APPENDIX A

 

CODE OF ETHICS FOR PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE AND

SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICERS

 

I.       Covered Officers/Purpose of the Code

 

This code of ethics (the “Code”) is applicable to Guggenheim Funds (each a “Company” and together the “Companies,” each set forth in Exhibit A) and applies to the Companies’ President/CEO (Principal Executive Officer), and CFO/Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) (the “Covered Officers”) for the purpose of promoting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covered Officers are expected to dedicate their best efforts to advancing the Trust’s interests and to use objective and unbiased standards when making decisions that affect the Trust, while being sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual conflicts of interest, as well as apparent conflicts of interest.

 

II.Covered Officers Should Handle Ethically Actual and Apparent Conflicts of Interest

 

Overview. A “conflict of interest” occurs when a Covered Officer’s private interest interferes with the interests of, or his or her service to, the Company. For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position with the Company.

 

Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationships between Covered Officers and the Company and already are subject to conflict of interest provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Investment Advisers Act”). For example, Covered Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with the Company because of their status as “affiliated persons” of the Company. The Company's and the investment adviser's compliance programs and procedures are designed to prevent, or identify and correct, violations of these provisions. This Code does not, and is not intended to, repeat or replace these programs and procedures, and such conflicts fall outside of the parameters of this Code.

 

Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from, or result from, the contractual relationship between the Company and the investment adviser of which the Covered Officers are also officers or employees. As a result, this Code recognizes that the Covered Officers will, in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for the Company or for the adviser, or for both), be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on the adviser and the Company. The participation of the Covered Officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationship between the Company and the adviser and is consistent with the performance by the Covered Officers of their duties as officers of the Company. Thus, if performed in conformity with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, such activities will be deemed to have been handled ethically. In addition, it is recognized by the Funds’ Boards of Trustees (“Boards”) that the Covered Officers may also be officers or employees of one or more other investment companies covered by this code.

 
 

 

Other conflicts of interest are covered by the Code, even if such conflicts of interest are not subject to provisions in the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act. The following list provides examples of conflicts of interest under the Code, but Covered Officers should keep in mind that these examples are not exhaustive. The overarching principle is that the personal interest of a Covered Officer should not be placed improperly before the interest of the Company.

 

***

Each Covered Officer must:

 

 

 

 

There are some conflict of interest situations that should always be discussed with the Secretary of the Funds (the "Secretary"), or other senior legal officer, if material. Examples of these include:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

III.        Disclosure and Compliance

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV.        Reporting and Accountability

 

Each Covered Officer must:

 

 

 

 

 

The Secretary, or other designated senior legal officer of the Funds’ investment adviser, is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented under it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation.2 However, any approvals or waivers3 sought by the President/ CEO will be considered by the Audit Committee of the Funds (the “Committee”). The Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Trust is authorized and encouraged to consult, as appropriate, with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Independent Trustees or the Board of Trustees of the Trust and/or with counsel to the Trust, the Investment Adviser(s) or the Independent Trustees.

The Independent Trustees are responsible for granting waivers of this Code of Ethics, as appropriate. Any changes to or waivers of this Code of Ethics will be disclosed on Form N-CSR3 to the extent required by Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

 

The Funds will follow these procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code:

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

V.       Other Policies and Procedures

 

This Code shall be the sole code of ethics adopted by the Funds for purposes of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and forms applicable to registered investment companies thereunder. Insofar as other policies or procedures of the Funds, the Funds’ adviser, principal underwriter, or other service providers govern or purport to govern the behavior or activities of the Covered Officers who are subject to this Code, they are superseded by this Code to the extent that they overlap or conflict with the provisions of this Code. The Funds’ and their investment adviser’s and principal underwriter’s codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act are separate requirements applying to the Covered Officers and others, and are not part of this Code.

 

VI.        Amendments

Any amendments to this Code must be approved or ratified by a majority vote of the Board, including a majority of independent directors/trustees.

 

 

VII       Confidentiality

All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to this Code will be considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly. Except as otherwise required by law or this Code, such matters shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the Board and its counsel, the Funds’ counsel, the Adviser and its counsel and any other advisers, consultants or counsel retained by the Board of Trustees.

 

VIII.        Internal Use

 

The Code is intended solely for the internal use by the Funds and does not constitute an admission, by or on behalf of any Company, as to any fact, circumstance, or legal conclusion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Exhibit A - Covered Entities

 

Guggenheim Taxable Municipal Bond & Investment Grade Debt Trust (“GBAB”)

Guggenheim Active Allocation Fund (“GUG”)

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (“GOF”)

Guggenheim Energy & Income Fund (“XGEIX”)

Guggenheim Funds Trust (“GFT” and its series, the “Open-End Funds”)

Guggenheim Variable Funds Trust (“GVFT” and its series, the “Variable Insurance Funds”)

Guggenheim Strategy Funds Trust (“GSFT”)

Transparent Value Trust

Rydex Series Funds

Rydex Dynamic Funds

Rydex Variable Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


1 Any activity or relationship that would present a conflict for a Covered Officer would likely also present a conflict for the Covered Officer if a member of the Covered Officer’s family engages in such an activity or has such a relationship.
2 The Secretary or other designated senior legal officer is authorized to consult, as appropriate, with counsel to the Company and counsel to the Independent Trustees, and is encouraged to do so.
3 Item 2 of Form N-CSR defines “waiver” as “the approval by the registrant of a material departure from a provision of the code of ethics” and “implicit waiver,” which must also be disclosed, as “the registrant’s failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of the code of ethics that has been made known to an executive officer” of the registrant.