portfolio. Horizon executes this strategy by investing up to 100% of the Risk Assist Fund’s portfolio in U.S. Treasuries or U.S. Treasury-focused securities, which may include, without limitation, Treasury bonds, Treasury notes, Treasury Inflated Protection Securities (collectively, “U.S. Treasury Securities”), U.S. Government money market funds, exchange traded options on U.S. Treasury Securities, repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury Securities, or ETFs that invest in any of the foregoing. The Risk Assist Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Securities without regard to maturity or duration.

 

Although Horizon may allocate 100% of the Risk Assist Fund’s assets to the Risk Assist strategy, it is not required to. Instead, Horizon employs the Risk Assist strategy in stages, and Horizon may allocate between 0% and 100% of the Risk Assist Fund’s assets to the Risk Assist strategy, depending on Horizon’s determination of current market risk.

 

The Risk Assist Fund will typically sell portfolio securities to adjust portfolio allocations as described above, to seek to secure gains or limit potential losses, or when Horizon otherwise believes it is in the best interest of the Risk Assist Fund.

 

The Risk Assist Fund’s algorithm also includes a process by which it systematically raises the loss tolerance limit in an effort to protect investment gains within the portfolio. The result of this process is referred to as a “ratchet”. To implement the ratchet, Horizon first determines the lowest portfolio value that the algorithm is calculated to accommodate during any 12-month period. As the Risk Assist’s portfolio value grows (typically when the portfolio has experienced 3-5% of appreciation, depending on market conditions), the Risk Assist algorithm will increase (i.e., “ratchet” up) the value of the loss tolerance limit in an attempt to protect those gains.

 

Risk Assist is a registered trademark of Horizon Investments, LLC and is used herein with its permission.

 

Principal Risks of the Risk Assist Fund

 

Many factors affect the Risk Assist Fund’s performance. The Risk Assist Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Risk Assist Fund invests. The Risk Assist Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Risk Assist Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Risk Assist Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Risk Assist Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Risk Assist Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Risk Assist Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Risk Assist Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to trading restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

 

Options Risk. Investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Risk Assist Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Risk Assist Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Risk Assist Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Risk Assist Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium. To the extent the Risk Assist Fund writes options on individual securities that it does not hold in its portfolio (i.e., “naked” options), it is subject to the risk that a liquid market for the underlying security may not exist at the time an option is exercised or when the Risk Assist Fund otherwise seeks to close out an option position. Naked call options, in particular, have speculative characteristics and the potential for unlimited loss.

 

ETF Risk. To the extent that the Risk Assist Fund invests in ETFs, you will indirectly pay fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Risk Assist Fund’s direct fees and expenses. As a result, the cost of investing in the Risk Assist Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETF shares and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the ETF and its underlying investments. These risks could include sector risk (increased risk from a focus on one or more sectors of the market), liquidity risk (risk that the Risk Assist Fund cannot dispose of its shares of the ETF promptly without a reduction in value) and risks associated with fixed income securities or foreign currencies.

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Fluctuation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”); Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which the Risk Assist Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or reduced liquidity. If the Risk Assist Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Risk Assist Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Risk Assist Strategy Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Risk Assist strategy, including the ratchet function, will be successful in preventing losses in the Risk Assist Fund’s portfolio. Because the Risk Assist strategy may be implemented in stages, the Risk Assist Fund may have market exposure during times when the Risk Assist strategy is being implemented. To the extent that the Risk Assist strategy is implemented, the Risk Assist Fund will likely not benefit from capital appreciation or income from the equity markets.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Risk Assist Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

 

Fixed Income Risk. The value of investments in fixed income securities, options on fixed income securities and securities in which the underlying investments are fixed income securities, are expected to fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed income securities owned by the Risk Assist Fund or its underlying investments. Issuers of floating rate debt are exposed to higher interest payments in a rising rate environment. Issuers may default on interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings (“junk bonds”) have greater credit risk.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Risk Assist Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Risk Assist Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a stock’s performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular stocks in the Risk Assist Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Risk Assist Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select stocks based on quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Risk Assist Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Risk Assist Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Risk Assist Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Risk Assist Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in securities of foreign companies, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect shareholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Risk Assist Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Risk Assist Fund’s performance.

 

Foreign Currency Risk. Foreign currency-linked investment risk includes market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies in which the Risk Assist Fund’s underlying investments are long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in securities issued by companies whose principal business activities are outside the United States, or investing in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or ETFs focusing on such companies, may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies, and they are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of greater price volatility and possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations or currency exchange rates, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of cash or other assets from foreign markets, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments, which could affect such investments.

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High Yield or Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality fixed income securities, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk). These investments are considered to be speculative in nature.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Risk Assist Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Risk Assist Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Risk Assist Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Risk Assist Fund or impairing its operations.

 

Real Estate Risk. Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.

 

Smaller and Medium Issuer Risk. Small and medium capitalization companies may be more vulnerable than larger, more established organizations to adverse business or economic developments. In addition, small and medium capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

 

Performance 

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Risk Assist Fund by showing the Risk Assist Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Risk Assist Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as additional indices that reflect the market sectors in which the Risk Assist Fund may invest. The Risk Assist Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Risk Assist Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

The Risk Assist Fund is the successor to the investment performance of the Predecessor Risk Assist Fund as a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Risk Assist Fund into the Risk Assist Fund on February 8, 2016. Accordingly, the performance information shown prior to February 8, 2016 is that of the Predecessor Risk Assist Fund. The Predecessor Risk Assist Fund was also advised by Horizon and had substantially the same investment objective, strategies and policies as the Risk Assist Fund.

 

Calendar Year Returns as of December 31

Investor Class

 

 

Year

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 13.17% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2020). The worst performance was -16.67% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2020).

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Active Risk Assist Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Five Years

Since Inception

of Class*

Investor Class      
Return Before Taxes 16.69% 5.90% 3.98%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 16.52% 5.17% 3.22%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 10.10% 4.40% 2.87%
Advisor Class      
Return Before Taxes 16.53% 5.74% 5.01%
Institutional Class      
Return Before Taxes 16.83% 6.02% 5.69%
S&P 500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.29% 15.69% 13.70%
S&P Global BMI ex-US Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 15.62% 7.13% 5.85%
Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 5.53% 1.10% 0.88%

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on August 29, 2014. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on September 4, 2015, and Institutional Class shares commenced operations on September 9, 2016. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Risk Assist Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

The S&P 500 Total Return Index is an unmanaged market capitalization-weighted index which is comprised of the largest U.S. domiciled companies and includes the reinvestment of all dividends. The S&P Global BMI ex-US Index is a comprehensive, rules-based index that represents the composition of global stock markets. The Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index that covers the USD denominated, investment-grade (rated Baa3 or above by Moody’s), fixed-rate, and taxable areas of the bond market. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Risk Assist Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Risk Assist Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Risk Assist Fund since its inception in September 2014, Dr. Dickson has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Risk Assist Fund since 2018 and Mr. Hill has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Risk Assist Fund since 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Risk Assist Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Risk Assist Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Risk Assist Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Risk Assist Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

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Tax Information. The Risk Assist Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Risk Assist Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Risk Assist Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Risk Assist Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Horizon Active Income Fund    

 

Investment Objective: The investment objective of the Horizon Active Income Fund (the “Income Fund”) is income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Income Fund:

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Income Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional
Class

Investor

Class

Management Fees 0.77% 0.77% 0.77%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None None
Other Expenses 0.14% 0.14% 0.14%
Shareholder Servicing Expenses None None 0.10%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) 0.31% 0.31% 0.31%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2) 1.47% 1.22% 1.32%

 

(1) This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the underlying funds owned by the Income Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Income Fund or deducted from Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Income Fund, the operating expenses set forth in the Income Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure.
(2) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Income Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Income Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Income Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Income Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Income Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $150 $465 $803 $1,757
Institutional Class $124 $387 $670 $1,477
Investor Class $134 $418 $723 $1,590

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Income 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Income Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Income Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 175% of the average value of the portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Income Fund

The Income Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), seeks to achieve the Income Fund’s investment objective by allocating assets across various sectors of the global securities markets. Horizon executes this strategy by investing in “income-producing securities”, which Horizon defines as including any of the following: equity securities that are expected to pay a dividend; fixed-income securities; cash equivalents; sovereign debt (including U.S. treasuries); fixed and floating rate securities of publicly traded companies; convertible bonds; preferred stock; master limited partnerships (“MLPs”); mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”); and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

 

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Horizon selects asset classes using a flexible approach that allocates the Income Fund’s portfolio between asset classes that Horizon believes offer the opportunity for the highest projected return for a given amount of risk. This flexible approach to investing typically seeks to maximize returns by adjusting portfolio asset-allocations among various asset classes based upon near-term forecasts. Horizon assesses projected return and expected risk using a multi-disciplined approach consisting of economic, quantitative and fundamental analysis. Horizon expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve the Income Fund’s investment objective.

 

Horizon may execute the Income Fund’s strategy by investing in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) or by investing directly in individual securities or baskets of securities. Potential investments are reviewed for trading efficiency, liquidity, risk/return profile, and fit within overall portfolio diversification needs prior to investment. Horizon generally expects to select individual securities or baskets of securities instead of ETFs, when it believes such investments are more cost effective, more operationally efficient or will provide strategic exposure to a specific sector or market segment.

 

The Income Fund will invest primarily in U.S. Dollar denominated securities, but may also invest a portion of its assets in non-U.S. Dollar denominated securities. Horizon selects portfolio investments without restriction as to the issuer country, capitalization, currency, maturity or credit quality. In addition, the Income Fund may buy or write options on puts or calls for investment purposes, to hedge other investments or to generate option premiums for the Income Fund, and may implement such investments through option combinations such as spreads, straddles, and collars.

 

The Income Fund’s option strategies may involve options combinations, such as spreads or collars. In “spread” transactions, the Income Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. When the Income Fund engages in spread transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. A “collar” position combines a put option purchased by the Income Fund (the right of the Income Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Income Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument, and the Income Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterparty’s right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position “collars” the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option. In each case, the premium received for writing an option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding option; however, downside protection may be limited as compared to just owning a single option. There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Income Fund may engage; however, the Income Fund will not use options for the purpose of increasing the Income Fund’s leverage with respect to any portfolio investment.

 

The Income Fund will typically sell portfolio securities to adjust portfolio allocations as described above, to seek to secure gains or limit potential losses, or when Horizon otherwise believes it is in the best interest of the Income Fund. Depending on market conditions, the Income Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy.

 

Principal Risks of the Income Fund.

Many factors affect the Income Fund’s performance. The Income Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Income Fund invests. The Income Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Income Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Income Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Income Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Income Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Income Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Income Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to trading restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

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Options Risk. Investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Income Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Income Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Income Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Income Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium. To the extent the Income Fund writes options on individual securities that it does not hold in its portfolio (i.e., “naked” options), it is subject to the risk that a liquid market for the underlying security may not exist at the time an option is exercised or when the Income Fund otherwise seeks to close out an option position. Naked call options, in particular, have speculative characteristics and the potential for unlimited loss.

 

ETF Risk. To the extent the Income Fund invests in ETFs, you will indirectly pay fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Income Fund’s direct fees and expenses. As a result, the cost of investing in the Income Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETF shares and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the ETF and its underlying investments. These risks could include sector risk (increased risk from a focus on one or more sectors of the market), liquidity risk (risk that the Income Fund cannot dispose of its shares of the ETF promptly without a reduction in value) and risks associated with fixed income securities or foreign currencies.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”); Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which the Income Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or reduced liquidity. If the Income Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Income Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Fixed Income Risk. The value of investments in fixed income securities, options on fixed income securities and securities in which the underlying investments are fixed income securities, are expected to fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed income securities owned by the Income Fund or its underlying investments. Issuers of floating rate debt are exposed to higher interest payments in a rising rate environment. Issuers may default on interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings (“junk bonds”) have greater credit risk.

 

Credit Risk. Issuers of fixed-income securities may default on their obligations to make interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings carry a greater risk that the issuer will default on its payment obligations. Fixed-income securities rated in the fourth classification by Moody’s (Baa) and S&P (BBB) or lower (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”) have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of those issuers to make principal or interest payments, as compared to issuers of more highly rated securities. These securities can also be thinly traded or have restrictions on resale, which can make them difficult to sell or adversely affect their market value.

 

Interest Rate Risk. When the Income Fund invests in bonds (either directly or through underlying investments), the value of your investment in the Income Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of bond funds owned by the Income Fund or its underlying investments. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities.

 

High Yield or Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality fixed income securities, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk). These investments are considered to be speculative in nature.

 

MBS Risk. MBS are subject to credit risk because underlying loan borrowers may default. Additionally, these securities are subject to prepayment risk because the underlying loans held by the issuers may be paid off prior to maturity, reducing overall returns.

 

MLP Risk. Investments in MLPs involve risks different from those of investing in common stock including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP’s general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks and risks related to the general partner’s limited call right. MLPs, typically, do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Instead, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income.

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Non-U.S. Government Debt Risk. An investment in debt obligations of non-U.S. governments and their political subdivisions (“sovereign debt”) involves special risks that are not present in corporate debt obligations, including increased volatility and possible foreign government interference. The non-U.S. issuer of the sovereign debt or the non-U.S. governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward its principal international lenders and local political constraints.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Income Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Income Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a stock’s performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular stocks in the Income Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Income Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select stocks based on quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Income Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Income Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Income Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Income Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in securities of foreign companies, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect shareholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Income Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Income Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Income Fund’s performance.

 

Foreign Currency Risk. Currency trading risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies the Income Fund’s underlying investments are long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in securities issued by companies whose principal business activities are outside the United States, or investing in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or ETFs focusing on such companies, may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies, and they are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of greater price volatility and possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations or currency exchange rates, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of cash or other assets from foreign markets, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments, which could affect such investments.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Income Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Risk Assist Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Income Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Income Fund or impairing its operations.

 

Real Estate Risk. Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.

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Performance

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Income Fund by showing the Income Fund’s average returns for the past ten calendar years. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Income Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Income Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Income Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

The Income Fund is the successor to the investment performance of the Predecessor Income Fund as a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Income Fund into the Income Fund on February 8, 2016. Accordingly, the performance information shown prior to February 8, 2016 is that of the Predecessor Income Fund. The Predecessor Income Fund was also advised by Horizon and had substantially the same investment objective, strategies and policies as the Income Fund.

 

Calendar Year Returns as of December 31

Investor Class

 

 

Year

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 7.04% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2023). The worst performance was -6.59% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2022).

 

Active Income Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year  Five Years Ten Years Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class        
Return Before Taxes 5.03% 0.73% 0.34% 0.26%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 3.43% -0.22% -0.53% -0.60%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 2.97% 0.19% -0.07% -0.13%
Advisor Class        
Return Before Taxes 4.89% 0.55% N/A 0.08%
Institutional Class        
Return Before Taxes 5.16% 0.78% N/A -0.07%
Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 5.53% 1.10% 1.81% 1.75%

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on September 30, 2013. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on February 8, 2016, and Institutional Class shares commenced operations on September 9, 2016. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

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After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Income Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and translates into an assumed tax deduction that benefits the shareholder.

 

The Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index that covers the USD denominated, investment-grade (rated Baa3 or above by Moody’s), fixed-rate, and taxable areas of the bond market. Investors cannot directly invest in an index.

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Income Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, and Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Income Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Income Fund since its inception in 2013. Mr. Hill and Mr. Dickson have been a Co-Portfolio Managers of the Income Fund since 2019.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Income Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the sections titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Income Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Income Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Income Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

 

Tax Information. The Income Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Income Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Income Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Income Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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HORIZON EQUITY PREMIUM INCOME FUND (formerly, Horizon Active Dividend Fund)    

 

Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Horizon Equity Premium Income Fund (the “Equity Premium Income Fund”) is capital appreciation and current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Equity Premium Income Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Equity Premium Income Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional
Class

Investor

Class

Management Fees 0.75% 0.75% 0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None 0.10%
Other Expenses(1) 0.30% 0.28% 0.28%
Expense Recoupment(2) 0.02% 0.00% 0.00%
Interest Expense 0.05% 0.06% 0.06%
Remainder of Other Expenses 0.23% 0.22% 0.22%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(3) 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(4) 1.36% 1.09% 1.19%

 

(1) “Other Expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year for the Institutional Class.
(2) The Equity Premium Income Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses of the Equity Premium Income Fund, at least until March 31, 2025, so that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Reimbursement (exclusive of front-end or contingent deferred loads; brokerage fees and commissions; acquired fund fees and expenses; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); payments, if any, under a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan; expenses paid with securities lending expense offset credits; taxes; and extraordinary expenses (such as litigation)) do not exceed 0.99% of average daily net assets for each of the Advisor Class, Investor Class and Institutional Class shares; provided, however, that any fees waived and expenses reimbursed are subject to possible recoupment by Horizon, within 36 months after such fees have been waived or expenses reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the lower of the expense limit in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and the expense limit in place at the time of recoupment. This expense waiver agreement can only be terminated by a majority of the Equity Premium Income Fund’s trustees that are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) or a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
(3) This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the underlying funds owned by the Equity Premium Income Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Equity Premium Income Fund or deducted from Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Equity Premium Income Fund, the operating expenses set forth in the Equity Premium Income Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure.
(4) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Equity Premium Income Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Equity Premium Income Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Equity Premium Income Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Equity Premium Income Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Equity Premium Income Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through March 31, 2025. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $138 $426 $736 $1,614
Institutional Class $111 $347 $601 $1,329
Investor Class $121 $378 $654 $1,443

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Equity Premium Income 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Equity Premium Income Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Equity Premium Income Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 4% of the average value of the portfolio.

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Principal Investment Strategies of the Equity Premium Income Fund

The Equity Premium Income Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), seeks to achieve the Equity Premium Income Fund’s investment objective primarily by investing in the equity securities of dividend-paying U.S. large-capitalization companies and selling call options on broad-based securities indices (including, without limitation, the S&P 500).

 

Under normal circumstances, the Equity Premium Income Fund will invest not less than 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. Equity securities include common and preferred stock, convertible debt securities, American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and derivative instruments related thereto. The Equity Premium Income Fund may invest in the equity securities of companies of any size capitalization, although it expects to primarily invest in large capitalization companies. The Fund considers a large market capitalization company to be a company with a market capitalization within the range of one or more companies in the S&P 500 index at the time of purchase.

 

Dividend-Paying Securities. Horizon selects and weights securities using a flexible approach that combines active management with quantitative models to allocate the Equity Premium Income Fund’s portfolio primarily among dividend-paying securities that Horizon believes offer the opportunity for attractive potential return for a given amount of risk. Horizon defines “dividend-paying securities” as equity securities: (i) that have paid a dividend in the prior 12 calendar months; or (ii) that Horizon believes are reasonably likely to pay a dividend in the 12 calendar months following the Fund’s acquisition of the security. In selecting securities for the Equity Premium Income Fund’s portfolio, Horizon seeks to diversify across dividend-paying securities that have one or more attractive fundamentals, such as: high profitability and stable earnings; low price variability; low fundamental valuation measures; and positive price trends. Horizon may add to or modify the characteristics Horizon considers as economic, market and financial conditions change. In constructing the portfolio, Horizon may consider industry and position constraints to ensure sufficient diversification, as determined by Horizon. Depending on market conditions, the Equity Premium Income Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy.

 

Options. The Equity Premium Income Fund seeks to generate additional cash flow, and may reduce volatility, through the sale of call options on broad-based securities indices (including, without limitation, the S&P 500). The Equity Premium Income Fund expects that, under normal circumstances, it will sell call options on a portion of the value of the Fund’s portfolio. As a seller of call options, the Equity Premium Income Fund will receive a premium (cash) from the purchaser of the option, in exchange for which the purchaser of the call option has the right to participate in the underlying index’s gains above the predetermined strike price until the option expires. If the option is exercised, the Fund, as the seller of the call option, must pay the difference between the price of the index and the strike price of the option.

 

During periods where the U.S. equity market is relatively stable, falling, or slightly rising such that the option premiums received by the Fund exceed the appreciation of the index and the strike price, the strategy may outperform an otherwise similar strategy that does not generate additional income from options premiums. Alternatively, during periods of rising markets where gains in the underlying indices exceed the premiums received, the strategy would be expected to underperform an otherwise similar strategy with no option overlay. The Equity Premium Income Fund expects that the underlying portfolio of securities, together with the option overlay, should in the aggregate result in a portfolio with a modest defensive tilt as compared to the S&P 500, designed to outperform in flat to down markets, and expected to underperform in large positive markets.

 

In addition to the sale of call options discussed above, the Equity Premium Income Fund may also buy or write put and call options on individual securities (including ETFs) or securities indices for investment purposes, to hedge other investments, or to generate additional option premiums for the Fund. The Equity Premium Income Fund’s options investments may involve “covered” positions where the Fund may write a call option on an underlying position to generate income. The Equity Premium Income Fund may involve a “collateralized” strategy more generally, where the Fund may write put options on a security whose value is collateralized by cash (“cash-secured puts”) or otherwise collateralized by the Fund’s securities. The Equity Premium Income Fund may also write options on individual securities that it does not hold in its portfolio (i.e., “naked” options), which have the potential for unlimited loss.

 

The Equity Premium Income Fund’s option strategies may also involve options combinations, such as spreads, straddles and collars. In “spread” transactions, the Equity Premium Income Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different strike prices, expiration dates, or both. When the Equity Premium Income Fund engages in spread transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. In “straddles,” the Equity Premium Income purchases a put option and a call option or writes a put option and a call option on the same instrument with the same expiration date and the same strike price. A “collar” position combines a put option purchased by the Equity Premium Income (the right of the Equity Premium Income Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Equity Premium Income Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument, and the Equity Premium Income Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterparty’s right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position “collars” the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option. In each case, the premium received for writing an option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding option; however, downside protection may be limited as compared to just owning a single option. There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Equity Premium Income Fund may engage.

 

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The Equity Premium Income Fund will typically sell portfolio securities to seek to secure gains or limit potential losses when Horizon believes that other more favorable opportunities exist or when Horizon otherwise believes it is in the best interest of the Equity Premium Income Fund.

 

Principal Risks of the Equity Premium Income Fund

Many factors affect the Equity Premium Income Fund’s performance. The Equity Premium Income Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Equity Premium Income Fund invests. The Equity Premium Income Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Equity Premium Income Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Equity Premium Income Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Equity Premium Income Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Equity Premium Income Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Equity Premium Income Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Equity Premium Income Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to trading restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

 

Dividend Yield Risk. While the Equity Premium Income Fund may hold securities of companies that have historically paid a dividend, those companies may reduce or discontinue their dividends in the future, thus reducing income to the Equity Premium Income Fund. Past dividend payments are not a guarantee of future dividend payments. Also, the market return of high dividend yield securities, in certain market conditions, may be worse than the market return of other investment strategies or of markets generally.

 

Domestic Strategy Risk. Because the Equity Premium Income Fund will invest primarily in securities of U.S. issuers, the Equity Premium Income Fund is subject to the risk that certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Equity Premium Income Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Equity Premium Income Fund’s performance.

 

Options Risk. Investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Equity Premium Income Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Equity Premium Income Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Equity Premium Income Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Equity Premium Income Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium. To the extent the Equity Premium Income Fund writes options on individual securities that it does not hold in its portfolio (i.e., “naked” options), it is subject to the risk that a liquid market for the underlying security may not exist at the time an option is exercised or when the Equity Premium Income Fund otherwise seeks to close out an option position. Naked call options, in particular, have speculative characteristics and the potential for unlimited loss.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

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Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Equity Premium Income Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Equity Premium Income Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Equity Premium Income Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Equity Premium Income Fund or impairing its operations.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Equity Premium Income Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Equity Premium Income Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a stock’s performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular stocks in the Equity Premium Income Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Equity Premium Income Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select stocks based on quantitative analysis.

 

Real Estate Risk. Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.

 

Performance  

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Equity Premium Income Fund by showing the Equity Premium Income Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Equity Premium Income Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Equity Premium Income Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Equity Premium Income Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

Calendar Year Return as of December 31

Investor Class

 

 

Year

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 14.01% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2022). The worst performance was -25.37% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2020).

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Equity Premium Income Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Five Years Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class        
Return Before Taxes 6.24% 6.19% 6.30% December 28, 2016
Return After Taxes on Distributions 5.83% 5.52% 5.37% December 28, 2016
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 3.95% 4.77% 4.72% December 28, 2016
Advisor Class        
Return Before Taxes 6.06% 6.03% 5.18% June 20, 2017
S&P 500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.29% 15.69% 13.32% December 28, 2016
MSCI World High Dividend Yield Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)** 10.14% 9.18% 8.18% December 28, 2016
CBOE S&P 500 Buy-Write Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 11.82% 6.08% 5.35% December 28, 2016

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on December 28, 2016. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on June 20, 2017. Institutional Class shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.
** The S&P 500 has replaced the MSCI World High Dividend Yield Index as the Fund’s primary benchmark index. The Adviser believes that the new index is more appropriate given the Fund’s change in investment strategy.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Income Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

The S&P 500 Total Return Index is an unmanaged market capitalization-weighted index which is comprised of the largest U.S. domiciled companies and includes the reinvestment of all dividends. Investors cannot directly invest in an index.

 

Prior to October 3, 2023, the Equity Premium Income Fund compared its performance to the MSCI World High Dividend Yield Index. The MSCI World High Dividend Yield Index is based on the MSCI World Index, its parent index, and includes large- and mid-cap stocks across 23 developed markets countries. The index is designed to reflect the performance of equities in the parent index (excluding REITs) with higher dividend income and quality characteristics than average dividend yields that are both sustainable and persistent. Investors cannot directly invest in an index.

 

The CBOE S&P 500 Buy/Write Index is a benchmark index designed to show the hypothetical performance of a portfolio that engages in a buy-write strategy using S&P 500 index call options.

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Equity Premium Income Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, share responsible for the day-to-day management of the Equity Premium Income Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Dr. Dickson has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Equity Premium Income Fund since 2018, Mr. Ladner and Mr. Hill have been Co-Portfolio Managers of the Equity Premium Income Fund since 2023.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Equity Premium Income Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment for Advisor Class shares is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250. The minimum initial investment for Investor Class shares is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250. The minimum initial investment for Institutional Class shares is $10 million. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares. As of the date of this Prospectus, Institutional Class shares of the Equity Premium Income Fund are not being offered for sale.

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Tax Information. The Equity Premium Income Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary, capital gains, or nontaxable return of capital distributions, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Equity Premium Income Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Equity Premium Income Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Equity Premium Income Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Horizon Defined Risk Fund    

 

Investment Objective: The investment objective of the Horizon Defined Risk Fund (the “Defined Risk Fund”) is capital appreciation and capital preservation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Defined Risk Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Defined Risk Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional

Class

Investor

Class

Management Fees 0.80% 0.80% 0.80%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None 0.10%
Other Expenses(1) 0.55% 0.54% 0.54%
Interest Expense 0.41% 0.40% 0.40%
Remainder of Other Expenses 0.14% 0.14% 0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2) 1.60% 1.34% 1.44%

 

(1) “Other Expenses” is estimated for the current fiscal year for the Institutional Class.
(2) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Defined Risk Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Defined Risk Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Defined Risk Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Defined Risk Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Defined Risk Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 years
Advisor Class $163 $505 $871 $1,900
Institutional Class $136 $425 $734 $1,613
Investor Class $147 $456 $787 $1,724

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Defined Risk 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Defined Risk Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Defined Risk Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 3% of the average value of the portfolio.

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Principal Investment Strategies of the Defined Risk Fund

The Defined Risk Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), seeks to achieve the Defined Risk Fund’s investment objective by investing in a broadly diversified portfolio of equity securities (the “Equity Portfolio”), while seeking to generate income, hedge volatility and reduce the downside risk of the Equity Portfolio by buying and selling put and call options (the “Options Portfolio”). Horizon expects that the combination of the returns from the Equity Portfolio and the potential cash flow, reduced volatility and downside protection from the Options Portfolio will provide the Defined Risk Fund with the potential to capture a majority of the returns associated with the general equity markets with reduced risk and volatility.

 

Equity Portfolio

 

Securities in the Equity Portfolio may include common and preferred stock, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), convertible debt securities, American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), and securities issued by real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

 

Horizon selects equity securities for the Defined Risk Fund’s Equity Portfolio by assessing each security’s projected return and expected risk using a multi-disciplined approach consisting of economic, quantitative and fundamental analysis. 

 

The Equity Portfolio typically focuses on investing in individual stocks. However, the Equity Portfolio may also invest in ETFs or baskets of securities, preferred stock, convertible debt securities, ADRs and REITs when Horizon believes such investments may offer higher return and/or lower risk than individual securities or when Horizon believes such investments will provide strategic exposure to a desired sector or market segment. Potential ETFs are reviewed for sufficient trading liquidity and fit within the overall diversification needs of the Equity Portfolio prior to investment. Horizon selects securities for the Equity Portfolio without restriction as to an issuer’s country or capitalization.

 

The Defined Risk Fund will typically sell equity securities to achieve a desired diversification, to secure gains or limit potential losses or when Horizon otherwise believes it is in the best interest of the Defined Risk Fund. Horizon expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve the Defined Risk Fund’s investment objective.

 

Options Portfolio

 

The Options Portfolio will generally consist of options “collars”, which are options combinations comprised of a written call option or call spread and a purchased put option or put spread on the same underlying security. To implement an options collar, the Defined Risk Fund will write a call option or call spread on the underlying security with a strike price above the price of the underlying security and purchase a corresponding put option or put spread on the same underlying security with a strike price below the price of that security. A call or put “spread” is an option combination whereby the Defined Risk Fund buys an option for investment purposes and writes another option on the same underlying security with the same expiration date, but a different strike price (e.g., a higher strike price in the case of a call and a lower strike price in the case of a put), as a way to offset some of the cost of purchasing the first option.

 

When the Defined Risk Fund writes (sells) a call or put option, it receives a premium from the purchaser, which may be used to offset the price of purchasing other options. In addition to the cash flow generated by the selling options, the Defined Risk Fund will write call options to seek to reduce the volatility of the Equity Portfolio, especially in down or sideways markets. Writing call options will, however, reduce the Defined Risk Fund’s ability to profit from increases in the value of the Equity Portfolio because the Defined Risk Fund will begin to accrue liabilities to the purchaser of the call option once the price of the underlying security rises above the option’s strike price. The Defined Risk Fund will buy corresponding put options in an attempt to protect the Defined Risk Fund from significant market declines in the Equity Portfolio that may occur over short periods of time. The Defined Risk Fund will primarily use exchange-traded options on indexes, ETFs and other individual equity securities, but may also use over-the-counter options when Horizon deems it advisable to do so.

 

The Defined Risk Fund will typically increase its use of options collars when the Adviser’s research indicates that markets are likely to experience volatility, and there is no maximum or minimum amount of assets that the Defined Fund may use to invest in options collars.

 

Horizon uses quantitative techniques to screen the available option universe for options collars that Horizon believes offer the best risk/return characteristics for the Equity Portfolio, taking into account, among other things, the following characteristics:

 

liquidity of underlying instruments
basis risk/tracking error between portfolio & options positions
volatility forecasts
option relative valuation
time to maturity & strike prices

 

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The Defined Risk Fund typically expects to allow the options in the Options Portfolio to expire, but may seek to close out options positions ahead of expiration when Horizon believes it is advantageous to do so.

 

There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Fund may engage; however, the Fund will not use options for the purpose of increasing the Fund’s leverage with respect to any portfolio investment.

 

Principal Risks of the Defined Risk Fund

Many factors affect the Defined Risk Fund’s performance. The Defined Risk Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Defined Risk Fund invests. The Defined Risk Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Defined Risk Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Defined Risk Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Defined Risk Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Defined Risk Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Defined Risk Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Defined Risk Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to trading restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Defined Risk Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Defined Risk Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

 

Options Risk. Investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium. To the extent a Fund writes options on individual securities that it does not hold in its portfolio (i.e., “naked” options), it is subject to the risk that a liquid market for the underlying security may not exist at the time an option is exercised or when the Fund otherwise seeks to close out an option position. Naked call options, in particular, have speculative characteristics and the potential for unlimited loss.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Defined Risk Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Defined Risk Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Defined Risk Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a stock’s performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular stocks in the Defined Risk Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Defined Risk Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select stocks based on quantitative analysis.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in securities issued by companies whose principal business activities are outside the United States, or investing in ADRs or ETFs focusing on such companies, may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies, and they are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of greater price volatility and possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations or currency exchange rates, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of cash or other assets from foreign markets, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments, which could affect such investments.

28

 

Real Estate Risk. Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties the REIT owns, how well the REIT manages those properties, competition faced by the REIT’s properties, market conditions and other factors.

 

ETF Risk. To the extent the Defined Risk Fund invests in ETFs, you will indirectly pay fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Defined Risk Fund’s direct fees and expenses. As a result, the cost of investing in the Defined Risk Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETF shares and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the ETF and its underlying investments. These risks could include sector risk (increased risk from a focus on one or more sectors of the market), liquidity risk (risk that the Defined Risk Fund cannot dispose of its shares of the ETF promptly without a reduction in value) and risks associated with fixed income securities or foreign currencies.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”); Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which the Defined Risk Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or reduced liquidity. If the Defined Risk Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Defined Risk Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Foreign Currency Risk. Foreign currency-linked investment risk includes market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies in which the Defined Risk Fund’s underlying investments are long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Defined Risk Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Defined Risk Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Defined Risk Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Defined Risk Fund or impairing its operations.

 

Smaller and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Small and medium capitalization companies may be more vulnerable than larger, more established organizations to adverse business or economic developments. In addition, small and medium capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

 

Performance

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Defined Risk Fund by showing the Defined Risk Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Defined Risk Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Defined Risk Fund’s performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Defined Risk Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

29

 

Calendar Year Return as of December 31
Investor Class

 

Year

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 8.48% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2020). The worst performance was -12.12% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2020).

 

Defined Risk Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Five Years Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class      
Return Before Taxes 14.97% 7.51% 5.69%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 14.91% 7.34% 5.53%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 8.90% 5.89% 4.45%
Advisor Class      
Return Before Taxes 14.77% 7.34% 5.43%
S&P 500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.29% 15.69% 11.96%
Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Years Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 4.29% 1.28% 1.33%

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on December 28, 2017. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on February 2, 2018. Institutional Class shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Defined Risk Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after tax-returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

The S&P 500 Total Return Index is an unmanaged market capitalization-weighted index which is comprised of the largest U.S. domiciled companies and includes the reinvestment of all dividends. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

The Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Years Index measures the performance of the U.S. government bond market and includes public obligations of the U.S. Treasury with a maturity between 1 and up to (but not including) 3 years. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Defined Risk Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC.

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Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Defined Risk Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner has been a Portfolio Manager of the Defined Risk Fund since its inception in 2016, Dr. Dickson has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Defined Risk Fund since 2018 and Mr. Hill has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Defined Risk Fund since 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Defined Risk Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment for Advisor Class shares is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250. The minimum initial investment for Investor Class shares is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250. The minimum initial investment for Institutional Class shares is $10 million. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares. As of the date of this prospectus, Institutional Class shares of the Defined Risk Fund are not being offered for sale.

 

Tax Information. The Defined Risk Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Defined Risk Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Defined Risk Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Defined Risk Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Horizon Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund (formerly, Horizon U.S. Defensive Equity Fund)     

 

Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Horizon Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund (the “Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund”) is capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional

Class

Investor

Class

Management Fees 0.80% 0.80% 0.80%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None 0.10%
Other Expenses(1) 0.17% 0.19% 0.19%
Expense Recoupment 0.01% 0.02% 0.02%
Remainder of Other Expenses 0.16% 0.17% 0.17%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(2)(3) 1.22% 0.99% 1.09%

 

(1) “Other Expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year for the Institutional Class.
(2) The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund, at least until March 31, 2025, so that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Reimbursement (exclusive of front-end or contingent deferred loads; brokerage fees and commissions; acquired fund fees and expenses; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); payments, if any, under a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan; expenses paid with securities lending expense offset credits; taxes; and extraordinary expenses (such as litigation)) do not exceed 0.99% of average daily net assets for each of the Advisor Class, Investor Class and Institutional Class shares; provided, however, that any fees waived and expenses reimbursed are subject to possible recoupment by Horizon, within 36 months after such fees have been waived or expenses reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the lower of the expense limit in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and the expense limit in place at the time of recoupment. This expense waiver agreement can only be terminated by a majority of the Fund’s trustees that are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) or a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
(3) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through March 31, 2025. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $124 $385 $666 $1,467
Institutional Class $101 $311 $538 $1,192
Investor Class $111 $342 $592 $1,307

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 238% of the average value of the portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund

The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in large and mid-cap U.S. common stocks, and employs defensive techniques, including strategic portfolio positioning, to achieve lower overall volatility as compared to the market generally. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), generally considers large and mid-cap issuers to be those that are within the range of the S&P 500 and S&P 400 indices when purchased. However, the Fund can invest in companies of any size, which may include small-cap companies, at the discretion of the Adviser.

 

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Horizon selects and weights securities using a flexible approach that combines active management and quantitative models to allocate the Fund’s portfolio between issuers, sectors and/or factors (e.g., growth, value, momentum, quality, size and volatility) that Horizon believes offer the opportunity for the highest projected return for a given amount of risk. Horizon assesses projected return and expected risk using a multi-disciplined approach consisting of economic, quantitative and fundamental analysis. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund expects its risk/return analysis will favor defensive investments, and therefore the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may lag the performance of traditional U.S. equity markets in strong up markets, but is designed to outperform when traditional U.S. equity markets decline. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve its investment objective.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund will invest not less than 80% of the value of its net assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies. Depending on market conditions, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy.

 

Options. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may also buy or write put and call options for investment purposes, to hedge other investments, or to generate option premiums for the Fund. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s options investments may involve “covered” positions where the Fund may write a call option on an underlying position to generate income. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may involve a “collateralized” strategy more generally, where the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may write put options on a security whose value is collateralized by cash (“cash-secured puts”) or otherwise collateralized by the Fund’s securities.

 

The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s option strategies may involve options combinations, such as spreads, straddles, and collars. In “spread” transactions, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. When the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund engages in spread transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. In “straddles,” the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund purchases a put option and a call option or writes a put option and a call option on the same instrument with the same expiration date and the same exercise price. A “collar” position combines a put option purchased by the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund (the right of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument, and the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterparty’s right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position “collars” the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option. In each case, the premium received for writing an option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding option; however, downside protection may be limited as compared to just owning a single option. There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may engage.

 

Principal Risks of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund

Many factors affect the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s performance. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund invests. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s value may be adversely affected. Horizon’s analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different securities or other matters could be wrong and may not produce desired results.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

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Domestic Strategy Risk. Because the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund will invest primarily in securities of U.S. issuers, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund is subject to the risk that certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure, and the Fund will be restricted in its ability to allocate its investments to the securities of non-U.S. issuers.

 

Options Risk. Investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a stock’s performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular stocks in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select stocks based on quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

 

Smaller and Medium Issuer Risk. Small and medium capitalization companies may be more vulnerable than larger, more established organizations to adverse business or economic developments. In addition, small and medium capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed-income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”); Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or reduced liquidity. If the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s performance.

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Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund or impairing its operations.

 

Performance

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund by showing the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

Calendar Year Return as of December 31

Investor Class

 

Year

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 11.22% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2021). The worst performance was -18.80% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2020).

 

Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class    
Return Before Taxes 14.97% 8.68%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 14.00% 6.41%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 9.16% 5.92%
Advisor Class    
Return Before Taxes 14.81% 8.51%
S&P 500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.29% 13.41%
MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 9.79% 7.44%

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on June 26, 2019. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on January 31, 2020. Institutional Class shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

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After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

The S&P 500 Total Return Index is an unmanaged market capitalization-weighted index which is comprised of the largest U.S. domiciled companies and includes the reinvestment of all dividends. The MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index aims to reflect the performance characteristics of a minimum variance strategy applied to the large and mid-cap USA equity universe. The index is calculated by optimizing the MSCI USA Index, its parent index, in USD for the lowest absolute risk (within a given set of constraints). Investors cannot directly invest in an index. Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner and Dr. Dickson have been Co-Portfolio Managers of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund since its inception in June 2019 and Mr. Hill has been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund since 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

 

Tax Information. The Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Horizon Defensive Core Fund (formerly, Horizon ESG & Defensive Core Fund)   

 

Investment Objective: The investment objective of the Horizon Defensive Core Fund (the “Defensive Core Fund”) is to seek to generate comparable returns, before fees and expenses, to an index that is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid-cap segments of the U.S. market and that screens companies with regards to certain ESG criteria for the equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio, while mitigating downside risk by allocating a portion of the Fund’s portfolio to a risk overlay strategy (the “Risk Assist® strategy”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Defensive Core Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Defensive Core Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor

Class

Institutional

Class

Investor

Class

Management Fees 0.68% 0.68% 0.68%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None 0.10%
Other Expenses(1) 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Expense Recoupment 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Interest Expense 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Remainder of Other Expenses 0.18% 0.18% 0.18%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2) 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(3)(4) 1.14% 0.89% 0.99%

 

(1) “Other Expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year for the Institutional Class.
(2) This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the underlying funds owned by the Defensive Core Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Defensive Core Fund or deducted from Fund assets. Since this number does not represent a direct operating expense of the Defensive Core Fund the operating expenses set forth in the Defensive Core Fund’s financial highlights do not include this figure.
(3) The Defensive Core Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses of the Defensive Core Fund, at least until March 31, 2025, so that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Reimbursement (exclusive of front-end or contingent deferred loads; brokerage fees and commissions; acquired fund fees and expenses; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); payments, if any, under a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan; expenses paid with securities lending expense offset credits; taxes; and extraordinary expenses (such as litigation)) do not exceed 0.87% of average daily net assets for each of the Advisor Class, Investor Class and Institutional Class shares; provided, however, that any fees waived and expenses reimbursed are subject to possible recoupment by Horizon, within 36 months after such fees have been waived or expenses reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the lower of the expense limit in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and the expense limit in place at the time of recoupment. This expense waiver agreement can only be terminated by a majority of the Fund’s trustees that are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) or a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
(4) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Defensive Core Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Defensive Core Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Defensive Core Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Defensive Core Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through March 31, 2025. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $116 $360 $623 $1,375
Institutional Class $91 $282 $489 $1,085
Investor Class $101 $313 $542 $1,202

 

Portfolio Turnover. The Defensive Core 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Defensive Core Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Defensive Core Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 139% of the average value of the portfolio.

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Principal Investment Strategies of the Defensive Core Fund

The Defensive Core Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by utilizing two strategies: (1) the ESG Strategy; and (2) the Risk Assist® Strategy. The ESG Strategy seeks to track the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Leaders Index (the “Index”), while the Risk Assist® Strategy is an actively managed risk reduction strategy intended to guard against large declines in the Fund’s equity portfolio. Horizon will determine how to allocate the Defensive Core Fund’s assets between the ESG Strategy and the Risk Assist® Strategy. Under normal circumstances, substantially all (at least 80%) of the value of Fund’s net assets will be invested in a combination of equity securities included in the Index and Defensive Investments (as defined below).

 

ESG Strategy. The ESG Strategy seeks to track the performance of the Index. The Index is a capitalization weighted index that provides exposure to companies with high Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance relative to their sector peers. The Index consists of large and mid-capitalization companies in the US market. The Index uses MSCI ESG Ratings, MSCI ESG Controversies and MSCI Business Involvement Screening Research, each of which is provided by MSCI ESG Research Inc., a subsidiary of MSCI, Inc. (the “Index Provider”) to determine the securities that comprise the Index.

 

MSCI ESG Ratings provides research, analysis and ratings of how well companies manage their ESG risks and opportunities. MSCI ESG Ratings provides a company with an overall ESG rating on a seven point scale, from ‘AAA’ to ‘CCC.’

 

MSCI ESG Controversies provides assessments of controversies concerning the negative environmental, social, and/or governance impact of company operations, products and services. MSCI ESG Controversies Score falls on a 0-10 scale, with “0” being the most severe controversy.

 

MSCI ESG Business Involvement Screening Research (MSCI ESG BISR) screens companies for involvement in specific business activities which have high potential for negative social and/or environmental impact, such as alcohol, gambling, tobacco, nuclear power, fossil fuel extraction, thermal coal power, conventional weapons, nuclear weapons, controversial weapons and civilian firearms, are ineligible for inclusion.

 

Companies that are not existing constituents of the Index must have an MSCI ESG Rating of ‘BB’ or above and an MSCI ESG Controversies Score of 3 or above to be eligible. Current constituents of the Index must have an MSCI ESG Rating of ‘BB’ or above and an MSCI ESG Controversies Score of 1 or above to be eligible. In addition, companies showing qualifying involvement in alcohol, gambling, tobacco, nuclear power, civilian firearms, fossil fuels extraction, thermal coal power and weapons based on the MSCI ESG BISR are excluded from the Index. The final Index is constructed by selecting, from the screened securities, the highest ESG rated companies by sector, targeting a representation of 50% market capitalization of each sector. The Index Provider conducts a quarterly review to ensure that all securities represented in the Index continue to meet the applicable ESG standards. The Index is also rebalanced quarterly. The Defensive Core Fund generally rebalances its portfolio in accordance with the Index. The Defensive Core Fund expects to invest in equity securities included in the Index in weightings that approximate the relative composition of the securities contained in the Index. However, the Defensive Core Fund has adopted a fundamental investment policy not to concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, therefore to the extent the Index is concentrated, the Defensive Core Fund will deviate from the composition of the Index.

 

Risk Assist® Strategy. Under the Risk Assist® strategy, Horizon continually measures market conditions with a specific focus on characteristics that indicate abnormal or severe risk conditions (such as increases in market volatility and decreases in global equity markets), in order to apply a proprietary process that prompts a risk reduction of the portfolio. The Defensive Core Fund typically executes this strategy by investing up to 100% of the Defensive Core Fund’s portfolio in U.S. Treasuries or other cash equivalents, which may include, without limitation, U.S. Treasury-focused securities, which may include, without limitation, Treasury bonds, Treasury notes, Treasury Inflated Protection Securities (collectively, “U.S. Treasury Securities”); exchange traded options on U.S. Treasury Securities; repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury Securities; and money market instruments, including obligations of U.S. and foreign banks, corporate obligations, U.S. government securities, municipal securities, repurchase agreements and asset-backed securities, paying a fixed, variable or floating interest rate (collectively, “Cash Equivalents”); or money market funds or ETFs that invest in Cash Equivalents (collectively “Defensive Investments”). The Defensive Core Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Securities without regard to maturity or duration.

 

Although Horizon may elect to allocate 100% of the Defensive Core Fund’s assets to the Risk Assist® strategy, it is not required to. Instead, Horizon employs the Risk Assist® strategy in stages, and Horizon may elect to allocate between 0% and 100% of the Defensive Core Fund’s assets to the Risk Assist® strategy, depending on Horizon’s determination of current market risk.

 

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The Risk Assist® algorithm includes a process by which it systematically attempts to protect investment gains within the portfolio based on Horizon’s measures of perceived risk. The result of this process is referred to as a “ratchet”. To implement the ratchet, Horizon first determines the lowest portfolio value that the algorithm is calculated to accommodate during any 12-month period. As the Risk Assist® strategy portfolio value grows (typically when the portfolio has experienced 3-5% of appreciation, depending on market conditions), the Risk Assist® algorithm will increase (i.e., “ratchet” up) the value of the loss tolerance limit in an attempt to protect those gains.

 

Principal Risks of the Defensive Core Fund

Many factors affect the Defensive Core Fund’s performance. The Defensive Core Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector and geographic location of the securities in which the Defensive Core Fund invests. The Defensive Core Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Defensive Core Fund.

 

ESG Investing Risk. Investing primarily in investments that meet ESG criteria carries the risk that the Defensive Core Fund may forgo otherwise attractive investment opportunities or increase or decrease its exposure to certain types of companies and, therefore, may underperform funds that are not ESG funds. ESG research and ratings are generally based on information that is publicly available and/or provided by the companies themselves or by third parties. Such information may be unavailable or unreliable and, with respect to information provided by third parties, may be based on criteria that differs among data providers.

 

Index Risk. The Defensive Core Fund’s ESG Strategy is linked to an Index maintained by the Index Provider that is unaffiliated with Horizon and that exercises complete control over the Index. The Defensive Core Fund will be negatively affected by general declines in the securities and asset classes represented in its Index. In addition, because the ESG Strategy portion of the Defensive Core Fund is not “actively” managed, unless a specific security is removed from the Index, the Defensive Core Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the Defensive Core Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track its Index. There is no guarantee that the methodology used by the Index Provider to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or positive performance.

 

Risk Assist® Strategy Risk. The ability of the Defensive Core Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to Horizon’s ability to effectively allocate Fund assets to, and otherwise implement, the Risk Assist® strategy. Implementing the Defensive Core Fund’s Risk Assist® strategy may result in periods of time when the Defensive Core Fund is invested primarily (or entirely) in Cash Equivalents (as opposed to equity securities). There can be no guarantee that the Risk Assist® strategy, including the ratchet function, will be successful in preventing losses in the Defensive Core Fund’s portfolio. Because the Risk Assist® strategy may be implemented in stages, the Defensive Core Fund may have market exposure during times when the Risk Assist® strategy is being implemented. To the extent that the Risk Assist® strategy is implemented, the Defensive Core Fund will likely not benefit from capital appreciation or income from the equity markets. To the extent that the Risk Assist® strategy is not implemented in a timely manner, the Defensive Core Fund may underperform. The Defensive Core Fund’s portfolio managers analysis of economic trends, or other matters could be wrong and may not produce desired results.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Defensive Core Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Defensive Core Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Defensive Core Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Defensive Core Fund’s value may be adversely affected.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Defensive Core Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, lead to trading restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Defensive Core Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Defensive Core Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Defensive Core Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Defensive Core Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Defensive Core Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Defensive Core Fund or impairing its operations.

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Quantitative Model Risk. The Risk Assist® strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct and implement the Risk Assist® strategy portion of the Defensive Core Fund. The impact of these metrics on performance can be difficult to predict. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in determining the weighting of particular investments in the Defensive Core Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Defensive Core Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not utilize quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Defensive Core Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Defensive Core Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Defensive Core Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Defensive Core Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Domestic Strategy Risk. Because the Defensive Core Fund will invest primarily in securities of U.S. issuers, the Defensive Core Fund is subject to the risk that certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Defensive Core Fund has exposure, and the Defensive Core Fund will be restricted in its ability to allocate its investments to the securities of non-U.S. issuers.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed-income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Defensive Core Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Fixed-income Risk. The Defensive Core Fund will be subject to fixed-income risks to the extent that the Defensive Core Fund implements the Risk Assist® strategy. The value of investments in fixed-income securities, options on fixed-income securities and securities in which the underlying investments are fixed-income securities, are expected to fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed-income securities owned by the Defensive Core Fund or its underlying investments. Issuers of floating rate debt are exposed to higher interest payments in a rising rate environment. Issuers may default on interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings (“junk bonds”) have greater credit risk.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Defensive Core Fund focuses its investments in particular asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Defensive Core Fund’s performance.

 

Mid-Capitalization Company Risk. Mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, investments in these mid-sized companies may pose additional risks, including liquidity risk, because these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, mid-cap stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Defensive Core Fund to underperform investments that focus on small or mid-cap companies.

 

Performance

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Defensive Core Fund by showing the Defensive Core Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Defensive Core Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Defensive Core Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Defensive Core Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

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Calendar Year Return as of December 31

Investor Class

 

Year

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 13.69% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2020). The worst performance was -13.95% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2022).

 

Defensive Core Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class      
Return Before Taxes 23.51% 11.57% December 26, 2019
Return After Taxes on Distributions 23.33% 10.98% December 26, 2019
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 14.05% 8.92% December 26, 2019
Advisor Class      
Return Before Taxes 23.32% 11.40% January 8, 2020
MSCI USA ESG Leaders Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)** 29.13% 12.56% December 26, 2019

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on December 26, 2019. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on January 8, 2020. Institutional Class shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Defensive Core Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

The MSCI USA ESG Leaders Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid-cap segments of the U.S. market through investing in U.S. common stocks screened by the Index Provider with regard to certain ESG criteria.

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Defensive Core Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser. Horizon Investments, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Defensive Core Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers. Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Clark Allen, Director of Quantitative Research, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Defensive Core Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner and Dr. Dickson have each been a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Defensive Core Fund since its inception in December 2019 and Mr. Allen has been a Co-Portfolio Manager since March 2023.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Defensive Core Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Defensive Core Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Defensive Core Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Defensive Core Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

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Tax Information. The Defensive Core Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax- deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase the Defensive Core Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Defensive Core Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Defensive Core Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Horizon Tactical Fixed Income Fund       

 

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Horizon Tactical Fixed Income Fund (the “Tactical Income Fund”) is to seek to provide total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Tactical Income Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Tactical Income Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor
Class
Institutional
Class
Investor
Class
Management Fees 0.60% 0.60% 0.60%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None 0.10%
Other Expenses(1) 0.31% 0.20% 0.20%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1)(2) 0.33% 0.33% 0.33%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(3) 1.49% 1.13% 1.23%

(1) “Other Expenses” and “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year for the Institutional Class.
(2) This number represents the combined total fees and operating expenses of the underlying funds owned by the Tactical Income Fund and is not a direct expense incurred by the Tactical Income Fund or deducted from Fund assets.
(3) Note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the ratio to average net assets included in the Tactical Income Fund’s financial highlights section of the Prospectus which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses, but includes the expense reductions generated when the Tactical Income Fund loaned its portfolio securities.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Tactical Income Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Tactical Income Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Tactical Income Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $152 $471 $813 $1,779
Institutional Class $115 $359 $622 $1,375
Investor Class $125 $390 $676 $1,489

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Tactical Income 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Tactical Income Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Tactical Income Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 638% of the average value of the portfolio.

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Principal Investment Strategies of the Tactical Income Fund

 

The Tactical Income Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), seeks to achieve the Tactical Income Fund’s investment objective by allocating to investments across various sectors of the global securities markets. The Tactical Income Fund’s investments will be primarily comprised of fixed and floating rate bonds of U.S. and foreign corporate issuers, both those that are investment-grade and non-investment grade (i.e., high yield or “junk” bonds); debt securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities (collectively, “U.S. Government Securities”); foreign sovereign debt; preferred stocks; convertible bonds; mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”); and bank loan assignments and participations. Horizon may execute the Tactical Income Fund’s strategy by investing in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that invest primarily in the foregoing or by investing directly in individual securities or baskets of securities.

 

Horizon selects and weights securities using a flexible approach that combines active management and quantitative models to allocate the Tactical Income Fund’s portfolio. The Tactical Income Fund’s strategy is primarily driven by a tactical, systematic approach that uses measures of past return and risk to shift the Tactical Income Fund’s holdings towards asset classes determined by Horizon to have high and stable measures of price trends. Depending on market conditions, the Tactical Income Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy. The strategy also incorporates a tactical risk management component that monitors asset class trends on a daily basis, and, if conditions deteriorate, prompts Horizon to reduce the Tactical Income Fund’s exposure to that asset class and allocate to more defensive-oriented investments, including, without limitation, U.S. Government Securities and money market instruments. As a result of the Tactical Income Fund’s tactical risk management strategy, in certain market conditions up to 100% of the Tactical Income Fund’s portfolio may be invested in U.S. Government Securities or money market instruments.

 

The Tactical Income Fund invests in the securities of non-U.S. issuers, including, without limitation, securities of emerging markets issuers and, while the Tactical Income Fund will invest primarily in U.S. Dollar denominated securities, it may also invest a portion of its assets in non-U.S. Dollar denominated securities. Horizon selects portfolio investments without restriction as to the issuer country, capitalization, currency, maturity or credit quality, and investments are expected to include those rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds). Potential investments are reviewed for trading efficiency, liquidity, risk/return profile, and fit within overall portfolio diversification needs prior to investment. Horizon generally expects to select individual securities or baskets of securities instead of ETFs when it believes such investments are more cost effective, more operationally efficient or will provide strategic exposure to a specific sector or market segment. Horizon expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve the Tactical Income Fund’s objective.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Tactical Income Fund invests not less than 80% of the value of its net assets in fixed income investments. Horizon defines fixed income investments as including: (i) any debt or debt-related securities, income producing securities, and other instruments or evidences of indebtedness, including bonds, bills, notes (including structured notes), loans, money market instruments, mortgage and asset backed securities, and preferred stocks, and derivative instruments related thereto; and (ii) ETFs and mutual funds that invest primarily in fixed income investments.

 

Principal Risks of the Tactical Income Fund

 

Many factors affect the Tactical Income Fund’s performance. The Tactical Income Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Tactical Income Fund invests. The Tactical Income Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Tactical Income Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Tactical Income Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Tactical Income Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Tactical Income Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Tactical Income Fund’s value may be adversely affected. Horizon’s analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different securities or other matters could be wrong and may not produce desired results.

 

Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Tactical Income Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

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ETF Risk. To the extent the Tactical Income Fund invests in ETFs, you will indirectly pay fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Tactical Income Fund’s direct fees and expenses. As a result, the cost of investing in the Tactical Income Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETF shares and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the ETF and its underlying investments. These risks could include sector risk (increased risk from a focus on one or more sectors of the market), liquidity risk (risk that the Tactical Income Fund cannot dispose of its shares of the ETF promptly without a reduction in value) and risks associated with fixed income securities or foreign currencies.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”); Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which the Tactical Income Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or reduced liquidity. If the Tactical Income Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Tactical Income Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Fixed Income Risk. The value of investments in fixed income securities and securities in which the underlying investments are fixed income securities are expected to fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed income securities owned by the Tactical Income Fund or its underlying investments. Issuers of floating rate debt are exposed to higher interest payments in a rising rate environment. Issuers may default on interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings (“junk bonds”) have greater credit risk.

 

Credit Risk. Issuers of fixed-income securities may default on their obligations to make interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings carry a greater risk that the issuer will default on its payment obligations. Fixed-income securities rated in the fourth classification by Moody’s (Baa) and S&P (BBB) or lower (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”) have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of those issuers to make principal or interest payments, as compared to issuers of more highly rated securities. These securities can also be thinly traded or have restrictions on resale, which can make them difficult to sell or adversely affect their market value.

 

Interest Rate Risk. When the Tactical Income Fund invests in bonds (either directly or through underlying investments), the value of your investment in the Tactical Income Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of bond funds owned by the Tactical Income Fund or its underlying investments. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities.

 

High Yield or Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality fixed income securities, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk). These investments are considered to be speculative in nature.

 

MBS Risk. MBS are subject to credit risk because underlying loan borrowers may default. Additionally, these securities are subject to prepayment risk because the underlying loans held by the issuers may be paid off prior to maturity, reducing overall returns.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in securities issued by companies or governments whose location or principal business activities are outside the United States, or investing in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or ETFs focusing on such companies, may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and foreign government debt, and the issuers are generally not uniformly bound by consistent accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of greater price volatility and possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations or currency exchange rates, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on the removal of cash or other assets from foreign markets, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments, which could affect such investments.

 

Non-U.S. Government Debt Risk. An investment in debt obligations of non-U.S. governments and their political subdivisions (“sovereign debt”) involves special risks that are not present in corporate debt obligations, including increased volatility and possible foreign government interference. The non-U.S. issuer of the sovereign debt or the non-U.S. governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward its principal international lenders and local political constraints.

45

 

Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in securities of foreign issuers, countries within emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect securityholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.

 

Foreign Currency Risk. Currency trading risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies the Tactical Income Fund’s underlying investments are long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Tactical Income Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Tactical Income Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a security’s performance can be difficult to predict, and securities that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular securities in the Tactical Income Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Tactical Income Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select investments based on quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Tactical Income Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Tactical Income Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Tactical Income Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Tactical Income Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Preferred stocks are sensitive to interest rate changes, and are also subject to equity risk, which is the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Equity securities typically have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Tactical Income Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management. The rights of preferred stocks on the distribution of a company’s assets in the event of a liquidation are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a company’s debt securities.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates (with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline) and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Tactical Income Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Tactical Income Fund’s performance.

 

Bank Loans Risk. The Fund may invest in ETFs that hold bank loans. Investments in bank loans are subject to the same risks as investments in other types of debt securities, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk that may be heightened because of the limited public information available regarding bank loans and because loan borrowers may be leveraged and tend to be more adversely affected by changes in market or economic conditions.

 

Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Tactical Income Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Risk Assist Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Tactical Income Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Tactical Income Fund or impairing its operations.

 

U.S. Government Securities Risk. The Fund’s investment in U.S. government obligations may include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) where it is not obligated to do so. In addition, U.S. government securities are not guaranteed against price movements due to changing interest rates.

46

 

Money Market Fund Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank or any government agency. It is possible for the Tactical Income Fund to lose money by investing in money market funds. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments held by the money market fund.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund was recently formed and has a limited operating history as of the date of this Prospectus. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

 

Performance

 

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Tactical Income Fund by showing the Tactical Income Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Tactical Income Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Tactical Income Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Tactical Income Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

Calendar Year Return as of December 31

Investor Class

 

Year

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 4.75% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2023). The worst performance was -1.32% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).

 

Tactical Income Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class    
Return Before Taxes 1.94% 1.45%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 0.51% 0.06%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 1.13% 0.52%
Advisor Class    
Return Before Taxes N/A 2.00%
Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)** 5.53% 4.44%

 

* Investor Class shares commenced operations on December 20, 2022. Advisor Class shares commenced operations on December 20, 2022. Institutional Class shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Tactical Income Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses. A higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and translates into an assumed tax deduction that benefits the shareholder.

 

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The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index that covers the USD denominated, investment-grade (rated Baa3 or above by Moody’s), fixed-rate, and taxable areas of the bond market. Index returns do not reflect the effects of fees or expenses. Investors cannot invest directly in an index or benchmark.

 

Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Defensive Core Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser

 

The investment adviser to the Tactical Income Fund is Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Tactical Income Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner, Dr. Dickson, and Mr. Hill have been Co-Portfolio Managers of the Tactical Income Fund since its inception in 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

You may purchase and redeem shares of the Tactical Income Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Tactical Income Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Tactical Income Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Tactical Income Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

 

Tax Information

 

The Tactical Income Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax- deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Tactical Income Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Tactical Income Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Tactical Income Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Horizon Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund (formerly, Horizon U.S. Defensive Small/Mid Cap Fund)

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Horizon Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund (the “Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund”) is capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Advisor
Class
Institutional
Class
Investor
Class
Management Fees 0.80% 0.80% 0.80%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None 0.10%
Other Expenses(1) 2.59% 2.48% 2.48%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 3.64% 3.28% 3.38%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursements(2) -2.40% -2.29% -2.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursements/Recoupment 1.24% 0.99% 1.09%

(1) “Other Expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year for the Institutional Class.
(2) The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund, at least until March 31, 2025, so that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Reimbursement (exclusive of front-end or contingent deferred loads; brokerage fees and commissions; acquired fund fees and expenses; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); payments, if any, under a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan; expenses paid with securities lending expense offset credits; taxes; and extraordinary expenses (such as litigation)) do not exceed 0.99% of average daily net assets for each of the Advisor Class, Investor Class and Institutional Class shares; provided, however, that any fees waived and expenses reimbursed are subject to possible recoupment by Horizon, within 36 months after such fees have been waived or expenses reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the lower of the expense limit in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and the expense limit in place at the time of recoupment. This expense waiver agreement can only be terminated by a majority of the Fund’s trustees that are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) or a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation). The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through March 31, 2025. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Advisor Class $126 $892 $1,679 $3,741
Institutional Class $101 $795 $1,513 $3,420
Investor Class $111 $825 $1,562 $3,512

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap 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 Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended November 30, 2023, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 179% of the average value of the portfolio.

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Principal Investment Strategies of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund

 

The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in small and mid-cap U.S. equity securities. In addition, the Fund employs defensive techniques, including strategic portfolio positioning, to achieve lower overall volatility as compared to the market generally.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund will invest not less than 80% of the value of its net assets in the equity securities of small and mid-cap U.S. issuers. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s investment adviser, Horizon Investments, LLC (“Horizon”), generally considers small and mid-cap issuers to be those that are within the range of the S&P 600 and S&P 400 indices, respectively, when purchased.

 

Horizon selects and weights securities using a flexible approach that combines active management and quantitative models to allocate the Fund’s portfolio between issuers, sectors and/or factors (e.g., growth, value, momentum, quality, size and volatility) that Horizon believes offer the opportunity for the highest projected return for a given amount of risk. Horizon assesses projected return and expected risk by diversifying across stocks that have one or more high quality underlying fundamentals, such as: high profitability and stable earnings; low price variability; low fundamental valuation measures; and high recent price trends. Horizon may add or modify these characteristics as economic conditions change. In constructing the portfolio, Horizon may consider industry and position constraints to ensure sufficient diversification, as determined by Horizon. The Defensive Small/Mid-Cap Fund expects equity securities with the foregoing characteristics in aggregate to have a defensive tilt, and therefore the Defensive Small/Mid-Cap Fund may lag the performance of traditional U.S. Small/Mid-Cap equity markets in strong up markets, but is designed to outperform when U.S. Small/Mid-Cap equity markets decline. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund will primarily invest in common stocks and public real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Depending on market conditions, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may at times focus its investments in particular sectors or areas of the economy. The Defensive Small/Mid-Cap Fund expects to engage in frequent buying and selling of securities to achieve its investment objective.

 

Options. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may also buy or write put and call options for investment purposes, to hedge other investments, or to generate option premiums for the Fund. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s options investments may involve “covered” positions where the Fund may write a call option on an underlying position to generate income. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may involve a “collateralized” strategy more generally, where the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may write put options on a security whose value is collateralized by cash (“cash-secured puts”) or otherwise collateralized by the Fund’s securities.

 

The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s option strategies may involve options combinations, such as spreads, straddles and collars. In “spread” transactions, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund buys and writes a put or buys and writes a call on the same underlying instrument with the options having different exercise prices, expiration dates, or both. When the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund engages in spread transactions, it seeks to profit from differences in the option premiums paid and received and in the market prices of the related options positions when they are closed out or sold. In “straddles,” the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund purchases a put option and a call option or writes a put option and a call option on the same instrument with the same expiration date and the same exercise price. A “collar” position combines a put option purchased by the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund (the right of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund to sell a specific security within a specified period) with a call option that is written by the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund (the right of the counterparty to buy the same security) in a single instrument, and the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s right to sell the security is typically set at a price that is below the counterparty’s right to buy the security. Thus, the combined position “collars” the performance of the underlying security, providing protection from depreciation below the price specified in the put option, and allowing for participation in any appreciation up to the price specified by the call option. In each case, the premium received for writing an option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding option; however, downside protection may be limited as compared to just owning a single option. There is no limit on the number or size of the options transactions in which the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may engage.

 

Principal Risks of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund

 

Many factors affect the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s performance. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s share price changes daily based on changes in market conditions in response to economic, political and financial developments. The direction and extent of those price changes will be affected by the financial condition, industry and economic sector, and geographic location of the securities in which the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund invests. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund is not federally insured or guaranteed by any government agency. You may lose money by investing in the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund.

 

Management Risk. The ability of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the allocation of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s assets. Horizon may allocate the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s investments so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize investments at the wrong times or under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s value may be adversely affected. Horizon’s analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different securities or other matters could be wrong and may not produce desired results.

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Market Risk. Investments in securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of a security may decline due to general economic and market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer. Markets may, in response to governmental actions or intervention, economic or market developments, trade disputes, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, geopolitical factors or other external factors, experience periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity, and, in extreme cases, may lead to restrictions and halts. During those periods, the Fund may experience high levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at times when the Fund would otherwise not do so, potentially at unfavorable prices. Certain securities may be difficult to value during such periods.

 

Domestic Strategy Risk. Because the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund will invest primarily in securities of U.S. issuers, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund is subject to the risk that certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure, and the Fund will be restricted in its ability to allocate its investments to the securities of non-U.S. issuers.

 

Smaller and Medium Issuer Risk. Small and medium capitalization companies may be more vulnerable than larger, more established organizations to adverse business or economic developments. In addition, small and medium capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

 

Real Estate Risk. Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.

 

Options Risk. The value of an option will fluctuate in response to changes in the value of the underlying security or index. In addition, investments in options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities, including leverage risk, tracking risk and, in the case of over the counter options, counterparty default risk. Option positions may expire worthless exposing the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund to potentially significant losses. If the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund writes options, it may receive a premium that is small relative to the loss realized in the event of adverse changes in the value of the underlying instruments. When the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund utilizes options spreads, collars or other combinations, the premium received for writing the call option offsets, in part, the premium paid to purchase the corresponding put option; however, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s participation in gains above the price of the call option are forfeited in return for receiving the call option premium.

 

Quantitative Model Risk. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s strategy relies heavily on quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics to construct the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s portfolio. The impact of these metrics on a security’s performance can be difficult to predict, and securities that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. In addition, relying on quantitative models entails the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect, that the data on which the models rely may be incorrect or incomplete, and that Horizon may not be successful in selecting companies for investment or determining the weighting of particular securities in the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s portfolio. Any of these factors could cause the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund to underperform funds with similar strategies that do not select investments based on quantitative analysis.

 

Turnover Risk. As a result of its trading strategies, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held and will likely have a higher portfolio turnover rate than other mutual funds. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, higher turnover generally results in additional expenses, which may lower the performance of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund, and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains. The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund must generally distribute realized capital gains to shareholders, increasing the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s taxable distributions. High rates of portfolio turnover in a given year would likely result in short-term capital gains, which are taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The prices of equity securities are volatile and may fluctuate in response to many factors. The market price of equity securities owned by the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund may go down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally, particular industries represented by those markets, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s performance.

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Operational and Technology Risk. Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures that affect the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s service providers or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund, or other market participants may adversely affect the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund and its shareholders, including by causing losses for the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund or impairing its operations.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund was recently formed and has a limited operating history as of the date of this Prospectus. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

 

Performance

 

The bar chart illustrates the risks of investing in Investor Class shares of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund by showing the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s average returns for each calendar year since inception. The Average Annual Total Returns table shows how the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Defensive Core Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.horizonmutualfunds.com or by calling 1-855-754-7932.

 

Calendar Year Return as of December 31

Investor Class

 

Year

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the best performance for a quarter was 12.46% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2023). The worst performance was -1.58% (for the quarter ended September 30, 2023).

 

Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund

Average Annual Total Returns

 

For the periods ended December 31, 2023 One Year Since Inception
of Class*
Investor Class    
Return Before Taxes 23.72% 22.76%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 23.45% 22.50%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 14.15% 17.31%
Advisor Class    
Return Before Taxes N/A 14.74%
S&P 1000 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)** 16.35% 17.13%

 

* Inception date is December 20, 2022 for Investor Class Shares and March 7, 2023 for Advisor Class Shares. Institutional Class shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Index information is since inception of Investor Class shares.

 

After-tax returns are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or a 401(k) plan, after-tax returns are not applicable to your investment. After-tax returns are shown for Investor Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes will vary to the extent that each class has different expenses.

 

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The S&P 1000® Total Return Index combines the S&P MidCap 400® and the S&P SmallCap 600® to form an investable benchmark for the mid- to small-cap segment of the U.S. equity market. Index returns do not reflect the effects of fees or expenses. Investors cannot invest directly in an index or benchmark. Returns would have been lower if Horizon had not waived and/or reimbursed certain expenses of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund during the periods shown.

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s investment adviser is Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer of Horizon, Mike Dickson, Ph.D., Head of Research and Quantitative Strategies of Horizon, and Zachary F. Hill, CFA, Head of Portfolio Management of Horizon, share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund as Co-Portfolio Managers. Mr. Ladner, Dr. Dickson, and Mr. Hill have been Co-Portfolio Managers of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund since its inception in 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

You may purchase and redeem shares of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, subject to certain restrictions described under the section titled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares” of the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s Prospectus. Purchases and redemptions may be made by mailing an application or redemption request to Horizon Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701, or by calling 1-855-754-7932. You also may purchase and redeem shares through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial investment in the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $250 for Advisor Class and Investor Class shares. The minimum initial investment in the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund is $10 million for Institutional Class shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment for Institutional Class shares.

 

Tax Information

 

The Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund’s distributions are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax- deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

Investment Objective: Each of the Allocation Fund, the Risk Assist Fund, the Income Fund, Equity Premium Income Fund, the Defined Risk Fund, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund, the Defensive Core Fund, the Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund and the Tactical Income Fund (each, a “Fund”) may change its investment objective without shareholder approval upon not less than 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. Additionally, the 80% investment limitation for each of the Equity Premium Income Fund, the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund and the Defensive Core Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

 

Additional Information Regarding the Allocation of Fund Assets Among Market Segments (All Funds): Horizon believes changing market conditions can provide opportunities value creation. Horizon’s portfolio construction methodology is based on modern optimization and risk mitigation tools and is focused on balancing the tradeoff between expected risk and return. Risk is controlled through position, portfolio and market level metrics. Each Fund’s portfolio is periodically tested through both historical as well as simulated market environments to evaluate factors relevant to that Fund, such as potential periods of volatility and downside risk.

 

Temporary Defensive Strategies (All Funds): To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, each Fund may take a defensive position and invest up to 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in high-quality short-term debt securities or money market instruments. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments may include, without limitation: shares of money market mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements. While a Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund pays its pro-rata portion of such money market funds’ advisory fees and operational fees. Each Fund may also invest a substantial portion of its assets in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.

 

Fund-of-Funds (Allocation Fund, Risk Assist Fund, Income Fund and Tactical Income Fund): Horizon may execute each of the Allocation Fund, Risk Assist Fund, Income Fund and Tactical Income Fund’s investment strategy by investing primarily in ETFs, which is commonly referred to as a “fund-of- funds” investment style. ETFs are registered investment companies that are generally index-based or actively managed. An index-based ETF typically seeks to track the performance of a particular market index. These indexes include not only broad-market indexes, but more specific indexes as well, including those relating to particular sectors, markets, regions or industries. An actively managed ETF seeks to achieve its investment objective through active management in accordance with an investment strategy, similar to other non-index-based investment companies. An ETF is traded like a stock on a securities exchange and may be purchased and sold throughout the trading day based on its market price. The trading price of an ETF fluctuates in accordance with changes in market supply and demand.

 

Selection of ETFs (Allocation Fund, Risk Assist Fund, Income Fund and Tactical Income Fund): Horizon selects specific ETFs for investment, in part, on their investment goals and strategies, their investment adviser and portfolio manager, and on the analysis of their past performance (absolute, relative and risk-adjusted). Horizon also considers other factors in the selection of ETFs, such as fund size, liquidity, expense ratio, reputation of sponsor, reputation and tenure of portfolio manager, general composition of its investment portfolio and current and expected portfolio holdings. Some ETFs in which a Fund may invest may not share the same investment goal or investment limitations as the Fund.

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PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

 

An investment in a Fund is subject to one or more of the principal risks identified in the following table and in the description of each Fund’s principal risks, above. The principal risks identified below are discussed in more detail in the disclosure that immediately follows the table.

 

  Active Asset Allocation Fund

Active Risk Assist

Fund

Active Income

Fund

Equity Premium Income Fund

Defined

Risk

Fund

Multi-Factor U.S. Equity

Fund

Defensive Core Fund Multi-Factor Small/ Mid Cap Fund Tactical Income Fund
Bank Loans Risk                
Convertible Securities Risk                
Credit Risk              
Dividend Yield Risk                
Domestic Strategy Risk          
Emerging Markets Risk          
Equity Securities Risk
ESG Investing Risk                
ETF Risk        
Fixed Income Risk        
Fluctuation of NAV; Unit Premiums and Discounts      
Focus Risk  
Foreign Currency Risk        
Foreign Securities Risk        
High Yield or Junk Bond Risk          
Index Risk                
Interest Rate Risk              
Large Capitalization Company Risk    
Management Risk
Market Risk
Money Market Fund Risk                
Mortgage Backed Securities Risk              
Master Limited Partnership Risk                
Mid Capitalization Company Risk                
New Fund Risk              
Non-U.S. Government Debt Risk              
Operational and Technology Risk
Options Risk    
Quantitative Model Risk
Real Estate Risk      
Risk Assist Strategy Risk              
Smaller and Medium Capitalization Company Risk                
Turnover Risk  
U.S. Government Securities Risk                

 

Bank Loans Risk. Investments in bank loans are subject to the same risks as investments in other types of debt securities, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk that may be heightened because of the limited public information available regarding bank loans and because loan borrowers may be leveraged and tend to be more adversely affected by changes in market or economic conditions. If a bank loan is held through another financial institution or another financial institution administers the loan, receipt of principal and interest on the loan may be subject to the credit risk of that financial institution. Any collateral securing a loan may be insufficient or unavailable in the event of default, particularly for second liens. Bank loans may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.

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Convertible Securities Risk. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates (with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline) and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature. Convertible securities may be subordinate to other debt securities issued by the same issuer. Issuers of convertible securities are often not as strong financially as issuers with higher credit ratings. Convertible securities typically provide yields lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Their values may be more volatile than those of non-convertible securities, reflecting changes in the values of the securities into which they are convertible.

 

Credit Risk. Issuers of fixed-income securities may default on their obligations to make interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings carry a greater risk that the issuer will default on its payment obligations. Fixed-income securities rated below the fourth classification by Moody’s (Baa) and S&P (BBB) (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”) have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of those issuers to make principal or interest payments, as compared to issuers of more highly rated securities. These securities can also be thinly traded or have restrictions on resale, which can make them difficult to sell or adversely affect their market value.

 

Dividend Yield Risk. While a Fund may hold securities of companies that have historically paid a dividend, those companies may reduce or discontinue their dividends in the future, thus reducing income to the Fund. Past dividend payments are not a guarantee of future dividend payments. Also, the market return of high dividend yield securities, in certain market conditions, may be worse than the market return of other investment strategies or of markets generally.

 

Domestic Strategy Risk. Because the Multi-Factor U.S. Equity Fund, Defensive Core Fund and Multi-Factor Small/Mid Cap Fund will each invest primarily in U.S. issuers, these Funds are subject to the risk that certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure, and the Fund will be restricted in its ability to allocate its investments to the securities of non-U.S. issuers.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in securities of foreign issuers, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect securityholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which offer fewer protections to securityholders. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default. Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

 

Equity Market Risk. Equity securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. Equity securities may also lose value because of factors affecting an entire industry or sector, such as increases in production costs, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.

 

Common Stocks. 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. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including, competition; expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. If an investor held common stock of an issuer, the investor would generally be exposed to greater risk than if the investor held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because holders of common stock generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of the holders of other securities, bondholders and other creditors of such issuers.

 

Convertible Preferred Stocks. Preferred stock (see below) may also be convertible. Convertible preferred stock may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible preferred stock is senior to common stocks in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. However, convertible preferred stock provides a fixed-income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derived from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security) and gives the investor the opportunity, through the conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock. The market value of convertible preferred stock performs like that of a regular debt security, that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of convertible preferred stock typically falls.

 

Preferred Stocks. A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend on a preferred stock may be set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Because preferred stocks represent an equity ownership interest in an issuer, their value will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in an issuer’s financial condition or prospects or to fluctuations in the equity markets.

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Rights. Rights are usually granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued to the public. The right entitles its holder to buy common stock at a specified price. Rights have similar features to warrants, except that the life of a right is typically much shorter, usually a few weeks. The purchase of rights involves the risk that an investor could lose the purchase value of a right if the right is not exercised prior to its expiration. Also, the purchase of rights involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

Warrants. A warrant gives the holder a right to purchase at any time during a specified period a predetermined number of shares of common stock at a fixed price. Unlike convertible debt securities or preferred stock, warrants do not pay a fixed coupon or dividend. Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale of the warrants, potential price fluctuations as a result of speculation or other factors, and failure of the price of the underlying security to reach or have reasonable prospects of reaching a level at which the warrant can be prudently exercised (in which event the warrant may expire without being exercised, resulting in a loss of a Fund’s entire investment therein).

 

ESG Investing Risk. Investing primarily in investments that meet ESG criteria carries the risk that the Defensive Core Fund may forgo otherwise attractive investment opportunities or increase or decrease its exposure to certain types of companies and, therefore, may underperform funds that do not consider ESG factors. The ESG research and ratings are generally based on information that is publicly available and/or provided by the companies themselves or by third parties. Such information may be unavailable or unreliable and, with respect to information provided by third parties, may be based on criteria that differs among data providers.

 

ETF Risk. When a Fund invests in ETFs, the value of your investment will fluctuate in response to the performance of those ETFs. In addition, investing through a portfolio of ETFs involves certain additional expenses and certain tax results that would not arise for direct investments in the ETFs. By investing indirectly in ETFs through a Fund, an investor will bear not only the investor’s proportionate share of that Fund’s expenses (including operating costs and investment advisory fees), but also, indirectly, similar expenses and charges of the ETFs. In addition, to the extent these ETFs trade their portfolios actively, they will likely incur higher brokerage commissions and increased realization of taxable gains. ETFs that use margin, leverage, short sales and other forms of financial derivatives, such as options and futures, may be more volatile than investments in other funds.

 

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), a Fund may not acquire shares of an ETF or other investment company if, immediately after such acquisition, the Fund and its affiliated persons would hold more than 3% of the ETF’s or investment company’s total outstanding shares unless (i) the ETF or the Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from the 3% limitation from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that is applicable to the Fund or complies with Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act; and (ii) the ETF and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order or Rule 12d1-4, as applicable. Accordingly, the 3% limitation may prevent the Fund from allocating its investments in the manner the Funds adviser considers optimal or cause the adviser to select an investment other than that which it considers optimal.

 

Index-based ETFs may not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. Index-based ETFs that utilize a representative sampling approach to track their respective underlying indices are subject to an increased risk of tracking error because the securities selected for the ETF in the aggregate may vary from the investment profile of the underlying index. Additionally, if using a representative sampling approach, an ETFs will typically hold a smaller number of securities than the underlying index, and as a result, an adverse development to an ETF could result in a greater decline in NAV than would be the case if the ETF held all of the securities in the underlying index.

 

Fixed Income Risk. The value of investments in fixed income securities, options on fixed income securities or in securities in which the underlying investments are fixed income securities are expected to fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of the fixed income securities. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Issuers of floating rate debt are exposed to higher interest payments in a rising rate environment, which increases the change of default. Other risk factors impacting fixed income securities include credit risk, maturity risk, market risk, extension or prepayment risk, illiquid security risks, investment-grade and high yield securities risk. Issuers may default on interest and principal payments. Generally, securities with lower debt ratings (“junk bonds”) have greater credit risk.

 

Fluctuation of NAV; Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the shares of the ETFs in which a Fund may invest will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the ETF’s securities holdings. The market prices of an ETF’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the ETF’s NAV and supply and demand of the ETF’s shares on the exchanges on which the ETF’s shares are traded. It cannot be predicted whether an ETF’s shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the ETF’s shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the ETF trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the ETF’s shares during periods of market volatility or illiquidity. While an ETF’s creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that the ETF’s shares normally will trade close to its NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions and/or market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the ETF’s NAV. If a Fund purchases an ETF’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the ETF’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the ETF’s shares, then the Fund may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

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Market makers (other than lead market makers) have no obligation to make markets in an ETF’s shares and may discontinue doing so at any time without notice. To the extent that no market makers are willing to process creation and/or redemption orders for an ETF, shares of the ETF may trade like closed-end fund shares at a discount to NAV and the ETF may possibly face delisting. Trading in an ETF’s shares may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange on which the ETF lists its shares, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in an ETF’s shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules. During stressed market conditions, the liquidity of an ETF’s shares may be less than the liquidity of the securities in the ETF’s portfolio. Any of the foregoing would have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund’s investment in the ETF’s shares.

 

Focus Risk. To the extent that a Fund focuses its investments in particular industries, asset classes or sectors of the economy, any market price movements, regulatory or technological changes, or economic conditions affecting companies in those industries, asset classes or sectors may have a significant impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Foreign Currency Risk. Currency trading involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, country risk, counterparty credit risk and short sale risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad. Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate. This risk could include the country issuing a new currency, effectively making the “old” currency worthless. ETFs that hold short positions in foreign currencies, or buy or write options on currency-focused ETFs, in an attempt to hedge against, or generate returns from, potential depreciation in the value of a currency are subject to the risks of rising currency values.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in securities issued by companies or governments whose location or principal business activities are outside the United States, or investing in ADRs or ETFs focusing on such companies, may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign issuers, particularly those not subject to the disclosure and reporting requirements of U.S. securities laws. Foreign issuers are generally not uniformly bou