As filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on
Registration No. 333-148723
Registration No. 811-22172
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ☒ |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | ☐ | |
Post-Effective Amendment No. 489 | ☒ |
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ☒ |
Amendment No. 490 | ☒ |
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) |
8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, VA 23235 |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
(804) 267-7400 |
(Registrant’s Telephone Number) |
The Corporation Trust Co. |
Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801 |
(Name and Address of Agent for Service) |
With Copy to: |
John H. Lively |
Practus, LLP |
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310 |
Leawood, KS 66211 |
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
☐ | Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b); |
☒ | on August 1, 2025 pursuant to paragraph (b); |
☐ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1); |
☐ | on ___________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1); |
☐ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2); or |
☐ | on ___________ (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485. |
If appropriate, check the following box:
☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
Title of Securities Being Registered: shares of beneficial interest.
Perkins Discovery Fund
PROSPECTUS
Ticker: PDFDX
This prospectus describes the Perkins Discovery Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund is authorized to offer one class of shares, which is offered by this prospectus.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Perkins Discovery Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund.
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
|
Maximum deferred sales charges (load) (as a percentage of the NAV at time of purchase) |
|
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed within 45 days of purchase) | |
Exchange Fee |
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
Management Fee | |
Distribution (12b-1) and Service Fees | |
Other Expenses: | |
Shareholder Services Plan | |
Other Expenses(1) | |
Total Other Expenses | |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(2) | ( |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(2) |
(1) |
(2) |
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Adviser’s agreement to waive fees and/or expenses is only reflected in the first year of the example shown. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A
higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a
taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the
Fund’s performance. During
the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
In selecting investments, Perkins Capital Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”) seeks growth opportunities by investing in companies that it believes will appreciate in value. The Adviser seeks to discover investment opportunities primarily by searching for companies that it believes are in the process of undergoing some fundamental change. Companies undergoing change may have new products, processes, strategies, management, or may be subject to change by external forces. The Fund attempts to buy stocks of such companies when it believes the changes will result in higher earnings and/or a higher price-to-earnings ratio.
The Adviser will typically sell a holding when the reasons that the holding was purchased change. When a holding performs as anticipated, it may be sold when the Adviser’s price target is reached, when the holding becomes overvalued in the Adviser’s opinion, or when technical chart analysis indicates that a good sale point has been reached.
Note: Due to investment considerations, the Fund will close to new investors when it reaches $100 million in total assets. If the Fund closes to new investors, based on market conditions and other factors, it may reopen at a later date.
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Principal Risks
General Market Risk. The market price of a security may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. These fluctuations may cause a security to be worth less than its cost when originally purchased or less than it was worth at an earlier time.
Equity Risk. Since the Fund purchases equity securities, it is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund’s equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility.
Risk of Other Equity Securities. Most convertible securities are subject to the risks and price fluctuations of the underlying stock. They may be subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Some convertible preferred stocks have a conversion or call feature that allows the issuer to redeem the stock before the conversion date, which could diminish the potential for capital appreciation on the investment. The fixed dividend rate of preferred stocks may cause their prices to behave more like those of debt securities. If interest rates rise, the value of preferred stock having a fixed dividend rate tends to fall. Preferred stock generally ranks behind debt securities in claims for dividends and assets of the issuer in a liquidation or bankruptcy. The price of a warrant does not necessarily move parallel to the price of the underlying security and is generally more volatile than that of the underlying security.
Management Risk. The Adviser may fail to implement the Fund’s investment strategies and meet its investment objective.
Smaller Companies Risk. Investing in securities of smaller companies including micro-cap, small-cap, medium-cap, and less seasoned companies often involve greater volatility than investing in larger, more established companies and these securities may be less liquid than other securities.
Sector Risk. The Fund may emphasize investment in one or more particular business sectors at times, which may cause the value of its share price to be more susceptible to the financial, market, or economic events affecting issuers and industries within those sectors than a fund that does not emphasize investment in particular sectors. Economic or market factors, regulation or deregulation, and technological or other developments may negatively impact all companies in a particular sector and may increase the risk of loss of an investment in the Fund. This may increase the risk of loss associated with an investment in the Fund and increase the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value per share. The Fund may from time to time emphasize companies in the Health Care sector which are subject to government regulation and reimbursement rates, as well as government approval of products and services, which could have a significant effect on price and availability, and the prices of securities of such companies may be significantly affected adversely by rapid obsolescence and patent expirations.
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Small Portfolio Risk. Although the Fund is diversified, from time to time, it holds a relatively small number of securities (i.e., under 40). As a result, an increase or decrease in the value of a single security held by the Fund may have a greater impact on the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and total return.
The
bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s
performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the periods indicated compare with
those of a broad-based securities market index, the S&P 500® Index, and the NASDAQ Composite Index and the
Wilshire U.S. Micro-Cap Index, which are the Fund’s secondary benchmark indexes.
Updated
performance information is available at
The
Fund’s
- |
4
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Return Before Taxes | |||
Return After Taxes on Distributions | |||
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | |||
S&P
500® Index |
|||
NASDAQ
Composite Index |
|||
Wilshire
U.S. Micro-Cap Index |
Investment Adviser
Perkins Capital Management, Inc.
Portfolio Managers
Daniel S. Perkins, CFA, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, has served as a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since its inception in 1998.
Richard C. Perkins, CFA, President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Adviser, has served as a Portfolio Manager to the Fund since 2018.
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem, or exchange shares of the Fund on days when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading through a financial adviser, by mail (Perkins Discovery Fund, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235), by wire, or by telephone at 800-628-4077. Purchases and redemptions by telephone are only permitted if you previously established this option on your account. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $2,500. Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $100 or more. The minimum initial investment amount for retirement accounts and automatic investment accounts is $1,000 or more and the subsequent investments are $100.
The Fund may waive minimums for purchases or exchanges through employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k), IRA or 529 college saving plan, in which case withdrawals generally will be taxed.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial 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 ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS
The Fund’s objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is non–fundamental which means it may be changed without shareholder vote upon at least a 60-day written notice to shareholders. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
The Adviser’s approach to equity investments is to seek opportunities for growth by investing in companies that it believes will appreciate in value. The Adviser seeks to discover investment opportunities primarily by searching for companies that it believes are in the process of undergoing some type of fundamental change. Stocks are purchased when it is believed that this change will result in higher earnings and/or a higher price/earnings ratio and thus a higher share price when that change is discovered by others. Companies undergoing change may have new products, processes, strategies, management, or may be subject to change by external forces. Although there is no regional or geographical limit to the location of portfolio companies, many of the companies in the Fund’s portfolio are located in the upper Midwest states.
In its investment selection process, the Adviser visits companies, reads a variety of reports and publications and utilizes computer programs to derive fundamental selection criteria. The Adviser also uses technical chart analysis to find investment opportunities and as an aid in selecting what the Adviser believes to be the best buy or sale point for a particular security.
The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of domestic companies with market capitalizations of under $1 billion at the time of purchase.
The Adviser will typically sell a holding when the reasons that the holding was purchased change. When a holding performs as anticipated, it may be sold when the Adviser’s price target is reached, when the holding becomes overvalued in the Adviser’s opinion, or when technical chart analysis indicates that a good sale point has been reached. When a holding does not perform as anticipated, the reasons for the holding being purchased may have changed or the Adviser may have been wrong about those reasons initially. In this situation, the Adviser will use fundamental and technical analysis to attempt to liquidate the position at the best price possible.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest according to its principal investment strategies noted above. However, the Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies, and make short-term investments in cash, cash equivalents and short-term debt securities and money market instruments, in response to adverse market, economic or political conditions. To the extent the Fund makes such defensive investments, it may not achieve its investment objective. For longer periods of time, the Fund may hold a substantial cash position. If the market advances during periods when the Fund is holding a large cash position, the Fund may not participate as much as it would have if it had been more fully invested. To the extent the Fund uses a money market fund for its cash position, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money market fund’s advisory fees and operational expenses.
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In addition to common stocks, the Fund may also invest in convertible securities, including preferred stock, warrants and debentures.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RISK
An investment in the Fund is not guaranteed and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is not a complete investment program. The value of your investment will go up and down, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares. There are risks involved with any investment, but the principal risks associated with an investment in the Fund include:
General Market Risk. General market risk is the risk that the market value of a security may fluctuate; sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. These fluctuations may cause a security to be worth less than its cost when originally purchased or less than it was worth at an earlier time. General market risk may affect a single issuer, industry, sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
Equity Risk. Since the Fund purchases equity securities, it is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund’s equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility.
Risks of Other Equity Securities. Other equity securities in which the Fund may invest include convertible securities and preferred securities. Convertible securities are securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stock. The values of convertible securities may be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of their issuer, and the ability of the issuer to repay principal and to make interest payments. A convertible security tends to perform more like a stock when the underlying stock price is high and more like a debt security when the underlying stock price is low. A convertible security is not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar non-convertible debt security and generally has less potential for gain or loss than the underlying stock. Most convertible securities are subject to the risks and price fluctuations of the underlying stock. They may be subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Some convertible preferred stocks have a conversion or call feature that allows the issuer to redeem the stock before the conversion date, which could diminish the potential for capital appreciation on the investment. Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. The market value of preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities and is sensitive to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness, the ability of the issuer to make payments on the preferred stock and changes in interest rates, typically declining in value if interest rates rise. In addition, a company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. Therefore, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.
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Management Risk. Management risk describes the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure at implementing investment strategies for the Fund. The value of your investment is subject to the effectiveness of the Adviser’s research, analysis and security selection decisions. If the Adviser’s investment strategies do not produce the expected results, your investment could be diminished or even lost.
Smaller Companies Risk. Investments in smaller companies including micro-cap, small-cap, medium-cap and less seasoned companies may be speculative, more volatile and involve greater risk than that customarily associated with larger companies. Many small companies are more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business or economic developments. They may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources. New and improved products or methods of development may have a substantial impact on the earnings and revenues of such companies. Any such positive or negative developments may have a corresponding positive or negative impact on the value of their shares. As a result, the Fund’s shares will be more volatile than a fund that invests exclusively in large-capitalization companies.
Small company shares, which usually trade on the over-the-counter market, may have few market makers, wider spreads between their quoted bid and asked prices and lower trading volumes. This may result in comparatively greater price volatility and less liquidity than the securities of companies that have larger market capitalizations and/or that are traded on the major stock exchanges, or market averages in general. In addition, the Fund and other client accounts of the Adviser, together, may hold a significant percentage of a company’s outstanding shares. When making larger sales, the Fund may have to sell assets at discounts from quoted prices or may have to make a series of small sales over an extended period of time. For these reasons, the Fund’s NAV may be volatile.
The Fund may invest in the smallest of small company stocks, referred to as micro-cap companies. In addition to the risks of smaller companies in general, micro-cap companies may lack the necessary resources to take advantage of a valuable product or favorable market position or may be unable to withstand the competitive pressures of larger, more established companies. Micro-cap companies may be less financially secure than small-cap companies and may be more vulnerable to key personnel losses due to a smaller management group. A fund that invests in micro-cap securities involves considerably more risk of loss and its returns may differ significantly from funds that invest in small-cap companies.
Sector and Regional Risk. The Fund may emphasize investment in one or more particular business sectors at times, which may cause the value of its share price to be more susceptible to the financial, market, or economic events affecting issuers and industries within those sectors than a fund that does not emphasize investment in particular sectors. Economic or market factors, regulation or deregulation, and technological or other developments may negatively impact all companies in a particular sector and may increase the risk of loss of an investment in the Fund. This may increase the risk of loss associated with an investment in the Fund and increase the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value per share. The sectors that the Fund may emphasize will vary from time to time but may include companies in the Health Care sector. Such companies are subject to government regulation and reimbursement rates, as well as government approval of products and services, which could have a significant effect on price and availability, and the prices of securities of such companies may be significantly affected adversely by rapid obsolescence and patent expirations.
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Additionally, to the extent the Fund invests in companies located in the Midwest or any other region, the Fund may be susceptible to economic and market conditions that affect that region particularly.
Small Portfolio Risk. Although the Fund is diversified, from time to time, it holds a relatively small number of securities (i.e., under 40). As a result, an increase or decrease in the value of a single security held by the Fund may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and total return.
Temporary Defensive Position. The investments and strategies described in this prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. The Fund may take temporary “defensive” positions in attempting to respond to adverse market conditions. The Fund may invest any amount of its assets in cash or money market instruments in a defensive posture when the Adviser believes it is advisable to do so. Although taking a defensive posture is designed to protect the Fund from an anticipated market downturn, it could have the effect of reducing the benefit from any upswing in the market. When the Fund takes a defensive position, it may not achieve its investment objective.
MANAGEMENT
The Investment Adviser
The Fund has entered into an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with Perkins Capital Management, Inc., 730 East Lake Street, Wayzata, Minnesota 55391-1769. The Adviser was founded in 1984 and serves as investment adviser primarily to individual and institutional investors. As of June 30, 2025, the Adviser manages assets in excess of $115 million. The Adviser provides the Fund with advice on buying and selling securities. The Adviser also furnishes the Fund with office space and certain administrative services and provides most of the personnel needed by the Fund. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Fund compensates the Adviser for its investment advisory services at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s daily net assets, payable on a monthly basis. Subject to the general supervision of the Board, the Adviser is responsible for managing the Fund in accordance with its investment objective and policies, and making decisions with respect to, and placing orders for, all purchases and sales of portfolio securities. The Adviser also maintains related records for the Fund. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser earned compensation at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s daily net assets for investment advisory services, of which all was waived.
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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Adviser is available in the Fund’s reports filed on Form N-CSR for the six months ended September 30, 2024.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses (excluding interest, expenses incurred under a plan of distribution adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, dividend expenses on short sales, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of such Fund’s business) in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements for shares of the Fund to 2.25% of the Fund’s daily net assets (the “Expense Cap”). The Expense Cap will remain in effect until at least July 31, 2026. Each waiver or reimbursement of an expense by the Adviser is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the date such waiver and/or reimbursement was made, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the expense limitation in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and at the time the waiver or reimbursement is recouped. The Trust and the Adviser may terminate this expense limitation agreement prior to July 31, 2026 only by mutual written consent.
The Portfolio Managers
As co-portfolio managers, Mr. Daniel S. Perkins and Mr. Richard C. Perkins are principally responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Daniel S. Perkins has been associated with the Adviser since its inception in 1984 and has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception. Mr. Richard C. Perkins has been associated with the Adviser since 1990 and has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since July 2018. Mr. Daniel S. Perkins and Mr. Richard C. Perkins are brothers.
Mr. Daniel S. Perkins, CFA, is the Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser. He previously served as the Executive Vice President of the Adviser from 2005-2019 and was Vice President prior to 2005 for over 20 years. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager and Vice President of the Adviser, he was employed as a financial analyst at Perkins and Partners, Inc. Mr. Daniel S. Perkins earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado-Boulder and an MBA in Finance from the University of Minnesota.
Mr. Richard C. Perkins, CFA, is the President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Adviser. He previously served as the Executive Vice President of the Adviser from 2005-2019, has served as the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer since 2012, and was Vice President prior to 2005 for 15 years. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager and Vice President for the Adviser, he was employed as an Investment Executive with Piper, Jaffrey & Hopwood, Inc. for 12 years, where he specialized in equity securities. Mr. Richard C. Perkins earned a BA degree with Distinction in Administrative Science and Mathematics/Economics from Colby College. While at Colby College, he was awarded the Ernest L. Parsons Prize in Administrative Science and the James J. Harris Prize in Administrative Science and was elected a Senior Scholar in Econometrics by the Economics Department.
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The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the co-portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts they manage and their ownership of Fund shares.
The Trust
The Fund is a series of the Trust, an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 9, 2007. The Trustees supervise the operations of the Fund according to applicable state and federal law, and the Trustees are responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s business affairs.
Rule 12b-1 Fees
The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the Distribution Plan, the Fund may finance certain activities or expenses that are primarily intended to result in the sale of the Fund’s shares (this compensation is commonly referred to as “12b-1 fees”). The Distribution Plan provides that the Fund may pay an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s daily net assets for activities primarily intended to result in the sale of those shares and for related shareholder servicing. These activities include reimbursement to entities for providing distribution and shareholder servicing with respect to the Fund’s shares. The 0.25% fee may also be used to make payments to persons who provide support services in connection with the distribution of the Fund’s shares and the servicing of the Fund’s shareholders. Because the 12b-1 fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, these fees, over time, will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Distribution Plan, while primarily intended to compensate for shareholder services expenses, was adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and therefore may be used to pay for certain expenditures related to financing distribution related activities of the Fund.
Other Expenses
In addition to the 12b-1 fees and the investment advisory fees, the Fund pays all expenses not assumed by the Adviser, including, without limitation, the following: the fees and expenses of its independent accountants and legal counsel; the costs of printing and mailing to shareholders annual and semi-annual reports, proxy statements, prospectuses, statements of additional information, and supplements thereto; the costs of printing registration statements; bank transaction charges and custodian’s fees; any proxy solicitors’ fees and expenses; filing fees; any federal, state, or local income or other taxes; any interest; any membership fees of the Investment Company Institute and similar organizations; fidelity bond and Trustees’ liability insurance premiums; and any extraordinary expenses, such as indemnification payments or damages awarded in litigation or settlements made.
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Shareholder Services Plan
The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan. Under a shareholder services plan, the Fund may pay an authorized firm up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of daily net assets attributable to its customers who are shareholders. For this fee, the authorized firms may provide a variety of services, including but not limited to: (i) arranging for bank wires; (ii) responding to inquiries from shareholders concerning their investment in the Fund; (iii) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (iv) providing information periodically to shareholders showing their position in shares; (v) forwarding shareholder communications from the Fund such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend distribution and tax notices to shareholders; (vi) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and placing orders with the Fund or its service providers; (vii) providing sub-accounting with respect to shares beneficially owned by shareholders; and (viii) processing dividend payments from the Fund on behalf of shareholders.
Because the Fund has adopted the shareholder services plan to compensate authorized firms for providing the types of services described above, the Fund believes the shareholder services plan is not covered by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which relates to payment of distribution fees. The Fund, however, follows the procedural requirements of Rule 12b-1 in connection with the implementation and administration of each shareholder services plan.
An authorized firm generally represents in a service agreement used in connection with the shareholder services plan that all compensation payable to the authorized firm from its customers in connection with the investment of their assets in the Fund will be disclosed by the authorized firm to its customers. It also generally provides that all such compensation will be authorized by the authorized firm’s customers.
The Fund does not monitor the actual services being performed by an authorized firm under the plan and related service agreement. The Fund also does not monitor the reasonableness of the total compensation that an authorized firm may receive, including any service fee that an authorized firm may receive from the Fund and any compensation the authorized firm may receive directly from its clients.
Shareholder Servicing
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain “street name” or omnibus accounts with the Fund provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Fund and are compensated for such services by the Fund. The Fund may pay these service fees in addition to the fees paid under the 12b-1 Plan.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s SAI. Complete holdings (as of the dates of such reports) are available in reports on Form N-PORT and Form N-CSR, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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HOW TO BUY SHARES
You may purchase shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries, such as fund supermarkets or through brokers or dealers who are authorized by the Distributor to sell shares of the Fund (collectively, “Financial Intermediaries”). You may request a copy of this prospectus by calling toll–free at 800-998-3190. Financial Intermediaries may require the payment of fees from their individual clients, which may be different from those described in this prospectus. For example, Financial Intermediaries may charge transaction fees or set different minimum investment amounts. Financial Intermediaries may also have policies and procedures that are different from those contained in this prospectus. Investors should consult their Financial Intermediary regarding its procedures for purchasing and selling shares of the Fund as the policies and procedures may be different. The price you pay for a share of the Fund is the NAV next determined upon receipt by the Transfer Agent or Financial Intermediary. The Fund will be deemed to have received your purchase or redemption order when the Financial Intermediary receives the order. Such Financial Intermediaries are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf.
Certain Financial Intermediaries may have agreements with the Fund that allow them to enter confirmed purchase and redemption orders on behalf of clients and customers. Under this arrangement, the Financial Intermediary must send your payment to the Fund by the time the Fund prices its shares on the following business day.
The Fund is not responsible for ensuring that a Financial Intermediary carries out its obligations. You should look to the Financial Intermediary through whom you wish to invest for specific instructions on how to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.
Minimum Investments. To purchase shares of the Fund, you must make a minimum initial or subsequent investment as listed in the table below:
Minimum
Investments |
To
Open Your Account |
To
Add to Your Account | ||
Regular Accounts | $2,500 | $100 | ||
Retirement Accounts | $1,000 | $100 | ||
Automatic Investment Accounts | $1,000 | $100 | ||
The Trust may waive the minimum initial investment requirement for purchases made by directors, officers and employees of the Trust. The Trust may also waive the minimum investment requirement for purchases by its affiliated entities and certain related advisory accounts and retirement accounts (such as IRAs). The Trust may also change or waive policies concerning minimum investment amounts at any time. The Trust retains the right to refuse to accept an order.
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Small Account Balances. If the value of your account falls below the minimum account balance of $2,500, the Fund may ask you to increase your balance. If the account value is still below the minimum balance after 60 days, the Fund may close your account and send you the proceeds. The Fund will not close your account if it falls below this amount solely as a result of Fund performance. Please check with your Financial Intermediary concerning required minimum account balances. You should note that should such a redemption occur with regards to a non-retirement account, such redemption would be subject to taxation. Please refer to the section entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” below.
Proper Form. Your order to buy shares is in proper form when your completed and signed account application and check or wire payment is received. Your written request to sell or exchange shares is in proper form when written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a signature guarantee if necessary, is received by the Fund.
Customer Identification Program. Federal regulations require that the Trust obtain certain personal information about you when opening a new account. As a result, the Trust must obtain the following information for each person that opens a new account:
Ø | Name; |
Ø | Date of birth (for individuals); |
Ø | Residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing); and |
Ø | Social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other identifying number. |
You may also be asked for a copy of your driver’s license, passport, or other identifying document in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic database. Additional information may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities.
After an account is opened, the Trust may restrict your ability to purchase additional shares until your identity is verified. The Trust also may close your account or take other appropriate action if it is unable to verify your identity within a reasonable time.
If your account is closed for this reason, your shares will be redeemed at the NAV next calculated after the account is closed.
Purchases by Mail. For initial purchases, the account application, which accompanies this prospectus, should be completed, signed and mailed to Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (the “Transfer Agent”), the Fund’s transfer and dividend disbursing agent, at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 together with your check payable to the Fund. For subsequent purchases, include with your check the tear-off stub from a prior purchase confirmation or otherwise identify the name(s) of the registered owner(s) and social security number(s).
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Purchases by Wire. You may purchase shares by requesting your bank to transmit by wire directly to the Transfer Agent. To invest by wire, please call the Fund toll-free at 800-673-0550 or the Transfer Agent at 800-628-4077 to advise the Trust of your investment and to receive further instructions. Your bank may charge you a small fee for this service. Once you have arranged to purchase shares by wire, please complete and mail the account application promptly to the Transfer Agent. This account application is required to complete the Fund’s records. You will not have access to your shares until the Fund’s records are complete. Once your account is opened, you may make additional investments using the wire procedure described above. Be sure to include your name and account number in the wire instructions you provide your bank.
Purchases by Telephone. You may also purchase shares by telephone, by contacting the Fund toll-free at 800-673-0550 or the Transfer Agent at 800-628-4077.
Other Purchase Information. You may purchase and redeem Fund shares, or exchange shares of the Fund for those of another, by contacting any broker authorized by the Distributor to sell shares of the Fund, by contacting the Fund at 800-673-0550 or by contacting the Transfer Agent, at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 or by telephoning 800-628-4077. Brokers may charge transaction fees for the purchase or sale of the Fund’s shares, depending on your arrangement with the broker.
HOW TO SELL SHARES
You may redeem your shares of the Fund at any time and in any amount by contacting your Financial Intermediary or by contacting the Fund by mail or telephone. For your protection, the Transfer Agent will not redeem your shares until it has received all information and documents necessary for your request to be considered in “proper form”. Your written request to sell or exchange shares is in proper form when written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a signature guarantee if necessary, is received. The Transfer Agent will promptly notify you if your redemption request is not in proper form. The Transfer Agent cannot accept redemption requests which specify a particular date for redemption or which specify any special conditions.
The Fund’s procedure is to redeem shares at the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent or authorized Financial Intermediary receives the redemption request in proper form. Payment of redemption proceeds will be made promptly as instructed by check, wire or automated clearing house (ACH) but no later than the seventh calendar day following the receipt of the request in proper form. The Fund may suspend the right to redeem shares for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is closed or the SEC determines that there is an emergency. In such circumstances, you may withdraw your redemption request or permit your request to be held for processing after the suspension is terminated.
The Fund typically expects to meet redemption requests through cash holdings or cash equivalents and anticipates using these types of holdings on a regular basis. The Fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds for shares redeemed within the following days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in proper form: (i) for payment by check, the Fund typically expects to mail the check within two business days; and (ii) for payment by wire or ACH, the Fund typically expects to process the payment within two business days. Payment of redemption proceeds may take up to 7 days as permitted under the 1940 Act. Under unusual circumstances as permitted by the SEC, the Fund may suspend the right of redemption or delay payment of redemption proceeds for more than 7 days. When shares are purchased by check or through ACH, the proceeds from the redemption of those shares will not be paid until the purchase check or ACH transfer has been converted to federal funds, which could take up to 15 calendar days.
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To the extent cash holdings or cash equivalents are not available to meet redemption requests, the Fund will meet redemption requests by selling portfolio assets. In addition, if the Fund determines that it would be detrimental to the best interest of the Fund’s remaining shareholders to make payment in cash, the Fund may pay redemption proceeds in whole or in part by a distribution-in-kind of readily marketable securities.
If you sell your shares through a securities dealer or investment professional, it is such person’s responsibility to transmit the order to the Fund in a timely fashion. Any loss to you resulting from failure to do so must be settled between you and such person.
Delivery of the proceeds of a redemption of shares purchased and paid for by check shortly before the receipt of the redemption request may be delayed until the Fund determines that the Transfer Agent has completed collection of the purchase check, which may take up to 15 days. Also, payment of the proceeds of a redemption request for an account for which purchases were made by wire may be delayed until the Fund receives a completed account application for the account to permit the Fund to verify the identity of the person redeeming the shares and to eliminate the need for backup withholding.
Note that the Fund will assess a 1.00% redemption fee of Shares of the Fund redeemed within 45 days of purchase as a percentage of amount redeemed. See “Frequent Purchases and Redemptions” below.
Redemption by Mail. To redeem shares by mail, send a written request for redemption, signed by the registered owner(s) exactly as the account is registered, to: Perkins Discovery Fund, Attn: Redemptions, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235. Certain written requests to redeem shares may require signature guarantees. For example, signature guarantees may be required if you sell a large number of shares, if your address of record on the account application has been changed within the last 30 days, or if you ask that the proceeds be sent to a different person or address.
Signature guarantees are used to help protect you and the Fund. You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks or securities dealers, but not from a Notary Public. Please call the Transfer Agent toll-free at 800-628-4077 to learn if a signature guarantee is needed or to make sure that it is completed appropriately in order to avoid any processing delays. There is no charge to shareholders for redemptions by mail.
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Redemption by Telephone. You may redeem your shares by telephone provided that you requested this service on your initial account application. If you request this service at a later date, you must send a written request along with a signature guarantee to the Transfer Agent. Once your telephone authorization is in effect, you may redeem shares by calling the Transfer Agent toll-free at 800-628-4077. There is no charge to shareholders for redemptions by telephone. If it should become difficult to reach the Transfer Agent by telephone during periods when market or economic conditions lead to an unusually large volume of telephone requests, a shareholder may send a redemption request by overnight mail to the Transfer Agent at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235.
Redemption by Wire. If you request that your redemption proceeds be wired to you, please call your bank for instructions prior to writing or calling the Transfer Agent. Be sure to include your name, Fund name, Fund account number, your account number at your bank and wire information from your bank in your request to redeem by wire.
The Fund will not be responsible for any losses resulting from unauthorized transactions (such as purchases, sales or exchanges) if it follows reasonable security procedures designed to verify the identity of the investor. You should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them. There is no charge to shareholders for redemptions by wire.
Redemption in Kind. The Fund typically expects to satisfy requests by using holdings of cash or cash equivalents or selling portfolio assets. On a less regular basis, and if the Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders not to sell portfolio assets, the Fund may satisfy redemption requests by using short-term borrowing from the Fund’s custodian to the extent such arrangements are in place with the custodian.
In addition to paying redemption proceeds in cash, the Fund reserves the right to make payment for a redemption in securities rather than cash, which is known as a “redemption in kind.” While the Fund does not intend, under normal circumstances, to redeem its shares by payment in kind, it is possible that conditions may arise in the future which would, in the opinion of the Trustees, make it undesirable for the Fund to pay for all redemptions in cash. In such a case, the Trustees may authorize payment to be made in readily marketable portfolio securities of the Fund, either through the distribution of selected individual portfolio securities or a pro-rata distribution of all portfolio securities held by the Fund. Securities delivered in payment of redemptions would be valued at the same value assigned to them in computing the Fund’s NAV per share. Shareholders receiving them may incur brokerage costs when these securities are sold and will be subject to market risk until such securities are sold. An irrevocable election has been filed under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act, wherein the Fund must pay redemptions in cash, rather than in kind, to any shareholder of record of the Fund who redeems during any 90-day period, the lesser of (a) $250,000 or (b) 1% of the Fund’s net assets at the beginning of such period. Redemption requests in excess of this limit may be satisfied in cash or in kind at the Fund’s election. The Fund’s methods of satisfying shareholder redemption requests will normally be used during both regular and stressed market conditions.
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Purchasing or Redeeming through a Financial Intermediary
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund through an authorized Financial Intermediary. To purchase or redeem shares at the NAV of any given day, your Financial Intermediary must receive your order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE that day. Your Financial Intermediary is responsible for transmitting all purchase and redemption requests, investment information, documentation, and money to the Fund on time. Your Financial Intermediary may charge additional transaction fees for its services and/or set different minimum amounts. Financial Intermediaries may also have policies and procedures that are different from those contained in this prospectus. Investors should consult their Financial Intermediary regarding its procedures for purchasing and selling shares of the Fund as the policies and procedures may be different. The price you pay for a share of the Fund is the NAV next determined upon receipt of your purchase request by the Transfer Agent or Financial Intermediary. The Fund will be deemed to have received your purchase or redemption order when the Financial Intermediary receives the order. Such Financial Intermediaries are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf.
Certain Financial Intermediaries may have agreements with the Fund that allow them to enter confirmed purchase and redemption orders on behalf of clients and customers. Under this arrangement, the Financial Intermediary must send your payment to the Fund by the time the Fund prices its shares on the following business day.
The Fund is not responsible for ensuring that a Financial Intermediary carries out its obligations. You should look to the Financial Intermediary through whom you wish to invest for specific instructions on how to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Signature Guarantees. To help protect you and the Fund from fraud, signature guarantees are required for: (1) all redemptions ordered by mail if you require that the check be made payable to another person or that the check be mailed to an address other than the one indicated on the account registration; (2) all requests to transfer the registration of shares to another owner; and (3) all authorizations to establish or change telephone redemption service, other than through your initial account application. Signature guarantees may be required for certain other reasons. For example, a signature guarantee may be required if you sell a large number of shares or if your address of record on the account has been changed within the last thirty (30) days. In the case of redemption by mail, signature guarantees must appear on either: (1) the written request for redemption; or (2) a separate instrument of assignment (usually referred to as a “stock power”) specifying the total number of shares being redeemed. The Trust may waive these requirements in certain instances.
An original signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine so that you are protected from unauthorized account transactions. Notarization is not an acceptable substitute. Acceptable guarantors only include participants in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP2000”). Participants in STAMP2000 may include financial institutions such as banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange.
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Proper Form. Your order to buy shares is in proper form when your completed and signed account application and check or wire payment is received by the Transfer Agent. Your written request to sell or exchange shares is in proper form when written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a signature guarantee if necessary, is received.
Automatic Investment Plan. Existing shareholders, who wish to make regular monthly investments in amounts of $100 or more, may do so through the Automatic Investment Plan. Under the Automatic Investment Plan, your designated bank or other financial institution debits a pre-authorized amount from your account on or about the 15th day of each month and applies the amount to the purchase of Fund shares. To use this service, you must authorize the transfer of funds by completing the Automatic Investment Plan section of the account application and sending a blank voided check.
Systematic Withdrawal Program. As another convenience, you may redeem your Fund shares through the Systematic Withdrawal Program (“SWP”). Under the SWP, you may choose to receive a specified dollar amount, generated from the redemption of shares in your account, on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. In order to participate in the SWP, your account balance must be at least $10,000 and each withdrawal amount must be for a minimum of $100. If you elect this method of redemption, the Fund will send a check to your address of record, or will send the payment via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, directly to your bank account. For payment through the ACH network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information must be maintained on your Fund account. The SWP may be terminated at any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your participation in the SWP at any time by contacting the transfer agent sufficiently in advance of the next withdrawal.
A withdrawal under the program involves a redemption of shares and may result in a gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, if the amount withdrawn exceeds the dividends credited to your account, the account ultimately may be depleted. To establish the SWP, complete the “Systematic Withdrawal Plan” section of the Fund’s Account Application. Please call toll-free 800-628-4077 for additional information regarding the Fund’s SWP.
Exchange Privilege. To the extent that the Adviser manages other funds in the Trust, you may exchange all or a portion of your shares in the Fund for shares of the same class of certain other funds of the Trust managed by the Adviser having different investment objectives, provided that the shares of the fund you are exchanging into are registered for sale in your state of residence. An exchange is treated as a redemption and purchase and may result in realization of a gain or loss on the transaction. You won’t pay a deferred sales charge on an exchange; however, when you sell the shares you acquire in an exchange, you will pay a deferred sales charge based on the date you bought the original shares you exchanged. As of the date of this prospectus, the Adviser does not manage any other funds in the Trust.
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Frequent purchases and redemptions (“Frequent Trading”) can adversely impact Fund performance and shareholders. Therefore, the Trust reserves the right to temporarily or permanently modify or terminate the Exchange Privilege. The Trust also reserves the right to refuse exchange requests by any person or group if, in the Trust’s judgment, the Fund would be unable to invest the money effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies, or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected. The Trust further reserves the right to restrict or refuse an exchange request if the Trust has received or anticipates simultaneous orders affecting significant portions of the Fund’s assets or detects a pattern of exchange requests that coincides with a “market timing” strategy. Although the Trust will attempt to give you prior notice when reasonable to do so, the Trust may modify or terminate the Exchange Privilege at any time.
How to Transfer Shares. If you wish to transfer shares to another owner, send a written request to the Transfer Agent at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235. Your request should include: (i) the name of the Fund and existing account registration; (ii) signature(s) of the registered owner(s); (iii) the new account registration, address, taxpayer identification number and how dividends and capital gains are to be distributed; (iv) any stock certificates which have been issued for the shares being transferred; (v) signature guarantees (See “Signature Guarantees”); and (vi) any additional documents which are required for transfer by corporations, administrators, executors, trustees, guardians, etc. If you have any questions about transferring shares, call the Transfer Agent at toll-free 800-628-4077.
Account Statements and Shareholder Reports. Each time you purchase, redeem or transfer shares of the Fund, you will receive a written confirmation. You will also receive quarterly statements and a year-end statement of your account if any dividends or capital gains have been distributed, and an annual and a semi-annual report.
Shareholder Communications. The Fund may eliminate duplicate mailings of portfolio materials to shareholders who reside at the same address, unless instructed to the contrary. Investors may request that the Fund send these documents to each shareholder individually by calling the Fund toll-free at 800-527-9525.
General. The Fund will not be responsible for any losses from unauthorized transactions (such as purchases, sales, or exchanges) if it follows reasonable security procedures designed to verify the identity of the investor. You should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Capital Gain Distributions. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Fund. The Fund intends to distribute annually any net capital gains.
Dividends and distributions will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund, unless you elect to have the distributions paid to you in cash. There are no sales charges or transaction fees for reinvested dividends and distributions, and all shares will be purchased at NAV. Shareholders will be subject to tax on all distributions (including dividends) whether paid to them in cash or reinvested in shares. If the investment in shares is made within an IRA or 401(k), all dividends and capital gain distributions must be reinvested.
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Unless you are investing through a tax deferred retirement arrangement, such as an IRA or 401(k), it is not to your advantage to buy shares of the Fund shortly before the next distribution, because doing so can cost you money in taxes. This is known as “buying a dividend”. To avoid buying a dividend, check the Fund’s distribution schedule before you invest.
Taxes. In general, Fund distributions are taxable to you as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gain. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares of the Fund or receive them in cash. Any long-term capital gain the Fund distributes is taxable to you as a long-term capital gain no matter how long you have owned your shares. Other Fund distributions (including distributions attributable to short-term capital gains of the Fund) will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except those distributions that are designated as “qualified dividend income” and received by non-corporate U.S. shareholders will be taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain provided certain requirements are met. After the close of the taxable year, you will receive a statement that shows the tax status of distributions you received for the previous year. Distributions declared in December but paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December. The one major exception to these tax principles is that distributions on, and sales, exchanges, and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-deferred retirement account) will not be currently taxable.
When you sell shares of the Fund, you may have a capital gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your shares of the Fund for shares of a different fund of the Trust is the same as a sale. The individual tax rate on any gain from the sale or exchange of your shares depends, in part, on how long you have held your shares and your income for the year.
Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your shares will generally be subject to applicable U.S. state and local income tax. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding and estate tax. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of your investment in the Fund.
By law, the Fund must backup withhold 24% of your taxable distributions and proceeds if you fail to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number, you have under-reported dividend or interest income, or you fail to certify to the Fund that you are not subject to such backup withholding.
Mutual fund companies must report their shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the IRS on the Fund’s shareholders’ Consolidated Form 1099s when shares are sold. The Fund has chosen average cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. A tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing prices, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund’s standing tax lot identification method is the method shares that will be reported on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a different tax lot identification method. You may choose a method different than the Fund’s standing method and will be able to do so at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of shares.
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The Fund is responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot information for tax reporting purposes for shares. The Fund is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not covered by these rules. The Fund and its service providers do not provide tax advice. You should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions you may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method given your particular situation.
NET ASSET VALUE
The Fund’s share price, called its NAV per share, is determined on each business day that the NYSE is open for trading, as of the close of business of the regular session of the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). on each business day that the NYSE is open (the “Valuation Time”). The Fund’s NAV per share is computed by adding the total value of the Fund’s investments and other assets attributable to the Fund’s shares, subtracting any liabilities attributable to the Fund’s shares, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding.
Shares are bought or exchanged at the public offering price per share next determined after a request has been received in proper form. The public offering price of the Fund’s shares is equal to the NAV. Shares of the Fund held by you are sold or exchanged at the NAV per share next determined after a request has been received in proper form. Any request received in proper form before the Valuation Time, will be processed the same business day. Any request received in proper form after the Valuation Time, will be processed the next business day.
The Fund’s securities are valued at current market prices. Investments in securities traded on national securities exchanges are valued at the last reported sale price. Other securities traded in the over-the-counter market and listed securities for which no sales are reported on a given date are valued at the last reported bid price. Securities included in the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Debt securities are valued by appraising them at prices supplied by a pricing agent approved by the Board, which prices may reflect broker-dealer supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques. Short-term debt securities (less than 60 days to maturity) are valued at their fair market value using amortized cost. Other assets for which market prices are not readily available are valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Adviser, under procedures set by the Board. The Board has appointed the Adviser as its designee (the “Valuation Designee”) to be responsible for all fair value determinations for the Fund. Generally, trading in corporate bonds, U.S. government securities and money market instruments is substantially completed each day at various times before the scheduled close of the NYSE. The value of these securities used in computing the NAV is determined as of such times so long as the Valuation Designee believes that these values reflect fair value at the time the Fund’s NAV is determined.
The Trust has a policy that contemplates the use of fair value pricing to determine the NAV per share of the Fund when market prices are unavailable as well as under special circumstances, such as: (i) if the primary market for a portfolio security suspends or limits trading or price movements of the security; and (ii) when an event occurs after the close of the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded that is likely to have changed the value of the security. Since most of the Fund’s investments are traded on U.S. securities exchanges, it is anticipated that the use of fair value pricing will be limited.
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When the Trust uses fair value pricing to determine the NAV per share of the Fund, securities will not be priced on the basis of quotations from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Valuation Designee believes accurately reflects fair value. Any method used will be approved by the Board and results will be monitored to evaluate accuracy. The Trust’s policy is intended to result in a calculation of the Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing. However, fair values determined pursuant to the Trust’s procedures may not accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing.
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
Frequent purchases and redemptions (“Frequent Trading”) of shares of the Fund may present a number of risks to other shareholders of the Fund. These risks may include, among other things, dilution in the value of shares of the Fund held by long-term shareholders, interference with the efficient management by the Adviser of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, and increased brokerage and administration costs. Due to the potential of an overall adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions affecting the sale price of portfolio securities, the Fund could face untimely losses as a result of having to sell portfolio securities prematurely to meet redemptions. Current shareholders of the Fund may face unfavorable impacts as portfolio securities concentrated in certain sectors may be more volatile than investments across broader ranges of industries as sector-specific market or economic developments may make it more difficult to sell a significant amount of shares at favorable prices to meet redemptions. Frequent trading may also increase portfolio turnover, which may result in increased capital gains taxes for shareholders of the Fund. These capital gains could include short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income tax rates.
The Fund will assess a 1.00% redemption fee on shares of the Fund redeemed within 45 days of purchase as a percentage of amount redeemed. The Transfer Agent may, in consultation with the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust, waive the 1.00% redemption fee applicable to the Fund. The redemption fee is deducted from your proceeds and is retained by the Fund for the benefit of long-term shareholders. The “first in-first out” (“FIFO”) method is used to determine the holding period; this means that if you purchase shares on different days, the shares you held longest will be redeemed first for purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies. The fee does not apply to Fund shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and the Automatic Investment Plan or shares redeemed through the Systematic Withdrawal Program. The Fund reserves the right to change the terms and amount of this fee upon at least a 60-day notice to shareholders.
The Trustees have adopted a policy that is intended to identify and discourage Frequent Trading by shareholders of the Fund under which the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and Transfer Agent will monitor Frequent Trading through the use of various surveillance techniques. Under these policies and procedures, shareholders may not engage in more than four “round-trips” (a purchase and sale or an exchange in and then out of the Fund) within a rolling twelve-month period. Shareholders exceeding four round-trips will be investigated by the Fund and possibly restricted from making additional investments in the Fund. The intent of the policies and procedures is not to inhibit legitimate strategies, such as asset allocation, dollar cost averaging or similar activities that may nonetheless result in Frequent Trading of Fund shares. The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange or purchase of Fund shares with or without prior notice to the account holder. In the event the foregoing purchase and redemption patterns occur, it shall be the policy of the Trust that the shareholder’s account and any other account with the Fund under the same taxpayer identification number shall be precluded from investing in the Fund (including investments that are part of an exchange transaction) for such time period as the Trust deems appropriate based on the facts and circumstances (including, without limitation, the dollar amount involved and whether the Investor has been precluded from investing in the Fund before); provided that such time period shall be at least 30 calendar days after the last redemption transaction. The above policies shall not apply if the Trust determines that a purchase and redemption pattern is not a Frequent Trading pattern or is the result of inadvertent trading errors.
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These policies and procedures will be applied uniformly to all shareholders and the Fund will not accommodate market timers.
The policies also apply to any account, whether an individual account or accounts with Financial Intermediaries such as investment advisers, broker dealers or retirement plan administrators, commonly called omnibus accounts, where the intermediary holds Fund shares for a number of its customers in one account. Omnibus account arrangements permit multiple investors to aggregate their respective share ownership positions and purchase, redeem and exchange Fund shares without the identity of the particular shareholder(s) being known to the Fund. Accordingly, the ability of the Fund to monitor and detect Frequent Trading activity through omnibus accounts may be more limited and there is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify shareholders who may be engaging in Frequent Trading through omnibus accounts or to curtail such trading. However, the Fund will establish information sharing agreements with intermediaries as required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act that require sharing of information about you and your account, and otherwise use reasonable efforts to work with intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in underlying accounts.
If the Fund identifies that excessive short-term trading is taking place in a participant-directed employee benefit plan account, the Fund or its Adviser or Transfer Agent will contact the plan administrator, sponsor or trustee to request that action be taken to restrict such activity. However, the ability to do so may be constrained by regulatory restrictions or plan policies. In such circumstances, it is generally not the policy of the Fund to close the account of an entire plan due to the activity of a limited number of participants. However, the Fund will take such actions as deemed appropriate in light of all the facts and circumstances.
The Fund’s policies provide for ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of current policies and surveillance tools, and the Trustees reserves the right to modify these or adopt additional policies and restrictions in the future. Shareholders should be aware, however, that any surveillance techniques currently employed by the Fund or other techniques that may be adopted in the future, may not be effective, particularly where the trading takes place through certain types of omnibus accounts. As noted above, if the Fund is unable to detect and deter trading abuses, the Fund’s performance, and its long-term shareholders, may be harmed. In addition, shareholders may be harmed by the extra costs and portfolio management inefficiencies that result from Frequent Trading, even when the trading is not for abusive purposes.
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DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS
The Fund is offered through financial supermarkets, investment advisers and consultants, financial planners, brokers, dealers and other investment professionals. Investment professionals who offer shares may request fees from their individual clients. If you invest through a third party, the policies and fees may be different than those described in this prospectus. For example, third parties may charge transaction fees or set different minimum investment amounts. If you purchase your shares through a broker-dealer, the broker-dealer firm is entitled to receive a percentage of the sales charge you pay in order to purchase Fund shares.
INDEX DESCRIPTIONS
The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the market for the stocks of large-sized U.S. companies. The S&P 500® Index is provided as a measure of general market performance and does not include stocks similar to those considered for purchase by the Fund.
The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to represent the performance of the National Market System, which includes over 5,000 stocks traded only over-the-counter and not on an exchange.
The Wilshire U.S. Micro-Cap Index represents a float adjusted, market capitalization-weighted portfolio of all stocks below the 2,500th rank by market capitalization in the Wilshire 5000 Index at March 31 and September 30 of each year.
Direct investment in an index is not possible.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal periods presented. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of the Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in shares of the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).
The financial highlights for the periods presented have been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose unqualified report thereon, along with the Fund’s Form N-CSR and are incorporated by reference into the SAI. Additional performance information for the Fund is included in the annual and semi-annual reports. The Fund’s Form N-CSR and the SAI are available at no cost from the Fund at the address and telephone number noted on the back page of this prospectus. The following information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto.
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PERKINS DISCOVERY FUND
Financial Highlights | Selected Per Share Data Throughout Each Year |
Years Ended March 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ | 44.76 | $ | 44.56 | $ | 51.55 | $ | 104.12 | $ | 39.34 | ||||||||||
Investment activities | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss)(1) | (1.16 | ) | (1.04 | ) | (1.05 | ) | (2.23 | ) | (1.80 | ) | ||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | (0.24 | ) | 1.18 | (5.24 | ) | (29.64 | ) | 67.94 | ||||||||||||
Total from investment activities | (1.40 | ) | 0.14 | (6.29 | ) | (31.87 | ) | 66.14 | ||||||||||||
Distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net realized gain | — | — | (0.70 | ) | (20.76 | ) | (1.47 | ) | ||||||||||||
Total distributions | — | — | (0.70 | ) | (20.76 | ) | (1.47 | ) | ||||||||||||
Paid-in capital from redemption fees | — | (2) | 0.06 | — | (2) | 0.06 | 0.11 | |||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of year | $ | 43.36 | $ | 44.76 | $ | 44.56 | $ | 51.55 | $ | 104.12 | ||||||||||
Total Return | (3.13 | %) | 0.45 | % | (12.02 | %) | (34.86 | %) | 169.16 | % | ||||||||||
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets | ||||||||||||||||||||
Expenses, gross | 4.75 | %(3) | 4.48 | % | 4.10 | % | 2.59 | % | 3.09 | %(3) | ||||||||||
Expenses, net of waiver or recovery | 2.56 | %(3) | 2.50 | % | 2.50 | % | 2.50 | % | 2.59 | %(3) | ||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | (2.49 | %) | (2.43 | %) | (2.43 | %) | (2.50 | %) | (2.54 | %) | ||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 10.08 | % | 0.00 | %(4) | 2.12 | % | 8.18 | % | 46.80 | % | ||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000’s) | $ | 6,112 | $ | 7,612 | $ | 8,546 | $ | 11,366 | $ | 25,564 |
(1) | Per share amounts calculated using the average shares outstanding during the year. |
(2) | Less than $0.005 per share. |
(3) | Gross and net expenses reflect the effect of proxy expense which is excluded from the Fund’s expense limitation agreement. Gross and net expenses would have been: 4.69% and 2.50% for the year ended March 31, 2025; and 3.00% and 2.50% for the year ended March 31, 2021, respectively. |
(4) | Ratio is zero due to the Fund not purchasing any long-term securities during the year. |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
You will find more information about the Fund in the following:
Statement of Additional Information: The Fund’s SAI dated August 1, 2025, which is on file with the SEC and incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains additional information about the Fund.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the Fund’s annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
You can obtain a free copy of the SAI, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, and other information such as the Fund financial statements by writing to the Perkins Discovery Fund, 730 East Lake Street, Wayzata, Minnesota 55391-1769, by calling toll free 800-998-3190 or by e-mail at: info@perkinscap.com or mail@ccofva.com. The Fund’s prospectus, SAI, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, and other information such as the Fund’s financial statements are available for viewing/downloading at www.perkinsfund.com. General inquiries regarding the Fund may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.
Copies of these reports and other information regarding the Fund is available on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s Internet site at https://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: publicinfo@sec.gov.
(Investment Company Act File No. 811-22172)
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Privacy Notice
The following is a description of the Fund’s policies regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that you provide to the Fund or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with unaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information the Fund Collects. The Fund collects the following nonpublic personal information about you:
● | Information the Fund receives from you on or in applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, assets, income and date of birth); and |
● | Information about your transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as your account number and balance, payment history, parties to transactions, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information the Fund Discloses. The Fund does not disclose any non-public personal information about their current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. The Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to their service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator and transfer agent) to process your transactions and otherwise provide services to you.
Confidentiality and Security. The Fund restricts access to your nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. The Fund maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
The Fund’s Privacy Notice is not part of this prospectus.
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STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Perkins Discovery Fund
Ticker: PDFDX
Investment Adviser:
Perkins Capital Management, Inc.
August 1, 2025
8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205
Richmond, Virginia 23235
800-673-0550
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus dated August 1, 2025, of the Perkins Discovery Fund (the “Fund”), as it may be supplemented or revised from time to time.
This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Fund’s prospectus. This SAI incorporates by reference the Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 (the “Annual Report”). You may obtain the prospectus of the Fund, the SAI and the Annual Report, free of charge at www.perkinsfund.com or by writing to the Perkins Discovery Fund, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 or by calling toll-free 800-673-0550.
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, prospectus and SAI are all available for viewing/downloading at www.perkinsfund.com. General inquiries regarding the Fund may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.
THE TRUST
General. World Funds Trust (the “Trust”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 9, 2007. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and commonly known as a “mutual fund”. The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series (“funds”) of shares of beneficial interest (“shares”). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets of such fund belong solely to that fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing, insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes, and organization expenses; and (ii) pro rata share of the fund’s other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other funds of the Trust, other than the Fund, are described in separate prospectuses and statements of additional information.
The Fund. This SAI relates to the prospectus for the Fund and should be read in conjunction with the applicable prospectus. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Fund’s prospectus. No investment in shares should be made without reading the prospectus. The Fund is a separate investment portfolio or series of the Trust. The Fund currently issues one class of shares.
Pursuant to a reorganization that took place on October 26, 2012, the Fund is the successor by merger to a series of Professionally Managed Portfolios (“Predecessor Fund”), a Massachusetts business trust. The Predecessor Fund had the same investment objectives and strategies and the same investment policies as the Fund. The Predecessor Fund commenced operations on April 9, 1998. The Fund’s investment adviser is Perkins Capital Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the prospectus.
The Fund is diversified. This means that under the 1940 Act, the Fund must invest at least 75% of its assets in cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, investment company securities and other securities limited as to any one issuer to not more than 5% of the total assets of the investment company and not more than 10% of the voting securities of the issuer. Under applicable federal securities laws, the diversification of a mutual fund’s holdings is measured at the time the fund purchases a security.
However, if the Fund purchases a security and holds it for a period of time, the security may become a larger percentage of the Fund’s total assets due to movements in the financial markets. If the market affects several securities held by the Fund, the Fund may have a greater percentage of its assets invested in securities of fewer issuers. In such case, the Fund would be subject to the risk that its performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few securities despite the Fund qualifying as a diversified fund under applicable federal securities laws. Furthermore, to the extent that these few securities represent a particular type of investment (e.g., securities of small- or medium-size companies) the Fund would be disproportionately subject to the risks associated with that investment.
The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments discussed below, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
Portfolio Turnover. Average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding from both the numerator and the denominator all securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. A higher portfolio turnover rate involves greater transaction expenses to the Fund and may result in the realization of net capital gains, which would be taxable to shareholders when distributed. The Adviser makes purchases and sales for the Fund’s portfolio whenever necessary, in the Adviser’s opinion, to meet the Fund’s objective. During the Fund’s fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0.00% of the average value of its portfolio. During the Fund’s most recent fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10.08% of the average value of its portfolio.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following discussion of investment techniques and instruments supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the investment information in the Fund’s prospectus. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Fund may invest in any type of security whose characteristics are consistent with its investment programs described below.
Equity Securities. Common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities are examples of equity securities in which the Fund may invest.
All investments in equity securities are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles and the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may fluctuate substantially from day to day. Owning an equity security can also subject the Fund to the risk that the issuer may discontinue paying dividends.
Because the Fund invests in the equity securities of small-size companies, it will be exposed to the risks of smaller-sized companies. Small-size companies are defined as companies that are under $1 billion in market cap. Small-size companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Furthermore, those companies often have limited product lines, or services, markets, or financial resources, or are dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these stocks may not be well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership, and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, regardless of whether they are based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund. As a result, as compared to larger-sized companies, the performance of smaller-sized companies can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.
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The Fund may invest in companies that are unseasoned; that is, companies that have limited or unprofitable operating histories, limited financial resources, and inexperienced management. In addition, small and unseasoned companies often face competition from larger or more established firms that have greater resources. Securities of small and unseasoned companies are frequently traded in the over-the-counter market or on regional exchanges where low trading volumes may result in erratic or abrupt price movements. To dispose of these securities, the Fund may need to sell them over an extended period or below the original purchase price. Investments by the Fund in these small or unseasoned companies may also be regarded as speculative.
Common Stock. Common stocks represent a proportionate share of the ownership of a company and its value is based on the success of the company’s business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets, and general market conditions. In addition to the general risks set forth above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a company in which the Fund invests is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made to the Fund as a holder of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that company will be exhausted before any payments are made to the Fund.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks with respect to the payment of dividends and liquidation of assets. Preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.
Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities (such as debt securities or preferred stock) may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible stock matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than an issuer’s common stock. However, the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. In addition to the general risk associated with equity securities discussed above, the market value of convertible securities is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provisions. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than nonconvertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock.
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Warrants. The Fund may also invest in warrants. A warrant gives the holder a right to purchase at any time during a specified period a predetermined number of shares of common stock at a fixed price. Unlike convertible debt securities or preferred stock, warrants do not pay a fixed dividend. Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale of the warrants, potential price fluctuations as a result of speculation or other factors, and failure of the price of the underlying security to reach or have reasonable prospects of reaching a level at which the warrant can be prudently exercised (in which event the warrant may expire without being exercised, resulting in a loss of the Fund’s entire investment therein).
Other Investment Companies. The Fund may invest in the securities of other registered investment companies, including exchange-traded funds, subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act, and subject to such investments being consistent with the overall objective and policies of the Fund. With respect to funds in which the Fund may invest, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act requires that, as determined immediately after a purchase is made, (i) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company, (ii) not more than 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in securities of investment companies as a group, and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund. The Fund will limit its investments in funds in accordance with the Section 12(d)(1)(A) limitations set forth above, except to the extent that any rules, or regulations under the 1940 Act permits the Fund’s investments to exceed such limits. For example, Rule 12d1-4 permits the Fund to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. Among other conditions, the Rule prohibits a fund from acquiring control of another investment company (other than an investment company in the same group of investment companies), including by acquiring more than 25% of its voting securities. In addition, the Rule imposes certain voting requirements when a fund’s ownership of another investment company exceeds particular thresholds. If shares of a fund are acquired by another investment company, the “acquired” fund may not purchase or otherwise acquire the securities of an investment company or private fund if immediately after such purchase or acquisition, the securities of investment companies and private funds owned by that acquired fund have an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the fund, subject to certain exceptions. These restrictions may limit the Fund’s ability to invest in other investment companies to the extent desired. In addition, other unaffiliated investment companies may impose other investment limitations or redemption restrictions which may also limit the Fund’s flexibility with respect to making investments in those unaffiliated investment companies. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
In accordance with Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, the provisions of Section 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Fund if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of such registered investment company is owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund is not proposing to offer or sell any security issued by it through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price including a sales load that exceeds the limits set forth in Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) applicable to a fund of funds (i.e., 8.5%).
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Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in ETFs. An ETF is an investment company whose goal is to track or replicate a desired index, such as a sector, market or global segment. ETFs are traded on exchanges and trade similarly to publicly-traded companies. ETFs also have risks and costs that are similar to publicly-traded companies. The goal of an ETF is to correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses of its underlying index. The risk of not correlating to the index is an additional risk borne by the investors of ETFs. Because ETFs trade on an exchange, they may not trade at net asset value (“NAV”). Sometimes, the prices of ETFs may vary significantly from the NAVs of the ETF’s underlying securities. Additionally, if the Fund elects to redeem its ETF shares rather than selling them on the secondary market, the Fund may receive the underlying securities which it must then sell in order to obtain cash. Additionally, when the Fund invests in ETFs, shareholders of the Fund bear their proportionate share of the underlying ETF’s fees and expenses.
Investments in ETFs involve certain inherent risks generally associated with investments in a broadly-based portfolio of stocks, including risks that: (1) the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of each unit of the ETF or other instrument; (2) an ETF may not fully replicate the performance of its benchmark index because of the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or discrepancies between the ETF and the index with respect to the weightings of securities or number of stocks held; (3) an ETF may also be adversely affected by the performance of the specific index, market sector or group of industries on which it is based; and (4) an ETF may not track an index as well as a traditional index mutual fund because ETFs are valued by the market and, therefore, there may be a difference between the market value and the ETF’s net asset value. Additionally, investments in fixed income ETFs involve certain inherent risks generally associated with investments in fixed income securities, including the risk of fluctuation in market value based on interest rates rising or declining and risks of a decrease in liquidity, such that no assurances can be made that an active trading market for underlying ETFs will be maintained.
Certain ETFs may not produce qualifying income for purposes of the “90% Test” (as described below under the heading “Taxes”) which must be met in order for the Fund to maintain its status as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If one or more ETFs generates more non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test than the Fund’s portfolio management expects, it could cause the Fund to inadvertently fail the 90% Test thereby causing the Fund to inadvertently fail to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Pursuant to such agreements, the Fund acquires securities from financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers as are deemed to be creditworthy by the Adviser, subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase and the Fund’s agreement to resell such securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The repurchase price generally equals the price paid by the Fund plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on the underlying portfolio security). The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain the value of the underlying securities at not less than 102% of the repurchase price under the agreement. If the seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, the Fund will suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from a sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price under the agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of such a defaulting seller may cause the Fund’s rights with respect to such securities to be delayed or limited. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans under the 1940 Act.
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The Fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
Illiquid Investments. In accordance with Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Liquidity Rule”), the Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in “illiquid investments”. Illiquid investments are investments that the Fund cannot reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The Fund may, however, hold an illiquid investment if it becomes illiquid after purchase, subject to the 15% limitation. The Fund monitors the portion of the Fund’s total assets that are invested in illiquid securities on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that the value of illiquid securities held by the Fund does not exceed 15% of the Fund’s net assets.
The Fund must classify each portfolio investment at least monthly into one of four liquidity categories (highly liquid, moderately liquid, less liquid and illiquid), which are defined pursuant to the Liquidity Rule. Such classification is to be made using information obtained after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. Moreover, in making such classification determinations, the Fund determines whether trading varying portions of a position in a particular portfolio investment or asset class, in sizes that the Fund would reasonably anticipate trading, is reasonably expected to significantly affect its liquidity, and if so, the Fund takes this determination into account when classifying the liquidity of that investment. The Fund may be assisted in classification determinations by one or more third-party service providers. Investments classified according to this process as “illiquid investments” are those subject to the 15% limit on illiquid investments.
The Fund has a liquidity risk management program designed to assess and manage the Fund’s liquidity risk. The program has been approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (“Board”), which has also approved the appointment of a liquidity program administrator (the “LPA”). The LPA is responsible for oversight of the Fund’s liquidity risk management efforts, including classifying the liquidity of the Fund’s investment, ensuring the Fund holds no more than 15% of net asset value in illiquid investments, ensuring that the Fund holds enough liquid assets to meet reasonably foreseeable redemption requests, and reporting to the Board regarding the effectiveness and operation of the liquidity risk management program.
Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest in securities with contractual or legal restrictions on resale or lack of a ready market. Restricted securities are securities where the resale of which is subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions, in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933 or pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 144A promulgated under such Act. Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of these restricted securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requests. The Fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. The Fund may also purchase certain commercial paper issued in reliance on the exemption from regulations in Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (“4(2) Paper”). The Fund’s holdings in such restricted securities are subject to the limitations in “illiquid investments”.
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When-Issued Securities. The Fund is authorized to purchase securities on a “when-issued” basis. The price of such securities, which may be expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the when-issued securities take place at a later date. Normally, the settlement date occurs within one month of the purchase; during the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to the Fund. To the extent that assets of the Fund are held in cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, the Fund would earn no income; however, it is the Fund’s intention to be fully invested to the extent practicable and subject to the policies stated above. While when-issued securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, any purchase of such securities would be made with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its NAV. The market value of the when-issued securities may be more or less than the purchase price. The Fund does not believe that its NAV or income will be adversely affected by its purchase of securities on a when-issued basis.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and financial institutions (but not individuals) in order to increase the return on its portfolio. The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board be able to recall the loaned securities in time to vote or consent whenever a material event will occur affecting the loaned securities, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Fund will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of securities lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities.
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Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral. All investments made with the collateral are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
It is not anticipated that the Fund will loan more than 5% of the value of its portfolio securities.
Short Sales. The Fund may seek to hedge investments or realize additional gains through short sales. The Fund may make short sales, which are transactions in which the Fund sells a security it does not own, in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at or prior to the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. The Fund also will incur transaction costs in effecting short sales.
The Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased by the amount of the premium, dividends, interest, or expenses that the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale.
No securities will be sold short if, after effect is given to any such short sale, the total market value of all securities sold short would exceed 25% of the value of the Fund’s net assets.
Leverage Through Borrowing. The Fund may borrow money for leveraging purposes. The use of borrowing by the Fund involves special risk considerations that may not be associated with other funds having similar objectives and policies. Since substantially all of the Fund’s assets fluctuate in value, while the interest obligation resulting from a borrowing will be fixed by the terms of the Fund’s agreement with its lender, the Fund’s NAV will tend to increase more when its portfolio securities increase in value and to decrease more when its portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case if the Fund did not borrow funds. In addition, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the return earned on borrowed funds. Under adverse market conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales.
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Foreign Investments. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers, including depositary receipts. In determining whether an issuer is foreign, the Adviser will consider various factors including where the company is headquartered, where the company’s principal operations are located, where the company’s revenues are derived, where the principal trading market is located and the country in which the company is legally organized. The weight given to each of these factors will vary depending upon the circumstances. Investments in foreign securities may involve a greater degree of risk than those in domestic securities.
American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Among the means through which the Fund may invest in foreign securities is the purchase of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs and GDRs, in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs and GDRs are European and Global receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. ADRs, EDRs, and GDRs may be purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the depositary security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts of the deposited securities.
Risks of Foreign Securities. Investing in foreign securities involves certain risks not ordinarily associated with investments in securities of domestic issuers. Foreign securities markets have, for the most part, substantially less volume than the U.S. markets and securities of many foreign companies are generally less liquid and their prices more volatile than securities of U.S. companies. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign exchanges, brokers and issuers than in the U.S. The rights of investors in certain foreign countries may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. issuers and the Fund may have greater difficulty taking appropriate legal action to enforce its rights in a foreign court than in a U.S. court. Investing in foreign securities also involves risks associated with government, economic, monetary, and fiscal policies (such as the adoption of protectionist trade measures) possible foreign withholding taxes on dividends and interest payable to the Fund, possible taxes on trading profits, inflation, and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises. Furthermore, there is the risk of possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of the foreign issuer or foreign deposits and the possible adoption of foreign government restrictions such as exchange controls. Also, foreign issuers are not necessarily subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers and as a result, there may be less publicly available information on such foreign issuers than is available from a domestic issuer.
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In addition, the Fund may invest up to 5% of its net assets in foreign securities of companies that are located in developing or emerging markets. Investing in securities of issuers located in these markets may pose greater risks not typically associated with investing in more established markets such as increased risk of social, political and economic instability. Emerging market countries typically have smaller securities markets than developed countries and therefore less liquidity and greater price volatility than more developed markets. Securities traded in emerging markets may also be subject to risks associated with the lack of modern technology, poor infrastructures, the lack of capital base to expand business operations and the inexperience of financial intermediaries, custodians and transfer agents. Emerging market countries are also more likely to impose restrictions on the repatriation of an investor’s assets and even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation, the mechanics of repatriations may delay or impede the Fund’s ability to obtain possession of its assets. As a result, there may be an increased risk or price volatility associated with the Fund’s investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations.
Dividends and interest payable on the Fund’s foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding tax. The Fund may also be subject to foreign taxes on its trading profits. Some countries may also impose a transfer or stamp duty on certain securities transactions. The imposition of these taxes will increase the cost to the Fund of investing in those countries that impose these taxes. To the extent such taxes are not offset by credits or deductions available to shareholders in the Fund under U.S. federal income tax law, they will reduce the net return to the Fund’s shareholders. It is not anticipated that the Fund will be eligible to pass through to shareholders a U.S. federal tax credit or U.S. federal tax deduction related to any foreign taxes borne by the Fund.
To the extent the Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to the risk that a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated in that currency. Investing in foreign denominated securities may also result in transaction costs incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. In addition, only a limited market currently exists for hedging transactions relating to currencies in certain emerging markets and securities transactions undertaken in foreign markets may not be settled promptly, subjecting the Fund to the risk of fluctuating currency exchange rates pending settlement.
Options on Securities. Although it has no present intention of doing so, the Fund reserves the right to engage in certain purchases and sales of options on securities. The Fund may write (i.e., sell) call options (“calls”) on equity securities if the calls are “covered” throughout the life of the option. A call is “covered” if the Fund owns the optioned securities. When the Fund writes a call, it receives a premium and gives the purchaser the right to buy the underlying security at any time during the call period at a fixed exercise price regardless of market price changes during the call period. If the call is exercised, the Fund will forego any gain from an increase in the market price of the underlying security over the exercise price.
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The Fund may purchase a call on securities to effect a “closing purchase transaction” which is the purchase of a call covering the same underlying security and having the same exercise price and expiration date as a call previously written by the Fund on which it wishes to terminate its obligation. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the call previously written by the Fund expires (or until the call is exercised and the Fund delivers the underlying security).
The Fund also may write and purchase put options (“puts”). When the Fund writes a put, it receives a premium and gives the purchaser of the put the right to sell the underlying security to the Fund at the exercise price at any time during the option period. When the Fund purchases a put, it pays a premium in return for the right to sell the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. If any put is not exercised or sold, it will become worthless on its expiration date.
The Fund’s option positions may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for options of the same series, but there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist at a given time for any particular option.
The Fund’s custodian, or a securities depository acting for them, generally acts as escrow agent as to the securities on which the Fund has written puts or calls, or as to other securities acceptable for such escrow so that no margin deposit is required of the Fund. Until the underlying securities are released from escrow, they cannot be sold by the Fund.
In the event of a shortage of the underlying securities deliverable on exercise of an option, the Options Clearing Corporation has the authority to permit other, generally comparable securities to be delivered in fulfillment of option exercise obligations. If the Options Clearing Corporation exercises its discretionary authority to allow such other securities to be delivered, it may also adjust the exercise prices of the affected options by setting different prices at which otherwise ineligible securities may be delivered. As an alternative to permitting such substitute deliveries, the Options Clearing Corporation may impose special exercise settlement procedures.
The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.
Short-Term Investments. The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund may hold certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances acquired by the Fund will be dollar-denominated obligations of domestic banks, savings and loan associations or financial institutions which, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government.
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In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment objectives and policies stated above and, in its prospectus, the Fund may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Notes. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.
Commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase “A-2” or higher by S&P®, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Exhibit B.
Government Obligations. The Fund may make short-term investments in U.S. government obligations. Such obligations include Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds, and issuers of such entities as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”). Of these obligations, only those of the GNMA and Treasury bills, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury.
Agency Obligations. The Fund may make short-term investments in agency obligations, such as the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Tennessee Valley Authority, Resolution Funding Corporation, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal Housing Administration, Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Student Loan Marketing Association. Some, such as those of the Export-Import Bank of United States, are supported only by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others, such as those of the FNMA, are supported by only the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations; still others, such as those of the Student Loan Marketing Association, are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities because they are not obligated by law to do so.
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Derivatives. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act governs the Fund’s use of derivative instruments and certain other transactions that create future payment and/or delivery obligations by the Fund. Rule 18f-4 permits the Fund to enter into Derivatives Transactions (as defined below) and certain other transactions notwithstanding the restrictions on the issuance of “senior securities” under Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Section 18 of the 1940 Act, among other things, prohibits open-end funds, including the Fund, from issuing or selling any “senior security,” other than borrowing from a bank (subject to a requirement to maintain 300% “asset coverage”). In connection with the adoption of Rule 18f-4, the SEC eliminated the asset segregation framework arising from prior SEC guidance for covering Derivatives Transactions and certain financial instruments.
Under Rule 18f-4, “Derivatives Transactions” include the following: (i) any swap, security-based swap (including a contract for differences), futures contract, forward contract, option (excluding purchased options), any combination of the foregoing, or any similar instrument, under which the Fund is or may be required to make any payment or delivery of cash or other assets during the life of the instrument or at maturity or early termination, whether as margin or settlement payment or otherwise; (ii) any short sale borrowing; (iii) reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, if the Fund elects to treat these transactions as Derivatives Transactions under Rule 18f-4; and (iv) when-issued or forward-settling securities (e.g., firm and standby commitments, including to-be-announced (“TBA”) commitments, and dollar rolls) and non-standard settlement cycle securities, unless the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date.
Unless the Fund is relying on the Limited Derivatives User Exception (as defined below), the Fund must comply with Rule 18f-4 with respect to its Derivatives Transactions. Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires the Fund to (i) appoint a Derivatives Risk Manager, (ii) maintain a Derivatives Risk Management Program designed to identify, assess, and reasonably manage the risks associated with Derivatives Transactions; (iii) comply with certain value-at-risk (VaR)-based leverage limits (VaR is an estimate of an instrument’s or portfolio’s potential losses over a given time horizon and at a specified confidence level); and (iv) comply with certain Board reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Rule 18f-4 provides an exception from the requirements to appoint a Derivatives Risk Manager, adopt a Derivatives Risk Management Program, comply with certain VaR-based leverage limits, and comply with certain Board oversight and reporting requirements if the Fund’s “derivatives exposure” (as defined in Rule 18f-4) is limited to 10% of its net assets (as calculated in accordance with Rule 18f-4) and the Fund adopts and implements written policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage its derivatives risks (the “Limited Derivatives User Exception”).
Pursuant to Rule 18f-4, if the Fund enters into reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, the Fund will (i) aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with all of its reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the amount of any other “senior securities” representing indebtedness (e.g., bank borrowings, if applicable) when calculating the Fund’s asset coverage ratio or (ii) treat all such transactions as Derivatives Transactions.
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The requirements of Rule 18f-4 may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in Derivatives Transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may also increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and/or the performance of the Fund.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
Fundamental. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are fundamental (“Fundamental”), i.e., they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. As used in the prospectus and the statement of additional information, the term “majority” of the outstanding shares of the Fund means the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Other investment practices which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy are considered non-fundamental (“Non-Fundamental”).
The Fund may not:
1. | make loans to others, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; |
2. | borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time; |
3. | underwrite securities issued by others except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under the federal securities laws, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities; |
4. | invest in commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund; |
5. | purchase or sell real estate, except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund; |
6. | invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in any one industry except as permitted under the 1940 Act (except that securities of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities are not subject to these limitations); |
7. | issue senior securities to others, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time; and |
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As it relates to Investment Restriction 8 – the Fund:
8. | shall be a “diversified company” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities from time to time. |
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by said paragraphs, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.
Non-Fundamental. The following limitations have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are considered Non-Fundamental. The Non-Fundamental limitations may be changed by the Trust’s Board of Trustees at any time without shareholder approval.
The Fund may not:
1. | Invest in any issuer for purposes of exercising control or management. |
2. | Invest in securities of other investment companies except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
3. | Invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets in securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, securities which are not readily marketable and repurchase agreements with more than seven days to maturity. |
Except with respect to borrowing and illiquid securities, if a percentage restriction described in the Fund’s prospectus or this SAI is adhered to at the time of investment, a subsequent increase or decrease in a percentage resulting from a change in the values of assets will not constitute a violation of that restriction.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Investment advisory services are provided to the Fund by Perkins Capital Management, Inc., pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with the Trust. The Adviser is controlled and owned in equal amounts by Mr. Daniel S. Perkins, co-portfolio manager of the Fund and Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, and Mr. Richard C. Perkins, co-portfolio manager of the Fund and President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Adviser.
As full compensation for the investment advisory services provided to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to a monthly fee payable at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s daily net assets.
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On October 26, 2012, the Predecessor Fund was reorganized into a new series of the Trust (i.e., the Fund). Prior to the reorganization, Perkins Capital Management, Inc. was the investment adviser to the Predecessor Fund.
For the fiscal years ended March 31, the Fund paid the following fees to the Adviser:
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
Fees Accrued | $72,698 | $77,596 | $87,019 |
Fees Waived | $72,698 | $77,596 | $87,019 |
Expenses Reimbursed | $86,277 | $76,358 | $52,162 |
Recovery of Previously Waived Fees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Net Advisory Fee Paid | $0 | $0 | $0 |
The Advisory Agreement has an initial two-year term and continues in effect for successive annual periods so long as such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the vote of (1) the Board (or a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund), and (2) a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of any party to the Advisory Agreement, in each case cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by either party to the Advisory Agreement upon a 60-day written notice and is automatically terminated in the event of its “assignment,” as defined in the 1940 Act.
The use of the name “Perkins” by the Fund is pursuant to a license granted by the Adviser, and in the event the Advisory Agreement with the Fund is terminated, the Adviser has reserved the right to require the Fund to remove any references to the name “Perkins.”
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses (excluding interest, expenses incurred under a plan of distribution adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, dividend expenses on short sales, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements for shares of the Fund to 2.25% of the Fund’s daily net assets until at least July 31, 2026. The Trust and the Adviser may terminate this expense limitation agreement prior to July 31, 2026 only by mutual written consent. Each waiver or reimbursement of an expense by the Adviser is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the date such waiver and/or reimbursement was made, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the expense limitation in place at the time of the waiver or reimbursement and at the time the waiver or reimbursement is recouped. The total amount of recoverable reimbursements for the Fund as of March 31, 2025, and expiration dates were as follows:
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Recoverable Reimbursements and Expiration Dates | |||
2026 | 2027 | 2028 | Total |
$139,181 | $153,954 | $158,925 | $452,060 |
The Adviser may make payments to banks or other financial institutions that provide shareholder services and administer shareholder accounts. If a bank or other financial institution were prohibited from continuing to perform all or a part of such services, management of the Fund believes that there would be no material impact on the Fund or its shareholders. Financial institutions may charge their customers fees for offering these services to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authorities, and the overall return to those shareholders availing themselves of the financial institution’s services will be lower than to those shareholders who do not. The Fund may from time to time purchase securities issued by financial institutions that provide such services; however, in selecting investments for the Fund, no preference will be shown for such securities.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Messrs. Daniel S. Perkins and Richard C. Perkins serve as co-portfolio managers of the Fund.
Mr. Daniel S. Perkins is the Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the Adviser from 2005-2019 and was Vice President prior to 2005 for over twenty years. He has served as co-portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception. The following provides information regarding other accounts managed by Mr. Daniel S. Perkins as of March 31, 2025:
Category of Account | Total Number of Accounts Managed |
Total Assets in (millions) |
Number of Accounts for which Advisory Fee is Based on Performance |
Assets in is Based on (millions) |
Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 20 | $6 | 0 | $0 |
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Mr. Richard C. Perkins is the President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Adviser. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the Adviser from 2005-2019 and was Vice President prior to 2005 for over fifteen years. He has served as co-portfolio manager of the Fund since July 2018. The following provides information regarding other accounts managed by Mr. Richard C. Perkins as of March 31, 2025:
Category of Account | Total Number of Accounts Managed |
Total Assets in (millions) |
Number of Accounts for which Advisory Fee is Based on Performance |
Assets in (millions) |
Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 107 | $91 | 0 | $0 |
The portfolio managers’ compensation is a fixed salary determined by industry standards as well as the assets under management and fees collected by the Adviser. They may receive a bonus based on the overall net income of the Adviser. They have a fixed retirement plan. The portfolio managers’ salary and bonus are not based on the performance of the Fund.
Because the Adviser performs investment management services for various clients, certain conflicts of interest could arise. Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other client accounts managed or advised by the Adviser. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times identical securities will be acceptable for the Fund and one or more of such client accounts. In such an event, the position of the Fund and such client account(s) in the same security may vary and the length of time that each may hold its investment in the same security may likewise vary as well as the price of such investment and the priority of purchases and sales of such investments. During the management of client accounts, many decisions are made by the Adviser that may cause a conflict of interest or the favoring of one client over another. Some, but not all of these decisions are: the timing of client orders, the priority of client orders, the frequency of client orders, whether client orders should be executed individually or grouped together for execution, and the commission, mark-up or mark-down paid by clients on transactions. If the Adviser decides the best way to execute a client’s order is to include it as part of a grouped transaction, the individual client may receive an average price on his order; may or may not receive the same commission, mark-up or mark-down as other clients pay; may, depending on the size of his order, pay a minimum total commission which could result in greater per share commission than paid by other clients; and may or may not have his shares allocated to him on the same trade date that the grouped transaction was executed.
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Fund Shares Owned by the Portfolio Managers. The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Portfolio Managers in the Fund as of March 31, 2025.
Name of Portfolio Manager |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned (None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, $100,001 - $500,000, $500,001-$1,000,000, Over $1,000,000) | |
Daniel S. Perkins | $100,001 - $500,000 | |
Richard C. Perkins | $100,001 - $500,000 |
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Administrator, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent. Pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement with the Trust (the “Services Agreement”), Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (“CFS” or the “Administrator” or the “Transfer Agent”), located at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, serves as the Fund’s administrator, transfer agent and accounting agent.
In its capacity as administrator, CFS supervises all aspects of the operations of the Fund except those performed by the Adviser. CFS will provide certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund, including preparing and maintaining certain books, records, and monitoring compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements. CFS, as administrative agent for the Fund, will provide shareholder, recordkeeping, administrative and blue-sky filing services.
As transfer agent, CFS provides certain shareholder and other services to the Fund, including furnishing account and transaction information and maintaining shareholder account records. CFS will be responsible for processing orders and payments for share purchases. CFS will mail proxy materials (and receive and tabulate proxies), shareholder reports, confirmation forms for purchases and redemptions and prospectuses to shareholders. CFS will disburse income dividends and capital distributions and prepare and file appropriate tax-related information concerning dividends and distributions to shareholders.
CFS also provides accounting services to the Fund. CFS will be responsible for accounting relating to the Fund and its investment transactions; maintaining certain books and records of the Fund; determining daily the net asset value per share of the Fund; and preparing security position, transaction and cash position reports. CFS also monitors periodic distributions of gains or losses on portfolio sales and maintains a daily listing of portfolio holdings. CFS is responsible for providing expenses accrued and payment reporting services, tax-related financial information to the Trust, and for monitoring compliance with the regulatory requirements relating to maintaining accounting records.
CFS receives, for administrative services, an asset-based fee computed daily and paid monthly on the daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a minimum fee plus out-of-pocket expenses. CFS receives, for transfer agency services, per account fees computed daily and paid monthly, subject to a minimum fee plus out-of-pocket expenses. CFS receives, for fund accounting services, an asset-based fee, computed daily and paid monthly on the daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a minimum fee plus out-of-pocket expenses.
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The following table provides information regarding transfer agent, fund accounting and administrative services fees paid by the Fund during the periods indicated.
Fiscal Period Ended | Fees Paid for Transfer Agent Services |
Fees Paid for Accounting Services |
Fees Paid for Administrative Services |
March 31, 2025 | $22,781 | $25,478 | $36,215 |
March 31, 2024 | $21,073 | $26,482 | $36,258 |
March 31, 2023 | $19,781 | $23,717 | $34,167 |
Custodian. UMB Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), 928 Grand Blvd., 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian has entered into a foreign sub-custody arrangement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. as the approved foreign custody manager (the “Delegate”) to perform certain functions with respect to the custody of the Fund’s assets outside of the United States of America. The Delegate shall place and maintain the Fund’s assets with an eligible foreign custodian; provided that, the Delegate shall be required to determine that the Fund’s assets will be subject to reasonable care based on the standards applicable to custodians in the relevant market.
Principal Underwriter. Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside” or the “Distributor”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), located at 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine, 04101, serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Fund on a commercially reasonable efforts basis pursuant to a Distribution Agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor serves as the Fund’s principal underwriter and acts as exclusive agent for the Fund in selling its shares to the public on a “best efforts” basis and then only in respect to orders placed - that is, the Distributor is under no obligation to sell any specific number of shares. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Foreside is registered as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The offering of the Fund’s shares is continuous. The Distributor may receive Distribution 12b-1 and service fees from the Fund, as described in the prospectus and this SAI. Foreside does not retain Rule 12b-1 fees for profit. Instead these fees are kept in retention for future distribution related expenses.
Legal Counsel. Practus, LLP, 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, Kansas 66211, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, audits the Fund’s annual financial statements, assists in the preparation of certain reports to the SEC and prepares the Fund’s tax returns. Tait, Weller & Baker LLP is located at 50 South 16th Street, Suite 2900, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102.
TRUSTEES & OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
Trustees and Officers. The Trust is governed by the Board, which is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees are experienced businesspersons who meet throughout the year to oversee the Trust’s activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund and review performance. The names, addresses and ages of the trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal occupations during the past five years, are listed below.
Each Trustee was nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees based on their particular experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills. Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience; (ii) qualifications; (iii) attributes; and (iv) skills.
Ms. Mary Lou H. Ivey has business experience as a practicing tax accountant from 1996 to 2021 and, as such, brings tax, budgeting and financial reporting skills to the Board. Currently, Ms. Ivey serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Episcopal Church Building Fund since 2022 utilizing her financial knowledge and skills.
Ms. Laura V. Morrison has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles at global stock exchanges and asset managers. She has extensive knowledge of ETFs as well as mutual funds, having set the strategy and managed the product development, sales distribution and marketing teams at a leading provider. Ms. Morrison also guided the growth of several listing exchanges in the U.S. and Europe including NYSE & Cboe Markets.
Dr. David J. Urban is Dean Emeritus and Professor of Marketing at the Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University. He earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Michigan. Dr. Urban also holds a master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in Commerce with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Virginia. His extensive career is marked by significant budget responsibility and accountability, with expertise in marketing, strategic planning, organizational leadership, and management contributing to the Board’s long-term goal setting.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Ms. Ivey, who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Trust also has an independent Audit Committee that allows the Board to access the expertise necessary to oversee the Trust, identify risks, recognize shareholder concerns and needs and highlight opportunities. The Audit Committee is able to focus Board time and attention to matters of interest to shareholders and, through its private sessions with the Trust’s auditor, Chief Compliance Officer and legal counsel, stay fully informed regarding management decisions.
Mutual funds face a number of risks, including investment risk, compliance risk and valuation risk. The Board oversees management of the Fund’s risks directly and through its officers. While day-to-day risk management responsibilities rest with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, investment advisers and other service providers, the Board monitors and tracks risk by: (1) receiving and reviewing quarterly reports related to the performance and operations of the Fund; (2) reviewing and approving, as applicable, the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust, including the Trust’s valuation policies and transaction procedures; (3) periodically meeting with the portfolio manager to review investment strategies, techniques and related risks; (4) meeting with representatives of key service providers, including the Fund’s investment advisers, administrator, distributor, transfer agent and the independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the activities of the Fund; (5) engaging the services of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund to monitor and test the compliance procedures of the Trust and its service providers; (6) receiving and reviewing reports from the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding the Fund’s financial condition and the Trust’s internal controls; and (7) receiving and reviewing an annual written report prepared by the Chief Compliance Officer reviewing the adequacy of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. The Board has concluded that its general oversight of the investment advisers and other service providers as implemented through the reporting and monitoring process outlined above allows the Board to effectively administer its risk oversight function.
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Trustee Emeritus
Mr. Theo H. Pitt is a Trustee Emeritus of the Trust. In his capacity as Trustee Emeritus, he does not have any fiduciary or oversight responsibilities to the Trust, and he does not vote on any matters that may be brought before the Board. As Trustee Emeritus, Mr. Pitt serves the Board in an advisory capacity, which allows the Board to capitalize on the institutional knowledge and experience Mr. Pitt has garnered over many decades in the financial services and investment management industries. Mr. Pitt began serving as Trustee Emeritus on January 1, 2025. Previously, Mr. Pitt served as an Independent Trustee of the Trust from August 2013 until he retired on December 31, 2024.
Following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and their principal occupation over the last five years. The mailing address of each Trustee and officer is 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond Virginia, 23235, unless otherwise indicated.
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
NAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND POSITION WITH THE TRUST |
TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
NUMBER OF FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE |
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE |
Mary Lou H. Ivey 1958 Trustee
|
Indefinite, Since June 2010 | Chief Financial Officer, Finance at Episcopal Church Building Fund (national nonprofit organization), since January 2022. Accountant, Harris, Hardy & Johnstone, P.C. (accounting firm), 2008-2021. | 22 | Independent Trustee for the one hundred thirty-two series of the ETF Opportunities Trust; and Independent Trustee of Precidian ETFs Trust for the forty-eight series of that Trust (each a registered investment company). |
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NAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND POSITION WITH THE TRUST |
TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
NUMBER OF FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE |
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD BY TRUSTEE |
Laura V. Morrison 1966 Trustee
|
Indefinite, Since July 2024 | Owner, LVM Advisory LLC (consulting services to financial institutions) since 2024; Director and Member of Nominating and Governance Committee, Women in ETFs (not for profit) (2021 – present); Formerly, Chief Revenue Officer, Direxion (2022-2023); Senior Vice President, Global Head of Listings, Cboe Global Markets (2015-2022). | 22 | Independent Trustee for the one hundred thirty-two series of the ETF Opportunities Trust; and Independent Trustee of Precidian ETFs Trust for the forty-eight series of that Trust (each a registered investment company). |
Dr. David J. Urban 1955 Trustee
|
Indefinite, Since June 2010 | Dean Emeritus (since 2023) and Professor of Marketing (since 2013), Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University. | 22 | Independent Trustee for the one hundred thirty-two series of the ETF Opportunities Trust; and Independent Trustee of Precidian ETFs Trust for the forty-eight series of that Trust (each a registered investment company). |
OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES
NAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND POSITION(S) WITH THE TRUST |
TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
David A. Bogaert 1963 President
|
Indefinite, Since August 2017 | Managing Director of Business Development, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., October 2013 to present. |
Karen M. Shupe 1964 Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer
|
Indefinite, Since June 2008 | Managing Director of Fund Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2003 to present. |
Ann T. MacDonald 1954 Assistant Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
|
Indefinite, Since November 2015 | Managing Director of Fund Accounting and Administration, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2003 to present. |
John H. Lively 1969 Secretary
|
Indefinite, Since November 2013 | Attorney, Practus, LLP (law firm), May 2018 to present. |
J. Stephen King 1962
|
Indefinite, Since November 2022 |
Attorney, Practus LLP (law firm), 2020 to present; The TCW Group, Inc. (investment management firm), 2017 to 2020.
|
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NAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND POSITION(S) WITH THE TRUST |
TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED |
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS |
Holly B. Giangiulio 1962 Assistant Secretary
|
Indefinite, Since November 2015 | Managing Director, Corporate Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., January 2015 to present. |
Laura B. Wright
|
Indefinite, Since May 2022 |
Manager, Fund Administration, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., August 2023 to present; Fund Administrator, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2016 to 2023.
|
Julian G. Winters 1968 Chief Compliance Officer
|
Indefinite, Since August 2013 | Managing Member of Watermark Solutions, LLC (investment management compliance and consulting firm) since March 2007. |
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees oversees the Trust and certain aspects of the services provided by the Adviser and the Fund’s other service providers. Each trustee will hold office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. Each officer of the Trust serves at the pleasure of the Board and for a term of one year or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.
The Trust has a standing Audit Committee of the Board composed of Ms. Ivey, Ms. Morrison and Dr. Urban. The functions of the Audit Committee are to meet with the Trust’s independent auditors to review the scope and findings of the annual audit, discuss the Trust’s accounting policies, discuss any recommendations of the independent auditors with respect to the Trust’s management practices, review the impact of changes in accounting standards on the Trust’s financial statements, recommend to the Board the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Audit Committee by the Board. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Audit Committee met ten times.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of Ms. Ivey, Ms. Morrison and Dr. Urban. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s purposes, duties and powers are set forth in its written charter, which is described in Exhibit C – the charter also describes the process by which shareholders of the Trust may make nominations. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Nominating Committee met three times.
The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee is comprised of Ms. Ivey, Ms. Morrison and Dr. Urban. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee receives, investigates, and makes recommendations as to the appropriate remedial action in connection with any report of evidence of a material violation of the securities laws or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Trust, its officers, Trustees, or agents. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Committee did not meet.
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Trustee Compensation. Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust may receive compensation for their services to the Trust. All Trustees are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings. Effective January 1, 2024, each Trustee receives an annual retainer of $81,000, paid quarterly. The Independent Chairperson receives an additional annual fee of $5,000, paid quarterly. Additionally, each Trustee receives a fee of $2,500 per special meeting attended. Compensation received from the Trust for the Fund’s fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 is as follows:
Name of Person/Position |
Aggregate From Fund |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Funds Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits upon Retirement |
Total Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex Paid To Trustees(*)(1) |
Mary Lou H. Ivey, Trustee | $4,316 | $0 | $0 | $4,316 |
Dr. David J. Urban, Trustee | $4,063 | $0 | $0 | $4,063 |
Laura V. Morrison, Trustee(2) | $3,050 | $0 | $0 | $3,050 |
Theo H. Pitt, Jr., Emeritus Trustee(3) | $3,293 | $0 | $0 | $3,293 |
* | Trust does not pay deferred compensation. |
(1) | The “Fund Complex” consists of the Fund. |
(2) | Ms. Laura V. Morrison was appointed as a Trustee of the Trust on July 1, 2024. |
(3) | Mr. Theo H. Pitt, Jr. retired from the Trust on December 31, 2024 and no longer serves as a Trustee. |
Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares. The table below shows for each Trustee, the amount of Fund equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee, and the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of the funds of the Trust, as of December 31, 2024, and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.
Name of Trustee Non-Interested Trustees |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the Trustees in Family of Investment Companies |
Mary Lou H. Ivey | A | A |
Laura V. Morrison | A | A |
Dr. David J. Urban | A | A |
Sales Loads. No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to purchase of Fund shares by current or former trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Trust, the Adviser, or the principal underwriter and by the members of their immediate families.
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Policies Concerning Personal Investment Activities. The Fund and the Adviser have each adopted a Code of Ethics, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that permit investment personnel, subject to their particular code of ethics, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, for their own account.
The Codes of Ethics are on file with, and can be reviewed and copied at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, D. C. In addition, the Codes of Ethics are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITIES HOLDERS
A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of such control. As a controlling shareholder, each of these persons could control the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Fund’s fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser.
As of June 30, 2025, the following persons were record owners (or to the knowledge of the Company, beneficial owners) of 5% or more of the shares of the Fund.
Names and Addresses | Percent of Class | Type of Ownership |
Raymond James and Associates, Inc. 880 Carillion Parkway St. Petersburg, FL 33716
|
5.62% | Record |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Attn: Mutual Funds Dept. 101 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94104-4122
|
16.03%
|
Record
|
As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust own beneficially none of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
General Policy. The Fund adheres to Section 2(a)(41), and Rule 2a-4 thereunder, of the 1940 Act with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. In general, securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market value, and all other securities are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below).
Equity Securities. Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET if a security’s primary exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Fund’s pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below).
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Money Market Securities and other Debt Securities. If available, money market securities and other debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by recognized independent, third-party pricing agents approved by the Board. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. Money market securities and other debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Fund’s pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below).
Fair Valuation. Investments for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. As a general principle, the fair value of a security or other asset is the price that would be received upon the sale of the security or asset in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and time. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board has designated the Adviser as the valuation designee (“Valuation Designee”) for the Fund to perform fair value determinations relating to all Fund investments. The Adviser may carry out its designated responsibilities as Valuation Designee through a fair valuation committee, and may apply fair valuation methodologies approved by the Board, or utilize prices or inputs from pricing services, quotation reporting systems, valuation agents and other third-party sources that have been approved by the Board.
Fair valuation may require subjective determinations about the value of a security. While the Fund’s and Valuation Designee’s policies and procedures are intended to result in a calculation of the Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing, the Fund cannot ensure that fair values accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing (for instance, in a forced or distressed sale). The prices used by the Fund may differ from the value that would be realized if the securities were sold.
DISTRIBUTION
Plan of Distribution. The Fund has a Plan of Distribution or “12b-1 Plan” under which it may finance certain activities primarily intended to sell such class of shares, provided the categories of expenses are approved in advance by the Board and the expenses paid under the Plan were incurred within the preceding 12 months and accrued while the 12b-1 Plan is in effect. The Trust has adopted the Plan in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules concerning sales charges.
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The 12b-1 Plan provides that the Fund may pay a fee at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s daily net assets in consideration for distribution and other services and the assumption of related expenses, including the payment of commissions and transaction fees, in conjunction with the offering and sale of the Fund’s shares. The fee is paid to the Adviser as compensation for distribution-related activities. The Fund does not participate in any joint distribution activities.
The table below shows the amount of Rule 12b-1 fees incurred and the allocation of such fees by the Fund for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025.
Compensation to Distributor |
Payments to Broker/Dealers |
Total Rule 12b-1 Fees Incurred |
$12,000 | $6,174 | $18,174 |
Payments for distribution expenses under the 12b-1 Plan are subject to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12b-1 defines distribution expenses to include the cost of “any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares issued by the Trust.” Rule 12b-1 provides, among other things, that an investment company may bear such expenses only pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1. In accordance with Rule 12b-1, the 12b-1 Plan provides that a report of the amounts expended under the 12b-1 Plan, and the purposes for which such expenditures were incurred, will be made to the Board for its review at least quarterly. The 12b-1 Plan provides that it may not be amended to increase materially the costs which shares of the Fund may bear for distribution pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan without shareholder approval, and that any other type of material amendment must be approved by a majority of the Board, and by a majority of the trustees who are neither “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust nor have any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the 12b-1 Plan or in any related agreement (the “12b-1 Trustees”), by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. Pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan, the Fund may also make payments to persons who provide support services in connection with the distribution of the Fund’s shares and servicing of the Fund’s shareholders. No 12b-1 Trustee has a financial interest in the operation of the Rule 12b-1 Plan or any agreement related thereto.
The Trust understands that certain service organizations may charge fees to their customers who are the beneficial owners of Fund shares, in connection with their accounts with such service organizations. Any such fees would be in addition to any amounts which may be received by an institution under the applicable 12b-1 Plan. Under the terms of each servicing agreement entered into with the Trust, service organizations are required to provide to their customers a schedule of any fees that they may charge in connection with customer investments in Fund shares.
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The Board has concluded that there is a reasonable likelihood that the 12b-1 Plan will benefit the Fund. It is anticipated that the 12b-1 Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary for the Fund to reach and maintain a sufficient size to achieve efficiently its investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. The 12b-1 Plan is subject to annual re-approval by a majority of the 12b-1 Trustees and is terminable at any time with respect to the Fund by a vote of a majority of the 12b-1 Trustees or by vote of the holders of a majority of outstanding shares of the Fund. Any agreement entered into pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan with a Service Organization is terminable with respect to the Fund without penalty, at any time, by vote of a majority of the 12b-1 Trustees, by vote of the holders of a majority of the applicable classes’ outstanding shares of the Fund, by Foreside or by the Service Organization. An agreement will also terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
As long as the 12b-1 Plan is in effect, the nomination of trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) must be committed to the discretion of the 12b-1 Trustees.
Shareholder Services Plan. The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan. Under a shareholder services plan, the Fund may pay an authorized firm up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of daily net assets attributable to its customers who are shareholders. For this fee, the authorized firms may provide a variety of services, including but not limited to: (i) arranging for bank wires; (ii) responding to inquiries from shareholders concerning their investment in the Fund; (iii) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (iv) providing information periodically to shareholders showing their position in shares; (v) forwarding shareholders communications from the Fund such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend distribution and tax notices to shareholders; (vi) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and placing orders with the Fund or its service providers; (vii) providing sub-accounting with respect to shares beneficially owned by shareholders; and (viii) processing dividend payments from the Fund on behalf of shareholders. Because the Fund has adopted the shareholder services plan to compensate authorized firms for providing the types of services described above, the Fund believes the shareholder services plan is not covered by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which relates to payment of distribution fees. The Fund, however, follows the procedural requirements of Rule 12b-1 in connection with the implementation and administration of each shareholder services plan.
An authorized firm generally represents in a service agreement used in connection with the shareholder services plan that all compensation payable to the authorized firm from its customers in connection with the investment of their assets in the Fund will be disclosed by the authorized firm to its customers. It also generally provides that all such compensation will be authorized by the authorized firm’s customers.
The Fund does not monitor the actual services being performed by an authorized firm under the plan and related service agreement. The Fund also does not monitor the reasonableness of the total compensation that an authorized firm may receive, including any service fee that an authorized firm may receive from the Fund and any compensation the authorized firm may receive directly from its clients.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES
Purchasing Shares. You may purchase shares of the Fund directly. You may also buy shares through accounts with brokers and other institutions (“authorized institutions”) that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. If you invest through an authorized institution, you will have to follow its procedures. Your institution may charge a fee for its services, in addition to the fees charged by the Fund. You will also generally have to address your correspondence or questions regarding the Fund to your authorized institution. The offering price per share is equal to the NAV next determined after the Fund or authorized institution receives your purchase order. Your authorized institution is responsible for transmitting all subscription and redemption requests, investment information, documentation and money to the Fund on time. Certain authorized institutions have agreements with the Fund that allow them to enter confirmed purchase or redemption orders on behalf of clients and customers. Under this arrangement, the authorized institution must send your payment to the Fund by the time it prices its shares on the following day. If your authorized institution fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses.
The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to suspend the offering of shares. Under certain circumstances the Trust or the Adviser may waive the minimum initial investment for purchases by officers, trustees, and employees of the Trust and its affiliated entities and for certain related advisory accounts and retirement accounts (such as IRAs). The Fund may also change or waive policies concerning minimum investment amounts at any time.
Exchanging Shares. If you request the exchange of the total value of your account from one fund to another, we will reinvest any declared but unpaid income dividends and capital gain distributions in the new fund at its net asset value. Backup withholding and information reporting may apply. Information regarding the possible tax consequences of an exchange appears in the tax section in this SAI.
If a substantial number of shareholders sell their shares of the Fund under the exchange privilege, within a short period, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise have held, thus incurring additional transactional costs. Increased use of the exchange privilege may also result in periodic large inflows of money. If this occurs, it is the Fund’s general policy to initially invest in short-term, interest-bearing money market instruments. However, if the Adviser believes that attractive investment opportunities (consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies) exist immediately, then it will invest such money in portfolio securities in as orderly a manner as is possible.
The proceeds from the sale of shares of the Fund may not be available until the third business day following the sale. The fund you are seeking to exchange into may also delay issuing shares until that third business day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the Fund next computed after your request for exchange is received in proper form.
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Eligible Benefit Plans. An eligible benefit plan is an arrangement available to the employees of an employer (or two or more affiliated employers) having not less than 10 employees at the plan’s inception, or such an employer on behalf of employees of a trust or plan for such employees, their spouses and their children under the age of 21 or a trust or plan for such employees, which provides for purchases through periodic payroll deductions or otherwise. There must be at least 5 initial participants with accounts investing or invested in Fund shares and/or certain other funds.
The initial purchase by the eligible benefit plan and prior purchases by or for the benefit of the initial participants of the plan must aggregate not less than $2,500 and subsequent purchases must be at least $50 per account and must aggregate at least $250. Purchases by the eligible benefit plan must be made pursuant to a single order paid for by a single check or federal funds wire and may not be made more often than monthly. A separate account will be established for each employee, spouse or child for which purchases are made. The requirements for initiating or continuing purchases pursuant to an eligible benefit plan may be modified and the offering to such plans may be terminated at any time without prior notice.
Selling Shares. You may sell your shares by giving instructions to the Transfer Agent by mail or by telephone. The Fund will use reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and, if the procedures are followed, will not be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone transactions.
The Fund’s procedure is to redeem shares at the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent receives the redemption request in proper order. Payment will be made promptly, but no later than the seventh day following the receipt of the redemption request in proper order. The Board may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment during any period when (a) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC or such exchange is closed for other than weekends and holidays, (b) the SEC has by order permitted such suspension, or (c) an emergency, as defined by rules of the SEC, exists during which time the sale of Fund shares or valuation of securities held by the Fund are not reasonably practicable.
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser or its affiliates may, out of their own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, pay a 1% solicitation fee to securities dealers or other financial intermediaries (collectively, a “Financial Intermediary”) on each customer purchase solicited by the Financial Intermediary in excess of $1 million. These payments may be in addition to payments made by the Fund to the Financial Intermediary under the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan. For more information regarding the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan, please see “Distribution - Plan of Distribution.”
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SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
As described briefly in the applicable prospectus, the Fund offers the following shareholder services:
Regular Account. The regular account allows for voluntary investments to be made at any time. Available to individuals, custodians, corporations, trusts, estates, corporate retirement plans and others, investors are free to make additions and withdrawals to or from their account as often as they wish. Simply use the account application provided with the prospectus to open your account.
Telephone Transactions. A shareholder may redeem shares or transfer into another fund by telephone if this service is requested at the time the shareholder completes the initial account application. If it is not elected at that time, it may be elected at a later date by making a request in writing to the Transfer Agent and having the signature on the request guaranteed. The Fund employs reasonable procedures designed to confirm the authenticity of instructions communicated by telephone and, if it does not, it may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent transactions. As a result of this policy, a shareholder authorizing telephone redemption or transfer bears the risk of loss which may result from unauthorized or fraudulent transactions which the Fund believes to be genuine. When requesting a telephone redemption or transfer, the shareholder will be asked to respond to certain questions designed to confirm the shareholder’s identity as the shareholder of record. Cooperation with these procedures helps to protect the account and the Fund from unauthorized transactions.
Automatic Investment Plan. Any shareholder may utilize this feature, which provides for automatic monthly investments into your account. Upon your request, the Transfer Agent will withdraw a fixed amount each month from a checking or savings account for investment into the Fund. This does not require a commitment for a fixed period of time. A shareholder may change the monthly investment, skip a month or discontinue the Automatic Investment Plan as desired by notifying the Transfer Agent toll-free at 800-628-4077.
Systematic Withdrawal Program. The Fund offers a Systematic Withdrawal Program (“SWP”). Under the SWP, you may choose to receive a specified dollar amount, generated from the redemption of shares in your account, on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. In order to participate in the SWP, your account balance must be at least $10,000 and each withdrawal amount must be for a minimum of $100. If you elect this method of redemption, the Fund will send a check to your address of record, or will send the payment via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, directly to your bank account. For payment through the ACH network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information must be maintained on your Fund account. The SWP may be terminated at any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your participation in the SWP at any time by contacting the transfer agent sufficiently in advance of the next withdrawal.
A withdrawal under the program involves a redemption of shares and may result in a gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, if the amount withdrawn exceeds the dividends credited to your account, the account ultimately may be depleted. To establish the SWP, complete the “Systematic Withdrawal Plan” section of the Fund’s Account Application. Please call toll-free 800-628-4077 for additional information regarding the Fund’s SWP.
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Retirement Plans. Fund shares are available for purchase in connection with the following tax-deferred retirement plans:
1. Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). IRAs are available for use by individuals with compensation for services rendered who wish to use shares of the Fund as the funding medium for individual retirement savings. IRAs include traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Rollover IRAs.
2. Simplified Employee Pension Plans (SEPs). SEPs are a form of retirement plan for sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations.
For information about eligibility requirements and other matters concerning these plans and to obtain the necessary forms to participate in these plans, please call the Trust toll-free at 800-673-0550. Each plan’s custodian charges nominal fees in connection with plan establishment and maintenance. These fees are detailed in the plan documents. You may wish to consult with your attorney or other tax advisor for specific advice concerning your tax status and plans.
Exchange Privilege. Shareholders may exchange their shares for shares of any other series of the Trust managed by the Adviser, provided the shares of the Fund the shareholder is exchanging into are registered for sale in the shareholder’s state of residence. Each account must meet the minimum investment requirements. Also, to make an exchange, an exchange order must comply with the requirements for a redemption or repurchase order and must specify the value or the number of shares to be exchanged. Your exchange will take effect as of the next determination of the Fund’s NAV per share (usually at the close of business on the same day). The Trust reserves the right to limit the number of exchanges or to otherwise prohibit or restrict shareholders from making exchanges at any time, without notice, should the Trust determine that it would be in the best interest of its shareholders to do so. For tax purposes, an exchange constitutes the sale of the shares of the fund from which you are exchanging and the purchase of shares of the fund into which you are exchanging. Consequently, the sale may involve either a capital gain or loss to the shareholder for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The exchange privilege is available only in states where it is legally permissible to do so.
TAXES
The following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The discussion reflects applicable U.S. federal income tax laws. as of the date of this SAI, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income, estate or gift tax, or foreign, state or local tax concerns affecting the Fund and its shareholders (including shareholders owning large positions in the Fund). The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund.
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In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a financial institution, real estate investment trust (“REIT”), insurance company, regulated investment company (“RIC”), individual retirement account, other tax-exempt entity, or dealer in securities. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes shares of the Fund are held by U.S. shareholders (defined below) and that such shares are held as capital assets.
A U.S. shareholder is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:
● | a citizen or individual resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and former long-term residents); |
● | a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
● | an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
● | a trust with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or a trust that has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
A “Non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that is an individual, corporation, trust or estate and is not a U.S. shareholder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of the Fund, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner of a partnership that will hold shares of the Fund should consult its own tax advisor with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Fund shares by the partnership.
Taxation as a RIC. The Fund intends to qualify and remain qualified as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). There can be no assurance that it will so qualify. The Fund will qualify as a RIC if, among other things, it meets the source-of-income and the asset-diversification requirements. With respect to the source-of-income requirement, the Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income (including tax-exempt interest) from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (the “Income Test”). A “qualified publicly traded partnership” is generally defined as a publicly traded partnership under Code Section 7704. Income derived from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is qualifying income to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership or trust which would be qualifying income if realized by the Fund in the same manner as realized by the partnership or trust.
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The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that are taxable as RICs under the Code. Accordingly, the income the Fund receives from such ETFs should be qualifying income for purposes of the Fund satisfying the Income Test described above. However, the Fund may also invest in one or more ETFs that are not taxable as RICs under the Code and that may generate non-qualifying income for purposes of satisfying the Income Test. The Fund anticipates monitoring its investments in such ETFs so as to keep the Fund’s non-qualifying income within acceptable limits of the Income Test. However, it is possible that such non-qualifying income will be more than anticipated which could cause the Fund to inadvertently fail the Income Test thereby causing the Fund to fail to qualify as a RIC. In such a case, the Fund would be subject to the rules described below.
If a RIC fails the Income Test and such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it will not be subject to the U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to corporations. Instead, the amount of the penalty for non-compliance is the amount by which the non-qualifying income exceeds one-ninth of the qualifying gross income.
With respect to the asset-diversification requirement, the Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets are represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in securities, other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs, of (a) one issuer, (b) two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”).
If a RIC fails the Asset Test, such RIC has a six-month period to correct any failure without incurring a penalty if such failure is “de minimis,” meaning that the failure does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the RIC’s assets or $10 million.
Similarly, if a RIC fails the Asset Test and the failure is not de minimis, a RIC can cure the failure if: (i) the RIC files with the U.S. Treasury Department a description of each asset that caused the RIC to fail the Asset Test; (ii) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect; and (iii) the failure is cured within six months (or such other period specified by the U.S. Treasury Department). In such cases, a tax is imposed on the RIC equal to the greater of: (i) $50,000 or (ii) an amount determined by multiplying the highest corporate U.S. federal income tax rate (currently 21%) by the amount of net income generated during the period of the Asset Test failure from the assets that caused the RIC to fail the Asset Test.
If the Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code (which includes, among other things, dividends, taxable interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses and certain net foreign exchange gains as reduced by certain deductible expenses) without regard to the deduction for dividends paid, and (ii) the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest, if any, over certain deductions attributable to such interest that are otherwise disallowed (the “Distribution Test”), the Fund will be relieved of U.S. federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. However, any ordinary income or capital gain retained by the Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate U.S. federal income tax rates (currently at a maximum rate of 21%). The Fund intends to distribute at least annually substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest, and net capital gain.
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The Fund will generally be subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on the portion of its undistributed ordinary income with respect to each calendar year and undistributed capital gains if it fails to meet certain distribution requirements with respect to the one-year period ending on October 31 in that calendar year. To avoid the 4% U.S. federal excise tax, the required minimum distribution is generally equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income (computed on a calendar year basis), (ii) 98.2% of the Fund’s capital gain net income (generally computed for the one-year period ending on October 31) and (iii) any income realized, but not distributed, and on which the Fund paid no U.S. federal income tax in preceding years. The Fund generally intends to make distributions in a timely manner in an amount at least equal to the required minimum distribution and therefore, under normal market conditions, does not expect to be subject to this excise tax.
The Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which it does not receive cash. For example, if the Fund holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable U.S. federal income tax rules as having original issue discount (“OID”), such as debt instruments with payment of in kind interest or, in certain cases, with increasing interest rates or that are issued with warrants, the Fund must include in income each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by the Fund in the same taxable year. Because any accrued OID will be included in the Fund’s “investment company taxable income” (discussed above) for the year of accrual, the Fund may be required to make a distribution to its shareholders to satisfy the Distribution Test, even though it will not have received an amount of cash that corresponds with the accrued income.
A RIC is permitted to carry forward net capital losses indefinitely and may allow losses to retain their original character (as short or as long-term). These capital loss carryforwards may be utilized in future years to offset net realized capital gains of the Fund, if any, prior to distributing such gains to shareholders.
Except as set forth below in “Failure to Qualify as a RIC,” the remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund will qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.
Failure to Qualify as a RIC. If the Fund is unable to satisfy the Distribution Test or otherwise fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it will be subject to corporate U.S. federal income tax on all of its income and gain, regardless of whether or not such income was distributed. Distributions to the Fund’s shareholders of such income and gain will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In such event, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, would constitute ordinary dividends, which would generally be eligible for the dividends received deduction available to corporate U.S. shareholders, and non-corporate U.S. shareholders would generally be able to treat such distributions as “qualified dividend income” eligible for preferential rates of U.S. federal income taxation if certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.
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Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares of the Fund, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. To qualify as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the Income Test, Asset Test and Distribution Test for that year and distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. Subject to a limited exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under the Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a RIC no later than the second year following the nonqualifying year, the Fund would be subject to tax on any unrealized built-in gains in the assets held by it during the period in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC that are recognized within the subsequent five years, unless the Fund made a special election to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on such built-in gain at the time of its requalification as a RIC.
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders. Distributions paid to U.S. shareholders by the Fund from its investment company taxable income (which is, generally, the Fund’s ordinary income plus net realized short-term capital gains in excess of net realized long-term capital losses) are generally taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Such distributions (if designated by the Fund) may qualify (i) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate U.S. shareholders to the extent that the Fund’s income consists of dividend income from U.S. corporations, excluding distributions from tax-exempt organizations, exempt farmers’ cooperatives or REITs or (ii) in the case of non-corporate U.S. shareholders, as qualified dividend income eligible to be taxed at preferential rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income, and provided in each case certain holding period and other requirements are met. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations (which generally include foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a qualified comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States, or the stock with respect to which such dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A qualified foreign corporation generally excludes any foreign corporation, which for the taxable year of the corporation in which the dividend was paid, or the preceding taxable year, is a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”). Distributions made to a U.S. shareholder from an excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses (“Capital Gain Dividends”), including Capital Gain Dividends credited to such U.S. shareholder but retained by the Fund, are taxable to such shareholder as long-term capital gain if they have been properly designated by the Fund, regardless of the length of time such U.S. shareholder owned the shares of the Fund. The maximum tax rate on Capital Gain Dividends received by individuals is generally 20%. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits will be treated by a U.S. shareholder, first, as a tax-free return of capital, which is applied against and will reduce the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. shareholder’s shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to the U.S. shareholder. The Fund is not required to provide written notice designating the amount of any qualified dividend income or Capital Gain Dividends and other distributions. The Forms 1099 sent to the U.S. shareholders will instead serve this notice purpose.
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As a RIC, the Fund will be subject to the AMT, but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between the Fund and the shareholders and this may affect the U.S. shareholders’ AMT liabilities. The Fund intends in general to apportion these items in the same proportion that dividends paid to each shareholder bear to the Fund’s taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction.
For purpose of determining (i) whether the Distribution Test is satisfied for any year and (ii) the amount of Capital Gain Dividends paid for that year, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the prior taxable year. If the Fund makes such an election, a U.S. shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by a U.S. shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
The Fund intends to distribute all realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If, however, the Fund were to retain any net capital gain, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the U.S. federal income tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If such an event occurs, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally be increased by the difference between the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.
Sales and other dispositions of the shares of the Fund, such as an exchange, generally are taxable events. U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisor with reference to their individual circumstances to determine whether any particular transaction in the shares of the Fund is properly treated as a sale or exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the following discussion assumes, and the tax treatment of any gains or losses recognized in such transactions. The sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund will generally result in capital gain or loss to a U.S. shareholder equal to the difference between the amount realized and the adjusted tax basis in the shares sold or exchanged, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any Capital Gain Dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed Capital Gain Dividends) by such shareholder with respect to such shares. A loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of the Fund generally will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares are acquired within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the shares are disposed of. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Both long-term and short-term capital gains of corporations are taxed at the rates applicable to ordinary income of corporations. For non-corporate U.S. shareholders, short-term capital gains will be taxed at the rate applicable to ordinary income, currently a maximum of 37%, while long-term capital gains generally will be taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Capital losses are subject to certain limitations.
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Mutual fund companies report their shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the IRS on the Fund’s shareholders’ Consolidated Form 1099s.
The Fund has chosen average cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. A tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund’s standing tax lot identification method is the method shares will be reported on a U.S. shareholder’s Consolidated Form 1099 if the U.S. shareholder does not select a specific tax lot identification method. U.S. shareholders may choose a method different than the Fund’s standing method and will be able to do so at the time of a U.S. shareholder’s purchase or upon the sale of shares. Please consult your own tax advisor with regard to your personal circumstances.
The Fund is responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot information for tax reporting purposes. The Fund is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not covered under these rules. The Fund and its service providers do not provide tax advice. U.S. shareholders should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions they may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.
Certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals, estates, and trusts, may be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.
Original Issue Discount, Pay-In-Kind Securities, Market Discount and Commodity-Linked Notes. Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the OID is treated as interest income and is included in the Fund’s taxable income (and required to be distributed by the Fund) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security.
Some debt obligations that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having “market discount.” Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the case of an obligation issued with OID, its “revised issue price”) over the purchase price of such obligation. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt obligation having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt obligation. Alternatively, the Fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the Fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the Fund’s income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in the Fund’s income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects. In the case of higher-risk securities, the amount of market discount may be unclear. See below under “Higher-Risk Securities.”
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Some debt obligations that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having “acquisition discount” (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price), or OID in the case of certain types of debt obligations. The Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income (as ordinary income) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.
In addition, payment-in-kind securities will, and commodity-linked notes may, give rise to income that is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.
If the Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year, an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually receives. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Higher-Risk Securities. To the extent such investments are permissible for the Fund, the Fund may invest in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of, or in default, present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. In limited circumstances, it may also not be clear whether the Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, and if so, what amount of market discount the Fund should recognize. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a RIC and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Issuer Deductibility of Interest. A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations owned by the Fund may not be deductible to (and thus, may affect the cash flow of) the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend. In such cases, if the issuer of the high yield discount obligations is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by the Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction to the extent of the deemed dividend portion of such accrued interest.
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Interest paid on debt obligations owned by the Fund, if any, that are considered for U.S. federal income tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. A tax-exempt U.S. shareholder could recognize unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt U.S. shareholder. Furthermore, a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder may recognize UBTI if the Fund recognizes “excess inclusion income” derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (“TMPs”) if the amount of such income recognized by the Fund exceeds the Fund’s investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the Fund).
In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (“CRTs”) that invest in RICs that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. A CRT that realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in the Fund if it recognizes “excess inclusion income.” Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in the Fund and the Fund recognizes “excess inclusion income,” then the Fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its “excess inclusion income” for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders, at the highest corporate U.S. federal income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the Fund. The Fund has not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in the Fund.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. A PFIC is any foreign corporation in which: (i) 75% or more of the gross income of which for the taxable year is passive income, or (ii) the average percentage of the assets of which produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50%. Generally, passive income for this purpose means dividends, interest, royalties, rents, annuities, the excess of gains over losses from certain property transactions and commodities transactions, and foreign currency gains.
Equity investments by the Fund in certain PFICs could potentially subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax or other charge (including interest charges) on the distributions received from the PFIC or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the PFIC. This tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to avoid the imposition of that tax. For example, if the Fund is in a position to and elects to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (a “QEF”), the Fund will be required to include its share of the PFIC’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the PFIC. Alternatively, the Fund may make an election to mark to market the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in its PFIC holdings as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in that PFIC on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed by the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund’s total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.
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Because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a PFIC, the Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances.
Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. Any such net gains could require a larger dividend be distributed by the Fund for the calendar year. Any such net losses will generally reduce and potentially require the recharacterization of prior ordinary income distributions. Such ordinary income treatment may accelerate Fund distributions to shareholders and increase the distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. Any net ordinary losses so created cannot be carried forward by the Fund to offset income or gains earned in subsequent taxable years.
Master Limited Partnerships. To qualify for master limited partnership (“MLP”) status, a partnership must generate at least 90% of its income from “qualifying” sources, which include all manner of activities related to the production, processing or transportation of oil, natural gas and coal. MLPs, as partnerships, pay no corporate tax, and much of the distributions paid out will be treated as a return of capital, and taxes on such distributions are deferred until the Fund sells its position therein. As partnerships, MLPs pass through the majority of their income to investors in the form of regular quarterly distributions. U.S. shareholders of the Fund, if the Fund holds an interest in a MLP, will be responsible for paying tax on their shares of distributions received by the Fund from the MLP. In addition, the regular quarterly cash payments MLPs pay out are known as distributions rather than dividends. With respect to each MLP in which the Fund invests, MLP investors, and therefore a U.S. shareholder as owner of the Fund, may be subject to the state tax of each state in which the MLP has operations or does business. If a MLP is held in a tax-sheltered arrangement, such as an IRA or 401(k), the portion of the distributions designated as “ordinary income” may be considered UBTI, and subject to tax. However, UBTI is usually a small percentage of total distributions, and it will not be taxed as long as the amount of this income and all other sources of UBTI does not exceed $1,000 in any year.
Foreign Taxation. Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.
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The ETFs in which the Fund invests may invest in foreign securities. Dividends and interest received by an ETF’s holding of foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the ETF in which the Fund invests is taxable as a RIC and meets certain other requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of such ETF’s total assets at the close of its respective taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the ETF should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable its shareholders, including the Fund in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid the by Fund, subject to certain limitations.
A “qualified fund of funds” is a RIC that has at least 50% of the value of its total interests invested in other RICs at the end of each quarter of the taxable year. If the Fund satisfies this requirement or if it meets certain other requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consist of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the Fund should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable its shareholders to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders. Capital Gain Dividends are generally not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax. Absent a specific statutory exemption, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by the Fund to a Non-U.S. shareholder are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a Non-U.S. shareholder directly, would not be subject to withholding.
A RIC is not required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a Non-U.S. shareholder (a) that does not provide a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (b) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the Non-U.S. shareholder is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (c) that is within a foreign country that has inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (d) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the Non-U.S. shareholder and the Non-U.S. shareholder is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by a Non-U.S. shareholder, to the extent such distributions are properly reported as such by the Fund in a written notice to shareholders (“Interest-Related Dividends”), and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than (a) distributions to an individual Non-U.S. shareholder who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests (“USRPIs”) as described below) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the RIC (“Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends”). If the Fund invests in an underlying RIC that pays such distributions to the Fund, such distributions retain their character as not subject to withholding if properly reported when paid by the Fund to Non-U.S. shareholders.
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The Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as Interest-Related or Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. These exemptions from withholding will not be available to Non-U.S. shareholders that do not currently report their dividends as Interest-Related or Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends.
In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund reports all or a portion of a payment as an Interest-Related or Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends to shareholders. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.
A Non-U.S. shareholder generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such Non-U.S. shareholder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an individual Non-U.S. shareholder, the Non-U.S. shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of USRPIs apply to the Non-U.S. shareholder’s sale of shares of the Fund or to the Capital Gain Dividend received by the Non-U.S. shareholder (as described below).
Special rules would apply if the Fund were either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition thereof. Very generally, a USRPHC is a U.S. corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USPRIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other assets. USRPIs are generally defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or former USRPHC.
If the Fund were a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for certain exceptions, any distributions by the Fund to a Non-U.S. shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its shares) attributable to gains realized by the Fund on the disposition of USRPIs or to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier RIC or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands generally would be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in a Non-U.S. shareholder being required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a Non-U.S. shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the Non-U.S. shareholder’s current and past ownership of the Fund. This “look-through” USRPI treatment for distributions by the Fund, if it were either a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions, to Non-U.S. shareholders applies only to those distributions that, in turn, are attributable to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier REIT, unless Congress enacts legislation providing otherwise.
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In addition, if the Fund were a USRPHC or former USRPHC, it could be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% Non-U.S. shareholder, in which case such Non-U.S. shareholder generally would also be required to file U.S. federal income tax return and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.
Whether or not the Fund is characterized as a USRPHC will depend upon the nature and mix of the Fund’s assets. The Fund does not expect to be a USRPHC. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of these rules to their investment in the Fund.
If a Non-U.S. shareholder has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends from the Fund are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of that trade or business, the dividends will be subject to net U.S. federal income taxation at regular income tax rates.
If a Non-U.S. shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by that Non-U.S. shareholder in the United States.
To qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a Non-U.S. shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an applicable IRS Form W-8). Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.
A Non-U.S. shareholder may be subject to U.S. state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the U.S. federal income tax referred to above.
Backup Withholding. The Fund generally is required to backup withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury Department a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to properly certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate currently is 24%.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
FATCA. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (i) income dividends paid by the Fund and (ii) possibly in the future, certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (i) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (ii) by an NFFE, if it: (a) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (b) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders 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 Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA, generally on an applicable IRS Form W-8.
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Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. If a shareholder of the Fund recognizes a loss with respect to shares of the Fund of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder generally must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors to determine the applicability of these rules in light of their individual circumstances.
Purchased through Tax-Qualified Plans. Special tax rules apply to investments made through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans, and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the Code and the Treasury regulations in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and its shareholders. These provisions are subject to change by legislative and administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding specific questions as to U.S. federal income, estate or gift taxes, or foreign, state, local taxes or other taxes.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Brokerage Transactions. Generally, equity securities are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.
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In selecting brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions, the Adviser may consider research and brokerage services furnished to the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser may not consider sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers, but may place portfolio transactions with brokers and dealers that promote or sell the Fund’s shares so long as such transactions are done in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of execution and not on sales efforts. When placing portfolio transactions with a broker or dealer, the Adviser may aggregate securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other advisory accounts managed by the Adviser. In aggregating such securities, the Adviser will average the transaction as to price and will allocate available investments in a manner that the Adviser believes to be fair and reasonable to the Fund and such other advisory accounts. An aggregated order will generally be allocated on a pro rata basis among all participating accounts, based on the relative dollar values of the participating accounts, or using any other method deemed to be fair to the participating accounts, with any exceptions to such methods involving the Trust being reported to the Trustees.
Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, Fund strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Fund.
To the extent that research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Fund’s Adviser under the Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.
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In some cases, the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all of the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.
From time to time, the Fund may purchase new issues of securities in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser with research services. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules further require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025 the Fund paid no brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions effected by affiliated brokers.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers”. The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. As of March 31, 2025, the Fund did not hold any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers.”
Allocation. When two or more clients managed by the Adviser are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the transactions are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each client. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability to participate in volume transactions will be beneficial to the Fund. The Board believes that these advantages, when combined with the other benefits available because of the Adviser’s organization, outweigh the disadvantages that may exist from this treatment of transactions.
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For the fiscal years ended March 31, the Fund paid aggregate brokerage commissions as follows:
Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid
2025 | $5,714 |
2024 | $2,368 |
2023 | $6,578 |
The variances in brokerage commissions paid between the Fund’s last three fiscal years are primarily attributable to fluctuations in capital share activity.
Of such amount, the following was paid to firms for outside research, statistical or other services provided to the Adviser:
Brokerage Commissions Used for Research
2025 | $5,714 |
2024 | $2,368 |
2023 | $3,936 |
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES HOLDINGS
This Disclosure of Portfolio Securities Holdings Policy (the “Policy”) shall govern the disclosure of the portfolio securities holdings of the Fund. The Trust maintains this Policy to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio securities is in the best interests of the Fund and the Fund’s shareholders. The Board reviews these policies and procedures as necessary, and compliance will be periodically assessed by the Board in connection with a report from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, the Board has reviewed and approved the provision of portfolio holdings information to entities described below that may be prior to and more frequently than the public disclosure of such information (i.e., “non-standard disclosure”). The Board has also delegated authority to the officers of the Trust and Adviser to provide such information in certain circumstances (see below).
The Trust is required by the SEC to publicly file its complete portfolio holdings schedule with the SEC on a quarterly basis. This schedule is filed with the Trust’s Form N-CSR for the second and fourth fiscal quarters and on Form N-PORT for the first and third fiscal quarters. Certain portfolio information is also included on form N-PORT that is filed for the second and fourth fiscal quarters. The portfolio holdings information provided in these reports is as of the end of the respective quarter. Form N-CSR must be filed with the SEC no later than ten (10) calendar days after the Trust transmits its annual or semi-annual report to its shareholders. Form N-PORT must be filed with the SEC and will be made publicly available no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the end of the applicable quarter. These portfolio holdings schedules filed on Form N-CSR and Form N-PORT are posted to the Fund’s website no later than sixty (60) days following the fiscal quarters.
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Additionally, the Trust’s service providers which have contracted to provide services to the Trust and its funds, including, for example, the custodian, the fund accountants, and other service providers assisting with materials utilized in the Board’s 15c processes, that require portfolio holdings information in order to perform those services, may receive non-standard disclosure. Non-standard disclosure of portfolio holdings information may also be provided to a third-party when the Trust has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. The Trust has the following ongoing arrangements with certain third parties to provide the Fund’s portfolio holdings information:
1. | to the Trust’s auditors within sixty (60) days after the applicable fiscal period or other periods as necessary for use in providing audit opinions and other advice related to financial, regulatory, or tax reporting; |
2. | to financial printers within sixty (60) days after the applicable fiscal period for the purpose of preparing Trust regulatory filings; and |
3. | to the Trust’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent and accounting services provider on a daily basis in connection with their providing services to the Fund. |
The Trust’s service providers may also disclose non-public portfolio holdings information if such disclosure is required by applicable laws, rules or regulations, or by regulatory authorities. Additionally, the Adviser may establish ongoing arrangements with certain third parties to provide the Fund’s portfolio holdings information that the Adviser determines that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so and the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality. These third parties may include:
1. | financial data processing companies that provide automated data scanning and monitoring services for the Fund; |
2. | research companies that allow the Adviser to perform attribution analysis for the Fund; and |
3. | the Adviser’s proxy voting agent to assess and vote proxies on behalf of the Fund. |
From time to time, employees of the Adviser may express their views orally or in writing on the Fund’s portfolio securities or may state that the Fund has recently purchased or sold, or continues to own, one or more securities. The securities subject to these views and statements may be ones that were purchased or sold since the Fund’s most recent quarter-end and therefore may not be reflected on the list of the Fund’s most recent quarter-end portfolio holdings. These views and statements may be made to various persons, including members of the press, brokers and other financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund, shareholders in the Fund, persons considering investing in the Fund or representatives of such shareholders or potential shareholders, such as fiduciaries of a 401(k) plan or a trust and their advisers, and other entities for which the Adviser may determine. The nature and content of the views and statements provided to each of these persons may differ. From time to time, employees of the Adviser also may provide oral or written information (“portfolio commentary”) about the Fund, including, but not limited to, how the Fund’s investments are divided among various sectors, industries, countries, investment styles and capitalization sizes, and among stocks, bonds, currencies and cash, security types, bond maturities, bond coupons and bond credit quality ratings. This portfolio commentary may also include information on how these various weightings and factors contributed to Fund performance. The Adviser may also provide oral or written information (“statistical information”) about various financial characteristics of the Fund or its underlying portfolio securities including, but not limited to, alpha, beta, R-squared, coefficient of determination, duration, maturity, information ratio, Sharpe ratio, earnings growth, payout ratio, price/book value, projected earnings growth, return on equity, standard deviation, tracking error, weighted average quality, market capitalization, percent of debt to equity, price to cash flow, dividend yield or growth, default rate, portfolio turnover, and risk and style characteristics. This portfolio commentary and statistical information about the Fund may be based on the Fund’s portfolio as of the most recent quarter-end or the end of some other interim period, such as month-end. The portfolio commentary and statistical information may be provided to various persons, including those described in the preceding paragraph. The nature and content of the information provided to each of these persons may differ.
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Additionally, employees of the Adviser may disclose one or more of the portfolio securities of the Fund when purchasing and selling securities through broker-dealers, requesting bids on securities, obtaining price quotations on securities, or in connection with litigation involving the Fund’s portfolio securities. The Adviser does not enter into formal non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements in connection with these situations; however, the Fund would not continue to conduct business with a person who the Adviser believed was misusing the disclosed information.
The Adviser or its affiliates may manage products sponsored by companies other than itself, including investment companies, offshore funds, and separate accounts and affiliates of the Adviser may provide investment related services, including research services, to other companies, including other investment companies, offshore funds, institutional investors and other entities. In each of these instances, the sponsors of these other companies and the affiliates of the Adviser may receive compensation for their services. In many cases, these other products may be managed in a similar fashion to the Fund and thus have similar portfolio holdings, and the other investment related services provided by affiliates of the Adviser may involve disclosure of information that is also utilized by the Adviser in managing the Fund. The sponsors of these other products may disclose the portfolio holdings of their products at different times than the Adviser discloses portfolio holdings for the Fund, and affiliates of the Adviser may provide investment related services to its clients at times that are different than the times disclosed to the Fund.
The Trust and the Adviser currently have no other arrangements for the provision of non-standard disclosure to any party or shareholder. Other than the non-standard disclosure discussed above, if a third-party requests specific, current information regarding the Fund’s portfolio holdings, the Trust will refer the third-party to the latest regulatory filing.
All of the arrangements above are subject to the policies and procedures adopted by the Board to ensure such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interests of the Trust and its shareholders. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the use and disclosure of information relating to portfolio securities. Although no material conflicts of interest are believed to exist that could disadvantage the Fund and its shareholders, various safeguards have been implemented to protect the Fund and its shareholders from conflicts of interest, including: the adoption of Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act designed to prevent fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative acts by officers and employees of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor in connection with their personal securities transactions; the adoption by the Adviser and Distributor of insider trading policies and procedures designed to prevent their employees’ misuse of material non-public information; and the adoption by the Trust of a Code of Ethics for Officers that requires the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Trust to report to the Board any affiliations or other relationships that could potentially create a conflict of interest with the Fund. There may be instances where the interests of the Trust’s shareholders respecting the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings may conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of the Adviser, any principal underwriter for the Trust or an affiliated person of the Trust, the Adviser or the Distributor. In such situations, the conflict must be disclosed to the Board and the Board will attempt to resolve the situation in a manner that it deems in the best interests of the Fund.
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Affiliated persons of the Trust who receive non-standard disclosure are subject to restrictions and limitations on the use and handling of such information, including requirements to maintain the confidentiality of such information, pre-clear securities trades and report securities transactions activity, as applicable. Except as provided above, affiliated persons of the Trust and third-party service providers of the Trust receiving such non-standard disclosure will be instructed that such information must be kept confidential and that no trading on such information should be allowed.
Neither the Trust, the Fund, nor the Adviser receives compensation or other consideration in connection with the non-standard disclosure of information about portfolio securities.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 9, 2007. The Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest in the Trust and to classify or reclassify any unissued shares into one or more series of shares. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust further authorizes the trustees to classify or reclassify any series of shares into one or more classes. The Trust’s shares of beneficial interest have no par value.
Shares have no preemptive rights and only such conversion or exchange rights as the Board may grant in its discretion. When issued for payment as described in the prospectus, shares will be fully paid and non-assessable. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual fund, shareholders of a fund are entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to the particular fund, and a proportionate distribution, based upon the relative asset values of the respective fund, of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to any particular fund which are available for distribution.
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held, and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held, and will vote in the aggregate and not by class, except as otherwise expressly required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted on affects only the interests of shareholders of a particular class. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate of the Trust’s outstanding shares may elect all of the trustees, irrespective of the votes of other shareholders.
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Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each fund affected by the matter. A particular fund is deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each fund in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the fund. Under the Rule, the approval of an investment management agreement or any change in an investment objective, if fundamental, or in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a fund only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such fund. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent public accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts and the election of trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series or class.
The Trust does not presently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 25% of the Trust’s shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more trustees and other certain matters. To the extent required by law, the Trust will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.
Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets of such fund belong solely to that fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing, insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization expenses; and (ii) pro rata share of the fund’s other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other mutual funds within the Trust, other than the Fund, are described in separate prospectuses and statements of additional information.
The Board has full power and authority, in its sole discretion, and without obtaining shareholder approval, to divide or combine the shares of any class or series thereof into a greater or lesser number, to classify or reclassify any issued shares or any class or series thereof into one or more classes or series of shares, and to take such other action with respect to the Trust’s shares as the Board may deem desirable. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the trustees, without shareholder approval, to cause the Trust to merge or to consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or other organization in order to change the form of organization and/or domicile of the Trust or to sell or exchange all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or any series or class thereof, in dissolution of the Trust, or any series or class thereof. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust permits the termination of the Trust or of any series or class of the Trust by the trustees without shareholder approval. However, the exercise of such authority by the Board without shareholder approval may be subject to certain restrictions or limitations under the 1940 Act.
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PROXY VOTING
The Board of Trustees of the Trust has adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures that delegates to the Adviser the authority to vote proxies for the Fund, subject to oversight by the Trustees. Copies of the Trust’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures and the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures are included in Exhibit A and Exhibit B, respectively, to this SAI.
The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. Any material changes to the proxy policies and procedures will be submitted to the Board for approval. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ending June 30, will be available (1) without charge, upon request by calling toll-free 800-673-0550, by email at: mail@ccofva.com or by writing to the Fund at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235; (2) on or through the Fund’s website at www.perkinsfund.com and (3) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board of Trustees, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser and Administrator have each adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees (“access persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under each Code of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements, or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The Annual Report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 has been filed with the SEC. The financial statements contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI. The financial statements and financial highlights for the Fund included in the Annual Report have been audited by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, whose report thereon also appears in such Annual Report and is also incorporated herein by reference. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements in such Annual Report have been incorporated herein in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. The Fund is a continuation of the Predecessor Fund and, therefore, the Fund’s financial information includes results of the Predecessor Fund. You may request a copy of the annual and semi-annual reports for both the Fund and the Predecessor Fund at no charge by contacting the Fund at:
Perkins Discovery Fund
8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205
Richmond, Virginia 23235
Telephone: 800-673-0550
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EXHIBIT A
World Funds Trust
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The World Funds Trust (the “Trust”) is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). The Trust offers multiple series (each a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”). Consistent with its fiduciary duties and pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Proxy Rule”), the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has adopted this proxy voting policy on behalf of the Trust (the “Policy”) to reflect its commitment to ensure that proxies are voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders.
Delegation of Proxy Voting Authority to Fund Adviser
The Board believes that the investment adviser, or the investment sub-adviser as appropriate, of each Fund (each an “Adviser”), as the entity that selects the individual securities that comprise its Fund’s portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best-suited to make decisions on how to vote proxies of portfolio companies held by that Fund. The Trust shall therefore defer to, and rely on, the Adviser of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund.
The Trust hereby designates the Adviser of each Fund as the entity responsible for exercising proxy voting authority with regard to securities held in the Fund’s investment portfolio. Consistent with its duties under this Policy, each Adviser shall monitor and review corporate transactions of corporations in which the Fund has invested, obtain all information sufficient to allow an informed vote on all proxy solicitations, ensure that all proxy votes are cast in a timely fashion, and maintain all records required to be maintained by the Fund under the Proxy Rule and the 1940 Act. Each Adviser shall perform these duties in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policy, a copy of which shall be presented to this Board for its review. Each Adviser shall promptly provide to the Board updates to its proxy voting policy as they are adopted and implemented.
Conflict of Interest Transactions
In some instances, an Adviser may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders and those of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser. In such case, the Adviser is instructed to abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Trust to enable the Board to make a voting decision. When the Board is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Fund’s vote will be cast. In the event that the Board is required to vote a proxy because an Adviser has a conflict of interest with respect to the proxy, the Board will vote such proxy in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policy, to the extent consistent with the shareholders’ best interests, as determined by the Board in its discretion. The Board shall notify the Adviser of its final decision on the matter and the Adviser shall vote in accordance with the Board’s decision.
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Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders
If a Fund has a website, the Fund may post a copy of its Adviser’s proxy voting policy and this Policy on such website. Effective July 1, 2024, the Fund shall make publicly available its most recently filed report on Form N-PX on or through its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing the report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”). The information disclosed on Form N-PX shall be in a readable format. In addition, a copy of such policies and of each Fund’s proxy voting record shall also be made available, without charge, upon request of any shareholder of the Fund, by calling the applicable Fund’s toll-free telephone number as printed in the Fund’s prospectus. The Trust’s administrator shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
Each Adviser shall provide a complete voting record, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as adviser, to the Trust’s administrator within 30 days following the end of each 12-month period ending June 30. The Trust’s administrator will file a report based on such record on Form N-PX on an annual basis with the Commission no later than August 31st of each year.
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EXHIBIT B
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF
PERKINS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
Policy
Perkins Capital Management, Inc., (“Adviser”) acts as discretionary investment adviser for various clients including clients governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and open-end investment companies (“mutual funds”). Item 15 of our advisory contract reads “Client hereby retains all authority and responsibility to vote proxies for any stocks held in the Account unless voting authority is specifically delegated to Perkins Capital Management, Inc. in writing by the clients”. Therefore, unless a client (including a “named fiduciary” under ERISA) specifically delegates the right, in writing, for Adviser to vote the proxies or to take shareholder action with respect to other corporate actions requiring shareholder actions, the client shall retain responsibility for such actions. Adviser will vote all proxies and act on all other actions in a timely manner as part of its full discretionary authority over client assets when requested in writing in accordance with this policy and procedure. Corporate actions may include, for example and without limitation, tender offers or exchanges, bankruptcy proceedings, and class actions.
When voting proxies or acting with respect to corporate actions for clients, Perkins Capital Management, Inc.’s utmost concern is that all decisions be made solely in the best interest of the client (and for ERISA accounts, plan beneficiaries and participants, in accordance with the letter and spirit of ERISA). Adviser will act in a prudent and diligent manner intended to enhance the economic value of the assets of the client’s account.
Background
Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised.
Investment advisers registered with the SEC, and which exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act to (a) adopt and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between an adviser’s interests and those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the adviser’s proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.
Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 was jointly published by the SEC’s Division of Investment Management and Division of Corporation Finance on June 30, 2014. The Division of Investment Management provided guidance about investment advisers’ responsibilities in voting client proxies and retaining proxy advisory firms, while the Division of Corporation Finance addressed the availability and requirements of two exemptions to the federal proxy rules that are often relied upon by proxy advisory firms.
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Responsibility
The CCO has the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our proxy voting policy, practices, disclosures and record keeping, including making amendments to our voting guidelines in our procedures. Currently two employees share the process of voting proxies at the direction of the portfolio managers.
Procedure
When Perkins Capital Management, Inc. is delegated to vote proxies, the Adviser is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all proxies received are voted in a timely manner and in a manner consistent with the Adviser’s determination of the client’s best interest. Although many proxy proposals can be voted in accordance with the Adviser’s established guidelines, the Adviser recognizes that some proposals require special consideration which may dictate that the Adviser makes an exception to the following guidelines.
Also, when delegated to vote proxies, the Adviser will be responsible for ensuring that all corporate action notices or requests which require shareholder action received by Adviser are addressed in a timely manner and consistent action is taken across all similarly situated client accounts.
Conflicts of Interest
Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between Adviser’s interest and client’s interest, including a mutual fund client, individual portfolio managers will resolve such a conflict in the manner described below:
● | Vote in Accordance with the Guidelines: To the extent that the Adviser has little or no discretion to deviate from the guidelines with respect to the proposal in question, the Adviser shall vote in accordance with such pre-determined voting policy. If the guidelines are not specific enough to direct the individual portfolio manager, the assistant voting the proxy, the CCO and portfolio manager will discuss and arrive at a mutually agreeable solution for voting. |
● | Obtain Consent of Clients: To the extent that Adviser has discretion to deviate from the guidelines with respect to the proposal in question, Adviser will disclose the conflict to the relevant clients and obtain their consent to the proposed vote prior to voting the securities. The disclosure to the client will include sufficient detail regarding the matter to be voted on and the nature of Adviser’s conflict that the client would be able to make an informed decision regarding the vote. If a client does not respond to such a conflict disclosure request or denies the request, Adviser will abstain from voting the securities held by that client’s account. |
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● | Client Directive to Use and Independent Third-Party: Alternatively, a client may, in writing, specifically direct Adviser to forward all proxy matters in which Adviser has a conflict of interest regarding the client’s securities to an identified independent third-party for review and recommendation. Where such independent third-party’s recommendations are received on a timely basis, Adviser will vote all such proxies in accordance with such third-party’s recommendation. If the third-party’s recommendations are not timely received, Adviser will abstain from voting the securities held by that client’s account. |
When delegated to vote proxies, Perkins Capital Management, Inc. will review the proxy proposal for conflicts of interest as part of the overall vote review process. All material conflict of interest so identified by Adviser will be addressed in later sections of this policy.
Limitations
In certain circumstances where Adviser has determined that it is in the client’s best interest, Adviser will not vote proxies received. The following are some, but not all, circumstances where Adviser will limit its role in voting proxies:
● | Client Maintains Proxy Voting Authority: Where client has read and agreed to Item 15 of our advisory contract, Adviser will not vote the securities and will direct the relevant custodian to send the proxy material directly to the client. If any proxy material is received by Adviser, it will promptly be forwarded to the client or a specified third-party. |
● | Terminated Account: Once a client account has been terminated with Adviser in accordance with its investment advisory agreement, Adviser will refrain from voting any proxies received after the termination. However, the client may specify in writing who the proxies shall be forwarded to and we will oblige. |
● | Limited Value: If Adviser determines that the value of a client’s economic interest or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant, Adviser may abstain from voting a client’s proxies. Adviser also may refrain from voting proxies received for securities which are no longer held by the client’s account. In addition, Adviser generally will not vote securities where the economic value of the securities in the client account is less than $100. |
● | Securities Lending Program: When securities are out on loan, they are transferred into the borrower’s name and are voted by the borrower, in its discretion. However, where Adviser determines that a proxy vote (or other shareholder action) is materially important to the client’s account, Adviser may recall the security for purposes of voting. However, Perkins Capital Management, Inc. is not in the business of lending securities. |
● | Unjustifiable Costs: In certain circumstances, after doing a cost-benefit analysis, Adviser may abstain from voting where the cost of voting a client’s proxy would exceed any anticipated benefits to the client of the proxy proposal. |
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Procedures of Associate Responsible for Voting:
In the event that a client delegates this authority to Perkins Capital Management, Inc., our typical procedure will be as follows:
● | The associate receives proxies and annual or other reports for accounts that the adviser is responsible for voting. |
● | The associate gives copies of the proxy statement and annual or other report to the appropriate portfolio managers and they direct the vote. |
● | Once voting decisions have been made: |
● | Electronic Voting: Associates go online and vote each proxy as designated. A confirmation is then returned through email. These confirmations are saved in the associates email box, printed and filed with the proxy statement and annual or other report. |
● | Manual Voting: Associate will sign and stamp each proxy after manually checking each issue being voted and send through regular postal service. |
● | Each proxy is also entered into a Microsoft Access database where upon completing the voting for all the accounts that we are responsible for, a report is run and filed under the ticker symbol of that particular company with a copy of the proxy statement and annual or other report. |
If there is disagreement as to how a proxy is to be voted, it is the responsibility of the portfolio managers and the CCO to discuss and substantiate the voting. Further explanations of standard voting procedures are listed in the guidelines section of this document.
Recordkeeping
In accordance with Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act, Adviser will maintain for the time periods set forth in the Rule the following information:
● | These proxy voting procedures and policies and all amendments thereto; |
● | All proxy statements received regarding client securities (provided however, that Adviser may rely on the proxy statement filed on EDGAR as its records); |
● | A record of all votes cast on behalf of clients; |
● | Records of all client requests for proxy voting information; |
● | Any documents prepared by Adviser that were material to making a decision how to vote or that memorialize the basis for the decision; and |
● | All records relating to requests made to clients regarding conflicts of interest in voting the proxy. These requests will be kept in the client correspondence files. |
Adviser will describe in its Part II of Form ADV (or other brochure fulfilling the requirement of Rule 204-3) its proxy voting policies and procedures and will inform clients how they may obtain information on how Adviser voted proxies with respect to the clients’ portfolio securities. Fund clients may obtain information on how their securities coordinate with all mutual fund clients by viewing form N-PX on the SEC website. This form is filed annually in June in cooperation with US Bancorp Fund Services.
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Guidelines
Each proxy issued will be considered individually by the portfolio manager who manages the account holding the shares. In the event that the portfolio managers differ in their voting, the majority of the shares held will be used as the guideline for voting all shares under Perkins Capital Management’s discretion. The following guidelines are a partial list to be used in voting proposals contained in the proxy statement, but will not be used as rigid rules.
1. Issues regarding the issuer’s Board entrenchment and anti-takeover measures such as the following: a. Proposals to stagger board members’ terms; b. Proposals to limit the ability of shareholders to call special meetings; c. Proposals to require super majority votes; d. Proposals requesting excessive increases in authorized common or preferred shares where management provides no explanation for the use or need of these additional shares; e. Proposals regarding “fair price” provisions; f. Proposals regarding “poison pill” provisions; and g. Proposals permitting “green mail”. |
Oppose |
2. Providing cumulative voting rights. | Oppose |
3. “Social issues,” unless specific client guidelines supersede, e.g., restrictions regarding South Africa. | Oppose |
4. Election of directors recommended by management, except if there is a proxy fight. | Approve |
5. Election of auditors recommended by management, unless seeking to replace if there exists a dispute over policies. | Approve |
6. Date and place of annual meeting. | Approve |
7. Limitation on charitable contributions or fees paid to lawyers. | Approve |
8. Ratification of directors’ actions on routine matters since previous annual meeting. | Approve |
9. Confidential Voting
Confidential voting is most often proposed by shareholders as a means of eliminating undue management pressure in shareholders regarding their vote on proxy issues.
The Adviser will generally approve these proposals as shareholders can later divulge their votes to management on a selective basis if a legitimate reason arises. |
Approve |
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10. Limiting directors’ liability | Approve |
11. Eliminate preemptive right
Preemptive rights give current shareholders the opportunity to maintain their current percentage ownership through any subsequent equity offerings. These provisions are no longer common in the U.S., and can restrict management’s ability to raise new capital.
The Adviser generally approves the elimination of preemptive rights, but will oppose the elimination of limited preemptive rights, e.g., on proposed issues representing more than an acceptable level of total dilution. |
Approve |
12. Employee Stock Purchase Plan | Approve |
13. Establish 401(k) Plan | Approve |
14. Pay directors solely in stock | Case-by-Case |
15. Eliminate director mandatory retirement policy | Case-by-Case |
16. Rotate annual meeting location/date | Case-by-Case |
17. Option and stock grants to management and directors | Case-by-Case |
18. Allowing indemnification of directors and/or officers after reviewing the applicable laws and extent of protection requested. | Case-by-Case |
19. Sale of assets, divisions, product rights, etc. | Case-by-Case |
20. Other business that may arise at the annual meeting, in the case that a qualified portfolio manager attends. | Case-by-Case |
21. Other issues not included on this list | Case-by-Case |
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EXHIBIT C
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Prime-1--Issuers (or related supporting institutions) rated “Prime-1” have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. “Prime-1” repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics: leading market positions in well-established industries, high rates of return on funds employed, conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection, broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation, and well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
Prime-2--Issuers (or related supporting institutions) rated “Prime-2” have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternative liquidity is maintained.
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group
A-1--This highest category indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus (+) sign designation.
A-2--Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated “A-1.”
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EXHIBIT D
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter
World Funds Trust
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Membership
1. | The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of World Funds Trust (the “Trust”) shall be composed entirely of Independent Trustees. |
Board Nominations and Functions
1. | The Committee shall make nominations for Trustee membership on the Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees. The Committee shall evaluate candidates’ qualifications for Board membership and their independence from the investment advisers to the Trust’s series portfolios and the Trust’s other principal service providers. Persons selected as Independent Trustees must not be “interested person” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, nor shall Independent Trustee have any affiliations or associations that shall preclude them from voting as an Independent Trustee on matters involving approvals and continuations of Rule 12b-1 Plans, Investment Advisory Agreements and such other standards as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The Committee shall also consider the effect of any relationships beyond those delineated in the 1940 Act that might impair independence, e.g., business, financial or family relationships with managers or service providers. See Appendix A for Procedures with Respect to Nominees to the Board. |
2. | The Committee shall periodically review Board governance procedures and shall recommend any appropriate changes to the full Board of Trustees. |
3. | The Committee shall periodically review the composition of the Board of Trustees to determine whether it may be appropriate to add individuals with different backgrounds or skill sets from those already on the Board. |
4. | The Committee shall periodically review trustee compensation and shall recommend any appropriate changes to the Independent Trustees as a group. |
Committee Nominations and Functions
1. | The Committee shall make nominations for membership on all committees and shall review committee assignments at least annually. |
2. | The Committee shall review, as necessary, the responsibilities of any committees of the Board, whether there is a continuing need for each committee, whether there is a need for additional committees of the Board, and whether committees should be combined or reorganized. The Committee shall make recommendations for any such action to the full Board. |
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Other Powers and Responsibilities
1. | The Committee shall have the resources and authority appropriate to discharge its responsibilities, including authority to retain special counsel and other experts or consultants at the expense of the Trust. |
2. | The Committee shall review this Charter at least annually and recommend any changes to the full Board of Trustees. |
Adopted: August 2, 2013
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APPENDIX A TO THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHARTER
WORLD FUNDS TRUST
PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO NOMINEES TO THE BOARD
I. | Identification of Candidates. When a vacancy on the Board of Trustees exists or is anticipated, and such vacancy is to be filled by an Independent Trustee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall identify candidates by obtaining referrals from such sources as it may deem appropriate, which may include current Trustees, management of the Trust, counsel and other advisors to the Trustees, and shareholders of the Trust who submit recommendations in accordance with these procedures. In no event shall the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider as a candidate to fill any such vacancy an individual recommended by any investment adviser of any series portfolio of the Trust, unless the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has invited management to make such a recommendation. |
II. | Shareholder Candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, when identifying candidates for the position of Independent Trustee, consider any such candidate recommended by a shareholder if such recommendation contains: (i) sufficient background information concerning the candidate, including evidence the candidate is willing to serve as an Independent Trustee if selected for the position; and (ii) is received in a sufficiently timely manner as determined by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in its discretion. Shareholders shall be directed to address any such recommendations in writing to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o the Secretary of the Trust. The Secretary shall retain copies of any shareholder recommendations which meet the foregoing requirements for a period of not more than 12 months following receipt. The Secretary shall have no obligation to acknowledge receipt of any shareholder recommendations. |
III. | Evaluation of Candidates. In evaluating a candidate for a position on the Board of Trustees, including any candidate recommended by shareholders of the Trust, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall consider the following: (i) the candidate’s knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) any experience possessed by the candidate as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) the candidate’s educational background; (iv) the candidate’s reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the candidate, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board’s existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) the candidate’s perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the candidate’s ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the candidate’s ability to qualify as an Independent Trustee and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the candidate and the Trust; and (viii) such other factors as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies. Prior to making a final recommendation to the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall conduct personal interviews with those candidates it concludes are the most qualified candidates. |
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OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
Item 29. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control With Registrant
None.
Item 30. Indemnification
See Article VIII, Section 2 of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the section titled “Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, Employees and Other Agents” in the Registrant’s By-Laws.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, officers or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.
Item 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser
The list required by this Item 31 as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each of the investment advisers and sub-advisers, and each director, officer or partner of such investment advisers or sub-advisers, is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is incorporated herein by reference to Schedules A and D of each investment adviser’s or sub-adviser’s Form ADV listed opposite such investment adviser’s or sub-adviser’s name below, which is currently on file with the SEC as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
|
Name of Investment Adviser / Sub-Adviser | Form ADV File No. |
Union Street Partners, LLC | 801-72120 |
McGinn Penninger Investment Management, Inc. | 801-40578 |
Perkins Capital Management, Inc. | 801-22888 |
LDR Capital Management, LLC | 801-75986 |
Applied Finance Advisors, LLC | 801-66461 |
OTG Asset Management, Ltd. | 801-119113 |
Clifford Capital Partners, LLC | 801-78911 |
Vest Financial LLC | 801-77463 |
Rule One Partners, LLC | 801-114860 |
Kanen Wealth Management, LLC | 801-116998 |
Curasset Capital Management, LLC | 801-122383 |
Tuttle Capital Management, LLC | 801-76982 |
Cook & Bynum Capital Management, LLC | 801-69930 |
Item 32. | Foreside Fund Services, LLC |
Item 32(a) | Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: |
1. | AB Active ETFs, Inc. |
2. | ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund |
3. | ActivePassive Core Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
4. | ActivePassive Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
5. | ActivePassive International Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
6. | ActivePassive U.S. Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
7. | AdvisorShares Trust |
8. | AFA Private Credit Fund |
9. | AGF Investments Trust |
10. | AIM ETF Products Trust |
11. | Alexis Practical Tactical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
12. | AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund |
13. | American Century ETF Trust |
14. | Amplify ETF Trust |
15. | Applied Finance Dividend Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
16. | Applied Finance Explorer Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
17. | Applied Finance Select Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
18. | Ardian Access LLC |
19. | ARK ETF Trust |
20. | ARK Venture Fund |
21. | Bitwise Funds Trust |
22. | BondBloxx ETF Trust |
23. | Bramshill Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
24. | Bridgeway Funds, Inc. |
25. | Brinker Capital Destinations Trust |
26. | Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. |
27. | Build Funds Trust |
28. | Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund |
29. | Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund |
30. | Calamos Dynamic Convertible and Income Fund |
31. | Calamos Global Dynamic Income Fund |
32. | Calamos Global Total Return Fund |
33. | Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund |
34. | Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund |
35. | Cascade Private Capital Fund |
36. | Catalyst Strategic Income Opportunities Fund |
37. | CBRE Global Real Estate Income Fund |
38. | Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund |
39. | Clifford Capital Partners Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
40. | Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund |
41. | Cliffwater Enhanced Lending Fund |
42. | Coatue Innovation Fund |
43. | Cohen & Steers ETF Trust |
44. | Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc. |
45. | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
46. | CornerCap Small-Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series |
47. | CrossingBridge Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
48. | Curasset Capital Management Core Bond Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
49. | Curasset Capital Management Limited Term Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
50. | CYBER HORNET S&P 500® and Bitcoin 75/25 Strategy ETF, Series of ONEFUND Trust |
51. | Davis Fundamental ETF Trust |
52. | Defiance Connective Technologies ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
53. | Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
54. | Denali Structured Return Strategy Fund |
55. | Dividend Performers ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
56. | Dodge & Cox Funds |
57. | DoubleLine ETF Trust |
58. | DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund |
59. | DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund |
60. | DoubleLine Yield Opportunities Fund |
61. | DriveWealth ETF Trust |
62. | EIP Investment Trust |
63. | Ellington Income Opportunities Fund |
64. | ETF Opportunities Trust |
65. | Exchange Listed Funds Trust |
66. | Exchange Place Advisors Trust |
67. | FlexShares Trust |
68. | Fortuna Hedged Bitcoin Fund, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
69. | Forum Funds |
70. | Forum Funds II |
71. | Forum Real Estate Income Fund |
72. | Fundrise Growth Tech Fund, LLC |
73. | Gramercy Emerging Markets Debt Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
74. | Grayscale Funds Trust |
75. | Guinness Atkinson Funds |
76. | Harbor ETF Trust |
77. | Harris Oakmark ETF Trust |
78. | Hawaiian Tax-Free Trust |
79. | Horizon Kinetics Blockchain Development ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
80. | Horizon Kinetics Energy and Remediation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
81. | Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
82. | Horizon Kinetics Japan Owner Operator ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
83. | Horizon Kinetics Medical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
84. | Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
85. | IDX Funds |
86. | Innovator ETFs Trust |
87. | Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC |
88. | Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC |
89. | Jensen Quality Growth ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
90. | John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust |
91. | Kurv ETF Trust |
92. | Lazard Active ETF Trust |
93. | LDR Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
94. | Mairs & Power Balanced Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
95. | Mairs & Power Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
96. | Mairs & Power Minnesota Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
97. | Mairs & Power Small Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers |
98. | Manor Investment Funds |
99. | Milliman Variable Insurance Trust |
100. | MoA Funds Corporation |
101. | Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV |
102. | Morgan Stanley ETF Trust |
103. | Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds |
104. | Morgan Stanley Pathway Small-Mid Cap Equity ETF, Series of Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds |
105. | Morningstar Funds Trust |
106. | NEOS ETF Trust |
107. | Niagara Income Opportunities Fund |
108. | North Square Evanston Multi-Alpha Fund |
109. | NXG Cushing® Midstream Energy Fund |
110. | NXG NextGen Infrastructure Income Fund |
111. | Opal Dividend Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
112. | OTG Latin American Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
113. | Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
114. | Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
115. | Overlay Shares Hedged Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
116. | Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
117. | Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
118. | Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
119. | Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
120. | Palmer Square Funds Trust |
121. | Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund |
122. | Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC |
123. | Perkins Discovery Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
124. | Philotimo Focused Growth and Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
125. | Plan Investment Fund, Inc. |
126. | Point Bridge America First ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions |
127. | Precidian ETFs Trust |
128. | Preferred-Plus ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
129. | Rareview 2x Bull Cryptocurrency & Precious Metals ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust |
130. | Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust |
131. | Rareview Systematic Equity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust |
132. | Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust |
133. | Rareview Total Return Bond ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust |
134. | REX ETF Trust |
135. | Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds |
136. | Reynolds Funds, Inc. |
137. | RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
138. | RiverNorth Patriot ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
139. | RMB Investors Trust |
140. | Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
141. | Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
142. | Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
143. | Roundhill Cannabis ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
144. | Roundhill ETF Trust |
145. | Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
146. | Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
147. | Roundhill Video Games ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
148. | Rule One Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
149. | Russell Investments Exchange Traded Funds |
150. | Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
151. | Six Circles Trust |
152. | Sound Shore Fund, Inc. |
153. | SP Funds Trust |
154. | Sparrow Funds |
155. | Spear Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
156. | STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
157. | STF Tactical Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
158. | Strategic Trust |
159. | Strategy Shares |
160. | Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
161. | Tekla World Healthcare Fund |
162. | Tema ETF Trust |
163. | The 2023 ETF Series Trust |
164. | The 2023 ETF Series Trust II |
165. | The Community Development Fund |
166. | The Cook & Bynum Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
167. | The Finite Solar Finance Fund |
168. | The Private Shares Fund |
169. | The SPAC and New Issue ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust |
170. | Third Avenue Trust |
171. | Third Avenue Variable Series Trust |
172. | Tidal Trust I |
173. | Tidal Trust II |
174. | Tidal Trust III |
175. | TIFF Investment Program |
176. | Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
177. | Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
178. | Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
179. | Timothy Plan Market Neutral ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
180. | Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
181. | Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Core Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
182. | Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan |
183. | Total Fund Solution |
184. | Touchstone ETF Trust |
185. | T-Rex 2X Inverse Bitcoin Daily Target ETF, Series of World Funds Trust |
186. | T-Rex 2x Inverse Ether Daily Target ETF, Series of World Funds Trust |
187. | T-Rex 2X Long Bitcoin Daily Target ETF, Series of World Funds Trust |
188. | T-Rex 2x Long Ether Daily Target ETF |
189. | TrueShares Active Yield ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
190. | TrueShares Eagle Global Renewable Energy Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
191. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
192. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
193. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
194. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
195. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
196. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
197. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
198. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
199. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF, Listed Funds Trust |
200. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
201. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
202. | TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
203. | TrueShares Technology, AI & Deep Learning ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust |
204. | U.S. Global Investors Funds |
205. | Union Street Partners Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
206. | Vest Bitcoin Strategy Managed Volatility Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
207. | Vest S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
208. | Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
209. | Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
210. | Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
211. | Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust |
212. | Virtus Stone Harbor Emerging Markets Income Fund |
213. | Volatility Shares Trust |
214. | WEBs ETF Trust |
215. | Wedbush Series Trust |
216. | Wellington Global Multi-Strategy Fund |
217. | Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc. |
218. | Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust |
219. | WisdomTree Digital Trust |
220. | WisdomTree Trust |
221. | XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust |
Item 32(b) | The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. |
Name | Address | Position with Underwriter | Position with Registrant |
Teresa Cowan | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
President/Manager | None |
Chris Lanza | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President | None |
Kate Macchia | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President | None |
Alicia Strout | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | None |
Kelly B. Whetstone | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Secretary | None |
Susan L. LaFond | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Treasurer | None |
Weston Sommers | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 |
Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer | None |
Item 32(c) | Not applicable. |
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
The accounts, books or other documents of the Registrant required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are kept in several locations:
a) | Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 (records relating to its function as transfer agent to Certain of the Funds). |
b) | Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101 (records relating to its function as distributor to certain Funds of the Trust). |
c) | U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 (records related to its function as transfer agent and fund accounting services for the T-Rex 2X Long Bitcoin Daily Target ETF, T-Rex 2X Inverse Bitcoin Daily Target ETF, T-Rex 2X Long Ether Daily Target ETF, and the T-Rex 2X Inverse Ether Daily Target ETF). |
d) | Union Street Partners LLC, 1421 Prince Street, Suite 200 Alexandria, Virginia 22314. (records relating to its function as investment adviser to the Union Street Partners Value Fund). |
e) | McGinn Penninger Investment Management, Inc., 277 South Washington Street, Suite 340 Alexandria, Virginia 22314 (records relating to its function as sub-adviser to the Union Street Partners Value Fund). |
f) | Perkins Capital Management, Inc., 730 East Lake Street, Wayzata, Minnesota 55391-1769 (records relating to its function as investment adviser to the Perkins Discovery Fund). |
g) | LDR Capital Management, LLC, 300 Park Avenue, Suite 501, New York, New York 10022 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to LDR Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund). |
h) | Applied Finance Advisors, LLC, 17806 IH 10, Suite 300, San Antonio, Texas 78257 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Applied Finance Funds). |
i) | OTG Asset Management, Ltd., Montenegro #1439 Torre Infrabol Piso 6, La Paz, Bolivia (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the OTG Latin America Fund). |
j) | Clifford Capital Partners, LLC, 363 S. Main Street, #101 Alpine, Utah 84004 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Clifford Capital Partners Fund). |
k) | Vest Financial LLC, 8350 Broad Street, Suite 240, McLean, Virginia 22102 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Vest Family of Funds). |
l) | Rule One Partners, LLC, 811 Bear Creek Road, Moreland, Georgia 30259, (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Rule One Fund). |
m) |
Kanen Wealth Management, LLC, 6810 Lyons Technology Circle, Suite 160, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Philotimo Focused Growth and Income Fund). |
n) |
Curasset Capital Management, LLC, 50 Park Place, Suite 1004, Newark, New Jersey 07102 (records relating to its function as the investment adviser to the Curasset Funds). |
o) |
Tuttle Capital Management LLC, 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, Connecticut 06878 (records relating to its function as adviser to T-Rex 2X Long Bitcoin Daily Target ETF, T-Rex 2X Inverse Bitcoin Daily Target ETF, T-Rex 2X Long Ether Daily Target ETF, and the T-Rex 2X Inverse Ether Daily Target ETF). |
p) |
Cook & Bynum Capital Management, LLC, 2830 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35223 (records relating to its function as adviser to The Cook & Bynum Fund). |
Item 34. Management Services
There are no management-related service contracts not discussed in Parts A or B of this Form.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 489 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Richmond, Commonwealth of Virginia on the 29th day of July, 2025.
WORLD FUNDS TRUST | ||
By: | /s/ Karen M. Shupe | |
Karen M. Shupe | ||
Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 489 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | |||
* Mary Lou H. Ivey | Trustee | July 29, 2025 | |||
* Laura V. Morrison | Trustee | July 29, 2025 | |||
* Dr. David J. Urban | Trustee | July 29, 2025 | |||
/s/ Karen M. Shupe | Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer | July 29, 2025 | |||
/s/ Ann T. MacDonald | Assistant Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer | July 29, 2025 | |||
*By: | /s/ Karen M. Shupe | ||||
*Attorney-in-fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney
Exhibits