PROSPECTUS | November 28, 2023

Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF
(Ticker: VCLN)

a series of
VIRTUS ETF TRUST II

The Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF (the “Fund”) is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”).
Shares of the Fund are listed on
NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade at market prices.
The market price for the Fund’s shares may be different from its net asset value
per share.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY INFORMATION

3

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

3

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

3

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

3

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY

4

PRINCIPAL RISKS

4

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

6

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

7

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

7

TAX INFORMATION

7

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

7

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES AND RISKS

8

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

13

INVESTMENT ADVISER

13

INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER

14

MANAGER OF MANAGERS STRUCTURE

14

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

15

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

15

OPERATIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

15

ACCOUNTING SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

16

DISTRIBUTOR

16

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

16

LEGAL COUNSEL

16

EXPENSES OF THE FUND

16

INVESTING IN THE FUND

16

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

16

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

16

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

17

FREQUENT TRADING

18

DISTRIBUTIONS

18

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

18

FUND DISTRIBUTIONS

18

SALE OF FUND SHARES

19

TAX TREATMENT OF FUND SHAREHOLDERS

19

WITHHOLDING

19

CREATION UNITS

19

FUND WEBSITE AND DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

20

OTHER INFORMATION

20

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

21

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Back Cover

3

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY INFORMATION

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF (the “Fund”) seeks capital appreciation.

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may incur customary brokerage commissions, and may pay other fees to financial intermediaries, when buying or selling Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the table or example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):

None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses 

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):

       

Management Fee1

0.66

%

Other Expenses

0.00

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.66

%

Fee Waiver2

(0.07

)%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver

0.59

%

  

(1) The management fee is structured as a “unified fee,” out of which the Fund’s investment adviser, Virtus ETF Advisers LLC (the “Adviser”), pays all of the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund, except for the following expenses, each of which is paid by the Fund: the Fund’s management fee; payments under any 12b-1 plan; taxes and other governmental fees; brokerage fees, commissions and other transaction expenses; interest and other costs of borrowing; litigation or arbitration expenses; acquired fund fees and expenses; and extraordinary or other non-routine expenses of the Fund.
(2) The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fee equal to 0.07% of the Fund’s average daily net assets through at least November 28, 2024, which will have the effect of reducing the Fund’s expenses (the “Fee Waiver Agreement”). While the Adviser or the Fund may discontinue the Fee Waiver Agreement after the contractual period, it may only be terminated during its term by either party upon written notice; provided that such termination shall require the approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Example.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels and that the Fee Waiver Agreement remains in place for the contractual period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Year 1

Year 3

Year 5

Year 10

$60

$204

$361

$816

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities or other instruments (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 58% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest not less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of clean energy companies. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co., the Fund’s sub-adviser (the “Sub-Adviser”), defines clean energy companies as those that derive at least 50% of their value from one or more of the following clean energy businesses: (a) the production of clean energy (e.g., biofuel, biomass, hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, and battery storage, among others); (b) the provision of clean energy technology and equipment; or (c) the transmission and distribution of clean energy. In determining whether a company derives at least 50% of its value from clean energy businesses, the Sub-Adviser evaluates the percentage of the company’s reported or estimated revenue, profits, assets and capital expenditures that are allocated to, or derived from, the clean energy business.

In seeking eligible investments, the Sub-Adviser starts by screening U.S. and non-U.S. markets, including emerging markets (i.e., those that are in the early stages of their economic development), for companies in the utilities, industrials, technology and energy sectors that are involved in clean energy. Companies are only considered for inclusion in the Fund’s portfolio if they are listed on an exchange and have a minimum float adjusted market capitalization of greater than U.S. $500 million. The Sub-Adviser then narrows the universe by focusing solely on companies involved in one or more of the three clean energy business segments discussed above (i.e., production of clean energy, provision of clean energy technology and equipment, and/or transmission and distribution of clean energy). Next, the Sub-Adviser sets eligibility requirements to avoid companies that may be in the right sectors or appear attractive but are not truly clean energy companies, as defined by the Sub-Adviser. In addition, no individual security comprises more than 10% of the total portfolio’s market value at the time of investment.

The Fund is an actively managed ETF and, thus, does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index of securities. Instead, it uses an active investment strategy that seeks to meet its investment objective.

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets) in companies in the clean energy industry. In addition, from time to time the Fund may focus its investments (i.e., invest more than 15% of its total assets) in one or more countries or geographic regions. As of September 30, 2023, the Fund focused its investments in the U.S. and Europe.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund can.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risks; therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Generally, the Fund will be subject to the following principal risks:

Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may be negatively affected by the financial market, industries in which the Fund invests, or issuer-specific events. Focus on a particular style or in small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk.

Clean Energy Industry Risk. The risks of investing in the clean energy industry include the risks of focusing investments in the utilities, industrials, technology and energy sectors, and adverse developments in these sectors may significantly affect the value of the Shares. The clean energy industry is an emerging growth industry, and therefore securities of such companies may be more volatile and, historically, have been more volatile than securities of companies operating in other, more established, industries. In addition, certain methods used to value clean energy companies, particularly those that have not yet traded profitably, have not been in widespread use for a significant period of time. As a result, the use of these valuation methods may serve to further increase the volatility of the prices of clean energy company securities.

 

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Concentration Risk. A fund concentrated in an industry or group of industries is likely to present more risks than a fund that is broadly diversified over several industries or groups of industries.

Limited Number of Holdings Risk. Because the Fund holds a more limited number of securities, each investment has a greater effect on the Fund’s overall performance and any change in the value of these securities could significantly affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is considered non-diversified and may be more susceptible to factors negatively impacting its holdings to the extent the Fund invests more of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than would a diversified fund.

Small and Medium Capitalization Companies Risk. Small and medium-sized companies often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer, and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. As a result, the performance of small and medium-sized companies may be more volatile, and they may face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility and risk of loss to the Fund.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in foreign securities subjects the Fund to additional risks such as increased volatility; currency fluctuations; less liquidity; less publicly available information about the foreign investment; and political, regulatory, economic, and market risk.

Emerging Markets Investments Risk. Emerging markets securities may be more volatile, or more greatly affected by negative conditions, than those of their counterparts in more established foreign markets.

Country/Geographic Region Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region or a particular country, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.

Issuer Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of the issuers of the individual securities in which Fund invests. Poor performance by any issuer may cause the value of its securities, and the value of the Shares, to decline.

Market Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund may go up or down (sometimes significantly) in response to the prospects of individual companies and/or general economic conditions, including local, regional or global events.

Management Risk. The Sub-Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness and potential appreciation of a security or other asset may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.

ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of this structure, is exposed to the following risks, among others:

Authorized Participant Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders (either because of valuation difficulties or for other reasons), and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, in either of these cases, Shares of the Fund may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting.

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares.  Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

Fluctuation of NAV; Unit Premiums and DiscountsThe NAV of the Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s securities holdings, and the Fund cannot be predicted whether Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

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Small Fund Risk. The Fund may experience low trading volume and wide bid/ask spreads, and may be delisted if it does not meet certain conditions of the Exchange, which could negatively impact the value of the Fund.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The bar chart and table shown below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for one year and since inception compared with a style-specific index (one reflecting the market segments in which the Fund invests) and a broad-based index, in that order. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information for the Fund may be obtained by calling the Fund at (888) 383-0553.

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 5.01% (quarter ended 12/30/2022).

During the period shown in the bar chart, the lowest return for a calendar quarter was (13.47)% (quarter ended 6/30/2022).

The Fund’s year-to-date return was (22.93)% as of September 29, 2023.

Average Annual Total Returns – (For the Periods Ended December 31, 2022)

1 Year

Since Inception1

Before taxes

(7.65

)%​

(8.58

)%

After taxes on distributions2

(7.80

)%​

(8.69

)%

After taxes on distributions and sale of shares2

(4.44

)%​

(6.51

)%

S&P Global Clean Energy Index (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses or taxes)

(5.00

)%

(8.91

)%

S&P Global Broad Market Index (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses or taxes)

(18.63

)%

(11.59

)%

  

1 The Fund commenced operations on August 3, 2021.
2 After-tax returns are calculated using 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 your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Shares at the end of the measurement period.

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser

Virtus ETF Advisers LLC (the “Adviser”) is the Fund’s investment adviser. Virtus ETF Trust II (the “Trust”) and the Adviser have engaged Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of the Adviser, as the Fund’s sub-adviser to manage the Fund’s investments, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”).

Portfolio Managers

The following employees of the Sub-Adviser are the Fund’s portfolio managers, each of whom is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and has served in such position since the inception of the Fund’s operations in August 2021: Benjamin Bielawski, CFA; and Eric Fogarty, CFA.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

Unlike conventional investment companies, the Fund generally issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, in aggregate blocks of Shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”). The Fund’s Creation Units may be issued and redeemed only by certain large institutions, referred to as “Authorized Participants”, that enter into agreements with the Fund’s principal underwriter. Retail investors may acquire and sell Shares only on the Exchange through a broker-dealer. Shares of the Fund will trade on the Exchange at market price rather than NAV. As such, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.virtusetfs.com.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund’s distributions generally are taxed as ordinary income, capital gains or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which case your distributions may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn from such arrangement.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

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

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES AND RISKS

Additional Information Regarding the Fund’s Objective. The investment objective of the Fund may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ notice to the shareholders. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its objective.

Additional Information Regarding the Fund’s Investments. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest not less than 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of clean energy companies. The Sub-Adviser defines clean energy companies as those that derive at least 50% of their value from one or more of the following clean energy businesses: (a) the production of clean energy (e.g., biofuel, biomass, hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, and battery storage, among others); (b) the provision of clean energy technology and equipment; or (c) the transmission and distribution of clean energy. In determining whether a company derives at least 50% of its value from clean energy businesses, the Sub-Adviser evaluates the percentage of the company’s reported or estimated revenue, profits, assets and capital expenditures that are allocated to, or derived from, the clean energy business.

In seeking eligible investments, the Sub-Adviser starts by screening U.S. and non-U.S. markets, including emerging markets (i.e., those that are in the early stages of their economic development), for companies in the utilities, industrials, technology and energy sectors that are involved in clean energy. Companies are only considered for inclusion in the Fund’s portfolio if they are listed on an exchange and have a minimum float adjusted market capitalization of greater than U.S. $500 million. The Sub-Adviser then narrows the universe by focusing solely on companies involved in one or more of the three clean energy business segments discussed above (i.e., production of clean energy, provision of clean energy technology and equipment, and/or transmission and distribution of clean energy). Next, the Sub-Adviser sets eligibility requirements to avoid companies that may be in the right sectors or appear attractive but are not truly clean energy companies, as defined by the Sub-Adviser. Once the Sub-Adviser has identified the investable universe, it applies a bottom-up research-driven process, with an emphasis on stock selection, to select the Fund’s final portfolio. The Sub-Adviser seeks to identify superior clean energy companies by performing an in-depth fundamental business analysis on securities within the targeted investment universe, which includes a qualitative and quantitative assessment of investment outlook, regulatory and political events, and financial strength. No individual security comprises more than 10% of the total portfolio’s market value at the time of investment. The Sub-Adviser will typically sell a security when it believes a more attractive opportunity is available, or its investment thesis changes.

The Fund is an actively managed ETF and, thus, does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index of securities. Instead, it uses an active investment strategy that seeks to meet its investment objective.

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets) in companies in the clean energy industry. In addition, from time to time the Fund may focus its investments (i.e., invest more than 15% of its total assets) in one or more countries or geographic regions. As of September 30, 2023, the Fund focused its investments in the U.S. and Europe.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund can.

The Fund’s 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders. Certain fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) under “Investment Limitations.”

In addition to the Fund’s principal investment strategies discussed above, the Fund may also invest in cash, cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements, and money market funds. Although the Fund invests primarily in equity securities, the Sub-Adviser may seek to implement the Fund’s investment strategy through investments in ETFs and other registered investment companies.

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To the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and strategies, the Sub-Adviser incorporates and integrates Environmental, Societal and Governance (“ESG”) factors into its investment analysis and may consider any ESG factors the Sub-Adviser believes may influence risks and rewards of companies under consideration as an element of its investment research and decision making processes for the Fund. Such factors may include: (i) the environmental incident record of a company, its disclosure of CO2 emissions, and its carbon and methane reduction targets; (ii) the state of labor relations between a company’s management and its employees, and employee safety metrics; and (iii) the independence and diversity of a company’s board of directors. Any consideration of ESG factors will be within the context of the Sub-Adviser’s overall investment research and evaluation of whether such factors are relevant and financially material to a particular investment opportunity.

Additional Information Regarding the Fund’s Investment Risks.

Equity Securities Risk. The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual issuers, industries or the stock market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time. In a declining stock market, stock prices for all companies (including those in the Fund’s portfolio) may decline, regardless of their long-term prospects. Common stock is subordinated to preferred stocks, bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, which results in holders of common stock being subject to more risks than holders of preferred stocks or debt instruments of such issuers in the event of bankruptcy of such issuers.

Clean Energy Industry Risk. The risks of investing in the clean energy industry include the risks of focusing investments in the utilities, industrials, technology and energy sectors, and adverse developments in these sectors may significantly affect the value of the Shares. Securities of companies in the clean energy industry are subject to swift price and supply fluctuations caused by events relating to international politics, the success of project development and tax and other governmental regulatory policies. Weak demand for a clean energy company’s products or services, or for clean energy products, services or technology in general, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Obsolescence of existing technology, short product cycles, falling prices and profits, the supply of, and demand for, oil and gas, the price of oil and gas, competition from new market entrants and general economic conditions can significantly affect the clean energy industry. The clean energy industry is an emerging growth industry, and therefore securities of such companies may be more volatile and, historically, have been more volatile than securities of companies operating in other, more established, industries. In addition, certain methods used to value clean energy companies, particularly those that have not yet traded profitably, have not been in widespread use for a significant period of time. As a result, the use of these valuation methods may serve to further increase the volatility of the prices of clean energy company securities.

Concentration Risk. A fund concentrated in an industry or group of industries is likely to present more risks than a fund that is broadly diversified over several industries or groups of industries. Compared to the broad market, an individual industry may be more strongly affected by changes in the economic climate, broad market shifts, moves in a particular dominant stock or regulatory changes.

Limited Number of Holdings Risk. The Fund holds a more limited number of securities than other funds with similar investment strategies. As a result, each investment has a greater effect on the Fund’s overall performance and any change in the value of these securities could significantly affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is considered non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a diversified fund.

Small and Medium Capitalization Companies Risk. Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies generally involves greater risk than investing in larger, more established companies. The securities of small and medium capitalization companies usually have more limited marketability and therefore may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. Because small and medium capitalization companies normally have fewer shares outstanding than larger companies, it may be more difficult to buy or sell significant amounts of their shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Small and medium capitalization companies often have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources and lack

10

management depth, making them more susceptible to market pressures. Small and medium capitalization companies are typically subject to greater changes in earnings and business prospects than larger, more established companies. 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 which are floating rate. The foregoing risks are generally increased for smaller capitalization companies as compared to companies with larger capitalizations.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in securities of foreign issuers are subject to risks not usually associated with owning securities of U.S. issuers. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies, particularly those not subject to the disclosure and reporting requirements of U.S. securities laws. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice, including recordkeeping standards, comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of 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 of the Fund from foreign markets, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments which could affect such investments. Further, economies of particular countries or areas of the world may differ favorably or unfavorably from the economy of the United States. Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Investments in foreign markets also involve currency risk, which is the risk that the values of the Fund’s investments denominated in foreign currencies will decrease due to adverse changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the value of foreign currencies. Additionally, to the extent that the underlying assets of the Fund trade on an exchange that is closed when the Exchange is open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying asset and stale asset pricing (i.e., the last quote from the foreign exchange market), resulting in premiums or discounts to net asset value (“NAV”) that are greater than those experienced by other ETFs.

Emerging Markets Investments Risk. Investments in emerging markets are generally subject to greater market volatility, political, social and economic instability, uncertain trading markets and more governmental limitations than investments in more developed markets. Companies in emerging markets may be subject to less stringent regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards than companies in more developed countries, which could impede the Sub-Adviser’s ability to evaluate such companies or impact the Fund’s performance. Securities laws and the enforcement of systems of taxation in many emerging market countries may change quickly and unpredictably, and the ability to bring and enforce actions may be limited or otherwise impaired. In addition, investments in emerging markets may experience lower trading volume, greater price fluctuations, delayed settlement, unexpected market closures and lack of timely information, and may be subject to additional transaction costs.

Country/Geographic Region Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region or a particular country, the Fund will generally have more exposure to that region or country’s economic risks. In the event of economic or political turmoil or a deterioration of diplomatic relations in a region or country where a significant portion of the Fund’s assets are invested, the Fund may experience substantial illiquidity or reduction in the value of the Fund’s investments. Adverse conditions in a certain region or country can also adversely affect securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated.

European Investment Risk. Investments in certain countries in the European Union (“EU”), such as Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal, are susceptible to high economic risks due to concerns about rising government debt levels, ability to service debt and potential for defaults. Efforts of the EU’s member states to further unify their economic and monetary policies may increase the potential for the downward movement of one member state’s market to cause a similar effect on other member states’ markets. Separately, the EU faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The exit of one or more member states from the EU, such as the recent departure of the United Kingdom (“UK”) (commonly referred to as “Brexit”), will likely place the EU’s currency and banking system in jeopardy and result in increased volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets, which will adversely affect the Fund’s EU investments.

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Issuer Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of the issuers of the individual securities in which Fund invests. Poor performance by any issuer may cause the value of its securities, and the value of the Shares, to decline.

Market Risk. The value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio may decline due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Fund’s control, including the quality of the Fund’s investments, economic conditions, adverse investor sentiment, poor management decisions, lower demand for a company’s goods or services, and general market conditions. In a declining market, the prices for all securities (including those in the Fund’s portfolio) may decline, regardless of their long-term prospects. Security values tend to move in cycles, with periods when securities markets generally rise and periods when they generally decline. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war (e.g., Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), acts of terrorism, natural or environmental disasters, the spread of infectious illnesses or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund, its investments and the trading of its Shares. For example, an outbreak of an infectious respiratory illness, COVID-19, has caused adverse effects on many companies, sectors, nations, regions and the markets in general. The ongoing effects of COVID-19 are unpredictable and may adversely impact the value and performance of the Fund and its ability to buy and sell investments at appropriate valuations and/or achieve its investment objective.

Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, an investment in the Fund is subject to the risk that the investment process, techniques and risk analyses applied by the Sub-Adviser will not produce the desired results, and that the Fund’s investments may underperform the market or applicable benchmarks. The NAV of the Shares changes daily based on the performance of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests. Different types of securities and other instruments tend to shift into and out of favor with investors depending on market and economic conditions. There is no guarantee that the Sub-Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness or value of, or potential income from, particular investments will be correct or produce the desired results. If the Sub-Adviser fails to accurately judge potential investments, the Share price may be adversely affected.

ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of this structure, is exposed to the following risks, among others:

Authorized Participant Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders (either because of valuation difficulties or for other reasons), and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, in either of these cases, Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting.

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by those brokers. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

Fluctuation of NAV; Unit Premiums and Discounts. The NAV of the Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of Shares on the Exchange or any other exchange on which Shares are traded. It cannot be predicted whether 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 Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same

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forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the Shares during periods of market volatility. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions and/or market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund’s NAV. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV. For example, during a “flash crash,” the market prices of the Shares may decline suddenly and significantly. Such a decline may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. Flash crashes may cause Authorized Participants and other market makers to limit or cease trading in the Shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders could suffer significant losses to the extent that they sell Shares at these temporarily low market prices.

Early Closing Risk. An unanticipated early closing of the Exchange may result in a shareholder’s inability to buy or sell Shares on that day.

Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Trading in Shares may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the Shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. During stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may be less than the liquidity of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio, which may be significantly less than the liquidity of other ETFs.

No Assurance of Active Trading Market Risk. Although the Shares are approved for listing on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop and be maintained for the Shares. Further, market makers (other than lead market makers) have no obligation to make markets in the Shares and may discontinue doing so at any time without notice. As a new fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Fund may ultimately liquidate.

Redeeming Risk. Shares generally may be redeemed only in Creation Units and only by Authorized Participants. All other persons or entities transacting in Shares must generally do so in the secondary market.

Small Fund RiskThe Fund may experience low trading volume and wide bid/ask spreads. In addition, the Fund may face the risk of being delisted if the Fund does not meet certain conditions of the Exchange. If the Fund were to be required to delist from the Exchange, the value of the Fund may rapidly decline and performance may be negatively impacted. In addition, any resulting liquidation of the Fund could cause the Fund to incur elevated transaction costs for the Fund and negative tax consequences for its shareholders.

In addition to the principal risks discussed above, an investment in the Fund is also subject to the following risks:

ESG Risk. Although the Sub-Adviser’s consideration of ESG factors is intended to aid the Sub-Adviser in evaluating the financial risks and rewards of a given investment and is not expected to by itself determine an investment decision for the Fund, the Sub-Adviser’s consideration of ESG factors could nevertheless cause the Fund to perform differently compared to funds that do not have such considerations or could result in the Fund’s forgoing opportunities to buy or sell investments when it might otherwise be advantageous to do so. There are significant differences in interpretations of what it means for a company to have positive ESG factors. While the Sub-Adviser believes its interpretations of ESG factors and those provided by its third-party data providers are reasonable, the ESG-related portfolio decisions it makes may differ from other investors’ or investment managers’ views on ESG.

Risks of Investing in Underlying ETFs and Other Registered Investment CompaniesThe Fund may invest in ETFs or other registered investment companies. Through its positions in ETFs and other registered investment companies, the Fund will be subject to the risks associated with such vehicles’ investments, including the possibility that the value of the securities or instruments held by an ETF or other registered investment company could decrease (or increase). In addition to the risks associated with the underlying assets held by an ETF, investments in ETFs are subject to the

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following additional risks: (1) an ETF’s shares may trade above or below its net asset value; (2) an active trading market for the ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (3) trading an ETF’s shares may be halted by the listing exchange. Further, a passively managed ETF or other registered investment company may not track the performance of the reference asset and may hold troubled securities or other investments. Investments in ETFs and other registered investment companies may involve duplication of management fees and certain other expenses, as the Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of any expenses paid by the ETFs or other registered investment companies in which it invests.

Repurchase Agreements Risk. Repurchase agreements involve the risk that the counterparty may default on its obligation to repurchase the underlying instruments collateralizing the repurchase agreement, which may cause the Fund to lose money. This risk is magnified to the extent that a repurchase agreement is secured by securities other than cash or U.S. Government securities.

Temporary Defensive Positions. In certain adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies. At such times, the Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, such as money market instruments, and to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Fund’s investment restrictions, shares of other investment companies, including money market funds. Under such circumstances, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in these investments and may do so for extended periods of time. To the extent that the Fund invests in money market instruments or other investment companies, shareholders of the Fund would indirectly pay both the Fund’s expenses and the expenses relating to those other investment companies with respect to the Fund’s assets invested in such investment companies. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on the Fund’s website (www.virtusetfs.com) daily after the close of trading on the Exchange and prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day.

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

INVESTMENT ADVISER

The Adviser is Virtus ETF Advisers LLC, located at 31 West 52nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10019. The Adviser was organized as a Delaware limited liability company in August 2013 and is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (Ticker: VRTS) (together with its affiliates, “Virtus”). Virtus is a public company that operates a multi-manager asset management business and has substantial experience in the investment management and investment company industries. As of September 30, 2023, on a collective basis, Virtus-affiliated registered investment advisers managed approximately $163 billion in assets. As of September 30, 2023, the Adviser managed approximately $1.4 billion in assets. The Adviser also serves as investment adviser to each other series of the Trust and ETFis Series Trust I, an open-end management investment company registered with the SEC.

The Adviser has served as the Fund’s investment adviser since the inception of the Fund’s operations pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser is responsible for the oversight and management of all service providers to the Trust. The Adviser has engaged the Sub-Adviser to manage the Fund’s investments in accordance with the stated investment objective and policies of the Fund, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Adviser and the Board, and will oversee the Sub-Adviser’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the SEC rule on which the Fund relies to operate as an ETF, as well as the Trust’s related policies and procedures. The Adviser also assists with: (a) non-advisory operations of the Fund, (b) the preparation and submission of reports to existing shareholders, (c) the periodic updating of the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, (d) the preparation of reports to be filed with the SEC and other regulatory authorities, and (e) maintaining certain of the Fund’s records.

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Adviser Compensation. The Adviser receives a monthly advisory fee (the “Advisory Fee”) from the Fund at the annual rate of 0.66% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Advisory Fee for the Fund is structured as a “unified fee.” Accordingly, in consideration of the fees paid with respect to the Fund, the Adviser has agreed to pay all of the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund, except for the following expenses, each of which is paid by the Fund: the Advisory Fee; payments under any 12b-1 plan; taxes and other governmental fees; brokerage fees, commissions and other transaction expenses; interest and other costs of borrowing; litigation or arbitration expenses; acquired fund fees and expenses; and extraordinary or other non-routine expenses of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2023, the Fund paid the Adviser fees equal to an annual rate of 0.59%, of the Fund’s average annual net assets, after fee waivers.

Fee Waiver Agreement. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fee equal to 0.07% of the Fund’s average daily net assets through at least November 28, 2024, which will have the effect of reducing the Fund’s expenses (the “Fee Waiver Agreement”). While the Adviser or the Fund may discontinue the Fee Waiver Agreement after the contractual period, it may only be terminated during its term by either party upon written notice; provided that such termination shall require the approval of the Board.

INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER

The Fund’s sub-adviser is Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co., located at 10 South Wacker Drive, 19th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Sub-Adviser has served in that capacity since the commencement of the Fund’s operations pursuant to a sub-advisory contract (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, as approved by the Board. The Sub-Adviser makes day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund and selects broker-dealers for executing portfolio transactions, subject to the Sub-Adviser’s best execution obligations and the Trust’s and the Sub-Adviser’s brokerage policies. The Adviser, however, will continue to have overall responsibility for the management and investment of the assets and responsibility for all advisory services furnished by the Sub-Adviser, and will supervise the Sub-Adviser in the performance of its duties for the Fund pursuant to written policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of applicable laws and regulations, Board procedures, and the provisions of the Fund’s prospectus and SAI, as supplemented from time to time.

The Sub-Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of Virtus and has been providing investment advisory services since 1979. In addition to the Fund, the Sub-Adviser acts as sub-adviser to mutual funds and as adviser or sub-adviser to closed-end funds and to institutional clients. As of September 30, 2023, the Sub-Adviser had approximately $11.1 billion in assets under management.

Sub-Adviser Compensation. For services provided to the Fund, the Adviser will pay to the Sub-Adviser a fee, payable monthly in arrears, equal to 50% of the net advisory fee payable by the Fund to the Adviser for such month. For this purpose, the “net advisory fee” means the advisory fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser for investment advisory services under the Adviser’s investment advisory agreement with the Fund, after deducting the payment of all of the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund under the Adviser’s unified fee arrangement. In the event that the Adviser waives all or a portion of its fee pursuant to an applicable waiver agreement, then the Sub-Adviser will waive its fee in the same proportion as the Adviser.

Disclosure Regarding Advisory Agreement Approval. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s most recent approval of the investment advisory agreement and investment sub-advisory agreement for the Fund is available in the Fund’s semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended January 31, 2023. You may obtain a copy of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, without charge, upon request to the Fund.

MANAGER OF MANAGERS STRUCTURE

The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Adviser, subject to certain conditions, to enter into new sub-advisory agreements with affiliated or unaffiliated sub-advisers on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval. The exemptive relief also permits material amendments to existing sub-advisory agreements with affiliated or unaffiliated sub-advisers without shareholder approval. Under this structure, the Adviser has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, to oversee such sub-advisers and recommend to the Board their hiring, termination, and replacement. The structure does not permit investment advisory fees paid by the Fund to be increased without shareholder approval, or change the Adviser’s obligations under the investment advisory agreement, including the Adviser’s responsibility to monitor and oversee sub-advisory services furnished to the Fund.

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PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The following employees of the Sub-Adviser are the Fund’s portfolio managers, each of whom is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and has served in such position since the inception of the Fund’s operations in August 2021:

Benjamin Bielawski, CFA, Managing Director of the Sub-Adviser

Mr Bielawski is a Senior Research Analyst on the Sub-Adviser’s Infrastructure team as well as a Portfolio Manager for the Sub-Adviser’s Clean Energy Strategy. Mr. Bielawski concentrates his research on the global utilities and communications sectors and leads the firm’s research efforts on companies and technologies that will power the energy needs of the future. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser in June 2017 he was a Senior Global Equity Analyst/Executive Vice President at Institutional Capital LLC (“ICAP”), where he covered global utilities, telecommunications, infrastructure, media, and consumer services sectors for eighteen years. In addition to these responsibilities, he co-managed ICAP’s global high dividend portfolios and was a voting member of the Institutional Capital Investment Committee, which made final decisions on all portfolio recommendations domestically and internationally. Previously, he spent four years at Harris Associated in Institutional Services. Mr. Bielawski holds a BS degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University and an MBA with concentrations in accounting and finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Mr. Bielawski is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Eric Fogarty, CFA, Managing Director of the Sub-Adviser

Mr. Fogarty is a Senior Research Analyst on the Sub-Adviser’s Infrastructure team as well as a Portfolio Manager for the Sub-Adviser’s Clean Energy Strategy. Mr. Fogarty concentrates his research on the utilities sector and leads the firm’s research efforts on companies and technologies that will power the energy needs of the future. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser in November 2018, he spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (“GSAM”). In his previous role, he served as an investment committee member for the GSAM Global Infrastructure Fund. Mr. Fogarty was also the Utilities and Consumer Staples Sector Specialist for GSAM’s Small, Mid, and Large Cap Value, and Income funds. Additionally, he was the lead portfolio manager for the US ESG Fund and was a senior member of the task force charged with integrating ESG factors into GSAM’s investment process. Mr. Fogarty previously held roles as a derivatives specialist, equity fund risk manager, and trader at GSAM. He started his career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. He holds a BS degree from Binghamton University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Additional Information. Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Shares of the Fund is available in the Fund’s SAI.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust, which is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 14, 2015. The Board supervises the operations of the Trust and the Fund according to applicable state and federal law, and is responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s business affairs.

OPERATIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

Virtus ETF Solutions, LLC (the “Administrator”), located at 31 West 52nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10019, serves as the Fund’s operational administrator. The Administrator supervises the overall administration of the Trust and the Fund including, among other responsibilities, the coordination and day-to-day oversight of the Fund’s operations, the service providers’ communications with the Fund and each other, and assistance with Trust, Board and contractual matters related to the Fund and other series of the Trust. The Administrator also provides persons satisfactory to the Board to serve as officers of the Trust.

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ACCOUNTING SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY Mellon”), located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286, directly and through its subsidiary companies, provides necessary administrative, accounting, tax and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust as the Fund’s accounting services administrator. BNY Mellon also serves as the custodian for the Fund’s assets, and serves as transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Fund.

DISTRIBUTOR

VP Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), located at One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103, serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, located at Two Commerce Square, Suite 1800, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust and the Fund.

LEGAL COUNSEL

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, located at 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, PA 19103, serves as counsel to the Trust and the Independent Trustees.

EXPENSES OF THE FUND

The Fund pays all expenses not assumed by the Adviser. General Trust expenses that are allocated among and charged to the assets of the Fund and other series of the Trust are done so on a basis that the Board deems fair and equitable, which may be on a basis of relative net assets of the Fund and other series of the Trust or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to the Fund and other series of the Trust.

INVESTING IN THE FUND

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

The Board has adopted on behalf of the Fund a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or the provision of investor services. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Fund, and there are no current plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, they will be paid out of the Fund’s assets, and over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of the Fund. The making of these payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such payments.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The NAV of the Shares for the Fund is equal to the Fund’s total assets minus the Fund’s total liabilities divided by the total number of Shares outstanding. Interest and investment income on the Trust’s assets accrue daily and are included in the Fund’s total assets. Expenses and fees (including investment advisory, management, administration and distribution fees, if any) accrue daily and are included in the Fund’s total liabilities. The NAV that is published is rounded to the nearest cent; however, for purposes of determining the price of Creation Units, the NAV is calculated to five decimal places.

The pricing and valuation of portfolio securities is determined in good faith in accordance with procedures approved by, and under the direction of, the Board. In determining the value of the Fund’s assets, portfolio securities are generally valued at market using quotations from the primary market in which they are traded. Debt securities (other than short-term investments) are valued on the basis of broker quotes or valuations provided by a pricing service, which in

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determining value utilizes information regarding recent sales, market transactions in comparable securities, quotations from dealers, and various relationships between securities. Short-term investments having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Other assets, such as accrued interest, accrued dividends and cash are also included in determining the NAV. The Fund normally uses third party pricing services to obtain market quotations.

The Board has designated the Adviser to serve as its valuation designee, pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, to perform the fair value determinations relating to any or all Fund investments. Accordingly, securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available or which cannot be accurately valued using the Fund’s normal pricing procedures are valued by the Adviser at fair value as determined in good faith under policies approved by the Board. Fair value pricing may be used, for example, in situations where (i) portfolio securities, such as securities with small capitalizations, are so thinly traded that there have been no transactions for that security over an extended period of time; (ii) an event occurs after the close of the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded that is likely to change the value of the portfolio security prior to the Fund’s NAV calculation; (iii) the exchange on which the portfolio security is principally traded closes early; or (iv) trading of the particular portfolio security is halted during the day and does not resume prior to the Fund’s NAV calculation. Pursuant to policies adopted by the Board, the Adviser consults with BNY Mellon and the Sub-Adviser on a regular basis regarding the need for fair value pricing. Fair value pricing is intended to result in a calculation of the Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects portfolio security values as of the time of pricing. A portfolio security’s “fair value” price may differ from the price next available for that portfolio security using the Fund’s normal pricing procedures, and the fair value price may differ substantially from the price at which the security may ultimately be traded or sold. If the fair value price differs from the price that would have been determined using the Fund’s normal pricing procedures, you may receive more or less proceeds or Shares from redemptions or purchases of Shares, respectively, than you would have otherwise received if the portfolio security were priced using the Fund’s normal pricing procedures, which could result in the market prices for Shares deviating from NAV. The performance of the Fund may also be affected if a portfolio security’s fair value price were to differ from the security’s price using the Fund’s normal pricing procedures. The Board oversees the Adviser in its role as valuation designee in accordance with the requirements of Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act.

Foreign securities not denominated in U.S. dollars are translated from the local currency into U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. If securities in which the Fund invests are listed primarily on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the NAV of the Shares may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or redeem Shares. Foreign currencies, securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates generally determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

To the extent the assets of the Fund are invested in other open-end investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs reported by such registered open-end investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares.

The NAV is determined as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day that the Exchange is open for business. Currently, the Exchange is closed on weekends and in recognition of the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

Information regarding the extent and frequency with which market prices of Shares have tracked the Fund’s NAV for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year is available without charge on the Fund’s website.

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FREQUENT TRADING

Unlike traditional mutual funds, Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by Authorized Participants, and the vast majority of trading in the Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because secondary market trades do not involve the Fund directly, those trades are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains. In addition, direct trading on a short-term basis by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Shares trade at or close to NAV. The Fund also imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs, which are designed to offset the Fund’s transaction costs associated with issuing and redeeming Creation Units. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares by Fund shareholders. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive or excessive trading in Creation Units. The Fund also reserves the right to reject any redemption order in accordance with applicable law.

The Board has instructed the officers of the Trust to review reports of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units on a regular basis to determine if there is any unusual trading in the Shares. The officers of the Trust will report to the Board any such unusual trading in Creation Units that is disruptive to the Fund. In such event, the Board may reconsider its decision not to adopt market timing policies and procedures.

DISTRIBUTIONS

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. The Fund expects to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. Distributions may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.

Each year, you will receive an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. The Fund makes every effort to search for reclassified income to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, when necessary, you will receive a corrected Form 1099 to reflect reclassified information.

At the time you purchase your Shares, the price of Shares may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying Shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.”

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

FUND DISTRIBUTIONS

The Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Shares or receive them in cash. For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your Shares. A portion of income dividends reported by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, provided certain holding period requirements are met.

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The use of derivatives by the Fund may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, distributions from which are taxable to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates rather than at the more favorable tax rates for long-term capital gain.

SALE OF FUND SHARES

A sale of Shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be recognized. Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

TAX TREATMENT OF FUND SHAREHOLDERS

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from taxable dispositions of Shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

Fund distributions and gains from the sale of your Shares generally are subject to state and local taxes.

Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. Exemptions from U.S. withholding tax are provided for certain capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from net long-term capital gains, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, if such amounts are reported by the Fund. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), a 30% withholding tax is imposed on income dividends paid by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or nonfinancial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares, however, based on proposed regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). Information about a shareholder in the Fund may be disclosed to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

WITHHOLDING

By law, if you do not provide your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains or proceeds from the sale of your Shares. Withholding is also imposed if the IRS requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid.

CREATION UNITS

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of purchase (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). An Authorized Participant who exchanges Creation Units for securities generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the Authorized Participant’s basis in the Creation Units (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant

20

as part of the redemption) and the aggregate market value of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether the wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less, assuming such Creation Units are held as a capital asset.

If the Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may recognize more capital gains than it will if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.

This discussion of “Federal Income Taxes” is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund. For additional information, see the “Taxation” section of the Statement of Additional Information.

FUND WEBSITE AND DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Trust maintains a website for the Fund at www.virtusetfs.com. The website for the Fund contains the following information, on a per-Share basis, for the Fund: (i) the prior Business Day’s NAV and market price; (ii) the 30-day median bid-ask spread; (iii) the reported midpoint of the bid-ask spread at the time of NAV calculation (the “Bid-Ask Price”); (iv) a calculation of the premium or discount of the Bid-Ask Price against such NAV; and (v) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the Bid-Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters (or for the life of the Fund if, shorter). In addition, on each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in Shares on the Exchange, the Trust discloses on the Fund’s website the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis for the calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day.

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

OTHER INFORMATION

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Fund to achieve its objective. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is a registered investment company, and the acquisition of Shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on exemption from registration as investment companies under Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as permitted by SEC rule or an exemptive order that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond those limitations.

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The financial highlights table below is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the period of the Fund’s operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the fiscal period August 3, 2021 (commencement of operations) through July 31, 2022 and the fiscal year ended on July 31, 2023 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the Fund’s Annual Report, which is available upon request, at no charge, by calling the Fund at (888) 383-0553.

Virtus Duff & Phelps
Clean Energy ETF

For the
Year Ended
July 31, 2023

For the Period
August 3, 20211
Through
July 31, 2022

Per Share Data for a Share Outstanding throughout each period presented:

Net asset value, beginning of period

$24.46

$25.55

Investment operations:

Net investment income2

0.20

0.14

Net realized and unrealized loss

(3.52

)

(1.12

)

Total from investment operations

(3.32

)

(0.98

)

 

Less Distributions from: 

Net investment income

(0.15

)

(0.11

)

Total distributions

(0.15

)

(0.11

)

Net Asset Value, End of period

$20.99

$24.46

Net Asset Value Total Return3

(13.55

)%

(3.76

)%

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$3,149

$3,669

 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Ratios to Average Net Assets:

Expenses, net of expense waivers

0.59

%

0.59%4

Expenses, prior to expense waivers

0.66

%

0.66%4

Net investment income

0.89

%

0.62%4

Portfolio turnover rate5

58

%

39%6

  

1 Commencement of operations.
2 Based on average shares outstanding.
3 Net Asset Value Total Return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value on the first day of the period, reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemptions at net asset value on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
4 Annualized.
5 Portfolio turnover excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s capital shares.
6 Not annualized.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you would like more information about the Trust, the Fund or the Shares, the following documents are available free upon request:

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. You will find in the Fund’s annual report a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the prior fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information

Additional information about the Fund and its policies is also available in the Fund’s SAI. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus (and is legally considered part of this Prospectus).

To receive a free copy of the Fund’s SAI, annual and semi-annual reports or other information about the Fund, or to make inquiries about the Fund, please call the Fund toll-free at (888) 383-0553. You can also access and download the SAI and the most recent annual and semi-annual reports without charge at the Fund’s website at www.virtusetfs.com or by written request to the Fund at the address below.

To obtain other information and for shareholder inquiries:

By telephone:

(888) 383-0553

By mail:

Virtus ETF Trust II
31 West 52nd Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10019

On the Internet:

SEC Edgar database: http://www.sec.gov; or www.virtusetfs.com

Only one copy of a Prospectus or an annual or semi-annual report will be sent to each household address. This process, known as “householding”, is used for most required shareholder mailings. (It does not apply to confirmations of transactions and account statements, however.) You may, of course, request an additional copy of a Prospectus or an annual or semi-annual report at any time by calling or writing the Fund. You may also request that householding be eliminated from all your required mailings.

Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund or its Shares not contained in this Prospectus, and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.

Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, may be generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation dealers have to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

Virtus ETF Trust II: Investment Company Act file number 811-23078