THRIVENT MUTUAL FUNDS
Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund
901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211
Dear Shareholder:
We are writing to inform you about a transaction that will affect your investment in Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund (the “Target Fund”).
You are receiving this combined Prospectus and Information Statement (the “Prospectus/Information Statement”) because you own shares in the Target Fund, a series of Thrivent Mutual Funds, a Massachusetts business trust (the “Mutual Fund Trust”), which is managed by Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”). We are pleased to inform you of the planned reorganization of the Target Fund, which is a mutual fund, with and into Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF (the “Acquiring Fund”), a newly-organized exchange-traded fund (“ETF”), which will also be managed by the Adviser.
Pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”), the Target Fund will be reorganized with and into the Acquiring Fund, a newly created series of Thrivent ETF Trust, a Massachusetts business trust (the “ETF Trust”) (the “Reorganization”). The Acquiring Fund’s investment objective, investment policies and investment strategies are substantially identical to the Target Fund’s.
Target Fund |
Acquiring Fund | |||
Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund |
g | Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
The Plan, which is by and among the Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, the ETF Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, and the Adviser (solely with respect to Section 9.2), provides for: (i) the acquisition of the assets and assumption of the liabilities of the Target Fund by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund of equal value to the net assets of the Target Fund being acquired; (ii) the pro rata distribution of such shares to the shareholders of the Target Fund, and (iii) the complete liquidation and dissolution of the Target Fund, all upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan. The Plan has been filed as an exhibit to the Acquiring Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 of which the combined Prospectus/Information Statement is a part.
After careful consideration, the Board of Trustees of the Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust has unanimously approved the Reorganization. The Reorganization is currently expected to occur on or about November 14, 2025, though the Reorganization may be delayed.
In preparation for the Reorganization, below are some key dates to keep in mind:
| Shareholders may continue to purchase or exchange into the Target Fund through November 12, 2025. |
| The final day to redeem or exchange out of the Target Fund is November 13, 2025. For Target Fund shareholders that hold shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement |
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account and do not take action prior to this date, such Target Fund shares will be exchanged for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund equal in value to the net asset value of such Target Fund shares. |
All purchase, exchange, or redemption requests must be received in proper form by the close of trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on the applicable date.
Shareholder approval of the Reorganization is not required. Therefore, we are not asking you for a proxy, and you are requested not to send a proxy. Details regarding the terms of the Reorganization, and its potential benefits and costs to shareholders, are discussed in the combined Prospectus/Information Statement, which we urge you to review carefully. Please read this Prospectus/Information Statement and keep it for future reference.
By Order of the Board of Trustees of the Mutual Fund Trust,
/s/ John D. Jackson |
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
Thrivent Mutual Funds |
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COMBINED PROSPECTUS/INFORMATION STATEMENT
Dated September 11, 2025
RELATING TO THE ACQUISITION OF THE ASSETS OF
Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund
BY AND IN EXCHANGE FOR SHARES OF
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF
This combined Prospectus and Information Statement (the “Prospectus/Information Statement”) is an information statement for the Target Fund (as defined below) and a prospectus for the Acquiring Fund (as defined below). The address of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund is 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211. The telephone number for the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund is 800-847-4836. This Prospectus/Information Statement was first mailed to shareholders of the Target Fund beginning on or about September 11, 2025. This Prospectus/Information Statement explains what you should know about the Reorganization and investing in your Acquiring Fund. You should read this document carefully and retain it for future reference.
THIS COMBINED PROSPECTUS/INFORMATION STATEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY, AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING IN RESPONSE TO RECEIVING IT EXCEPT TO CHECK FOR WHETHER YOU HAVE A BROKERAGE ACCOUNT THAT CAN ACCEPT SHARES OF AN ETF.
WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SEND US A PROXY.
The terms and conditions of the Reorganization are further described in this Prospectus/Information Statement and are set forth in the form of Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”).
The Board of Trustees of the Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust (the “Board”) unanimously approved the proposed Reorganization and Plan and determined that participation in the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Target Fund and that the interests of existing Target Fund shareholders will not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization.
The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund are each a series of a registered, open-end management investment company, although the Target Fund is a mutual fund while the Acquiring Fund will operate as an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). The Acquiring Fund is a newly organized series of the ETF Trust and currently has no assets or liabilities. The Acquiring Fund was created specifically in connection with the Reorganization for the purpose of acquiring the assets and assuming the liabilities of the Target Fund and will not commence operations until the closing date of the Reorganization. The Target Fund will be the accounting and performance survivor in the Reorganization, and the Acquiring Fund, as the corporate survivor in the Reorganization, will adopt the accounting and performance history of the Target Fund.
In order to transact in shares of the Acquiring Fund received as part of the Reorganization, you must hold your Target Fund shares in a brokerage account that can hold shares of an ETF. If Target Fund shareholders do not hold their shares of the Target Fund through a brokerage account that can hold shares of an ETF, the Acquiring Fund shares they receive as part of the Reorganization may be held by the Acquiring Fund’s transfer agent for the benefit of the Target Fund shareholders pending delivery of information with respect to a brokerage account that can hold shares of an ETF or, if any Target Fund
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shareholder does not deliver information with respect to a brokerage account that can hold shares of an ETF within one year, such Acquiring Fund Shares will be liquidated and proceeds sent to the Target Fund shareholders. If you hold shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement account and do not take action prior to the Reorganization, your Target Fund shares will be exchanged for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund equal in value to the NAV of your Target Fund shares. This Prospectus/Information Statement includes additional information on the actions that Target Fund shareholders that do not currently hold their Target Fund shares through a brokerage account must take in order to transact in shares of the Acquiring Fund following the Reorganization.
This Prospectus/Information Statement includes information about the Plan and the Acquiring Fund. The Reorganization would result in your investing in the Acquiring Fund. You should retain this Prospectus/Information Statement for future reference. Additional information about the Target Fund, the Acquiring Fund and the proposed transaction has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and can be found in the following documents, which are incorporated into this Prospectus/Information Statement by reference:
| The prospectus of the Mutual Fund Trust on behalf of the Target Fund, dated February 28, 2025, as supplemented and amended to date (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0001193125-25-038514); |
| The statement of additional information of the Mutual Fund Trust on behalf of the Target Fund, dated February 28, 2025, as supplemented and amended to date (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0001193125-25-038514); |
| The financial statements included in the Mutual Fund Trust’s Form N-CSR filing for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2024 (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0000811869-24-000042); |
| The financial statements included in the Mutual Fund Trust’s Form N-CSRS filing for the fiscal period ending April 30, 2025 (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0000811869-25-000013); and |
| A statement of additional information dated September 11, 2025, relating to this Prospectus/Information Statement. |
You may request a free copy of the statement of additional information relating to this Prospectus/Information Statement without charge by calling the Acquiring Fund at 800-847-4836, by writing to P.O. Box 219348, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9348, or by e-mailing contactus@thriventfunds.com. You may obtain copies of the Target Fund’s prospectus, related statement of additional information, and most recent Form N-CSR and Form N-CSRS filing without charge by calling the Target Fund at 800-847-4836, by visiting thriventfunds.com or on the EDGAR Database by visiting the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov, by writing to P.O. Box 219348, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9348, or by e-mailing contactus@thriventfunds.com. You also may obtain this information upon payment of a duplicating fee, by e-mailing the SEC at the following address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS/INFORMATION STATEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
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This is only a summary of certain information contained in this Prospectus/Information Statement. You should read the more complete information in the rest of this Prospectus/Information Statement, including the Acquiring Fund’s Prospectus (enclosed) and the Plan (which has been filed as an exhibit to the Acquiring Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 of which this Prospectus/Information Statement is a part).
Why am I receiving a combined Prospectus/Information Statement?
You are receiving a combined Prospectus/Information Statement because you own shares of the Target Fund. It is proposed that the Target Fund, which is currently operated as a mutual fund, will be converted into an ETF through the Reorganization with and into the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund is a newly organized series of the ETF Trust and currently has no assets or liabilities. The Acquiring Fund was created specifically in connection with the Reorganization for the purpose of acquiring the assets and assuming the liabilities of the Target Fund and will not commence operations until the closing date of the Reorganization.
The Reorganization will be accomplished in accordance with the Plan between the Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, the ETF Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, and Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) (solely with respect to Section 9.2 of the Plan). Among other things, the Plan provides for: (1) the acquisition of the assets and the assumption of the liabilities of the Target Fund by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund of equal value to the net assets of the Target Fund (“Acquiring Fund Shares”); (2) the pro rata distribution of the Acquiring Fund Shares to the shareholders of the Target Fund, and (3) the complete liquidation of the Target Fund, all upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan.
In accordance with the Mutual Fund Trust’s organizational documents and applicable Massachusetts state and U.S. federal law (including Rule 17a-8 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)), the Reorganization can be effected without the approval of shareholders of the Target Fund. Therefore, we are not asking you for a proxy, and you are requested not to send a proxy.
What are some features of ETFs that differ from mutual funds?
The following are some unique features of ETFs that differ from mutual funds:
◾ | Sales of ETF Shares on an Exchange throughout the Day. ETFs provide shareholders with the opportunity to purchase and sell shares throughout the day at market-determined prices, instead of being required to wait to make a purchase or a redemption at the next calculated net asset value (“NAV”) per share at the end of the trading day. This means that when a shareholder decides to purchase or sell shares of the ETF, the shareholder can act on that decision immediately by contacting the shareholder’s broker to execute the trade. The market price of the ETF may be higher or lower than the then-current pro rata value of the ETF’s net assets and may be higher or lower than the ETF’s next calculated NAV at the close of the trading day. |
◾ | Sales only through a Broker. While a mutual fund’s shares may be directly purchased or redeemed from the fund at NAV, individual shares of ETFs, like the Acquiring Fund, may only be purchased and sold on a stock exchange through a broker at market prices. Shares of the Acquiring Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Acquiring Fund only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), and only an authorized participant (“Authorized Participant”) may engage in purchase or redemption transactions directly with the Acquiring Fund. Once |
created, shares of the Acquiring Fund may be purchased and sold through a broker at market prices. When buying and selling shares through a financial intermediary, a shareholder may incur brokerage or other charges determined by the financial intermediary, although ETFs trade with no transaction fees (NTF) on many platforms. In addition, a shareholder of an ETF, such as the Acquiring Fund, may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares of an ETF may trade at a price less than (discount) or greater than (premium) the then-current pro rata value of the Acquiring Fund’s net assets. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares in the secondary market will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on the supply and demand for the ETF’s shares and shares of the underlying securities held by the ETF, economic conditions and other factors. |
◾ | Tax Efficiency. In a mutual fund, when portfolio securities are sold, including in order to rebalance holdings or to raise cash for redemptions, the sale can create capital gains that impact all taxable shareholders of the mutual fund. In contrast, many ETFs create and redeem their shares in kind. ETFs typically do not recognize capital gains on in-kind distributions in redemption of their shares, which enables them to distribute appreciated securities to redeeming shareholders without recognizing gain on those securities. Thus, an ETF’s in-kind redemptions generally do not result in taxable distributions for its non-redeeming shareholders. Instead, non-redeeming ETF shareholders in an ETF that creates and redeems its shares in kind may recognize capital gains with respect to their ETF shares when they sell their ETF shares. The Acquiring Fund will issue and redeem shares at NAV only with Authorized Participants and only in Creation Units. Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities. |
◾ | Transparency. Currently, the Target Fund only provides periodic disclosure of its complete portfolio holdings (typically monthly on a 60-day lag). The Acquiring Fund will be a transparent ETF that operates with full transparency for its portfolio holdings. Following the Reorganization, the Acquiring Fund, like other transparent ETFs, will make its portfolio holdings public each day. This holdings information, along with other information about the Acquiring Fund, will be available on the Acquiring Fund’s website at thriventETFs.com/individual. |
◾ | Single Share Class. A mutual fund, like the Target Fund, may offer multiple share classes with different sales charges, expenses, and/or minimum investments. The Acquiring Fund does not issue multiple classes of shares. |
In addition, the Acquiring Fund is subject to certain risks unique to operating as an ETF. For more information, see “Are there any differences in risks between the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund?” below.
Has the Target Fund’s Board approved the Reorganization?
Yes, the Board of Trustees of each of the Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust (the “Board”) approved the Reorganization because it believes that it is in the best interests of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund. At a meeting held on May 20, 2025, the Board carefully reviewed the terms of the Reorganization and, upon the recommendation of the Adviser, unanimously approved the Plan. For the reasons set forth in the “REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION AND BOARD DELIBERATIONS” section of this Prospectus/Information Statement, the Board, including the Trustees who are not “interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act of the Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust, have determined that participation in the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund. In making this
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determination, the Board also considered that no dilution in value would result to the shareholders of the Target Fund or the shareholders of the Acquiring Fund as a result of the Reorganization.
What will happen if the Reorganization occurs?
If the closing conditions of the Reorganization under the Plan are satisfied or waived, then shareholders of the Target Fund will become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund on or about November 14, 2025 and will no longer be shareholders of the Target Fund. Shareholders of the Target Fund will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund with an equivalent aggregate NAV of the Acquiring Fund.
In particular, the Plan provides that (1) the assets of the Target Fund will be acquired by the Acquiring Fund and the liabilities of the Target Fund will be assumed by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for Acquiring Fund Shares of equal value to the net assets of the Target Fund being acquired; and (2) the Acquiring Fund Shares received by the Target Fund in the exchange will then be distributed pro rata to shareholders of the Target Fund. After the Acquiring Fund Shares are distributed to the Target Fund’s shareholders, the Target Fund will be completely liquidated. Prior to the closing of the Reorganization, the Target Fund shall redeem all fractional shares of the Target Fund outstanding on the records of the Target Fund’s transfer agent.
How will the Reorganization affect me as a shareholder?
If the Reorganization is completed, you will cease to be a shareholder of the Target Fund and will become a shareholder of the Acquiring Fund. Upon completion of the Reorganization, Target Fund shareholders will own shares of the Acquiring Fund having an aggregate NAV equal to the aggregate NAV of the shares of the Target Fund that were owned when the Reorganization happened. Shares of the Acquiring Fund will be transferred to a shareholder’s brokerage account. For Target Fund shareholders that hold Target Fund shares through accounts that are not permitted to hold the Acquiring Fund’s shares, the Acquiring Fund shares may be held by a transfer agent of the Acquiring Fund as agent for and for the account and benefit of the Target Fund shareholders pending delivery of information with respect to an account that is permitted to hold the Acquiring Fund’s shares or, if any Target Fund shareholder does not deliver information with respect to an account that is permitted to hold the Acquiring Fund’s shares within one year, the Acquiring Fund Shares will be liquidated and proceeds sent to the Target Fund shareholders. For Target Fund shareholders who hold shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement account and do not take action prior to the Reorganization, such Target Fund shares will be exchanged for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund equal in value to the NAV of such Target Fund shares. For more information about the brokerage account needed to hold shares of the Acquiring Fund, see “What do I need to do to prepare for the Reorganization?” below. Shares of the Acquiring Fund are not issued in fractional shares. As a result, the Target Fund will redeem any fractional shares held by shareholders at NAV immediately prior to the Reorganization. Such redemption will result in a cash payment, which will be a taxable sale of shares and could result in the recognition of a gain or loss for tax purposes for shareholders who hold fractional shares in a taxable account. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the effect of the redemption of fractional shares.
After the Reorganization, individual shares of the Acquiring Fund may only be purchased and sold on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”), other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems. Should a former Target Fund shareholder decide to purchase or sell shares in the Acquiring Fund after the Reorganization, the shareholder will need to place a trade through a broker who will execute the trade on an exchange at prevailing market prices. Because Acquiring Fund Shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Acquiring Fund Shares may trade at a price less than (discount) or greater than (premium) the then-current pro rata value of the Acquiring Fund’s net assets. As with all ETFs, your broker may charge a commission for purchase and sale transactions, although ETFs trade with
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no transaction fees (NTF) on many platforms. In addition, it is the ETF Trust’s understanding that the brokerage account statements that Acquiring Fund shareholders will receive from financial intermediaries following the Reorganization will provide information on the market price of the Acquiring Fund’s shares and not the NAV per share of the Acquiring Fund as would be the case for a mutual fund.
Will the Reorganization affect the way my investments are managed?
Generally, no. The Acquiring Fund will be managed using a substantially identical investment objective and principal investment strategies currently used by the Target Fund. Both the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund invest in equity securities. The Target Fund invests, and the Acquiring Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-sized companies. For more information with respect to each Fund’s investment strategies, see the section titled: “COMPARISON OF IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE FUNDS – Are there any significant differences between the investment objectives, policies and strategies of the Funds?”
The Adviser is the investment adviser to the Acquiring Fund and Target Fund. The same individuals responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Target Fund as of the date of the combined Prospectus/Information Statement will be responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Acquiring Fund.
For a more complete discussion, see the section titled: “COMPARISON OF IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE FUNDS – Are there any significant differences between the investment objectives, policies and strategies of the Funds?” and “How do the principal investment risks of the Funds compare?” and “COMPARISON OF INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS – How do the investment objectives, strategies, policies and risks of the Funds compare?” and “What are the principal investment risks associated with investments in the Funds?”
Are there any differences in risks between the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund?
Nearly all of the risks associated with owning shares of the Acquiring Fund are the same as the risks associated with owning shares of the Target Fund. However, there are certain differences in these risks, namely the risks associated with the Acquiring Fund’s organization as an ETF.
For a more complete discussion of the risks of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund, see the section titled: “COMPARISONS OF INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS – How do the investment objectives, strategies, policies and risks of the Funds compare?” and “What are the principal investment risks associated with investments in the Funds?” The risks of the Acquiring Fund are presented in Exhibit A.
Will the total expenses of the Acquiring Fund be lower than the total expenses of the Target Fund?
Yes. The Acquiring Fund employs a unitary fee structure pursuant to which the Adviser is paid a management fee and, in exchange therefor, agrees to bear substantially all ordinary operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund, subject to certain exceptions. Following the Reorganization, the total annual fund operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund will be lower than those of the Target Fund. The Acquiring Fund’s unitary management fee includes substantially all ordinary operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund, while the Target Fund’s contractual advisory fee does not.
For a more detailed comparison of the Funds’ fees and expenses, see the sections titled “COMPARISON OF IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE FUNDS – What are the Funds’ investment management fee rates?” and “What are the fees and expenses of each Fund and what might they be after the Reorganization?”
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Who will pay the costs in connection with the Reorganization?
The Adviser will bear all of the expenses relating to the Reorganization, except that (i) the Target Fund will bear the expenses of legal counsel to the Trustees of the Target Fund who are not “interested persons” of the Target Fund as defined in the 1940 Act, and (ii) the Target Fund will bear any transaction costs incurred by the Target Fund related to the disposition and acquisition of assets as part of the Reorganization. It is estimated that the Target Fund will bear approximately $27,000 (0.1044% of the net assets of the Target Fund) of such costs in connection with the Reorganization. This includes estimated transaction costs resulting from expected redemption activity by Target Fund shareholders. The Adviser will bear the other costs of the Reorganization whether or not the Reorganization is consummated.
What are the federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization?
The Reorganization is expected to constitute a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”) and generally is not expected to result in recognition of gain or loss by the Target Fund or its shareholders. However, immediately prior to the Reorganization, shareholders will receive cash compensation for any fractional shares of the Target Fund that they hold. Such shareholders will generally be required to recognize gain or loss upon the receipt of cash for their fractional shares.
Additionally, prior to the closing of the Reorganization, the Target Fund will declare and pay a distribution to shareholders, which, together with all previous distributions, will have the effect of distributing to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt income, if any, and net realized capital gains, if any, through the closing of the Reorganization, and may include undistributed income or gains from prior years. These distributions will generally be taxable to shareholders that hold their shares in a taxable account. Such distributions may include distributions taxable as ordinary income or as long-term capital gains.
As a condition of the closing of the Reorganization and assuming the parties comply with the terms of the Plan, the Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust will receive an opinion of counsel regarding the federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about state and local tax consequences of the Reorganization, if any, because the information about tax consequences in this Prospectus/Information Statement relates only to the federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization. For more information, please see the section “FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REORGANIZATION.”
What is the anticipated timing of the Reorganization?
The Reorganization is currently expected to be completed on or about November 14, 2025. In preparation for the Reorganization, shareholders may continue to purchase or exchange into the Target Fund through November 12, 2025. The final day to redeem or exchange out of the Target Fund is November 13, 2025. All purchase, exchange, or redemption requests must be received in proper form by the close of trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on the applicable date. For Target Fund shareholders that hold shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement account and do not take action prior to this date, such Target Fund shares will be exchanged for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund equal in value to the net asset value of such Target Fund shares.
What do I need to do to prepare for the Reorganization?
It is important for you to determine whether you hold your shares of the Target Fund in the type of account that can accommodate the ETF shares that will be received in the Reorganization. If you hold
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your shares of the Target Fund in an account directly with the Target Fund at the Target Fund’s transfer agent or in a brokerage account with a financial intermediary that only allows you to hold mutual fund shares, you will need to set up a brokerage account that allows investment in ETF shares if the Reorganization is consummated and you wish to transact in shares of the Acquiring Fund. You can contact your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for further information. You also may contact the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund at 800-847-4836.
What will happen if I don’t have a brokerage account that can hold ETF shares at the time of the Reorganization?
If your shares are held in an account that cannot accept ETF shares at the time of the Reorganization, the Acquiring Fund Shares received by you in the Reorganization may be held by a stock transfer agent pending delivery of information with respect to an account that can accept ETF shares or, if such information is not delivered within a year, the Acquiring Fund Shares will be converted to cash and the cash proceeds will be sent to the accountholder of record (subject to applicable federal or state laws concerning unclaimed property). The conversion of Acquiring Fund Shares to cash may be subject to fees and expenses and will be a taxable event for shareholders who hold their shares in a taxable account. For Target Fund shareholders who hold shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement account and do not take action prior to the Reorganization, such Target Fund shares will be exchanged for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund equal in value to the NAV of such Target Fund shares. Different tax considerations apply to you if you hold your shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement account and exchange your Target Fund shares for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund. If you think you don’t have a brokerage account that can accept the Acquiring Fund Shares you receive in the Reorganization, you may contact Thrivent by calling 800-847-4836.
Are there other circumstances where a Target Fund shareholder will not be able to hold ETF shares?
Omnibus retirement plan recordkeepers may not be able to include ETF shares on their platforms, and in such a case a retirement plan investor may be required by its retirement plan recordkeeper to redeem the Target Fund’s shares prior to the Reorganization.
What if I don’t want to hold ETF shares?
If you do not want to receive ETF shares in connection with the Reorganization, you may redeem your shares of the Target Fund or you may exchange those shares for shares of another eligible mutual fund managed by the Adviser prior to the Reorganization. If a Target Fund shareholder redeems his or her shares and such shares are held in a taxable account, the shareholder will recognize a taxable gain or loss based on the difference between the redeeming shareholder’s tax basis in the shares and the amount that the redeeming shareholder receives for them. Shareholders of the Target Fund may exchange their Target Fund shares for shares of the same class of any mutual fund, other than the Target Fund, that is managed by the Adviser generally without paying any additional sales charges, provided that the fund shares to be acquired in the exchange are available to new investors in such other fund and the shareholder is eligible to invest in such shares. Such an exchange of shares for shares in another fund will generally result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss for shareholders holding shares in a taxable account. As an ETF, the Acquiring Fund does not provide for the exchange of shares.
Whom do I contact for further information?
You can contact your financial adviser or other financial intermediary for further information. You also may contact the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund at 800-847-4836.
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THE REORGANIZATION: THRIVENT MID CAP VALUE FUND INTO THRIVENT
MID CAP VALUE ETF
COMPARISON OF IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE FUNDS
Are there any significant differences between the investment objectives, policies and strategies of the Funds?
The Target Fund operates as a mutual fund, offering shares that are redeemable on each business day and daily liquidity. The Acquiring Fund operates as an ETF. As an ETF, the Acquiring Fund offers shares that are bought and sold on a national securities exchange, which gives investors the ability to buy their shares throughout the day at the current market price (which may be at a premium or discount to NAV).
The Acquiring Fund will be managed using an investment objective and principal investment strategies that are substantially identical to those of the Target Fund. The Target Fund and Acquiring Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital growth. Each Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have substantially identical 80% investment policies pursuant to Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act and principal investment strategies. The Target Fund invests, and the Acquiring Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-sized companies.
Investment Strategies
The principal investment strategies of each Fund are as follows:
Target Fund |
Acquiring Fund | |
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-sized companies. The Adviser focuses mainly on the equity securities of mid-sized U.S. companies which have market capitalizations equivalent to those included in widely known indices such as the Russell Midcap® Index, S&P MidCap 400® Index, or the mid-sized company market capitalization classifications published by Morningstar or Lipper, Inc. The Fund defines mid-cap companies as those with market capitalizations at the time of purchase in the range of companies in either the Russell Midcap Index (approximately $159.4 million to $171.7 billion as of December 31, 2024) or the S&P MidCap 400 Index (approximately $2.3 billion to $22.9 billion as of December 31, 2024). Should the Adviser change the investments used for purposes of this 80% threshold, you will be notified at least 60 days prior to the change.
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Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-sized companies. The Adviser focuses mainly on the equity securities of mid-sized U.S. companies which it defines as those companies that have market capitalizations equivalent to those included in widely known indices of mid-sized companies, such as the Russell Midcap® Index, S&P MidCap 400® Index, or the mid-sized company market capitalization classifications published by Morningstar or Lipper, Inc. The Fund defines mid-cap companies as those with market capitalizations at the time of purchase in the range of companies in either the Russell Midcap Index (approximately $852.8 million to $89.9 billion as of June 30, 2025) or the S&P MidCap 400 Index (approximately $1.7 billion to $24.5 billion as of June 30, 2025). Should the Adviser change the investments used for purposes of this 80% threshold, you will be notified at least 60 days prior to the change.
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Target Fund |
Acquiring Fund | |
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in common stocks. The Adviser uses fundamental analysis and other investment techniques to identify stocks of companies that it believes are undervalued in relation to their long-term earnings potential or asset value. The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or reposition assets to more promising opportunities. |
The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in common stocks. The Adviser uses fundamental analysis and other investment techniques to identify stocks of companies that it believes are undervalued in relation to their long-term earnings potential or asset value. The Adviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or reposition assets to more promising opportunities.
The Fund may make use of the unique features of the ETF structure, such as in-kind transactions and custom baskets, to select securities or modify the Fund’s investment exposure.
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Further information about the Target Fund’s investment objectives and strategies is contained in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the Target Fund, which are on file with the SEC.
Investment Policies and Restrictions
The fundamental investment policies and the non-fundamental investment policies of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund are substantially identical, as described herein. The Funds’ fundamental investment policies and non-fundamental policies are set forth in Exhibit B. After the Reorganization occurs, the combined Fund will be subject to the fundamental investment policies of the Acquiring Fund. Fundamental investment policies may not be changed without shareholder approval. Non-fundamental policies may be changed without shareholder approval.
The Acquiring Fund and Target Fund also have substantially identical fundamental investment policies to not concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries. The Acquiring Fund’s fundamental investment policy applies to “25% or more” of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets, whereas the Target Fund’s fundamental investment policy applies to “more than 25%” of the Target Fund’s total assets. The Target Fund, unlike the Acquiring Fund, has a non-fundamental investment policy that provides that its fundamental investment policy with respect to industry concentration is applied “at 25%” of the Target Fund’s total assets and not “more than 25%”.
How do the principal investment risks of the Funds compare?
Nearly all of the risks associated with an investment in the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund are the same, except that, as a shareholder of the Acquiring Fund, you would also be subject to risks related to the Acquiring Fund’s ETF structure. The following chart identifies the principal risks associated with each Fund. Each of the principal risks of the Acquiring Fund appears in Exhibit A.
Principal Risks |
Target Fund |
Acquiring | ||||||||
Mid Cap Risk |
x | x | ||||||||
Value Investing Risk |
x | x |
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Principal Risks |
Target Fund |
Acquiring | ||||||||
Equity Security Risk |
x | x | ||||||||
Investment Adviser Risk |
x | x | ||||||||
Issuer Risk |
x | x | ||||||||
Market Risk |
x | x | ||||||||
ETF Structure Risks |
x | |||||||||
New and Smaller Sized Fund Risk |
x |
The Target Fund is a series of the Mutual Fund Trust. The Acquiring Fund is a series of the ETF Trust. The Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust are governed by a Board of Trustees with the same composition, which is responsible for overseeing all business activities of the Funds.
Investment Adviser of the Funds. Thrivent Asset Management, LLC, the Acquiring Fund and Target Fund’s investment adviser, is headquartered at 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211. The Adviser had approximately $35.4 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. Thrivent Asset Management, LLC is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (“Thrivent”). Thrivent and its affiliates have been in the investment advisory business since 1986 and had approximately $194.6 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. The Adviser provides investment research and supervision of the assets for the Funds.
Portfolio Management. The same individuals responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Target Fund will be responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Acquiring Fund.
Graham Wong, CFA, and Nicholas E. Griffith, MD, CFA are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund. Mr. Wong has been an industry professional since 2001 and joined Thrivent in 2013. Mr. Griffith has been an industry professional since 2010. Prior to joining Thrivent in 2021, Mr. Griffith was an industry professional at Huber Capital Management from 2016 to 2021.
Mr. Wong and Mr. Griffith have been portfolio managers of the Target Fund since February 2020 and February 2022, respectively, and of the Acquiring Fund since inception.
The Statement of Additional Information for the Target Fund dated February 28, 2025, as supplemented (the “Target Fund SAI”) and the Statement of Additional Information for the Acquiring Fund dated September 8, 2025 (the “Acquiring Fund SAI”), provide additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Funds. For information on how to obtain a copy of the Target Fund SAI and the Acquiring Fund SAI, please see the section entitled “INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS.”
What are the Funds’ investment management fee rates?
The Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement, as amended, under the terms of which the Target Fund pays a management fee to
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the Adviser for investment advisory services at an annual rate of 0.750% of average daily net assets of the Target Fund.
For the Adviser’s services to the Acquiring Fund, the Acquiring Fund has agreed to pay a management fee at an annual rate of 0.55% of average daily net assets of the Acquiring Fund. The advisory agreement provides that the Adviser provides overall investment supervision of the assets of the Acquiring Fund. The Adviser furnishes and pays for all office space and facilities, equipment and clerical personnel necessary for carrying out the Adviser’s duties under the advisory agreement. The Adviser also pays all compensation of Trustees, officers and employees of the ETF Trust who are the Adviser’s affiliated persons. All ordinary operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund are paid by the Adviser under the advisory agreement, unless expressly assumed by the Acquiring Fund. Such costs and expenses paid by the Acquiring Fund under the advisory agreement include: (a) advisory fees; (b) expenses that the ETF Trust agrees to bear in any distribution agreement or in any plan adopted by the ETF Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; (c) interest expense or other costs of the Acquiring Fund’s borrowing(s) or financing activities; (d) taxes and governmental fees; (e) acquired fund fees and expenses; (f) broker’s commissions and any other transaction- or investment-related expenses incurred by the Acquiring Fund; (g) costs related to meetings of shareholders; (h) litigation expenses, (i) indemnification expenses, (j) fees or expenses payable or other costs incurred in connection with securities lending, (k) expenses which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (l) extraordinary expenses, and (m) such other expenses as approved by a majority of the Board.
Following the Reorganization, the total annual fund operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund will be lower than those of the Target Fund.
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, before giving effect to any expense reimbursements, the Target Fund paid $295,238 to the Adviser for investment advisory services. Because the Acquiring Fund has not yet commenced operations, no management fees have been paid to the Adviser.
What are the fees and expenses of each Fund and what are they expected to be after the Reorganization?
Shareholders of the Funds pay various fees and expenses, either directly or indirectly. The tables below show the fees and expenses that you would pay if you were to buy, hold and sell shares of each Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below. The tables show the pro forma expenses of the combined Acquiring Fund after giving effect to the Reorganization, based on pro forma net assets as of October 31, 2024, as if the Reorganization had taken place on November 1, 2023. The fee tables do not reflect the costs associated with the Reorganization. Only pro forma combined fees and expenses information is provided for the Acquiring Fund because the Acquiring Fund will not commence operations until the Reorganization is completed.
As shown below, the Reorganization will result in lower total annual operating expenses for shareholders of the Target Fund.
Target Fund Shareholders will not pay any sales load, contingent deferred sales charge, brokerage commission, redemption fee, or other transaction fee in connection with the receipt of ETF shares from the closing of the Reorganization.
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Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Target Fund – None.
Acquiring Fund (pro forma) – None.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Target Fund | Acquiring Fund (pro | |||
Management Fees |
0.75% | 0.55% | ||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | None | ||
Other Expenses |
0.67% | 0.00%1 | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.42% | 0.55% | ||
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 |
0.52% | N/A | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements |
0.90% | 0.55% |
1 | “Other Expenses” is an estimate based on the expenses the Acquiring Fund expects to incur for its first full fiscal year. |
2 | The Adviser has contractually agreed, through at least September 30, 2026, to waive a portion of the management fees associated with the Class S shares of the Target Fund in order to limit the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements to an annual rate of 0.90% of the average daily net assets of the Class S shares. This contractual provision, however, may be terminated before the indicated termination date upon the mutual agreement between the Independent Trustees of the Target Fund and the Adviser. |
Example
The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Target Fund with the cost of investing in the Acquiring Fund, both before and after the Reorganization. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in each Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example for the 1 year period reflects the effect of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement for the Target Fund. 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 | |||||||||||||||||
Target Fund |
$92 | $398 | $727 | $1,657 | ||||||||||||||||
Pro Forma – Acquiring Fund (assuming the Reorganization is completed) |
$56 | $176 | $307 | $689 |
How do the performance records of the Funds compare?
The Acquiring Fund is a newly-formed “shell” fund that has not yet commenced operations. The Acquiring Fund has been organized solely in connection with the Reorganization to acquire all of the assets and assume the liabilities of the Target Fund and continue the business of the Target Fund, except that the Acquiring Fund will operate as an ETF instead of a mutual fund. The Acquiring Fund will have no performance history prior to the Reorganization.
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The Target Fund will be the “accounting survivor” after the Reorganization. This means that the Acquiring Fund will adopt the historical accounting records and performance of Class S shares of the Target Fund. The Target Fund’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Acquiring Fund will perform in the future.
The following bar chart and table beneath it provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Target Fund. The bar chart shows the Target Fund’s performance from year to year. The table shows how the Target Fund’s average annual returns for the indicated periods compare with those of an appropriate broad-based securities market index that represents the overall domestic equity market and more narrowly based indices that reflect the market segments in which the Target Fund invests. The bar chart and table include the effects of Target Fund expenses and assume that you sold your shares at the end of the period. The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Target Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements such as individual retirement accounts.
The Target Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Target Fund’s website at thriventfunds.com or by calling 800-847-4836.
The Target Fund compares its performance to the Russell 3000® Index, an appropriate broad-based securities market index, to comply with new regulations that require the Target Fund’s broad-based securities market index to reflect the overall market in which the Target Fund may invest. The Target Fund also compares its performance to the Russell Midcap® Value Index and S&P MidCap 400® Value Index, which more closely reflect the market segments in which the Target Fund invests.
The Acquiring Fund will use the same primary benchmark that the Target Fund uses. The Acquiring Fund will use the same secondary benchmarks that the Target Fund uses.
Year-by-Year Total Return
Class S Shares
Best Quarter: | Q1 2021 | +18.40% | ||
Worst Quarter: | Q2 2022 | (10.62)% |
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Average Annual Total Returns
(Periods Ending December 31, 2024)
1 Year |
Since | |||||||||
Class S (before taxes) | 9.56% | 15.09 | % | |||||||
Class S (after taxes on distributions) | 7.97% | 14.20 | % | |||||||
Class S (after taxes on distributions and redemptions) | 6.88% | 12.04 | % | |||||||
Russell 3000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
23.81% | 16.38 | % | |||||||
Russell MidCap® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
13.07% | 11.71 | % | |||||||
S&P MidCap 400® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
11.71% | 14.14 | % |
How do the Funds’ portfolio turnover rates compare?
Each 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 Fund performance. Because the Acquiring Fund has not yet commenced operations, no portfolio turnover rate is available for the Acquiring Fund.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Target Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 61% of the average value of its portfolio.
Where can I find more financial and performance information about the Target Fund?
Attached as Exhibit C below are the financial highlights tables of the Target Fund. Additional information is available in the Target Fund’s Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, and the most recent Form N-CSR and Form-NCSRS filings, as applicable. Because the Acquiring Fund has not yet commenced operations, Form N-CSR and Form-NCSRS filings for the Acquiring Fund are not available.
The Target Fund’s Prospectus is incorporated herein by reference and is legally deemed to be part of this combined Prospectus/Information Statement. The Target Fund’s Statement of Additional Information is also incorporated herein by reference.
The Acquiring Fund’s Statement of Additional Information is provided in Part B to this Prospectus/Information Statement and is legally deemed to be part of this combined Prospectus/Information Statement.
Each of these documents has been filed with the SEC and is available, free of charge, by (i) calling toll-free at 800-847-4836, (ii) accessing the documents at the Funds’ website at thriventfunds.com, (iii) writing to the Funds at P.O. Box 219348, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9348, or (iv) e-mailing the Funds at contactus@thriventfunds.com. In addition, these documents may be obtained from the EDGAR database by visiting the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov. You also may obtain this information upon payment of a duplicating fee, by e-mailing the SEC at the following address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
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COMPARISON OF OTHER KEY FEATURES OF THE FUNDS
What are the purchase and sale procedures of the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund?
The Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund have different procedures for purchasing, exchanging, and redeeming shares, which are summarized below.
Target Fund
The price of the Target Fund’s shares is based on the Target Fund’s NAV. The Target Fund generally determines its NAV once daily at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information, see the “Pricing Fund Shares” section of the Target Fund’s Prospectus.
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Target Fund in several ways. Target Fund shares may be purchased, redeemed or exchanged through a broker-dealer or financial intermediary who maintains a selling agreement with the Target Fund’s principal underwriter, Thrivent Distributors, LLC (“Thrivent Distributors”), as well as through certain retirement plans and deferred compensation plans. For more information, see the “Overview of Share Classes” section of the Target Fund’s Prospectus.
The Target Fund offers Class S shares only. The Target Fund’s Class S shares may be available through certain fee-based investment advisory programs sponsored by broker-dealers or financial intermediaries. Class S shares also may be purchased, redeemed or exchanged through certain broker-dealers or intermediaries who maintain selling agreements with Thrivent Distributors, subject to an account service fee for certain services provided by the broker-dealer and their financial professionals. If a shareholder elects to pay such an account service fee, the shareholder will pay such fee directly to the broker-dealer from the shareholder’s account (the fee is not deducted from the Mutual Fund Trust). There is no sales charge imposed in connection with the purchase or exchange of Class S shares, and such shares are not subject to any Rule 12b-1 fees.
Shares of the Target Fund are issued on days that the NYSE is open, which generally are weekdays other than national holidays. For more information, see the “Placing an Order” section of the Target Fund’s Prospectus. Initial and subsequent investments in Target Fund shares are subject to investment minimums, as set forth in the “Required Minimum Investments” section of the Target Fund’s Prospectus. You may exchange some or all of your shares of the Target Fund for shares of the same class of any of the other series of the Mutual Fund Trust. For more information, see the “Exchanging Shares Between Funds” section of the Target Fund’s Prospectus.
For additional information about the purchase and sale procedures of the Target Fund, please see the “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares” section of the Target Fund’s SAI.
Acquiring Fund
Shares of the Acquiring Fund are also sold without a sales charge. Because the Acquiring Fund is an ETF, however, it issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (each block of shares is called a “Creation Unit”). Only authorized participants (“Authorized Participants”) may engage in purchase or redemption transactions directly with the Acquiring Fund. The NAV of Acquiring Fund Shares, similar to the NAV of Target Fund shares, is determined at the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the NYSE is open. Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities. Individual shares of the Acquiring Fund may only be
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bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Acquiring Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Acquiring Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Shares of the Acquiring Fund are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca. Acquiring Fund Shares can be bought and sold on the secondary market throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares at their market price, and shares typically trade in blocks smaller than a Creation Unit. There is no minimum investment required. Acquiring Fund Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the NYSE Arca is open for trading.
When buying or selling Acquiring Fund Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. Authorized Participants may acquire Acquiring Fund Shares directly from the Acquiring Fund, and Authorized Participants may tender their Acquiring Fund Shares for redemption directly to the Acquiring Fund, at NAV per share only in large blocks of shares, or Creation Units, expected to be 10,000 shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Acquiring Fund must follow the Acquiring Fund’s procedures, which are described in the Acquiring Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. The Acquiring Fund does not have exchange privileges. Additional information and specific instructions explaining how to buy shares of the Acquiring Fund are outlined in the Acquiring Fund’s Prospectus under the heading “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares” and “How to Buy and Sell Shares.”
What are the distribution arrangements for the Target Fund and Acquiring Fund?
Target Fund
The Target Fund’s principal underwriter and distributor, Thrivent Distributors, LLC (“Thrivent Distributors”), is a Delaware limited liability company organized in 2015. Thrivent Distributors is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and is located at 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211. Under a Distribution Agreement between the Mutual Fund Trust and Thrivent Distributors (the “Distribution Agreement”), Thrivent Distributors sells shares of the Target Fund as agent for the Mutual Fund Trust. The Distribution Agreement continues in effect from year to year so long as its continuance is approved at least annually by the Board of Mutual Fund Trust, including a majority of the independent trustees. Thrivent Distributors offers the Target Fund’s shares for sale on a continuous basis and has agreed to use its best efforts to secure purchasers for the shares of the Target Fund. Shares of the Target Fund are also offered and sold by selected broker-dealers who have selling agreements with Thrivent Distributors.
The Adviser has entered into an agreement with Thrivent Distributors pursuant to which the Adviser pays (from its own resources, not the resources of the Target Fund) Thrivent Distributors for services relating to the promotion, offering, marketing or distribution of the Target Fund and/or retention of assets maintained in the Target Fund. Compensation paid by the Adviser to Thrivent Distributors and its sales personnel may vary by each series of the Mutual Fund Trust and other factors as agreed upon from time to time. In addition, the Adviser and Thrivent Distributors make payments, out of their own resources, to financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Target Fund in order to promote the distribution and retention of Target Fund shares. The payments are typically based on cumulative shares purchased by financial intermediaries’ clients and may vary by each series of the Mutual Fund Trust, share class, and other factors. These payments create an incentive for the financial intermediary or its financial professionals to recommend or offer shares of the Target Fund. The aforementioned arrangements are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing.”
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Acquiring Fund
ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Acquiring Fund Distributor”) or its agent distributes Creation Units for the Acquiring Fund on an agency basis. The Acquiring Fund Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Acquiring Fund.
The ETF Trust has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Acquiring Fund Distributor (“Acquiring Fund Distribution Agreement”), under which the Acquiring Fund Distributor, as agent, reviews and approves orders by authorized participants to create and redeem Acquiring Fund shares in Creation Units. The Acquiring Fund Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of FINRA. No compensation is payable by the ETF Trust to the Acquiring Fund Distributor for distribution services. However, the Adviser has entered into an agreement with the Acquiring Fund Distributor under which it makes payments to the Acquiring Fund Distributor in consideration for its services under the Acquiring Fund Distribution Agreement. The payments made by the Adviser to the Acquiring Fund Distributor do not represent an additional expense to the ETF Trust or its shareholders.
The Acquiring Fund Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Dealers”) who will assist in the distribution of Acquiring Fund Shares. The Acquiring Fund Distributor will only enter into agreements with firms wishing to purchase Creation Units if the firm qualifies as an authorized participant or DTC participants.
Neither the Target Fund nor the Acquiring Fund are authorized to pay any distribution fees pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
What are other key features of the Funds?
Other Service Providers
Target Fund. Thrivent Asset Management, LLC, 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-321, provides both administrative and accounting services to the Target Fund under an Administrative Services Agreement. State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as custodian for the Mutual Fund Trust. Thrivent Financial Investor Services Inc., 901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211, provides transfer agency and dividend payment services necessary to the Mutual Fund Trust on a per-fund basis. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 45 South Seventh Street, Suite 3400, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, serves as the Mutual Fund Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Acquiring Fund. State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2016, serves as the Acquiring Fund’s administrator, transfer agent and custodian, and performs certain accounting and administrative services for the Acquiring Fund. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 45 South Seventh Street, Suite 3400, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, serves as the Acquiring Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Fiscal Years
The fiscal/tax year end of the Target Fund is October 31. The fiscal/tax year end for the Acquiring Fund will be September 30.
Dividends and Distributions
Target Fund. Income dividends are derived from investment income, including dividends, interest, and certain foreign currency gains, if any, received by the Target Fund. Income dividends of the Target Fund,
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if any, are declared and paid annually. Capital gains distributions, if any, usually will be declared and paid in December. The Target Fund’s distributions may be comprised of taxable ordinary income, taxable capital gains and/or a non-taxable return of capital, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (in which case you will be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Acquiring Fund. Income dividends of the Acquiring Fund, if any, will generally be declared and paid annually. Income dividends are derived from investment income, including dividends, interest, and certain foreign currency gains, if any, received by the Acquiring Fund. Capital gains distributions, if any, usually will be declared and paid in December. The Acquiring Fund’s distributions may be comprised of taxable ordinary income, taxable capital gains and/or a non-taxable return of capital, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (in which case you will be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Tax
The Target Fund and Acquiring Fund intend to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct their operations so as to qualify as regulated investment companies within the meaning of the Code. The Acquiring Fund, as an ETF, may present certain tax efficiencies for investors as compared to the Target Fund, as a mutual fund. ETFs typically redeem their shares with in-kind distributions of assets, and they typically do not recognize capital gain on the in-kind redemption of their shares. The Acquiring Fund will typically create and redeem Creation Units on an in-kind basis, thereby minimizing the Acquiring Fund’s recognition of gain with respect to any appreciated securities it redeems in kind. In contrast, when portfolio securities are sold within the Target Fund, the sale can cause the recognition of capital gains within such Target Fund that generally would cause a taxable distribution to all of its shareholders—even if the shareholders may have an unrealized loss on their overall investment in the Target Fund. As a result, shareholders of the Acquiring Fund may pay less in taxes while they hold shares of the Acquiring Fund than they would if they held similar investments in the Target Fund.
The Target Fund and Acquiring Fund intend to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. In general, any net investment income and short-term capital gain distributions you receive from a Fund are taxable as ordinary income. To the extent the Target Fund or Acquiring Fund receives and distributes qualified dividend income, you may be eligible for a tax rate lower than that on other ordinary income distributions, if certain requirements are met. Distributions of net capital gains by the Target Fund or Acquiring Fund are generally taxable as capital gains—in most cases, at lower rates from those that apply to ordinary income. In addition, there is a possibility that some of the distributions of a Fund may be classified as return of capital. For more information about the tax implications of investments in the Funds, see the Target Fund Prospectus under the heading “Distributions and Taxes,” and the Acquiring Fund’s Statement of Additional Information under the heading “Distributions and Taxes.”
REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION AND BOARD DELIBERATIONS
The Reorganization was reviewed and unanimously approved with respect to the Target Fund at a meeting of the Board on May 20, 2025 (the “Board Meeting”), with the advice and assistance of independent legal counsel to the Board. In connection with the Board Meeting, the Adviser provided detailed information, including written materials and oral presentations, analyses and other information to the Board regarding, among other things, the topics discussed below, and also responded to questions raised by the Board via a written questionnaire and during the meeting and previous meetings at which the Reorganization was discussed. The Adviser recommended that the Board approve the Reorganization
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because of, among other things, potential advantages that the Acquiring Fund, as an ETF, would provide compared to the Target Fund, a mutual fund, including, potentially, greater scale, longer-term viability, the lower overall operating expenses, more efficient portfolio management, lower portfolio transaction costs and tax efficiency, the tax-free nature of the Reorganization, and the ability to retain the performance track record of the Target Fund. Other factors the Board considered in connection with the Reorganization, based on information from the Adviser, included the ability for shareholders to redeem or exchange their shares of the Target Fund prior to the Reorganization, the need for Target Fund shareholders to have a brokerage account, that there may be circumstances where a Target Fund shareholder may not be able to hold Acquiring Fund Shares, and that the Acquiring Fund will not issue any fractional shares.
The Board received from the Adviser written materials containing relevant information about the Acquiring Fund and the proposed Reorganization. The Board reviewed detailed information about: (1) the investment goal, strategies and policies of the Funds; (2) the portfolio management and other service providers of the Funds; (3) the similarity of the investment goals, policies, restrictions and investments of the Funds; (4) the current expense ratios of each Fund and the anticipated post-Reorganization expense ratio of the Acquiring Fund; (5) the costs of the Reorganization, including those to be borne by the Adviser; (6) operational considerations in conjunction with effecting the Reorganization, including the redemption of fractional shares prior to the Reorganization and the need for a brokerage account to hold Acquiring Fund Shares; (7) the federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization to the Target Fund’s shareholders; and (8) the general characteristics of the Funds.
The Board considered the potential benefits, risks and costs of the Reorganization to shareholders of the Target Fund. In approving the Reorganization, the Board considered the following factors:
Lower Expenses. The Adviser expects that following the Reorganization, the total expense ratio of the Acquiring Fund will be lower than the expense ratio for the Target Fund. In addition, the contractual management fee rate for the Acquiring Fund is lower than the contractual management fee rate of the Target Fund, and the Acquiring Fund’s unitary management fee includes substantially all operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund, while the Target Fund’s contractual management fee does not. In addition, the proposed unitary fee for the Acquiring Fund will benefit shareholders because the Adviser will be obligated under the investment management agreement to pay the Acquiring Fund’s ordinary operating expenses without any increase in the Adviser’s management fee. This obligation to bear fund expenses is part of the Acquiring Fund’s investment management agreement with the Adviser and, therefore, cannot be changed without approval of Acquiring Fund shareholders.
Management of the Acquiring Fund. The Adviser’s belief that it would be able to manage the Target Fund’s investment strategies at least as effectively in an ETF structure. The Board considered that the Acquiring Fund will have a substantially identical investment objective and principal investment strategies as the Target Fund.
Risks. Nearly all of the risks associated with owning shares of the Acquiring Fund are the same as the risks associated with owning shares of the Target Fund. However, there are certain differences in these risks, including the additional risks associated with the Acquiring Fund’s organization as an ETF.
Costs of the Reorganization. The Board considered that the Adviser will bear all of the expenses relating to the Reorganization, except that (i) the Target Fund will bear the expenses of legal counsel to the trustees of the Target Fund who are not “interested persons” of the Target Fund as defined in the 1940 Act, and (ii) the Target Fund will bear any transaction costs incurred by the Target Fund related to the disposition and acquisition of assets as part of a Reorganization. It is estimated that the Target Fund will
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bear approximately $27,000 of such costs in connection with the Reorganization. This includes estimated transaction costs resulting from expected redemption activity by Target Fund shareholders. The Board considered further that if the Reorganization is not consummated, the Adviser will pay for the other costs associated with the Reorganization.
Same Portfolio Management Team. The Adviser is the investment adviser to the Target Fund as well as to the Acquiring Fund. The Adviser does not anticipate that the Reorganization will result in any decline in the level of services from the level of services that historically have been provided to the Target Fund. The Target Fund’s current portfolio management team will be responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Acquiring Fund following the closing of the Reorganization.
ETFs Offer Certain Structural Advantages. The Adviser believes that converting the Target Fund into an ETF may provide certain structural advantages. The ETF structure offers potential benefits to shareholders including: (1) through the potential use of in-kind transactions in connection with creations and redemptions of Acquiring Fund Shares, which may contribute to lower portfolio transaction costs and greater tax efficiency; (2) less cash drag on performance because the Acquiring Fund is not required to buy back or redeem shares directly from retail shareholders and, as a result, portfolio managers do not have to maintain cash in order to provide liquidity for redemptions, and (3) more flexible trading of ETF shares because investors have the ability to buy or sell ETF shares throughout the day at the current market price.
ETF Tax Efficiency. The ETF structure presents certain tax efficiencies for investors compared to the traditional mutual fund structure. While the tax treatment of ETFs and mutual funds is the same, ETFs may acquire securities from and deliver securities to Authorized Participants in the creation and redemption process on an in-kind basis and avoid the realization of taxable capital gains within the ETF in such transactions. Accordingly, investors in an ETF frequently are only subject to capital gains taxes on their investment in the ETF when they sell their ETF shares. In contrast, when portfolio securities are sold within a mutual fund, the sale can cause the recognition of capital gains within the mutual fund that generally would cause a taxable distribution to all shareholders of the mutual fund—even if the shareholders may have an unrealized loss on their overall mutual fund investment. As a result, shareholders of the Acquiring Fund may pay less in taxes than they would if they held similar investments in the Target Fund, although no assurances can be given in this regard.
Ability to Redeem or Exchange Shares of the Target Fund Prior to the Reorganization. Prior to the Reorganization, Target Fund shareholders who do not wish to invest in the Acquiring Fund may redeem or exchange their Target Fund shares without incurring a sales charge.
Tax-Free Nature. The Reorganization is anticipated to be treated as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, it is expected that shareholders of the Target Fund will recognize no gains or losses on the exchange of their Target Fund shares for Acquiring Fund Shares, the Target Fund will recognize no gains or losses on the transfer of its assets to the Acquiring Fund, the Acquiring Fund will recognize no gain or loss on receipt of the assets of the Target Fund, and the Acquiring Fund will acquire the Target Fund’s assets with the same tax basis and tax holding periods such assets had in the Target Fund’s hands immediately prior to the Reorganization.
Transparency. While actively-managed mutual funds generally provide only periodic disclosure of their complete portfolio holdings (typically quarterly on a 60-day lag), transparent active (and index) ETFs operate with full, daily transparency of their portfolio holdings. This daily transparency allows for trading participants to manage their risk and more accurately price shares in the secondary market. It also offers financial advisors and their clients an understanding of their portfolio risk each day.
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Ability to Retain Performance Track Record. The Acquiring Fund will be able to maintain the Target Fund’s performance track record, which will assist in marketing and distribution efforts. Following the Reorganization, the Target Fund would be the accounting survivor and the Acquiring Fund would assume the historical performance of the Target Fund.
Other factors the Board considered in connection with the Reorganization included:
Target Fund Shareholders’ Need for a Brokerage Account that May Hold ETF Shares. Shareholders of the Target Fund must have a brokerage account that is permitted to hold ETF shares in order to transact in Acquiring Fund Shares. Acquiring Fund shares may be held by a transfer agent of the Acquiring Fund for any Target Fund shareholder (other than those retirement plan and account shareholders identified below) who does not have an appropriate brokerage account at the time of the Reorganization pending delivery of information with respect to an appropriate brokerage account or, if any Target Fund shareholder does not deliver information with respect to an appropriate brokerage account within one year from the date of the Reorganization, such Acquiring Fund shares will be liquidated and the cash proceeds distributed to such Target Fund shareholder. For Target Fund shareholders who hold shares of the Target Fund through a fund direct individual retirement account and do not take action prior to the Reorganization, such Target Fund shares will be exchanged for Class S shares of the Thrivent Money Market Fund equal in value to the NAV of such Target Fund shares.
There May Be Circumstances Where a Target Fund Shareholder Will Not Be Able to Hold ETF Shares. Omnibus retirement plan recordkeepers may not be able to include ETF shares on their platforms, and in such a case a retirement plan investor may be required by its retirement plan recordkeeper to redeem their Target Fund shares prior to the Reorganization.
No Fractional Shares of the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund does not issue fractional shares so fractional shares of the Target Fund held by a shareholder immediately prior to the Reorganization will be redeemed at net asset value. The proceeds of this redemption will result in a cash payment to those shareholders who own fractional shares of the Target Fund, which is expected to be de minimis and will be a taxable event to such shareholders.
Based upon their evaluation of the relevant information presented to them, including the information and considerations described above but without identifying any single factor as all-important or controlling, and in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and state law, the Board, including all of the Independent Trustees, concluded that participation by the Target Fund in the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Target Fund, and that no dilution of value would result to the shareholders of the Target Fund from the Reorganization. The Board unanimously approved the Reorganization at the Board Meeting.
The Board also reviewed the Reorganization with respect to the Acquiring Fund, with the advice and assistance of Fund counsel and independent legal counsel to the Independent Trustees. Following careful consideration, the Board determined that participation by the Acquiring Fund in the Reorganization was in the best interests of the Acquiring Fund.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION
This is only a summary of the Plan. You should read the Plan for more complete information about the Reorganization. The Plan has been filed as an exhibit to the Acquiring Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 of which this Prospectus/Information Statement is a part.
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How will the Reorganization be carried out?
The Reorganization will be completed after various conditions are satisfied, including the preparation of certain documents.
Any fractional shares held by Target Fund shareholders will be redeemed, and the Target Fund will distribute the redemption proceeds to those shareholders. The redemption of shareholders’ fractional shares will be a taxable event for such shareholders and those shareholders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors to determine the effect of any such redemption.
On the closing date, which is scheduled to occur on or about November 14, 2025 (the “Closing Date”), but which may occur on such other date as the officers of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund may mutually agree, the Target Fund will transfer all of its assets, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever (except for liens or encumbrances that do not materially detract from the value or use of the Target Fund’s assets), to the Acquiring Fund and the Acquiring Fund will assume all liabilities of the Target Fund. In exchange, the Acquiring Fund will issue the Acquiring Fund Shares that have an aggregate NAV equal to the dollar value of the net assets delivered to the Acquiring Fund by the Mutual Fund Trust on behalf of the Target Fund. The Mutual Fund Trust on behalf of the Target Fund, will distribute to shareholders the Acquiring Fund Shares it receives. Each shareholder of the Target Fund will receive Acquiring Fund Shares with an aggregate NAV equal to the aggregate NAV of his or her shares of the Target Fund (less the amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares, if any, received immediately prior to the Reorganization). The Target Fund will accept requests for redemptions only if received in proper form before the close of trading on the NYSE (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time or the time trading closes on the NYSE, whichever is earlier), on the day before the Closing Date. Any shares not redeemed before such time will be exchanged for Acquiring Fund Shares on the Closing Date; and, after such time, Target Fund shareholders wishing to sell their Acquiring Fund Shares must do so on an exchange using their brokerage account. The Target Fund will then terminate its existence, liquidate, and dissolve.
The obligations under the Plan are subject to various conditions, including, but not limited to:
| the Acquiring Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 under the Securities Act of 1933, of which this Prospectus/Information Statement is a part, shall have been filed with the SEC, such Registration Statement shall have become effective, no stop-order suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been issued prior to the Closing Date or shall be in effect at the Closing, and no investigation or proceeding for the issuance of such an order shall be pending or threatened on that date; and |
| the Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, and the ETF Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, shall have received a tax opinion described further below, that the Reorganization is a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and generally is not expected to result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes for either the Target Fund, the Acquiring Fund or their shareholders. |
The Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, and the ETF Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, may terminate or abandon the Plan at any time before the Closing Date.
Who will pay the expenses of the Reorganization?
The estimated cost of the Reorganization is expected to be approximately $291,450. The Adviser will bear all of the expenses relating to the Reorganization, except that (i) the Target Fund will bear the expenses of legal counsel to the Trustees of the Target Fund who are not “interested persons” of the Target Fund as defined in the 1940 Act, and (ii) the Target Fund will bear any transaction costs incurred
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by the Target Fund related to the disposition and acquisition of assets as part of the Reorganization. It is estimated that the Target Fund will bear approximately $27,000 of such costs in connection with the Reorganization. This includes estimated transaction costs resulting from expected redemption activity by Target Fund shareholders. The Adviser will bear the other costs of the Reorganization whether or not the Reorganization is consummated.
What are the capitalizations of the Funds and what might the Acquiring Fund’s capitalization be after the Reorganization?
The following table sets forth as of July 31, 2025, the capitalizations of the Funds. The table also shows the pro forma capitalization of the Acquiring Fund as adjusted to give effect to the proposed Reorganization as of July 31, 2025. At the closing of the Reorganization, shareholders of the Target Fund will receive Acquiring Fund Shares (less the amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares, if any, received immediately prior to the Reorganization) based on the relative NAVs per share of the Funds on the Closing Date.
Target Fund | Acquiring Fund(1) |
Pro Forma Adjustment |
Pro Forma – Acquiring Fund after Reorganization (estimated) | |||||
Net assets ($) | 25,009,524 | N/A | (27,000)(2) | 24,982,524 | ||||
Total shares outstanding | 1,438,210 | N/A | (1,607) | 1,436,603 | ||||
Net asset value per share ($)(3) | 17.39 | N/A | 0.00 | 17.39 |
(1) | The Acquiring Fund is a shell fund without any shares outstanding and, therefore, no estimated capitalization is available. |
(2) | Pro Forma Adjustments reflect the estimated costs of the Reorganization attributable to the Target Fund. |
(3) | Per share amounts may not reconcile due to rounding of net assets and/or shares outstanding. |
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REORGANIZATION
The following is a general summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization and is based upon the current provisions of the Code, existing U.S. Treasury Regulations thereunder, current administrative rulings of the IRS and published judicial decisions, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. These considerations are general in nature and individual shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as to the federal, state, local, and foreign tax considerations applicable to them and their individual circumstances. These same considerations generally do not apply to shareholders who hold their shares in a tax-advantaged account, such as an individual retirement account (IRA) or qualified retirement plan.
As a condition to closing of the Reorganization, the Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, and the ETF Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, will receive an opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP to the effect that for federal income tax purposes:
| The Reorganization will constitute a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and each of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund will be a “party to a reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code; |
| No gain or loss will be recognized by the Target Fund upon the transfer of all its assets to the Acquiring Fund solely in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of all the liabilities of the Target Fund, or upon the distribution of the shares of the Acquiring Fund to the Target Fund shareholders; |
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| The tax basis in the hands of the Acquiring Fund of each asset transferred from the Target Fund to the Acquiring Fund in the Reorganization will be the same as the tax basis of such asset in the hands of the Target Fund immediately prior to the transfer thereof; |
| The holding period in the hands of the Acquiring Fund of each asset transferred from the Target Fund to the Acquiring Fund in the Reorganization will include the Target Fund’s holding period for such asset; |
| No gain or loss will be recognized by the Acquiring Fund upon its receipt of all the assets of the Target Fund solely in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of all the liabilities of the Target Fund as part of the Reorganization; |
| No gain or loss will be recognized by any Target Fund shareholders upon the exchange of their shares of the Target Fund for shares of the Acquiring Fund as part of the Reorganization (except with respect to cash received by such Target Fund shareholders in redemption of fractional shares prior to the Reorganization); |
| The aggregate tax basis of the shares of the Acquiring Fund each Target Fund shareholder receives in the Reorganization will be the same as the aggregate tax basis of the shares of the Target Fund exchanged therefor; |
| Each Target Fund shareholder’s holding period for the shares of the Acquiring Fund received in the Reorganization will include such Target Fund shareholder’s holding period for the shares of the Target Fund exchanged therefor, provided that such Target Fund shareholder held such shares of the Target Fund as capital assets on the date of the exchange; and |
| The Acquiring Fund will succeed to and take into account the items of the Target Fund described in Section 381(c) of the Code, subject to the conditions and limitations specified in Sections 381, 382, 383 and 384 of the Code and the Regulations thereunder. |
The opinion will be based on the Plan, certain factual certifications made by officers of the Mutual Fund Trust and the ETF Trust, as applicable, and such other items as Ropes & Gray LLP deems necessary to render the opinion and will also be based on customary assumptions.
Neither Fund has requested or will request an advance ruling from the IRS as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization. An opinion of counsel is not binding on the IRS or a court, and no assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or a court would not sustain, a contrary position. A copy of the opinion will be filed with the SEC and will be available for public inspection after the Closing Date of the Reorganization. See “INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS.”
Assuming the Reorganization qualifies as a tax-free reorganization, as expected, the Acquiring Fund will succeed to the tax attributes of the Target Fund upon the closing of the Reorganization, including any capital loss carryovers that could have been used by the Target Fund to offset its future realized capital gains, if any, for federal income tax purposes. The Reorganization is not expected to independently result in limitations on the Acquiring Fund’s ability to use any capital loss carryforwards of the Target Fund. However, the capital loss carryforwards may subsequently become subject to an annual limitation as a result of sales of Acquiring Fund shares or other reorganization transactions in which the Acquiring Fund might engage post-Reorganization. As of July 31, 2025, the Target Fund had short-term capital loss carryforwards of $0 and long-term capital loss carryforwards of $0.
Additionally, prior to the closing of the Reorganization, the Target Fund will declare and pay a distribution to shareholders, which, together with all previous distributions, will have the effect of distributing to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt income, if any, and net realized capital gains, if any, through the closing of the Reorganization, and may include undistributed income or gains from prior years. These distributions will generally be taxable to shareholders that hold their shares in a taxable account. Such distributions may include distributions taxable as ordinary income or as long-term capital gains.
State and Local Tax Considerations. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about potential state and local tax considerations as a result of the Reorganization.
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Information about the Target Fund is included in the Target Fund’s Prospectus. The Prospectus of the Target Fund is incorporated by reference into and is considered a part of this Prospectus/Information Statement. Additional information about the Target Fund is included in its Statement of Additional Information. The SAI relating to this Prospectus/Information Statement is also considered part of this Prospectus/Information Statement and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus/Information Statement. Information about the Target Fund is also included in the Mutual Fund Trust’s Form N-CSR filing for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024 and its Form N-CSRS filing for the fiscal period ending April 30, 2025.
You may request a free copy of the Target Fund’s Prospectus and SAI, and the Mutual Fund Trust’s Form N-CSR or N-CSRS filings, the SAI relating to this Prospectus/Information Statement, and other information by calling Thrivent Mutual Funds at 800-847-4836, by writing to Thrivent Mutual Funds at P.O. Box 219334, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9334, or by emailing contactus@thriventfunds.com. These documents are also available, free of charge, at thriventfunds.com.
The Mutual Fund Trust, on behalf of the Target Fund, and the ETF Trust, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, file information materials, reports and other information with the SEC in accordance with the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the 1940 Act. These materials can be viewed on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s Internet site at https://www.sec.gov, and may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
The following is only a discussion of certain principal differences between the governing documents for Thrivent Mutual Funds, a Massachusetts statutory trust, and Thrivent ETF Trust, a Massachusetts business trust, and is not a complete description of the Mutual Fund Trust’s or the ETF Trust’s governing documents.
Thrivent Mutual Funds |
Thrivent ETF Trust | |||
Shareholder Liability |
The Trustees do not have the power to bind any shareholder personally or to call upon any shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay by way of subscription to any shares or otherwise. Every note, bond, contract or other undertaking issued by or on behalf of the Mutual Fund Trust or the Trustees relating to the Mutual Fund Trust is required to include a recitation limiting the obligation represented thereby to the Mutual Fund Trust and its assets (but the omission of such a recitation does not operate to bind any shareholder). |
Neither the ETF Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the ETF Trust, has the power to bind personally any shareholder.
In case any shareholder or former shareholder is held personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder of the ETF Trust or of a particular series or class and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason, the shareholder or former shareholder (or his or her heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) will be entitled out of the assets of the |
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In case any shareholder or former shareholder is held to be personally liable solely by reason of his being or having been a shareholder and not because of his acts or omissions or for some other reason, the shareholder or former shareholder (or his heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives or in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) will be entitled out of the Mutual Fund Trust estate to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. It also provides that the Mutual Fund Trust shall, upon request by the shareholders, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the Mutual Fund Trust and satisfy any judgment thereon. |
series (or attributable to the class) of which he or she is a shareholder or former shareholder to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability.
All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the ETF Trust or any series or class shall look only to the assets of the ETF Trust, or, to the extent that the liability of the ETF Trust may have been expressly limited by contract to the assets of a particular series or attributable to a particular class, only to the assets belonging to the relevant series or attributable to the relevant class, for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the shareholders nor the Trustees, nor any of the ETF Trust’s officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor. | |||
Voting Rights |
At all meetings of shareholders, each shareholder of each class of the Mutual Fund Trust shall be entitled to one vote for each share, irrespective of the class, standing in his name on the books of the Mutual Fund Trust, except that where a vote of the holders of the shares of any class, or of more than one class, voting by class, is required by the 1940 Act and/or Massachusetts law as to any proposal, only the holders of such class or classes, voting by class, are entitled to vote upon such proposal and the holders of any other class or classes are not be entitled to vote thereon. Any fractional share, if any such fractional shares are outstanding, carry proportionately all the rights of a whole share, including the right to vote and the right to receive dividends. There are no cumulative voting rights with respect to any shares or class of shares of the Mutual Fund Trust. |
Shareholders shall have power to vote only (i) for the election of Trustees as provided in Article IV, Section 1 of the Declaration of Trust, (ii) to the extent provided in Article III, Section 9 of the Declaration of Trust as to whether or not a court action, proceeding or claim should or should not be brought or maintained derivatively or as a class action on behalf of the ETF Trust or the shareholders, (iii) with respect to the termination of the ETF Trust or any series or class to the extent and as provided in Article VIII, Section 4 of the Declaration of Trust and (iv) with respect to such additional matters relating to the ETF Trust as may be required by applicable law, including the 1940 Act, the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws or any registration of the ETF Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission (or any successor agency) or any state, or as the Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. There is no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. |
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Shareholders have power to vote (a) for the election of Trustees to the extent provided in the By-Laws, (b) with respect to the amendment of the Declaration of Trust, (c) to the same extent as the shareholders of a Massachusetts business corporation, as to whether or not a court action, proceeding or claim should be brought or maintained derivatively or as a class action on behalf of the Mutual Fund Trust or the Shareholders, and (d) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Mutual Fund Trust as may be required by the 1940 Act or authorized by law, by the Declaration of Trust, or the By-Laws of the Mutual Fund Trust or any registration statement of the Mutual Fund Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state, or as the Trustees may consider desirable. |
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Shareholder Quorum; Adjournment; Required Vote | The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of one-third of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the shareholders. If at any meeting of the shareholders there is less than a quorum present, the shareholders present at such meeting may, without further notice, adjourn the same from time to time until a quorum shall attend, but no business shall be transacted at any such adjourned meeting except such as might have been lawfully transacted had the meeting not been adjourned. |
Except when a larger quorum is required by law, by the Bylaws or by the Declaration of Trust, 30% of the votes entitled to be cast shall constitute a quorum at a shareholders’ meeting. Any meeting of shareholders may be adjourned, whether or not a quorum is present, from time to time by the chairperson of the meeting, on his or her own motion, without a vote of shareholders at the meeting, or by a majority of the votes properly cast upon the question, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice.
When a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of the shares voted shall decide any questions and a plurality of the shares voted shall elect a Trustee, except when a larger vote is required by any provision of this Declaration of Trust or the Bylaws or by law. | ||
Trustee Power to Amend Organizational Document |
If authorized by vote of the Trustees and the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, or by any larger vote which may be required by |
The Declaration of Trust may be amended at any time by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Trustees provided notice of such amendment (other than amendments |
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applicable law in any particular case, the Trustees may amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust. The name of the Mutual Fund Trust may be changed if authorized by vote of the Trustees and no vote of, or other action by, the holders of the outstanding shares of the Mutual Fund Trust is required.
The By-Laws of the Mutual Fund Trust may be altered, amended, added to or repealed by the shareholders or by majority vote of the entire Board of Trustees, but any such alteration, amendment, addition or repeal of the By-Laws by action of the Board of Trustees may be altered or repealed by the shareholders. |
having the purpose of supplying any omission, curing any ambiguity or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective or inconsistent provision contained herein, or having any other purpose which is ministerial or clerical in nature) shall be transmitted promptly to shareholders of record at the close of business on the effective date of such amendment.
The Bylaws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part, by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Trustees, or by written consent in lieu thereof. | |||
Termination of Series of Trust |
The majority of the Trustees may at any time sell and convert into money all the assets of the Mutual Fund Trust or the assets of a class or a series of the Mutual Fund Trust (including any individual class of shares of a series having multiple classes of shares). Upon making provision for the payment of all outstanding obligations, taxes and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, of the Mutual Fund Trust or such class or series, the Trustees shall distribute the remaining assets of the Mutual Fund Trust or such class or series ratably among the holders of the outstanding shares or the Mutual Fund Trust or such class or series. |
The ETF Trust may be terminated at any time by vote of at least 50% of the shares of each series entitled to vote and voting separately by series, or by the Trustees by written notice to the shareholders. Any series or class may be terminated at any time by vote of at least 50% of the shares of that series or class, or by the Trustees by written notice to the shareholders of that series or class. | ||
Merger, Consolidation or Transfer of Assets |
The Trustees, with the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Mutual Fund Trust or each class or series of the Mutual Fund Trust entitled to vote, may sell and convey the assets of the Mutual Fund Trust (which sale may be subject to the retention of assets for the payment of liabilities and expenses) to another issuer for a consideration which may be or include securities of such issuer. Upon making provision for the |
The ETF Trust, or any one or more series of the ETF Trust, may, either as the successor, survivor or non-survivor, (1) consolidate or merge with one or more other trusts, series, sub-trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or corporations organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other state of the United States, to form a consolidated or merged trust, series, sub-trust, partnership, limited liability company, association or corporation under the laws |
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payment of liabilities, by assumption by such issuer or otherwise, the Trustees shall distribute the remaining proceeds ratably among the holders of the shares of the Mutual Fund Trust then outstanding.
“Majority of the outstanding voting shares” of the Mutual Fund Trust or class or series of the Mutual Fund Trust means the vote, at a meeting of shareholders duly called, of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the shares of the Mutual Fund Trust or class or series present at the special meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Mutual Fund Trust or such class or series are present or represented by proxy, or (2) the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Mutual Fund Trust or class or series. |
of any state under the laws of which any one of the constituent entities is organized or (2) transfer all or a substantial portion of its assets to one or more other trusts, series, sub-trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or corporations organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other state of the United States, or have one or more such trusts, series, sub-trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or corporations transfer all or a substantial portion of its assets to it, any such consolidation, merger or transfer to be upon such terms and conditions as are specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the Trustees and entered into by the ETF Trust, or one or more series, as the case may be, in connection therewith. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, any such consolidation, merger or transfer may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office without the approval of shareholders of the ETF Trust or relevant series.’ |
As of August 22, 2025 (the “Record Date”), the officers and Trustees of the Mutual Fund Trust, as a group, owned of record and beneficially less than 1% of the Target Fund’s outstanding shares. As of the Record Date, the Acquiring Fund was not operational and, therefore, had no shareholders.
From time to time, the number of Fund shares held in “street name” accounts of various securities dealers for the benefit of their clients or in centralized securities depositories may exceed 5% of the total shares outstanding. To the knowledge of the Target Fund, no other persons owned (beneficially or of record) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of the Target Fund as of the Record Date, except as listed in Exhibit D to this Prospectus/Information Statement. Upon completion of the Reorganization, it is expected that those persons disclosed in Exhibit D as owning 5% or more of the Target Fund’s outstanding shares will continue to own in excess of 5% of the then outstanding shares of the Acquiring Fund.
By Order of the Board of Trustees of Thrivent Mutual Funds,
John D. Jackson |
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
September 11, 2025 |
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EXHIBITS TO PROSPECTUS/INFORMATION STATEMENT
Exhibit
A. Summary of Principal Risks
B. Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Policies
C. Financial Highlights
D. Principal Holders of Securities
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SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS
Mid Cap Risk. Medium-sized companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume, and less liquidity than larger, more-established companies. These companies tend to have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer financial resources, and less competitive strength than larger companies.
Value Investing Risk. Value style investing includes the risk that stocks of undervalued companies may not rise as quickly as anticipated if the market doesn’t recognize their intrinsic value or if value stocks are out of favor.
Equity Security Risk. Equity securities held by the Fund may decline significantly in price, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur because of declines in the equity market as a whole, or because of declines in only a particular country, geographic region, company, industry, or sector of the market. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in companies in one particular country or geographic region or one or more related sectors or industries, which would make the Fund more vulnerable to adverse developments affecting such countries, geographic regions, sectors or industries. Equity securities generally do not move in the same direction at the same time and are generally more volatile than most debt securities.
Investment Adviser Risk. The Fund is actively managed and the success of its investment strategy depends significantly on the skills of the Adviser in assessing the potential of the investments in which the Fund invests. This assessment of investments may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets. There is also no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to effectively implement the Fund’s investment objective.
Issuer Risk. Issuer risk is the possibility that factors specific to an issuer to which the Fund is exposed will affect the market prices of the issuer’s securities and therefore the value of the Fund.
Market Risk. Over time, securities markets generally tend to move in cycles with periods when security prices rise and periods when security prices decline. The value of the Fund’s investments may move with these cycles and, in some instances, increase or decrease more than the applicable market(s) as measured by the Fund’s benchmark index(es). The securities markets may also decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or market sector, or due to impacts from domestic or global events, including regulatory events, economic downturn, government shutdowns, the spread of infectious illness such as the outbreak of COVID-19, public health crises, war, terrorism, social unrest, recessions, natural disasters or similar events.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is subject to risks related to exchange trading, including:
● | The Fund’s shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) and are bought and sold on the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Fund shares will typically approximate the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), there may be times when the market price reflects a significant premium or discount to NAV. |
● | Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, it is possible that an active trading market in the Fund’s shares may not be maintained. |
● | The Fund could potentially face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level. |
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● | Only an authorized participant (an “Authorized Participant”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. |
New and Smaller Sized Fund Risk. The Fund is new and has a limited operating history as an ETF for investors to evaluate and may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies. The Fund may fail to attract sufficient assets to achieve or maintain economies of scale, which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Smaller ETFs will have a lower public float and lower trading volumes, leading to wider bid/ask spreads.
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FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICIES
Target Fund |
Acquiring Fund | |
Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The fundamental investment restrictions for the Target Fund are set forth below. These fundamental investment restrictions may not be changed by the Target Fund except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Target Fund as defined in the 1940 Act. (Under the 1940 Act, a “vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote, at a meeting of security holders duly called, (i) of 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less (a “1940 Act Majority Vote”).) Under these restrictions, with respect to the Target Fund:
1. The Target Fund may not borrow money, except that the Target Fund may borrow money (through the issuance of debt securities or otherwise) in an amount not exceeding one-third of the Target Fund’s total assets immediately after the time of such borrowing.
2. The Target Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act or any exemptive order or rule issued by the SEC.
3. The Target Fund will not (except as noted below), with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase securities of an issuer (other than the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or authorities or repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. government securities, and other investment companies) if (a) such purchase would, at the time, cause more than 5% of the Target Fund’s total assets taken at market value to be invested in the securities of such issuer; or (b) such purchase would, at the time, result in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer being held by the Target Fund. |
Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The fundamental investment restrictions for the Acquiring Fund are set forth below. These fundamental investment restrictions may not be changed by the Acquiring Fund except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Acquiring Fund as defined in the 1940 Act. (Under the 1940 Act, a “vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote, at a meeting of security holders duly called, (i) of 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less.) Under these restrictions, the Acquiring Fund:
1. May not borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow money (through the issuance of debt securities or otherwise) in an amount not exceeding one-third of the Fund’s total assets immediately after the time of such borrowing.
2. May not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act or any exemptive order or rule issued by the SEC.
3. Will not (except as noted below), with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase securities of an issuer (other than the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or authorities or repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. government securities, and other investment companies) if (a) such purchase would, at the time, cause more than 5% of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets taken at market value to be invested in the securities of such issuer; or (b) such purchase would, at the time, result in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer being held by the Acquiring Fund. |
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4. The Target Fund may not buy or sell real estate, except that the Target Fund may (i) acquire or lease office space for its own use, (ii) invest in securities of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein, (iii) invest in mortgage-related securities and other securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, and (iv) hold and sell real estate acquired by the Target Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.
5. The Target Fund may not purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Target Fund may purchase and sell derivatives (including but not limited to options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts) whose value is tied to the value of a financial index or a financial instrument or other asset (including, but not limited to, securities indexes, interest rates, securities, currencies and physical commodities).
6. The Target Fund may not make loans, except that the Target Fund may (i) lend portfolio securities, (ii) enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) purchase all or a portion of an issue of debt securities, bank loan participation interests, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of the securities, and (iv) participate in an interfund lending program with other registered investment companies.
7. The Target Fund will not underwrite the securities of other issuers, except where the Target Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of certain federal securities laws in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities; with investments in other investment companies; and with loans that the Target Fund may make pursuant to its fundamental investment restriction on lending. |
4. May not buy or sell real estate, except that the Acquiring Fund may (i) acquire or lease office space for its own use, (ii) invest in securities of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein, (iii) invest in mortgage-related securities and other securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, and (iv) hold and sell real estate acquired by the Acquiring Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.
5. May not purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Acquiring Fund may purchase and sell derivatives (including but not limited to options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts) whose value is tied to the value of a financial index or a financial instrument or other asset (including, but not limited to, securities indexes, interest rates, securities, currencies and physical commodities).
6. May not make loans, except that the Acquiring Fund may (i) lend portfolio securities, (ii) enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) purchase all or a portion of an issue of debt securities, bank loan participation interests, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of the securities, and (iv) participate in an interfund lending program with other registered investment companies.
7. Will not underwrite the securities of other issuers, except where the Acquiring Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of certain federal securities laws in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities; with investments in other investment companies; and with loans that the Acquiring Fund may make pursuant to its fundamental investment restriction on lending. |
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8. The Target Fund will not purchase a security if, after giving effect to the purchase, more than 25% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, except that this restriction does not apply to U.S. Government securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act).
Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The following nonfundamental investment restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval. Under these restrictions:
1. The fundamental investment restriction with respect to industry concentration (number 8 above) will be applied pursuant to SEC policy at 25% (instead of “more than 25%”) of the Target Fund’s total assets.
2. The Target Fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the Target Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
3. The fundamental investment restriction with respect to diversification (number 3 above) will be applied so securities issued by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities, or authorities will be eligible for the exception only if those securities qualify as a “Government security” under the 1940 Act.
4. The exception for exemptive orders in the fundamental investment restriction with respect to senior securities (number 2 above) will be applied only for exemptive orders issued to the Target Fund.
With respect to the fundamental investment restriction above about industry concentration, the Adviser defines industries according to any one or more widely recognized third-party providers and/or as defined by the Adviser. Third-party industry lists may include the Bloomberg Classification System and the Standard and |
8. Will not purchase a security if, after giving effect to the purchase, 25% or more of its total assets would be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, except that this restriction does not apply to U.S. Government securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act).
Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The following non-fundamental investment restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval. Under these restrictions:
1. The Acquiring Fund does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that a Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.
2. The fundamental investment restriction with respect to diversification (number 3 above) will be applied so securities issued by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities, or authorities will be eligible for the exception only if those securities qualify as a “Government security” under the 1940 Act.
3. The exception for exemptive orders in the fundamental investment restriction with respect to senior securities (number 2 above) will be applied only for exemptive orders issued to the Acquiring Fund.
With respect to the fundamental investment restriction above about industry concentration, the Adviser defines industries according to any one or more widely recognized third-party providers and/or as defined by the Adviser. Third-party industry lists may include the Bloomberg Classification System and the Standard and Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) (industry level). The Adviser will also have broad authority to make exceptions from third-party industry lists and determine for the Acquiring Fund how to classify issuers within or among industries based on such issuer’s characteristics and subject to applicable law. |
39
Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) (industry level). The Adviser will also have broad authority to make exceptions from third-party industry lists and determine for the Target Fund how to classify issuers within or among industries based on such issuer’s characteristics and subject to applicable law.
The Mutual Fund Trust has received an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC that allows the Target Fund and other series of Mutual Fund Trust, along with other portfolios managed by the Adviser (each a “Participating Fund”), to engage in an interfund lending program (the “Program”). The Program enables a Participating Fund to lend cash directly to and borrow money from other Participating Funds for temporary purposes. The Program is subject to a number of conditions set forth in the application for the exemptive order, as amended (the “Application”), and the Order, including, among other things, (i) the requirement that the interfund loan rate is more favorable to the lending Participating Fund than the highest current overnight repurchase agreement rate available to the lending Participating Fund (the “Repo Rate”), and more favorable to the borrowing Participating Fund than the rate available that day for cash overdraft from the borrowing Participating Fund’s custodian (the “Bank Loan Rate”); (ii) that no Participating Fund may borrow through the Program on an unsecured basis unless the Participating Fund’s outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the interfund borrowing total less than 10% of its total assets; provided that if the Participating Fund has as secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another Participating Fund, the Participating Fund’s interfund borrowing will be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that requires collateral; (iii) if a Participating Fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after an interfund borrowing would be greater than 10% of its total assets, the Participating Fund may borrow through the Program only on a secured basis; (iv) no Participating Fund may lend money if the loan would cause its aggregate outstanding loans through the Program to exceed 15% of its net |
Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act defines a “senior security” as any bond, debenture, note, or similar obligation constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness. Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act prohibits an open-end investment company from issuing senior securities but permits borrowings from a bank if immediately after the borrowing there is asset coverage of at least 300% and provided further that, in the event that such asset coverage falls below 300%, the investment company will, within 3 days (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.
Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the Acquiring Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, that percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Acquiring Fund’s acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the Acquiring Fund’s investment policies and limitations. For purposes of the Acquiring Fund’s policies discussed above, any actions taken or omitted or investments made in reliance on, or in accordance with, exemptive relief, no action relief, interpretive guidance or other regulatory or governmental action or guidance, shall be considered to have been taken, made, or omitted in accordance with applicable law. |
40
assets at the time of the loan; (v) a lending Participating Fund may not loan in excess of 5% of its net assets to any one Participating Fund; and (vi) each interfund loan may be called on one business day’s notice by a lending Participating Fund. The Bank Loan Rate will be determined using a formula established by the Board. The interfund loan rate will be the average of the Repo Rate and the Bank Loan Rate. All interfund loans and borrowings must comply with the conditions set forth in the Application and the Order, which are designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all Participating Funds. Each Fund may participate in the Program only to the extent that its participation is consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, limitations, and organizational documents. Upon implementation of the Program, the Adviser administers the Program according to procedures approved by the Board.
Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act defines a “senior security” as any bond, debenture, note, or similar obligation constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness. Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act prohibits an open-end investment company from issuing senior securities but permits borrowings from a bank if immediately after the borrowing there is asset coverage of at least 300% and provided further that, in the event that such asset coverage falls below 300%, the investment company will, within 3 days (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.
Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the Target Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, that percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Target Fund’s acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the Target Fund’s investment policies and limitations. For purposes of the Target Fund’s policies discussed above, any actions taken or omitted or investments made in reliance on, or in accordance with, exemptive relief, no action relief, interpretive guidance or other regulatory or |
41
governmental action or guidance, shall be considered to have been taken, made, or omitted in accordance with applicable law.
The Fund along with other portfolios managed by the Adviser or an affiliate, has agreed to participate in a $100 million ($50 million committed, $50 million uncommitted) credit facility to be utilized if needed for temporary or emergency purposes to fund shareholder redemptions or for other short-term liquidity purposes. Interest is charged to each participating fund based on its borrowings at the higher of the Federal Funds Rate or the Overnight Bank Funding Rate plus, in each case, 0.10% plus a margin of 1.25%. Each borrowing under the credit facility matures no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the borrowing. Each participating Fund paid commitment fees in proportion to their respective net assets. |
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables that follow are intended to help you understand the financial performance of the Target Fund for the periods listed below. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Target Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).
The ratio of expenses to average net assets listed in the tables below for shares of the Target Fund are based on the average net assets of the Target Fund for each of the periods listed in the tables.
Other than the information for the six-month period ended April 30, 2025, which is unaudited, the information below has been derived from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Target Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s report, along with the Target Fund’s financial statements, are incorporated by reference into the Target Fund’s SAI. The Mutual Fund Trust’s Form N-CSR filing (which includes the Target Fund’s financial statements) and SAI are incorporated by reference herein and available at no cost from the Mutual Fund Trust, as applicable at the following toll-free number: 800-847-4836.
As of the date of this combined Prospectus/Information Statement, the Acquiring Fund has not commenced operations. Therefore, the Acquiring Fund does not have financial highlight information.
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Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund
PER SHARE OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT EACH PERIOD* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income From Investment Operations | Less Distributions From | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
Net Investment Income/(Loss) |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain/(Loss) on Investments(a) |
Total from Investment Operations |
Net Investment Income |
Net Realized Gain on Investments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Period Ended 4/30/2025 (unaudited) |
$ | 18.18 | $ | 0.15 | $ | (1.66 | ) | $ | (1.51 | ) | $ | (0.22 | ) | $ | (0.92 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Year Ended 10/31/2024 |
14.29 | 0.24 | 3.81 | 4.05 | (0.16 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended 10/31/2023 |
15.09 | 0.20 | (0.55 | ) | (0.35 | ) | (0.13 | ) | (0.32 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended 10/31/2022 |
16.16 | 0.14 | (0.55 | ) | (0.41 | ) | (0.04 | ) | (0.62 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended 10/31/2021 |
10.20 | 0.07 | 5.97 | 6.04 | (0.08 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended 10/31/2020(d) |
10.00 | 0.05 | 0.15 | 0.20 | — | — |
(a) The amount shown may not correlate with the change in aggregate gains and losses of portfolio securities due to the timing of sales and redemptions of fund shares.
(d) Since fund inception, February 28, 2020.
* All per share amounts have been rounded to the nearest cent.
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RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ratio to Average Net Assets** |
Ratios to Average Net Assets Before Expenses Waived, Credited or Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses** |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Distributions |
Net Asset Value, End of Period |
Total Return(b) |
Net Assets, End of Period (in millions) |
Expenses | Net Investment Income/(Loss) |
Expenses | Net Investment Income/(Loss) |
Portfolio Turnover Rate(c) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$(1.14) | $ | 15.53 | (9.05 | )% | $ | 25.2 | 0.90 | % | 1.45 | % | 1.61 | % | 0.74 | % | 29 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.16) | 18.18 | 28.45 | % | 39.7 | 0.90 | % | 1.37 | % | 1.42 | % | 0.85 | % | 61 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.45) | 14.29 | (2.40 | )% | 33.2 | 0.90 | % | 1.42 | % | 1.56 | % | 0.76 | % | 43 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.66) | 15.09 | (2.70 | )% | 19.8 | 0.90 | % | 1.07 | % | 2.04 | % | (0.07 | )% | 31 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(0.08) | 16.16 | 59.38 | % | 12.0 | 0.92 | % | 0.53 | % | 2.73 | % | (1.28 | )% | 36 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | 10.20 | 2.00 | % | 5.0 | 1.00 | % | 0.75 | % | 3.80 | % | (2.04 | )% | 58 | % |
(b) Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect any deduction for applicable sales charges. Not annualized for periods less than one year.
(c) Portfolio turnover rate may include mortgage dollar roll purchase and sale transactions which may increase portfolio turnover rates. Additional information can be found in the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
** Computed on an annualized basis for periods less than one year.
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PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Listed below are the names, addresses and percent ownership of each person who, as of the Record Date, to the best knowledge of the Mutual Fund Trust, owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Target Fund. A shareholder who owns beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding securities of a Fund is presumed to “control” the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act. Such control may affect the voting rights of other shareholders.
Shareholder Name and Address |
Share Amount |
Percentage of Class (%) | ||||||||
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC FOR THE EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF OUR CUST ATTN: MUTUAL FUND DEP 4TH FLOOR 499 WASHINGTON BLVD JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-1995 |
167,632.01 | 12.63 | % |
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4321 N. Ballard Rd. Appleton, WI 54919-0001 |
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE
PAID Thrivent Financial | |||
PART B
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dated September 11, 2025
THRIVENT MID CAP VALUE FUND
A series of
THRIVENT MUTUAL FUNDS
901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211
THRIVENT MID CAP VALUE ETF
A series of
THRIVENT ETF TRUST
901 Marquette Avenue, Suite 2500
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3211
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) relates specifically to the proposed acquisition of the assets and assumption of the liabilities of Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund (the “Target Fund”), a series of Thrivent Mutual Funds, by and in exchange for shares of the Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF, a series of Thrivent ETF Trust (the “Acquiring Fund”).
This SAI, which is not a prospectus, supplements and should be read in conjunction with the combined Prospectus/Information Statement for the Acquiring Fund dated September 11, 2025 (the “Prospectus/Information Statement”). You may request a free copy of the Prospectus/Information Statement without charge by calling 800-847-4836, by writing to P.O. Box 219348, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9348, or by e-mailing contactus@thriventfunds.com.
S-1
Table of Contents
Page | ||||
S-3 | ||||
S-3 | ||||
S-4 | ||||
S-5 |
S-2
This SAI relates specifically to the proposed reorganization of the Target Fund into the Acquiring Fund, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”), which provides for: (i) the acquisition of the assets and assumption of the liabilities of the Target Fund by the Acquiring Fund in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund of equal value to the net assets of the Target Fund being acquired, (ii) the pro rata distribution of such shares to the shareholders of the Target Fund, and (iii) the complete liquidation and dissolution of the Target Fund (the “Reorganization”). Additional information regarding the proposed Reorganization is included in the combined Prospectus/Information Statement and in the documents, listed below, that are incorporated by reference into this SAI.
The Acquiring Fund is a newly-formed “shell” that has not yet commenced operations and has not published any annual or semi-annual shareholder reports. The Acquiring Fund is expected to commence operations upon consummation of the Reorganization and continue the operations of the Target Fund. The Target Fund shall be the accounting and performance survivor in the Reorganization, and the Acquiring Fund, as the corporate survivor in the Reorganization, shall adopt the accounting and performance history of the Target Fund.
Attached hereto as Appendix A is the Statement of Additional Information of the Acquiring Fund.
Supplemental Financial Information
Rule 6-11(d)(2) under Regulation S-X requires that, with respect to any fund acquisition, registered investment companies must provide certain supplemental financial information in lieu of pro forma financial statements required by Regulation S-X. For this reason, pro forma financial statements of the Acquiring Fund are not included in this SAI.
A table showing the fees and expenses of the Acquiring Fund and the Target Fund and the fees and expenses of the Acquiring Fund on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the proposed Reorganization is included in the section titled “What are the fees and expenses of each Fund and what are they expected to be after the Reorganization?” of the Prospectus/Information Statement.
The Reorganization is not expected to result in a material change to the Target Fund’s investment portfolio due to the investment restrictions of the Acquiring Fund. Accordingly, a schedule of investments modified to show the effects of the change is not required and is not included for the Target Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, changes may be made to the Target Fund’s portfolio in advance of the Reorganization and/or the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio following the Reorganization. As noted in the section titled “Who will pay the costs in connection with the Reorganization?” of the Prospectus/Information Statement, it is estimated that the Target Fund will bear approximately $27,000 (0.1044% of the net assets of the Target Fund) of transaction costs incurred by the Target Fund related to the disposition and acquisition of assets as part of the Reorganization, which includes estimated transaction costs resulting from expected redemption activity by Target Fund shareholders.
There are certain differences between the valuation policies of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund with respect to the valuation of certain foreign equity securities. There are no other material differences between the accounting and valuation policies of the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund.
S-3
Incorporation of Documents by Reference into the SAI
This SAI incorporates by reference the following documents, which have each been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will be sent to any shareholder requesting this SAI:
| The prospectus of the Mutual Fund Trust on behalf of the Target Fund, dated February 28, 2025, as supplemented and amended to date (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0001193125-25-038514); |
| The statement of additional information of the Mutual Fund Trust on behalf of the Target Fund, dated February 28, 2025, as supplemented and amended to date (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0001193125-25-038514); |
| The audited financial statements and related report of the independent public accounting firm included in the Mutual Fund Trust’s Form N-CSR filing for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, with respect to the Target Fund (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0000811869-24-000042); and |
| Form N-CSRS filing of the Mutual Fund Trust for the fiscal period ending April 30, 2025 (File No. 811-05075; SEC Accession No. 0000811869-25-000013). |
S-4
Fund |
Ticker |
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
TMVE |
NYSE Arca, Inc. |
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
TSCV |
NYSE Arca, Inc. |
Service Provider |
Service |
Frequency | |
ALPS
Distributors, Inc |
Distributor, Advertising Literature Review |
Monthly |
|
BlackRock |
Trading System |
Daily |
|
Bloomberg |
Trading System |
Daily |
|
Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. |
Website Content |
Quarterly |
|
DTCC |
Trade Matching Platform |
Daily |
|
Ernst
and Young |
PFIC analysis |
Quarterly |
|
FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Systems Vendor |
Daily |
|
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. |
Personal Trading System Vendor |
Daily |
|
IHS
Markit/S&P Global |
Calculation Agent |
Daily |
|
Service Provider |
Service |
Frequency | |
Institutional Shareholder Services |
Proxy Voting & Class Action Services Vendor |
Daily |
|
ITG
Inc. |
Systems Vendor |
Daily |
|
Lipper |
Data Vendor |
Monthly; sixty day lag |
|
Morningstar, Inc. |
Data Vendor |
Monthly; sixty day lag |
|
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
Annually |
|
S&P Global |
Corporate Action Solutions |
Daily |
|
SS&C |
Marketing Collateral System |
Monthly; five day lag; |
|
State
Street Bank and Trust Company |
Custodian |
Daily |
|
State
Street Bank and Trust Company |
Fund Administrator/ Accounting Services |
Daily |
|
State
Street Bank and Trust Company |
Systems Vendor |
Daily |
|
State
Street Bank and Trust Company |
Transfer Agent |
Daily |
|
VML |
Website Consultant |
Daily |
|
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with Trust and Length of Service
(3) |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
Michael W. Kremenak (1978) |
President since 2023; Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Senior Vice President and Head of Mutual Funds, Thrivent since 2020; Vice President, Thrivent from 2015 to 2020 |
Trustee of Thrivent Church Loan and Income Fund from 2020 to 2023 |
David S. Royal
(1971) |
Trustee and Chief Investment Officer since 2022 |
66 |
Chief Financial Officer, Thrivent since 2022; Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, Thrivent since 2017; President, Mutual Funds from 2015 to 2023 |
Currently, Advisory Board Member of Twin Bridge Capital Partners; Trustee of Thrivent Church Loan and Income Fund from 2018 to 2023; Director of Thrivent Trust Company from 2020 to 2022 |
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with Trust and Length of Service
(3) |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Principal Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
Janice B. Case
(1952) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Retired |
Independent Director and member of the Audit Committee and Governance and
Nominating Committee at MN8 Energy LLC and
MN8 Energy Holdings, LLC since 2023; Independent Trustee of North American Electric Reliability
Corporation from 2008 to 2020 |
Robert J. Chersi (1961) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Founder of Chersi Services LLC (consulting firm) since 2014 |
Lead Independent Director since 2019 and Director and Audit Committee Chair at
BrightSphere Investment Group plc since 2016; Director and member of the Audit and Risk Oversight
Committees of E*TRADE Financial Corporation and Director of E*TRADE Bank from 2019 to 2020 |
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with Trust and Length of Service
(3) |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Principal Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
Arleas Upton Kea (1957) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Deputy to the Chairman for External Affairs, FDIC in 2021; Chief Operating Officer and Deputy to the Chairman, FDIC from 2018 to 2021 |
Board of Directors, Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area since 2021; Board of Directors, University of Texas Alumni Association since 2021; Board of
Directors, University of Texas Law School Foundation since 2021 |
Paul R. Laubscher (1956) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Portfolio Manager for U.S. private real estate and equity and global public equity portfolios, hedge funds and currency of IBM Retirement Funds from 1997 to 2022 |
None |
Robert J. Manilla (1962) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, The Kresge Foundation since 2007 |
Board Member of Bedrock
Manufacturing Company since
2014; Board Member of Sustainable
Insight Capital Management LLC
from 2013 to 2022; Board Member of Venture Michigan Fund from 2016 to 2020 |
James A. Nussle (1960) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
President and Chief Executive Officer of Credit Union National Association since September 2014; Director of Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRAA) since 2010; CEO of The Nussle Group LLC (consulting firm) since 2009 |
None |
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with Trust and Length of Service
(3) |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Principal Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Other Directorships Held Currently and within Past Five Years |
James W. Runcie (1963) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Co-Founder and CEO of Partnership for Education Advancement since 2017 |
Board Member of Follett Higher
Education since 2022; Board Member of ECMC Group
since 2021; Director and Audit Committee Chair of
Class Acceleration Corporation from 2021 to 2022 |
Constance L. Souders (1950) |
Trustee since 2022 |
66 |
Retired |
None |
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with the Fund and Length of Service
(3) |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Michael W. Kremenak (1978) |
President since 2023; Trustee since 2022 |
Senior Vice President and Head of Mutual Funds, Thrivent since 2020; Vice President, Thrivent from 2015 to 2020 |
David S. Royal
(1971) |
Trustee and Chief Investment Officer since 2022 |
Chief Financial Officer, Thrivent since 2022; Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, Thrivent since 2017; President, Mutual Funds from 2015 to 2023 |
Sarah L. Bergstrom (1977) |
Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer since 2022 |
Vice President, Thrivent Funds Chief Operations Officer, Thrivent since 2025; Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer/Treasurer - Mutual Funds, Thrivent from 2022 to 2025; Head of Mutual Fund Accounting, Thrivent from 2017 to 2022 |
Edward S. Dryden (1965) |
Chief Compliance Officer since 2022 |
Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer – Thrivent Funds, Thrivent since 2018 |
John D. Jackson (1977) |
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer since 2022 |
Senior Counsel, Thrivent since 2017 |
Kathleen M. Koelling (5)
(1977) |
Privacy Officer since 2022 |
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Thrivent since 2018; Privacy Officer, Thrivent since 2011 |
Sharon K. Minta(5)
(1973) |
Anti-Money Laundering Officer since 2022 |
Director, Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering Officer of the Financial Crimes Unit, Thrivent since 2019 |
Troy A. Beaver
(1967) |
Vice President since 2022 |
Vice President, Mutual Funds Marketing & Distribution, Thrivent since 2015 |
Name, Address and Year of Birth
(2) |
Position with the Fund and Length of Service
(3) |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years |
Andrew R. Kellogg (6)
(1972) |
Vice President since 2022 |
Vice President, Operations Development and Relations, Thrivent since 2023; Director of Strategic Partnerships, Thrivent from 2021 to 2023; Director, Client Relations, SS&C/DST Systems, Inc. from 2016 to 2021 |
Jill M. Forte
(1974) |
Assistant Secretary since 2022 |
Senior Counsel, Thrivent since 2017 |
Richard L. Ramczyk (5)
(1976) |
Assistant Treasurer since 2022 |
Director, Fund Accounting and Valuation, Thrivent since 2022; Manager, Mutual Fund Accounting Operations, Thrivent from 2011 to 2022 |
Taishiro A. Tezuka (1985) |
Assistant Treasurer since 2023 |
Director, Fund Administration, Thrivent since 2023; Director, Asset Wealth Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from 2020 to 2022; Senior Manager, Asset Wealth Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from 2019 to 2020 |
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership
in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies | |
Michael W. Kremenak |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
David S. Royal |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership
in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies | |
Janice B. Case |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in the Funds |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership
in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies | |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Robert J. Chersi |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Arleas Upton Kea |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Paul R. Laubscher |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Robert J. Manilla |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
James A. Nussle |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
James W. Runcie |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Constance L.
Souders |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Over $100,000 |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate Compensation from Trust for
One Year Ending September 30, 2024 |
Total Compensation Paid by Trust and Fund
Complex for One Year Ending September 30, 2024(1)
|
Janice B. Case |
$1,216 |
$317,500 |
Robert J. Chersi |
$1,292 |
$337,500 |
Arleas Upton Kea |
$1,168 |
$305,000 |
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate Compensation from Trust for
One Year Ending September 30, 2024 |
Total Compensation Paid by Trust and Fund
Complex for One Year Ending September 30, 2024(1) |
Paul R. Laubscher |
$1,560 |
$407,500 |
Robert J. Manilla |
$1,216 |
$317,500 |
James A. Nussle |
$1,148 |
$300,000 |
James W. Runcie |
$1,101 |
$287,500 |
Constance L. Souders |
$1,216 |
$317,500 |
Portfolio Manager |
Type of Accounts |
Total # of Accounts Managed |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
# of Accounts Managed
with Advisory Fee Based
on Performance |
Total Assets with
Advisory Fee Based on
Performance |
Charmaine Chan |
Other Registered Investment Companies |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Nicholas E. Griffith |
Other Registered Investment Companies |
2 |
$293,757,868
|
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Christopher J. Parker |
Other Registered Investment Companies |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Graham Wong |
Other Registered Investment Companies |
2 |
$293,757,868
|
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
|
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Portfolio Manager |
Fund |
Fund Ownership |
Charmaine Chan |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
Nicholas E. Griffith |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
Christopher J. Parker |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
Portfolio Manager |
Fund |
Fund Ownership |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
Graham
Wong |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
None |
|
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
None |
Affiliated Person |
Position with Trust |
Position with Thrivent Asset Mgt. |
Michael W. Kremenak |
Trustee and President |
Elected
Manager |
David
S. Royal |
Trustee and Chief Investment Officer |
President |
Sarah
L. Bergstrom |
Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer |
Assistant Treasurer |
Edward
S. Dryden |
Chief Compliance Officer |
Chief
Compliance Officer |
John
D. Jackson |
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
Assistant Secretary |
Kathleen M. Koelling |
Privacy Officer |
Privacy
Officer |
Sharon
K. Minta |
Anti-Money Laundering Officer |
Anti-Money Laundering Officer |
Troy
A. Beaver |
Vice President |
Elected
Manager and Vice President |
Fund |
Management Fee |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value ETF |
0.55% |
Thrivent Small Cap Value ETF |
0.60% |
Fund |
10/31/2024 |
10/31/2023 |
10/31/2022 |
Thrivent Mid Cap Value Fund |
61 % |
43 % |
31 % |
Thrivent Core Small Cap Value Fund(1,2) |
32 % |
55 % |
19 % |
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and
Thrivent Asset Management, LLC
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures and Voting Guidelines Summary
Introduction
Responsibility to Vote Proxies
Overview. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Asset Management, LLC (collectively, in their capacity as investment advisers, Thrivent) have adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies and Procedures) for the purpose of establishing formal policies and procedures for performing and documenting Thrivents fiduciary duty with regard to the voting of client proxies, including investment companies which it sponsors and for which it serves as investment adviser (Thrivent Funds) and by institutional accounts who have requested that Thrivent be involved in the proxy process.
Fiduciary Considerations. It is the policy of Thrivent that decisions with respect to proxy issues will be made primarily in light of the anticipated impact of the issue on the desirability of investing in the portfolio company. Thrivent seeks to vote proxies solely in the interests of the client, including Thrivent Funds, and in a manner consistent with its fiduciary obligations and responsibilities. Logistics involved may make it impossible at times, and at other times disadvantageous, to vote proxies in every instance.
The procedural requirements contained in these Policies and Procedures do not apply in the case of requests for consents related to investments in private funds. With respect to private fund investments, the procedures described below under Consents Related to Private Fund Investments apply.
Administration of Policies and Procedures
Thrivent has formed a committee that is responsible for establishing positions with respect to corporate governance and other proxy issues, among other oversight functions related to Thrivents responsible investment processes (Committee). Annually, the Committee reviews the Policies and Procedures, including in relation to recommended changes reflected in applicable benchmark policies and voting guidelines of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS). As discussed below, Thrivent may, with the approval of the Committee, vote proxies other than in accordance with the applicable voting guidelines in the Policies and Procedures.
How Proxies are Reviewed, Processed and Voted
Proxy Voting Process Overview
Thrivents proxy voting process is designed to act in the best interests of the Thrivent Funds and other accounts it manages, adhering to legal and fiduciary standards. This process involves a careful evaluation of management and shareholder proposals pursuant to Thrivents Proxy Voting Guidelines, incorporating a wide range of factors that are financially material to portfolio companies and Thrivent clients objectives. Thrivents global approach is informed by various sources, including managements recommendation, the advice of proxy voting advisory firms, and internal assessments. Thrivents Proxy Voting Guidelines are crafted to help clients and portfolio companies understand its voting rationale, maintaining flexibility to adapt to individual situations.
1
Thrivent expects to vote proxies on behalf of clients in many cases in accordance with the Voting Guidelines. Thrivent retains the discretion, however, to vote any proxy on behalf of all or one or more clients in a manner inconsistent with the Voting Guidelines if Thrivent determines that doing so is in each applicable clients best interest. In making such a determination, Thrivent may consider any information it deems relevant, including each applicable clients investment objectives, strategies and processes. In such cases, the person requesting to diverge from the Voting Guidelines or process is required to document in writing the rationale for their vote and submit all written documentation to the Committee for review and approval. In determining whether to approve any particular request, the Committee will determine that the request is not influenced by any conflict of interest and is in the best interests of the applicable client(s). As a result, there may be instances when, with respect to a particular proxy vote item, Thrivent votes proxies on behalf of some clients in a manner that differs from how Thrivent votes proxies for other clients.
Retention of a Third Party Proxy Adviser
In order to facilitate the proxy voting process, Thrivent has retained ISS, an unaffiliated third-party proxy service provider, to provide proxy voting-related services, including custom vote recommendations, research, vote execution, reporting, auditing and consulting assistance for the handling of proxy voting responsibilities. ISS specializes in providing a variety of fiduciary-level proxy advisory and voting services. ISS analyzes each proxy vote of Thrivents client accounts and prepares a recommendation and/or materials for Thrivents consideration which reflect ISSs application of the Policies and Procedures.
In determining how to vote proxies, Thrivents Proxy Voting Guidelines leverage applicable market specific ISS voting guidelines, generally the ISS Benchmark Proxy Voting Guidelines (Benchmark Guidelines). For certain proposal types, Thrivent will provide standing instructions to ISS to vote proxies based on the recommendation of the Benchmark Guidelines; for other proposal types, Thrivents investment and/or other personnel, as the circumstances warrant, use research and recommendations issued pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines as part of the determination process.
The Benchmark Guidelines can be found at https://www.issgovernance.com/policy-gateway/voting-policies/.
Thrivent utilizes ISSs voting agent services for notification of upcoming shareholder meetings of portfolio companies held in client accounts and to transmit votes on behalf of Thrivents clients. ISS provides comprehensive summaries of proxy proposals, publications discussing key proxy voting issues, and specific vote recommendations regarding portfolio company proxies to assist in the proxy voting process. The final authority and responsibility for proxy voting decisions remains with Thrivent. Decisions with respect to proxy matters are made primarily in light of the anticipated impact of the issue on the desirability of investing in the company from the viewpoint of our respective clients, while adhering to legal and fiduciary standards to maximize shareholder value.
Shareholder Proposals
For shareholder proposals where Thrivent uses research and recommendations issued pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines and a voting determination is made by investment and/or other Thrivent personnel, Thrivent has developed evaluation frameworks designed to thoroughly assess each proposal, ensuring alignment with the best interests of company shareholders. Aspects of these frameworks may also be used for other proposals where Thrivent uses research and recommendations issued pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines and a voting determination is made by investment and/or other Thrivent personnel.
Supplement Applicable to Quantitative/Index Strategies
Certain of Thrivents client accounts are accounts (or a portion thereof) that employ a quantitative strategy that relies on factor-based models or an index-tracking approach rather than primarily on fundamental security research and analyst coverage that an actively managed portfolio using fundamental research
2
would typically employ (Quantitative/Index Accounts); often, these accounts hold a high number of positions. Accordingly, in light of the considerable time and effort that would be required to review ISS research and recommendations and the differing strategies for these accounts, absent client direction, for securities held only in Quantitative/Index Accounts, for certain categories of proposals, Thrivent uses a different process than for other accounts to review and determine a voting outcome. For these categories of proposals, Thrivent provides, consistent with the best interest of its clients, standing instructions to ISS to vote proxies based on the recommendation of ISS pursuant to the Benchmark Guidelines. When securities are also held in accounts (or a portion thereof) that rely on fundamental security research and analyst coverage, the Quantitative/Index Accounts will generally vote in accordance with the voting determination of those fundamental account(s), subject to any exceptions that may arise consistent with these guidelines and policies.
Monitoring and Resolving Conflicts of Interest
The Committee is responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts between the interests of Thrivent and those of its clients with respect to proxy voting. Examples of situations where conflicts of interest can arise are when i) the issuer is a vendor whose products or services are material to Thrivents business; ii) the issuer is an entity participating to a material extent in the distribution of proprietary investment products advised, administered or sponsored by Thrivent; iii) an Access Person1 of Thrivent also serves as a director or officer of the issuer; and iv) there is a personal conflict of interest (e.g., familial relationship with company management). Other circumstances or relationships can also give rise to potential conflicts of interest.
All material conflicts of interest will be resolved in the interests of the clients. Application of the Policies and Procedures applicable voting guidelines to vote client proxies is generally relied on to address possible conflicts of interest since the voting guidelines are pre-determined by the Committee. Where there is discretion in the voting guidelines, voting as recommended under an ISS policy may be relied on to address potential conflicts of interest.
In cases where Thrivent is considering overriding these Policies and Procedures applicable voting guidelines, or in the event there is discretion in determining how to vote (for example, where or the guidelines provide for a case by case internal review) matters presented for vote are not governed by such guidelines, the Committee will follow these or other similar procedures:
● | Compliance will conduct a review to seek to identify potential material conflicts of interest. If no material conflict of interest is identified, the proxy will be voted as determined by the Committee or the appropriate Thrivent personnel under these policies and procedures. The Compliance review process for identifying potential conflicts of interest will be reviewed by the Committee and may include a review of factors indicative of a potential conflict of interest or a determination that voting in accordance with ISSs recommendation(s) can reasonably be relied on to address potential conflicts of interest. |
● | If a material conflict of interest is identified, the Committee will be apprised of that fact and the Committee will evaluate the proposed vote in order to ensure that the proxy ultimately is voted in what Thrivent believes to be the best interests of clients, and without regard for the conflict of interest. The Committee will document its vote determination, including the nature of the material conflict, the Committees analysis of the matters submitted for proxy vote, and the reasons why the Committee determined that the votes were cast in the best interests of clients. |
Certain Thrivent Funds (top tier fund) may own shares of other Thrivent Funds (underlying fund). If an underlying fund submits a matter to a shareholder vote, the top tier fund will generally vote its shares in the same proportion as the other shareholders of the underlying fund. If there are no other shareholders in the underlying fund, the top tier fund will vote in what Thrivent believes to be in the top tier funds best interest.
1 | Access Person has the meaning provided under the current Thrivent Code of Ethics. |
3
Shareblocking
Shareblocking is the practice in certain foreign countries of freezing shares for trading purposes in order to vote proxies relating to those shares. Thrivent generally refrains from voting shares in shareblocking countries unless the matter has compelling economic consequences that outweigh the loss of liquidity in the blocked shares.
Applying Proxy Voting Policies to non-U.S. Companies
Thrivent applies a two-tier approach to determining and applying global proxy voting policies. The first tier establishes baseline policy guidelines for the most fundamental issues, which apply without regard to a companys domicile. The second tier takes into account various idiosyncrasies of different countries, making allowances for standard market practices, as long as they do not violate the fundamental goals of good corporate governance. The goal is to enhance shareholder value through effective use of the shareholder franchise, recognizing that applying policies developed for U.S. corporate governance may not be appropriate for all markets.
Securities Lending
From time to time, certain clients may participate in a securities lending program. Thrivent will not have the right to vote shares on loan as of record date. Thrivent will generally not seek to recall shares on loan in order to vote, unless it determines that a vote would have a material effect on an investment in such loaned security. Thrivent will use reasonable efforts to recall securities. The ability to vote recalled shares is subject to administrative considerations, including the feasibility of a timely recall prior to record date. Thrivent may also restrict lending of securities in consideration of individual account and/or aggregate client investment in a company, or other criteria established from time to time.
Oversight, Reporting and Record Retention
Retention of Proxy Service Provider and Oversight of Voting
In overseeing proxy voting generally and determining whether or not to retain the services of ISS, Thrivent performs the following functions, among others, to determine that Thrivent continues to vote proxies in the best interest of its clients: i) periodic sampling of proxy votes; ii) periodic reviews of Thrivents Policies and Procedures to determine they are adequate and have been implemented effectively, including whether they continue to be reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of Thrivents clients; iii) periodic due diligence on ISS designed to monitor ISSs a) capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including the adequacy and quality of its staffing and personnel, as well as b) its methodologies for developing vote recommendations and ensuring that its research is accurate and complete; and iv) periodic reviews of ISSs procedures regarding their capabilities to identify and address conflicts of interest.
Proxy statements and solicitation materials of issuers (other than those which are available on the SECs EDGAR database) are kept by ISS in its capacity as voting agent and are available upon request. Thrivent retains documentation on shares voted differently than the Thrivent Policies and Procedures voting guidelines, and any document which is material to a proxy voting decision such as the Thrivent Policies and Procedures voting guidelines and the Committee meeting materials.
ISS provides Vote Summary Reports for each Thrivent Fund. The report specifies the company, ticker, other applicable identifier (e.g., Cusip, SEDOL, etc.), meeting dates, proxy proposals, and votes which have been cast for the Thrivent Fund during the period, the position taken with respect to each issue and whether the Thrivent Fund voted with or against company management.
4
Copies of Voting Records and Policies
A copy of Thrivents detailed voting guidelines and the voting records of client accounts are available to Thrivents clients upon request.
Consents Related to Private Fund Investments
From time to time, the Thrivent Funds may invest in private investment funds (private funds). When these private funds request consent to change the terms or other conditions of their securities, Thrivent will promptly review these solicitations. Thrivent is committed to voting in the best interests of its clients, taking into account any potential conflicts of interest. The responsibility to vote on consents is delegated to certain of the Investment Personnel, as defined in the Thrivent Code of Ethics, of the Private Investments Group. The Private Investments Group, alongside the Chief Compliance Officer, will document and assess any potential conflicts of interest related to the consent voting process. If a conflict is deemed material by the Chief Compliance Officer, the Committee will be apprised. The Committee will then determine the best way to manage the conflict, ensuring votes serve the clients best interests. Other clients of Thrivent that vote on consents, including the Thrivent White Rose Funds, have other procedures related to the voting of consents as described in Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Part 2A of Form ADV.
Thrivents Proxy Voting Guidelines
Specific voting guidelines have been adopted by the Committee for regularly occurring categories of management and shareholder proposals. The detailed voting guidelines are available to Thrivents clients upon request. The following is a summary of significant Thrivent policies, which are generally consistent with the Benchmark Guidelines referenced above.
Board of Directors and Corporate Governance
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
Generally, Thrivent votes for director nominees, except under specific circumstances.
Four fundamental principles apply when determining votes on director nominees:
1. | Accountability: Boards should be sufficiently accountable to shareholders, including through transparency of the companys governance practices and regular board elections, by the provision of sufficient information for shareholders to be able to assess directors and board composition, and through the ability of shareholders to remove directors. It is expected that boards will engage in critical self-evaluation of themselves and of individual members. Individual directors, in turn, are expected to devote significant amounts of time to their duties and to limit the number of directorships they accept. |
2. | Responsiveness: Directors should respond to investor input, such as that expressed through significant opposition to management proposals, significant support for shareholder proposals (whether binding or non-binding), and tender offers where a majority of shares are tendered. |
3. | Composition: Companies should ensure that directors add value to the board by having sufficient time and commitment to serve effectively. Boards should be of a size appropriate to accommodate expertise and independence, while ensuring active and collaborative participation by all members. |
4. | Independence: Thrivent believes boards are expected to have a majority of directors independent of management. The independent directors are expected to organize much of the boards work, even if the chief executive officer also serves as chairperson of the board. Key committees (audit, compensation, and nominating/corporate governance) of the board are expected to be entirely independent of management. |
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Circumstances under which Thrivent may abstain, vote against or withhold votes from directors, pursuant to the Benchmark, include:
● | Independence-related issues such as non-independent directors on a board with < 50% independence. |
● | Composition-related issues such as low attendance or overboarding. |
● | Responsiveness-related issues such as poor responsiveness to a low say-on-pay vote. |
● | Accountability-related issues such as problematic takeover defenses, capital structure, and/or governance structure (including poison pill, unequal voting rights, classified board, removal of shareholder discretion, problematic governance structure, unilateral bylaw/charter amendments, restrictions on shareholder proposals, director performance evaluations, problematic audit practices, pledging, climate accountability, other governance failures). |
Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections
Thrivent votes case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections.
Other Proposals Related to Board Structure & Accountability
Thrivent believes boards should be sufficiently accountable to shareholders, including through transparency of the companys governance practices and regular board elections, by the provision of sufficient information for shareholders to be able to assess directors and board composition, and through the ability of shareholders to remove directors.
Thrivent may vote case-by-base on proposals related to age & term limits, proposals to establish or amend director qualifications, proposals to establish a new board committee, proposals to separate the board chair and CEO position, proposals related to director and officer indemnification, liability protection, and exculpation, and other proposals related to routine/standard board-related items.
Thrivent votes against management efforts to stagger board member terms because a staggered board may act as a deterrent to takeover proposals. For the same reason, Thrivent votes against proposals to eliminate cumulative voting and votes for proposals that seek to fix the size of the board.
Ratification of Auditors
Thrivent votes for proposals to ratify auditors, unless an auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent; there is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the companys financial position; non-audit fees paid represent 50 percent or more of the total fees paid to the auditor; or poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of concern.
Executive and Director Compensation
Well-designed incentive programs play a crucial role in guiding executive management decisions towards long-term value enhancement. Conversely, incentive programs with unsuitable performance targets or design flaws can hinder the alignment between managements incentives and the interests of investors. We believe that as proactive investors, its our duty to comprehend the compensation structures of the companies in our portfolio and to offer constructive feedback via our proxy voting and direct interactions whenever we identify areas of concern.
Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay)
Shareholder votes to approve executive compensation generally votes of an advisory nature have become common in markets around the world. It is challenging to apply a rules-based framework to compensation votes because every pay program is a unique reflection of the companys performance, industry, size, geographic mix, and competitive landscape. Additionally, factors such as executives
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individual performance, achievement of goals, experience, tenure, skills, and leadership should be taken into account in evaluating the overall compensation context. For these reasons, Thrivent votes on executive and director compensation proposals following a case-by-case evaluation. Generally, Thrivent opposes compensation packages that provide what we view as excessive awards to a few senior executives or that contain excessively dilutive stock option grants based on a number of criteria such as the costs associated with the plan, plan features, and dilution to shareholders.
Factors considered in our evaluation of Say on Pay votes includes an annual pay-for-performance analysis for companies in the S&P 1500, Russell 3000 or Russell 3000E Indices, conducted by ISS. This evaluation includes two primary factors:
● | Peer Group Alignment: This assesses the relationship between the companys total shareholder return (TSR) rank and the CEOs total pay rank within a peer group, measured over three years. It also considers the CEOs pay multiple relative to the peer group median. |
● | Absolute Alignment: This examines the alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the previous five fiscal years. |
If this analysis indicates significant misalignment, Thrivent may include qualitative factors for a deeper evaluation, such as the ratio of performance- to time-based incentives, the rigor of performance goals, and transparency of pay program disclosures. Additionally, Thrivent scrutinizes problematic pay practices on a case-by-case basis, focusing on practices that contravene global pay principles.
Thrivent generally votes for holding annual advisory votes on compensation, which provide the most consistent and clear communication channel for shareholder concerns about companies executive pay programs.
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans
We believe long-term equity plans, used appropriately, provide strong alignment of interests between executives and investors. These plans can be effective in linking executives pay to the companys performance as well as attracting and retaining management talent.
We evaluate requests to approve or renew equity plans on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an Equity Plan Scorecard (EPSC) approach with three pillars:
Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the companys equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the companys estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both:
§ | SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and |
§ | SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants. |
Plan Features:
§ | Quality of disclosure around vesting upon a change in control (CIC); |
§ | Discretionary vesting authority; |
§ | Liberal share recycling on various award types; |
§ | Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan; |
§ | Dividends payable prior to award vesting. |
Grant Practices:
§ | The companys three year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers; |
§ | Vesting requirements in CEOS recent equity grants (3-year look-back); |
§ | The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years); |
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§ | The proportion of the CEOs most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions; |
§ | Whether the company maintains a sufficient claw-back policy; |
§ | Whether the company maintains sufficient post exercise/vesting share-holding requirements. |
Other Compensation Plans
Thrivent has varying approaches for evaluating other compensation-related proposals, guided by a set of principles aimed at ensuring fair and effective compensation practices.
Capital Structure and Incorporation
Thrivent generally votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals related to capital structure and incorporation and seeks to vote in a way that protects shareholders value in the companies in which the Thrivent funds invest. When voting on capital structure issues, Thrivent considers the dilutive impact to shareholders and the effect on shareholder rights.
Thrivent will evaluate reincorporation proposals on a case-by-case basis. Considerations include:
● | Regulations of both states or countries |
● | Required fundamental policies |
● | Increased flexibility available |
Increases in Common Stock
Thrivents policy for voting on proposals to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock is nuanced and case-by-case, guided by specific criteria. For general corporate purposes, the policy is to vote for an increase in authorized shares depending on the percentage of share usage: up to 50% increase if less than 50% of current shares are used, up to 100% if usage is between 50% and 100%, and up to the current share usage if it exceeds the authorized shares. However, Thrivent generally votes against increases, even within these parameters, if the proposal or the companys use of shares is problematic, such as seeking to increase shares with superior voting rights or having a non-shareholder approved poison pill. Exceptions are made for increases beyond these ratios in cases where non-approval poses severe risks, like imminent bankruptcy or requirements by government bodies. In states allowing unilateral capital increases without shareholder approval, Thrivent may vote against all nominees if the increase doesnt conform to these policies. For specific authorization requests linked to transactions (like acquisitions or SPAC transactions), the policy is generally to vote for the increase, with the allowable increase being the greater of twice the amount needed for the transactions or the calculated increase for general issuances.
Multi-Class Share Structures
Thrivent generally recommends voting against proposals to create a new class of common stock, except in specific circumstances where the company provides a compelling rationale for a dual-class capital structure. Such exceptions include situations where the companys auditor expresses substantial doubt about the companys ongoing viability, or when the new share class is intended to be temporary. Additionally, Thrivent may support the creation of a new class if it is aimed at financing purposes with minimal or no short-term and long-term dilution to current shareholders, and it is not structured to preserve or enhance the voting power of insiders or significant shareholders. The policy underscores a cautious approach to changes in capital structure that could impact shareholder rights and company governance.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Thrivent votes on mergers and acquisitions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account and balancing the following: anticipated financial and operating benefits, including the opinion of the financial advisor, market reaction, offer price (cost vs. premium) and prospects of the combined companies; how the deal
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was negotiated; potential conflicts of interest between managements interests and shareholders interests; and changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights.
Anti-takeover and Shareholder Rights Plans
Thrivent adopts a nuanced approach towards voting on anti-takeover provisions, with a policy anchored in the principles of flexibility, fairness, and transparency in corporate governance. This approach involves critical evaluation of various factors, including the dilutive impact of capital structure changes, the balance of authority between the board and shareholders, especially in amending bylaws, and the careful scrutiny of provisions related to control share acquisitions, fair price, and poison pills. Thrivent also assesses the implications of litigation rights, voting disclosure, and mechanisms that empower shareholders, such as the ability to act by written consent or call special meetings. We believe in maintaining a market for corporate control that functions without undue restrictions, as it often leads to acquisitions that increase shareholder value. Consequently, Thrivent typically votes against the adoption of anti-takeover provisions like shareholder rights plans (poison pills), which can lead to management entrenchment and reduced board accountability, aiming to support proposals that enhance shareholder value and rights and oppose those that restrict or harm these interests.
Shareholders Rights Plans (poison pills)
For shareholder proposals requesting the submission of a poison pill to a vote or its redemption, Thrivent generally votes in favor, except when there is an existing shareholder-approved poison pill or a policy that allows the board to adopt a pill under specific conditions, including immediate shareholder ratification. Such pills must be put to a shareholder vote within 12 months of adoption or they will expire.
In cases where management proposes ratification of a poison pill, Thrivents vote is case-by-case, focusing on the rights plans attributes like a trigger no lower than 20%, a maximum term of three years, the absence of features that limit a future boards ability to redeem the pill, and a shareholder redemption feature. The companys rationale for adopting the pill is also critically assessed, along with its governance structure, including board independence and existing defenses.
When it comes to poison pills aimed at preserving Net Operating Losses (NOLs), Thrivent votes against proposals if the term exceeds the shorter of three years or the exhaustion of the NOLs. For management proposals to ratify NOL pills with a shorter term, the vote is case-by-case, considering factors like the ownership threshold, the value of the NOLs, shareholder protection mechanisms, the companys governance structure, and other relevant factors.
Shareholder Ability to Call a Special Meeting & Act by Written Consent
Thrivents policy regarding shareholder rights to act by written consent and to call special meetings is focused on maintaining and enhancing shareholder participation and influence in corporate governance. Generally, Thrivent votes against any proposals that seek to restrict or prohibit shareholders ability to act by written consent. We generally support proposals that enable shareholders to act by written consent, considering factors such as the existing rights, consent thresholds, any exclusionary language, the investor ownership structure, and the history of shareholder support and management responses to related proposals.
When it comes to shareholders ability to call special meetings, Thrivent typically votes against proposals that restrict or prohibit this right. We generally support management or shareholder proposals that facilitate the ability of shareholders to call special meetings, paying attention to current rights, the minimum ownership threshold necessary for calling meetings (with a preference for a 10% threshold), any prohibitive language in the proposals, the investor ownership structure, and the track record of both shareholder support and managements responses to past proposals.
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Voting Requirements
Thrivent generally supports management proposals to adopt a majority of votes cast standard for directors in uncontested elections.
Thrivent generally opposes proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote and generally supports proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements. However, for companies with shareholder who have significant ownership levels, Thrivent may vote case-by-case, taking into account: Ownership structure; Quorum requirements; and Vote requirements.
Thrivent generally votes case-by-case on proposals regarding proxy voting mechanics, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder rights. Specific issues include, but are not limited to, confidential voting of individual proxies and ballots, confidentiality of running vote tallies, and the treatment of abstentions and/or broker non-votes in the companys vote-counting methodology.
Environmental and Social Management Proposals
Thrivent will generally vote in accordance with the ISS Benchmark recommendations with regard to management proposals relating to environmental and social topics, such as those related to approval of political donations.
Shareholder Proposals
At Thrivent, we evaluate shareholder proposals with the overarching goal of aligning our voting decisions with the best interests of shareholders and maximizing long-term value. Shareholder proposals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis starting with thoughtful and consistent framework processes that consider the materiality of the issue to the companys business, the companys current practices and disclosures, the context and credibility of the proposal and its proponent, alignment with shareholder interests, and the proposals prescriptiveness.
We recognize that proposals can vary significantly in scope and impact, and our evaluation process reflects this diversity. While our actively managed fundamental strategies apply a detailed, research-driven approach to voting decisions, our quantitative and index strategies rely on processes that balance efficiency with shareholder value considerations. This distinction ensures that each proposal is assessed in a manner consistent with the strategy and objectives of the portfolios holding the security.
Environmental and Social Shareholder Proposals
When evaluating environmental and social proposals, we adopt a case-by-case analysis that balances the specific circumstances of each company with the broader context of market norms and regulatory requirements. The starting point of our evaluation is a framework that involves analyzing the relevance of a proposal in terms of its direct relation to the companys business activities, strategies, and performance.
The framework considers the potential material impact of the proposal on the companys long-term value with a focus on financial performance or valuation. Additionally, Thrivent examines the companys current practices, policies, and disclosures relevant to the proposal, while considering industry-standard practices and trends (market norms) to provide a benchmark for evaluation. Understanding the legal and regulatory landscape, including existing laws and future regulatory trends, forms a part of this evaluation. The framework also encompasses identifying the proposals proponents to understand their motivations and potential implications, as well as considering the proposals potential reputational impact on the company. Assessing the reasonableness of the proposal in terms of practicality, feasibility, and logic, and evaluating its persuasiveness based on clarity, logic, and evidence, are also integral components of the process.
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By leveraging this structured framework, Thrivent ensures that our voting decisions are informed and consider long-term value creation for shareholders.
Consideration | Questions | Explanation | ||
Materiality |
Does the resolution address an issue that is material for this company? Does the proposal reflect an industry-specific, materiality-driven approach? |
The relevance of the resolution is crucial in determining if it aligns with the core business and operations of the company. Materiality is key to understanding if the issue can significantly impact the companys long-term value. | ||
Current Practice |
Does the proposal address a current shortcoming? Has the company already announced intentions to address the shortcoming? |
Current practices and disclosures are reviewed to check if the company has already taken steps to address the issue. Market norms provide context by showing industry standards and peer responses. | ||
Context |
Who are the proponents of the resolution, and are they tied to any particular interest groups? Do the proponents interests align with ours? |
Understanding the proponent helps identify their motivations and alignment with the companys objectives. The reasonableness and persuasiveness of the proposal are essential to ensure it is practical and effectively communicated. | ||
Shareholder Alignment |
Are shareholders the optimal stakeholders to address the core issue that is the subject of the resolution? Does the proposal add value for shareholders? |
This involves assessing whether the issue falls within shareholder influence or if its better addressed through regulatory compliance and legal mandates. | ||
Prescriptiveness |
Is the proposal NOT overly prescriptive? Do the proposals demands NOT unreasonably restrict management from conducting its business? |
The reasonableness of the proposal is evaluated to ensure it is not excessively demanding. The companys current practices and disclosures are reviewed to determine if there is already a framework addressing the issue. |
Other Shareholder Proposals
Thrivents approach to evaluating other shareholder proposals reflects our commitment to responsible investment stewardship and alignment with shareholder value. Recognizing the wide range of issues addressed by these proposalssuch as governance structures, shareholder rights, executive compensation, and operational practiceswe apply a consistent and thorough framework as a starting point to ensure decisions are in the best interests of shareholders.
These shareholder proposals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, balancing company-specific circumstances with broader governance standards and market practices. Our evaluation framework considers the materiality of the proposal, its relevance to the companys business strategy, and its potential to create or protect shareholder value. In addition, we assess the companys current practices and policies to identify any governance shortcomings the proposal seeks to address.
The context and credibility of the proposal and its proponents are critical components of our analysis, helping to understand the proponents motivations and whether they are aligned with shareholder interests. We also evaluate whether the proposal enhances shareholder rights, better aligns management and shareholder objectives, and avoids unnecessary prescriptiveness that could hinder the companys ability to operate effectively.
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By leveraging this structured framework, Thrivent ensures that our voting decisions are informed and consider long-term value creation for shareholders.
Consideration | Questions | Explanation | ||
Materiality |
Is the issue material to the companys business? Does the proposed action have the potential to materially impact the company? |
The relevance of the proposal is essential to ensure it addresses core business operations and aligns with shareholder value creation. Materiality highlights the issues potential impact on financial and strategic outcomes. | ||
Current Practice |
Does the proposal remedy a governance weakness? Has the company already announced intentions to address the shortcoming? |
Reviewing current practices and disclosures helps identify existing efforts to address the issue. Governance improvements may align with industry standards or address peer comparisons. | ||
Context |
Who are the proponents of the resolution, and are they tied to any particular interest groups? Do the proponents interests align with ours? |
Understanding the proponents motivations ensures alignment with shareholder objectives. Proposals should be reasonable and communicated effectively. | ||
Shareholder Alignment |
Does the proposal enhance shareholder rights or create value for shareholders? Does the proposal have the potential to better align executive and/or directors interests with those of shareholders? |
Evaluating shareholder alignment ensures the proposal strengthens governance practices, improves shareholder rights, and aligns interests with long-term value creation. | ||
Prescriptiveness |
Is the proposal NOT overly prescriptive? Does the proposals demands NOT unreasonably restrict management from conducting its business? |
Proposals should not impose excessive restrictions on management. They must balance practicality and flexibility with achieving the intended objectives. |
Disclosure-Related Proposals
In assessing proposals that request enhanced disclosure, Thrivent focuses on several critical factors, such as the companys current level of disclosure, its compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines, and any significant controversies or fines that might have arisen.
Thrivents policy is to vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals seeking greater disclosure, as well as any associated risks and liabilities. The goal is to ensure that disclosures effectively balance the needs and interests of various stakeholders and are not overly onerous, diverting resources from core business operations.
Action-Related Proposals
Regarding proposals that require a company to take a certain action, our policy is to carefully scrutinize requests for the adoption of specific targets, goals, or changes in business practices. We acknowledge that while shareholders may not always have the intricate knowledge of a companys strategic operations, there are instances where such proposals can highlight areas needing improvement.
Thrivent assesses each proposal based on the nature of the companys business, the practicality and feasibility of implementing the proposed actions, and how these actions align with the companys overall strategy and operational capabilities. In considering these proposals, Thrivent pays close attention to the companys ability to address the issues raised in the proposal, the proposals prescribed timetable and methods for implementation, and how the companys practices compare with those of its industry peers.
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Copies of Voting Records and Policies
A copy of Thrivents detailed voting guidelines and the voting records of client accounts are available to Thrivents clients upon request.
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