As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 26, 2025

 

Securities Act Registration No. 333-281744
Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-23997

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

  Pre-Effective Amendment No. ____
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 20

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

 

  Amendment No. 22

 

 

 

TORTOISE CAPITAL SERIES TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400
Overland Park, Kansas 66211
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(913) 981-1020
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

 

Tom Florence
5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400
Overland Park, Kansas 66211
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

 

Copies to:
Deborah Bielicke Eades
Vedder Price P.C.
222 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60601

 

 

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

 

Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
On _____________ pursuant to paragraph (b)
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)
On _____________, 2025 pursuant to paragraph (a)
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
_____________, 2025 pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
   
If appropriate, check the following box:
   
This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The information contained in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and it is not a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, in any jurisdiction where sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

 

PROSPECTUS

 

TORTOISE NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE ETF

 

Ticker Symbol: TNUK
Exchange: New York Stock Exchange

 

[●], 2025

 

 

Neither the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
   
Prospectus  
Tortoise NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE ETF Summary 1
Investment Objective 1
Fees and Expenses of the Fund 1
Portfolio Turnover 1
Principal Investment Strategies 1
Principal Risks 2
Performance History 4
Investment Adviser 4
Portfolio Managers 5
Purchase and Sale of Shares 5
Tax Information 5
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 5
Additional Fund Information 5
Investment Objective 5
Additional Information About the Principal Investment Strategies 6
Additional Principal Risk Information 6
Exclusion of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition 10
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings 10
Investment Management 10
Investment Adviser 10
Portfolio Managers 10
Buying and Selling Fund Shares 12
Other Considerations 13
Distribution and Service Plan of the Fund 13
Payments to Financial Intermediaries 13
Fund Service Providers 14
Additional Information 14
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes 14
Tax Consequences 15
Additional Information 19
Other Information 19
Continuous Offering 19
Premium/Discount Information 19
Financial Highlights 20
Statement of Additional Information 20
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports 20

 

 

 

 

Tortoise Nuclear RENAISSANCE etf Summary

 

Investment Objective

 

Tortoise Nuclear Renaissance ETF, a series of Tortoise Capital Series Trust (the “Fund”), seeks total return.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

Shareholder Fees None
(fees paid directly from your investment)  
   
Annual Fund Operating Expenses  
(expenses that you pay as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.75%(1)
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.75%

 

(1)The Fund has adopted a unitary fee structure. Under such structure, the Adviser is responsible for paying the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund from the management fee. Ordinary operating expenses do not include brokerage commissions and transaction costs, leverage/borrowing expense, securities lending fees and similar expenses. See “Investment Management—Investment Adviser” at page 10.

 

Example

 

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

 

One Year Three Years
$77 $240

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account at the shareholder level. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example above, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund is newly offered, portfolio turnover information is not available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is a non-diversified series of Tortoise Capital Series Trust (the “Trust”) and is regulated as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and does not seek to track the performance of an index. The Fund’s investment objective is to seek total return.

 

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The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing in companies across the nuclear energy value chain. The Adviser believes that the global focus on decarbonization and energy security will result in a resurgence in the growth of the nuclear energy sector. The Fund seeks to invest in companies that will benefit from that resurgence.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (including assets obtained through borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of companies that derive a material portion of their revenues from activities in Nuclear Industries. “Nuclear Industries” include (i) uranium mining and milling, (ii) reactor design and construction, and/or (iii) operation and maintenance of nuclear reactors. The uranium mining and milling industry covers the entire upstream fuel-supply chain from extracting uranium ore to delivering finished reactor fuel assemblies. The reactor design and construction industry includes companies that engineer, design and build nuclear reactor technologies and intellectual property, manufacture large-scale components for nuclear reactors (like pressure vessels and steam generators), and companies that manage end-to-end project delivery including engineering, procurement of specialist equipment, and on-site construction. The operation and maintenance industry includes companies that own and operate nuclear reactors day-to-day, as well as the service companies that supply spare parts, handle refueling outages, perform inspections, and carry out upgrades and long-term maintenance.

 

The Fund may invest in U.S. or non-U.S. securities of any market capitalization, including small- and mid-cap stocks.

 

The Fund concentrates its investments (i.e., holds 25% or more of its assets) in one or more industries that comprise the nuclear energy sector, in the Nuclear Industries. The Fund is non-diversified, which means it may invest in fewer issuers than a diversified fund.

 

The Fund invests primarily in common stocks but may invest in preferred stock and other equity securities. The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, options and swaps to pursue its objective of total return or for hedging purposes. The Fund invests in U.S. and non-U.S. companies, and may invest in companies of any market capitalization, including small-cap issuers.

 

Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. A summary description of certain principal risks of investing in the Fund is set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency.

 

General Market Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that it will not achieve its investment objective and that the value of an investment in its securities could decline substantially and cause you to lose some or all of your investment. The Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities. Certain securities in the Fund’s portfolio may be worth less than the price originally paid for them, or less than they were worth at an earlier time.

 

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Nuclear Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of companies in the Nuclear Industries. Companies in the Nuclear Industries may face considerable risk as a result of, among other risks, incidents and accidents, breaches of security, ill-intentioned acts of terrorism, air crashes, natural disasters (such as floods or earthquakes), equipment malfunctions or mishandling in storage, handling, transportation, treatment or conditioning of substances and nuclear materials. Such events could have serious consequences, especially in case of radioactive contamination and irradiation of the environment, for the general population, as well as a material, negative impact on the Fund’s portfolio companies and thus the Fund’s financial situation. In addition, nuclear companies are subject to competitive risk associated with the prices of other energy sources, such as natural gas and oil. Consumers of nuclear energy may have the ability to switch between nuclear energy and other energy sources and, as a result, during periods when competing energy sources are less expensive or nuclear energy sources are out of favor, the revenues of nuclear energy companies may decline with a corresponding impact on earnings.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in securities of foreign companies involve risks not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers, including risks relating to political, social and economic developments abroad, differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory and accounting requirements, tax risks, and market practices, as well as fluctuations in foreign currencies.

 

Depository Receipt Risk. Investing in Depository Receipts may be subject to certain risks associated with direct investments in the securities of foreign companies, such as currency, political, economic and market risks. Depository Receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in the primary trading market. Depository Receipts may not track the price of their underlying foreign securities on which they are based, may have limited voting rights, and may have a distribution subject to a fee charged by the depository. As a result, equity shares of the underlying issuer may trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depository receipts.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. The use of derivatives could increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the underlying instrument. Using derivatives can have a leveraging effect and increase fund volatility. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund’s other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, additional risks are associated with derivatives trading that are possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments. These additional risks include, but are not limited to, illiquidity risk and counterparty credit risk. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund’s relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm. The Fund would also be exposed to counterparty risk with respect to the clearinghouse. Financial reform laws have changed many aspects of financial regulation applicable to derivatives. Once implemented, new regulations, including margin, clearing, and trade execution requirements, may make derivatives more costly, may limit their availability, may present different risks or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of these instruments. The extent and impact of these regulations are not yet fully known and may not be known for some time.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value. The equity securities held by the Fund may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors affecting securities markets generally, the equity securities of nuclear companies in particular, or a particular company.

 

Mid-Cap and Small-Cap Companies Risk. Companies defined as small and mid-cap securities may involve greater risk than is normally associated with large cap companies, and as a result may be more volatile and less liquid than the securities of large-cap companies, and may have returns that vary substantially from the overall securities markets.

 

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Investment Company Risk. The Fund may be subject to increased expenses and reduced performance as a result of its investments in other investment companies. When investing in other investment companies, the Fund bears its pro rata share of the other investment company’s fees and expenses including the duplication of advisory and other fees and expenses. The resulting increase to the Fund’s expenses will reduce its performance.

 

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may be exposed to liquidity risk when trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions impair the Fund’s ability to sell particular securities at an advantageous price or in a timely manner. Illiquid or restricted securities cannot be sold immediately because of statutory and contractual restrictions on resale.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified,” which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investments in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.

 

Absence of Active Trading Market Risk. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing or trading of Fund shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

 

Shares May Trade at Prices Different than NAV Per Share. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for shares of the Fund may result in shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV. If a shareholder purchases shares when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

 

Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous trading risks, including disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund and losses from trading in the secondary markets. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or other reasons or due to extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules on the Exchange or market. Additionally, an exchange or market may also close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

Legal and Regulatory Change Risks. The regulatory environment for investment companies is evolving, and changes in regulation may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and its ability to pursue its trading strategy. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund could be substantial and adverse.

 

Performance History

 

The Fund has not commenced operations and does not have a performance history.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Adviser”)

 

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Portfolio Managers

 

The investment management of the Fund’s portfolio is the responsibility of the Adviser’s investment committee. The investment committee’s members are Brian A. Kessens, James R. Mick, Matthew G.P. Sallee, and Robert J. Thummel, Jr., all of whom share responsibility for such investment management and have each served as portfolio manager to the Fund since its inception in 2025.

 

Purchase and Sale of Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in blocks of shares known as “Creation Units.” ETF Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash constituting a substantial replication, or a representation, of the securities included in the relevant benchmark index. The Fund intends to effect redemptions for a combination of cash and in-kind securities. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because exchange-traded fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, the Fund’s shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.tortoisecapital.com.

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions made by the Fund may be taxable as ordinary income, or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt organization or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Any withdrawals made from such tax-advantaged arrangement generally will be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

Additional Fund Information

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek total return. The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed without approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund must also provide at least 60 days’ prior written notice to its shareholders if the Board of Trustees changes the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in investments suggested by the Fund’s name, as described in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies section below.

 

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Investment limitations identified as fundamental may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act, means the lesser of (1) 67% of the voting shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares are represented or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares). There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives.

 

Additional Information About the Principal Investment Strategies

 

The following information is in addition to, and should be read along with, the description of the Fund’s principal investment strategies in the Fund Summary section titled “Principal Investment Strategies” above.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (including assets obtained through borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of nuclear companies that derives some portion of revenues from Nuclear Industries. Nuclear Industries include (i) uranium mining and milling, (ii) reactor design and construction, and/or (iii) operation and maintenance of nuclear reactors. To the extent that the Fund invests in derivative instruments or investment companies that provide exposure to nuclear companies, such investments will count toward compliance with the 80% investment policy.

 

The Adviser selects portfolio securities based on fundamental and quantitative research. The Fund’s assets are allocated between investments in uranium mining and milling, reactor design and construction and operation and maintenance of nuclear reactors based on the relative attractiveness of each sub-sector and the characteristics of individual companies. The Adviser will typically sell a position held by the Fund due to changes in the Adviser’s strategic outlook or fundamental changes at a specific company. The Adviser also may sell a position because of the Fund’s risk controls concerning position concentration or the performance of a company relative to a particular sub-sector or to nuclear companies as a whole. In addition, the Adviser may sell a position when the Fund requires cash to meet redemption requests.

 

Portfolio companies are considered nuclear companies for purposes of the Fund’s 80% investment policy based on the same fundamental and quantitative research that is used to buy and sell securities. The Adviser seeks to identify companies that either currently provide or intend to provide or operate services in, to, or in connection with Nuclear Industries and that have meaningful exposure to such activities as measured by the percentage of revenue derived from such activities and/or the percentage of capital expenditures devoted to development of such capabilities. The Adviser assesses a company’s percentage of revenue and/or capital expenditure dedicated to Nuclear Industries based on a bottom-up fundamental analysis of financial statements, regulatory filings and other public information. The Adviser seeks to invest in companies where Nuclear Industries are, or will become, meaningful to the company’s profitability, growth and share price.

 

Additional Principal Risk Information

 

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks” in the Fund’s summary along with additional risk information.

 

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General Market Risk. The Fund is subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any business, including the risk that it will not achieve its investment objective and that the value of an investment in its securities could decline substantially and cause you to lose some or all of your investment. U.S. and international markets have, and may continue to, experience volatility, which may increase risks associated with an investment in the Fund. Certain social, political, economic, environmental and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters and weather-related phenomena generally, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) may adversely interrupt the global economy and result in prolonged periods of significant market volatility. Changes in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may be rapid or unpredictable and cause the NAV of the Fund and its investment return to fluctuate. These fluctuations may cause a security to be worth less than the price originally paid for it, or less than it was worth at an earlier time. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. The market value of securities in which the Fund invests is based upon the market’s perception of value and is not necessarily an objective measure of the securities’ value. In some cases, for example, the stock prices of individual companies have been negatively impacted even though there may be little or no apparent degradation in the financial condition or prospects of the issuers.

 

Nuclear Industry Concentration Risk. Companies in the Nuclear Industries may be cyclical and highly dependent on energy prices. The market value of nuclear companies is strongly affected by the levels and volatility of global energy prices, energy supply and demand, capital expenditures on exploration and production of energy sources, energy conservation efforts, exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, increased competition and technological advances, among other factors. Nuclear companies may be subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of doing business and limit the earnings of these companies. A significant portion of revenues of nuclear companies depends on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities. As a result, governmental budget constraints may have a material adverse effect on the stock prices of companies in this sub-industry. Nuclear companies may also operate in, or engage in transactions involving countries with, less developed regulatory regimes or a history of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse policies. Nuclear companies also face a significant risk of liability from accidents resulting in injury or loss of life or property, pollution or other environmental problems, equipment malfunctions or mishandling of materials and a risk of loss from terrorism, political strife and natural disasters. Any such event could have serious consequences for the general population of the area affected and could have an adverse impact on the Fund’s portfolio and the performance of the Fund. Nuclear companies can be significantly affected by the supply of, and demand for, specific products (e.g., oil and natural gas) and services, exploration and production spending, government subsidization, world events and general economic conditions.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in securities (including ADRs) of foreign issuers involve risks not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers. For example, foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. Foreign securities exchanges, brokers and companies may be subject to less government supervision and regulation than exists in the U.S. Dividend and interest income may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes, which may adversely affect the net return on such investments. The Fund may not be able to pass through to its shareholders any foreign income tax credits as a result of any foreign income taxes it pays. There may be difficulty in obtaining or enforcing a court judgment abroad. In addition, it may be difficult to effect repatriation of capital invested in certain countries. In addition, with respect to certain countries, there are risks of expropriation, confiscatory taxation, political or social instability or diplomatic developments that could affect the Fund’s assets held in foreign countries. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than there is regarding a U.S. company, and many foreign companies are not subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, regulatory framework and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Foreign securities markets may have substantially less volume than U.S. securities markets and some foreign company securities are less liquid than securities of otherwise comparable U.S. companies. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures that could cause the Fund to encounter difficulties in purchasing and selling securities on such markets and may result in the Fund missing attractive investment opportunities or experiencing a loss. In addition, a portfolio that includes securities issued by foreign issuers can expect to have a higher expense ratio because of the increased transaction costs in foreign markets and the increased costs of maintaining the custody of such foreign securities. When investing in securities issued by foreign issuers, there is also the risk that the value of such an investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. The Fund may, but does not currently intend to, hedge its exposure to foreign currencies.

 

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Depository Receipt Risk. Investing in Depository Receipts may be subject to certain risks associated with direct investments in the securities of foreign companies, such as currency, political, economic and market risks. Depository Receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in the primary trading market. Depository Receipts may not track the price of their underlying foreign securities on which they are based, may have limited voting rights, and may have a distribution subject to a fee charged by the depository. As a result, equity shares of the underlying issuer may trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depository receipts.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund may utilize derivatives. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, there are additional risks associated with derivatives trading that may be greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments. Investing in derivatives may involve the use of highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with other investments. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the underlying instrument or the Fund’s other investments. Additional risks include but are not limited to the possible default of the counterparty to the transaction, illiquidity of the derivative investments or leverage risk. Furthermore, the ability to successfully use these techniques depends on the Adviser’s ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. Additionally, amounts paid by the Fund as premiums and cash, or other assets segregated as collateral with respect to derivatives, are not otherwise freely available for investment purposes. There can be no assurance that regulation of derivative instruments and markets will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the Fund to implement certain derivative strategies or to achieve its investment objective. In addition, changes in government regulation of derivatives could affect the character, timing and amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities can be affected by macroeconomic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations about changes in interest rates, investor sentiment towards equities, changes in a particular issuer’s or industry’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer or industry. Prices of equity securities of individual entities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the company or partnership, including earnings power and coverage ratios. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. In addition, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices may fluctuate for several reasons including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or the occurrence of political or economic events that affect the issuers. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, which increases borrowing costs and the costs of capital. Any of the foregoing risks could substantially impact the ability of such an entity to grow its dividends or distributions.

 

Mid-Cap and Small-Cap Companies Risk. The Fund may invest in mid-cap and small-cap companies that may not have the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of large-cap companies. Therefore, their securities may be more volatile and less liquid than the securities of larger, more established companies. Mid-cap and small-cap company stocks may also be bought and sold less often and in smaller amounts than larger company stocks. Because of this, if the Adviser needs to sell a large quantity of a mid-cap or small-cap company stock, in accordance with the Underlying Index methodology, it may have to sell at a lower price than it might prefer, or it may have to sell in smaller than desired quantities over a period of time. Analysts and other investors may follow these companies less actively and therefore information about these companies may not be as readily available as that for large-cap companies.

 

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Investment Company Risk. The Fund may be subject to increased expenses and reduced performance as a result of its investments in other investment companies. When investing in other investment companies, the Fund bears its pro rata share of the other investment company’s fees and expenses including the duplication of advisory and other fees and expenses. The resulting increase to the Fund’s expenses will reduce its performance.

 

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization and may be exposed to liquidity risk when trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions impair the Fund’s ability to sell particular securities at an advantageous price or a timely manner. In the event certain securities experience limited trading volumes, the prices of such securities may display abrupt or erratic movements at times. In addition, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such securities without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified,” which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investments in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.

 

Absence of Active Trading Market Risk. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing or trading of Fund shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

 

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for shares of the Fund may result in shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV. If a shareholder purchases shares when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

 

Trading Risks. The Fund faces numerous trading risks, including disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund and losses from trading in the secondary markets. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. In addition, trading in Fund shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules on the exchange or market. Additionally, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses. During a “flash crash,” the market prices of the Fund’s shares may decline suddenly and significantly. Such a decline may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. Flash crashes may cause market makers in the Fund’s shares to limit or cease trading in the Fund’s shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders could suffer significant losses to the extent that they sell shares at these temporarily low market prices.

 

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Legal and Regulatory Change Risks. The regulatory environment for investment companies is evolving, and changes in regulation may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and its ability to pursue its trading strategy. In addition, the securities markets are subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations. The SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund could be substantial and adverse.

 

Exclusion of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition

 

An exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has been claimed with respect to the Fund, and, therefore, the Adviser is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund. In addition, the Adviser will rely upon an exemption from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” (“CTA”) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through the Fund’s website and may be made available through financial reporting and news services or any other medium, including publicly available internet web sites. Additional information regarding the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s SAI.

 

Investment Management

 

Investment Adviser

 

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser provides the Fund with investment research and advice and furnishes the Fund with an investment program consistent with its investment objective and policies, subject to the oversight of its Board of Trustees. The Adviser determines which portfolio securities will be purchased or sold, arranges for the placing of orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities, selects brokers or dealers to place those orders, maintains books and records with respect to the Fund’s securities transactions and reports to its Board of Trustees on its investments and performance.

 

The advisory fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser is an annual unitary advisory fee. The Fund pays the Adviser an annual advisory fee equal to 0.75% of its average daily net assets. Out of the unitary advisory fee, the Adviser pays all expenses of the Fund, except for: (i) brokerage expenses and other fees, charges, taxes, levies or expenses (such as stamp taxes) incurred in connection with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions (including without limitation any fees, charges, taxes, levies or expenses related to the purchase or sale of an amount of any currency, or the patriation or repatriation of any security or other asset, related to the execution of portfolio transactions or any creation or redemption transactions); (ii) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith; (iii) extraordinary expenses; (iv) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; (v) interest and taxes of any kind or nature (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transfer and withholding taxes); (vi) any fees and expense related to the provision of securities lending services; and (vii) the advisory fee payable to the Adviser.

 

The Adviser is located at 5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400, Overland Park, Kansas 66211. The Adviser specializes in energy investing across the energy value chain, including infrastructure and MLPs. The Adviser was formed in October 2002 to provide portfolio management services to institutional and high-net-worth investors seeking professional management of their master limited partnership (“MLP”) investments. As of June 30, 2025, the Adviser had approximately $9.1 billion of client assets under management. The Adviser’s Investment Committee is comprised of four individuals.

 

The Adviser is indirectly controlled by Lovell Minnick Partners LLC (“Lovell Minnick”) and is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Tortoise Parent Holdco LLC (“Tortoise”). An entity formed by Lovell Minnick owned by certain private funds sponsored by Lovell Minnick and a group of institutional co-investors owns a controlling interest in Tortoise. Certain employees in the Tortoise complex also own interests in Tortoise.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The investment management of the Fund’s portfolio is the responsibility of the Adviser’s investment committee. The investment committee’s members are Brian A. Kessens, James R. Mick, Matthew G.P. Sallee, and Robert J. Thummel, Jr., all of whom share responsibility for such investment management. It is the policy of the investment committee that any one member can require the Adviser to sell a portfolio company and any one member can veto the committee’s decision to invest in a portfolio company.

 

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Brian A. Kessens. Mr. Kessens joined the Adviser in 2008. He has been a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser since February 2019, a Managing Director of the Adviser since January 2015, and a member of the Investment Committee of our Adviser since June 30, 2015. He was a portfolio manager of the Adviser from July 2013 to January 2019. He was a senior investment analyst of the Adviser from June 2012 to July 2013, and an investment analyst from 2008 to June 2012. Previously, from 2004 to 2008, he was a vice president in Citigroup’s global energy investment banking practice. Prior to Citigroup, he served from 1997 to 2002 as a field artillery officer in the United States Army. Mr. Kessens earned a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School in New York and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned his CFA designation in 2006.

 

James R. Mick. Mr. Mick joined the Adviser in 2006. He has been a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser since February 2019, a Managing Director of the Adviser since January 2014, and a member of the Investment Committee of our Adviser since June 30, 2015. He was a portfolio manager of the Adviser from July 2013 to January 2019. He was a senior investment analyst of the Adviser from June 2012 to July 2013, an investment analyst from 2011 to June 2012, and a research analyst from 2006 to 2011. Previously, he was a senior finance specialist at General Electric Insurance Solutions (now Swiss Re) from 2003 to 2006 and a senior auditor at Ernst & Young from 2000 to 2003. Mr. Mick earned Bachelor of Science degrees in business administration and accounting and a Master of Accounting and Information Systems degree from the University of Kansas. He earned his CFA designation in 2010.

 

Matthew G.P. Sallee. Mr. Sallee joined the Adviser in 2005. He has been a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser since February 2019, a Managing Director of the Adviser since January 2014, and a member of the Investment Committee of our Adviser since June 30, 2015. He was a portfolio manager of the Adviser from July 2013 to January 2019. He was a senior investment analyst of the Adviser from June 2012 to July 2013, an investment analyst from 2009 to June 2012, and a research analyst from 2005 to 2009. Previously, he served for five years (from 2000 to 2005) as a senior financial analyst with Aquila, Inc., where he was responsible for analysis of capital allocation at the firm’s communications infrastructure subsidiary, Everest Connections. Mr. Sallee graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri with a degree in business administration. He earned his CFA designation in 2009.

 

Robert J. Thummel, Jr. Mr. Thummel joined the Adviser in 2004. He has been a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser since February 2019, a Managing Director of the Adviser since January 2014, and a member of the Investment Committee of our Adviser since June 30, 2015. He was a portfolio manager of the Adviser from July 2013 to January 2019. He was a senior investment analyst of the Adviser from June 2012 to July 2013, and an investment analyst from 2004 to June 2012. Mr. Thummel was previously the president of Tortoise North American Energy Corporation from 2008 until the fund was merged into Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corporation in June 2014. Previously, he was director of finance at KLT Inc., a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy, from 1998 to 2004 and a senior auditor at Ernst & Young from 1995 to 1998. Mr. Thummel earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Kansas State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Kansas.

 

Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund are available in the SAI.

 

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Buying and Selling Fund Shares

 

Shares of the Fund are expected to be listed on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. When you buy or sell shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. The Fund’s shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of the Fund’s shares. A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

NAV per share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares of the Fund outstanding. Expenses and fees, including management and distribution fees, if any, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. NAV is determined each Business Day, normally as of the close of regular trading of the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., eastern time).

 

You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and 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. Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker.

 

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

 

The Fund’s portfolio securities generally are valued at market price. Securities are valued at fair value when market quotations are not readily available. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Trust Board”) has adopted procedures to be followed when the Fund must utilize fair value pricing, including when reliable market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund’s pricing service does not provide a valuation (or provides a valuation that, in the judgment of the Adviser, does not represent the security’s fair value), or when, in the judgment of the Adviser, events have rendered the market value unreliable (see, for example, the discussion of fair value pricing of foreign securities in the paragraph below). The Trust Board reviews, no less frequently than annually, the adequacy of the Fund’s policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. Valuing securities at fair value may result in a different price being used in the calculation of the Fund’s NAV from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value determinations are made in good faith in accordance with procedures adopted by the Trust Board. There can be no assurance that the Fund will obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it sells the security.

 

In certain circumstances, the Fund may employ fair value pricing to ensure greater accuracy in determining daily NAV. Fair value pricing may be applied to foreign securities held by the Fund upon the occurrence of an event after the close of trading on non-U.S. markets but before the close of trading on the Exchange when the Fund’s NAV is determined. If the event may result in a material adjustment to the price of the Fund’s foreign securities once non-U.S. markets open on the following Business Day (such as, for example, a significant surge or decline in the U.S. market), the Fund may value such foreign securities at fair value, taking into account the effect of such event, in order to calculate the Fund’s NAV.

 

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Other types of portfolio securities that the Fund may fair value include, but are not limited to: (1) investments that are illiquid or traded infrequently, including “restricted” securities and private placements for which there is no public market; (2) investments for which, in the judgment of the Adviser, the market price is stale; and (3) securities for which trading has been halted or suspended.

 

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security will materially differ from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares. The Fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, the Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Trust Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Trust Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, shares are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units available only from the Fund directly to a few institutional investors (“Authorized Participants”), and that most trading in the Fund occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Trust Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders. In addition, frequent trading of shares by Authorized Participants and arbitrageurs is critical to helping the market price remain at or close to NAV.

 

Other Considerations

 

Distribution and Service Plan of the Fund

 

The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% per annum of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its shares or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Fund currently does not charge 12b-1 fees and such fees may only be imposed after approval by the Trust Board. If payments are made in the future, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Payments to Financial Intermediaries

 

The Adviser, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may pay intermediaries for the sale of Fund shares and related services, including participation in activities that are designed to make intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products. Payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing and related sales support, educational training or support, or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Payments may also be made to intermediaries for making shares of the Fund available to their customers generally and in investment programs. The Adviser may also reimburse expenses or make payments from its own resources to intermediaries in consideration of services or other activities the Adviser believes may facilitate investment in the Fund.

 

The possibility of receiving, or the receipt of, the payments described above may provide intermediaries or their salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the Fund, and other funds whose affiliates make similar compensation available, over other investments that do not make such payments. Investors may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to the Fund and other ETFs.

 

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Fund Service Providers

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC, serves as distributor to the Fund.

 

[●] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.

 

U.S. Bank, National Association acts as the custodian for the Fund.

 

U.S. Bank, Global Fund Services acts as the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent for the Fund.

 

Vedder Price P.C., serves as legal counsel to the Fund.

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP serves as counsel to the independent trustees.

 

Additional Information

 

The Fund may enter into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Fund’s investment adviser, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to or intended (or “third party”) beneficiaries of, those contractual arrangements.

 

The Prospectus and the SAI provide information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. The Fund may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this Prospectus nor the SAI is intended to give rise to any contract rights or other rights in any shareholder, other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

 

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

General Policies. The Fund expects to pay out semi-annual dividends from net investment income.

 

Dividends and other distributions on shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to shareholders of the Fund. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to shareholders of record with proceeds received from the Fund.

 

The Fund may make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute its entire annual investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), plus its net capital gain, if any, and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by shareholders for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by shareholders of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. shareholders should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares issued by the Trust of the same Fund at NAV. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund will be taxable to shareholders to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

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Tax Consequences

 

The following discussion is a general summary of material U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are U.S. holders (as defined below). The discussion reflects applicable U.S. federal income tax laws as of the date of this Prospectus, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income, estate, gift, state, local or foreign tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders (including shareholders owning large positions in the Fund). The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the specific tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund, including applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them or the effect of possible changes in tax laws.

 

In addition, no attempt is made to address tax considerations applicable to an investor with a special tax status, such as a financial institution, REIT, insurance company, regulated investment company, individual retirement account, other tax-exempt organization, dealer in securities or currencies, person holding shares of the Fund as part of a hedging, integrated, conversion or straddle transaction or constructive sale, trader in securities that has elected the mark-to-market method of accounting for its securities, U.S. holder (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, investor with “applicable financial statements” within the meaning of section 451(b) of the Code or Non-U.S. holder. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes the Fund’s shares are held by U.S. holders and that such shares are held as capital assets.

 

A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

·a citizen or individual resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and former long-term residents);

 

·a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

·an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

·a trust with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or the trust has made a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

A “Non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that is an individual, corporation, trust or estate and is not a U.S. holder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of the Fund, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The IRS could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. The following disclosure may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law.

 

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As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax adviser.

 

Fund Status. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Code. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes to its shareholders at least 90% of the sum of (1) its “investment company taxable income,” as that term is defined in the Code (which includes, among other items, dividends, taxable interest and the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, as reduced by certain deductible expenses) without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and (2) the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest income, if any, over certain deductions attributable to such interest income that are otherwise disallowed, the Fund will be relieved of U.S. federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. However, if the Fund retains any investment company taxable income or “net capital gain” (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), it will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate federal income tax rates on the amount retained. The Fund intends to distribute at least annually substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest and net capital gain.

 

If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC in any taxable year, it will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation on its taxable income and distributions to the Fund’s shareholders will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income.

 

Under the Code, the Fund generally will also be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on the undistributed portion of its ordinary income and capital gains if it fails to meet certain distribution requirements with respect to each calendar year. In order to avoid the 4% federal excise tax, the required minimum distribution is generally equal to the sum of (1) 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income (computed on a calendar year basis), (2) 98.2% of the Fund’s capital gain net income (generally computed for the one-year period ending on October 31), and (3) certain amounts from previous years to the extent such amounts have not been treated as distributed or been subject to tax under Subchapter M of the Code. The Fund generally intends to make distributions in a timely manner in an amount at least equal to the required minimum distribution and therefore, under normal conditions, does not currently expect to be subject to this excise tax.

 

If the Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Fund must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. However, the Fund must distribute to shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such income it is required to accrue, to qualify as a RIC and avoid federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash, to satisfy these distribution requirements.

 

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Certain of the Fund’s investment practices are subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) convert distributions that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income into ordinary income taxed at the higher rate applicable to ordinary income, (2) treat distributions that would otherwise be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction as ineligible for such treatment, (3) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (4) convert long-term capital gain into short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (5) convert an ordinary loss or deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (6) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (7) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (8) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions, and (9) produce income that will not be included in the sources of income from which a RIC must derive at least 90% of its gross income each year. While it may not always be successful in doing so, the Fund will seek to avoid or minimize any adverse tax consequences of its investment practices.

 

Distributions. The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the distributions of the Fund into different categories, including identifying ordinary income distributions and capital gain dividends. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, however, as further discussed below certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains income tax rates. Generally, you will treat all net capital gain dividends (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares.

 

Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated, first, as a tax-free return of capital, which is applied against and will reduce the adjusted basis of the Fund shares and, after such adjusted basis is reduced to zero, generally will constitute capital gain.

 

To determine your actual tax liability for your net capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for federal income tax purposes and thus will generally not be taxable to you; however, such distributions may reduce your tax basis in your shares, which could result in you having to pay a greater amount of tax in the future when shares are sold, even if you sell the shares at a loss from your original investment. A “return of capital” is a return, in whole or in part, of the funds that you previously invested in the Fund. A return of capital distribution should not be considered part of the Fund’s dividend yield or total return of an investment in Fund shares. The federal income tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year.

 

Dividends Received Deduction. A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to many dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from RICs. However, certain ordinary income dividends on shares that are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund from certain corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the dividends received deduction provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied by both the Fund and the shareholder.

 

Capital Gains and Losses and Certain Ordinary Income Dividends. If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% (15% or 0% for taxpayers with taxable incomes below certain thresholds). Some capital gains, including some portion of your capital gain dividends may be taxed at a higher maximum stated tax rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described below.

 

Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your shares at a loss after holding them for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.

 

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An election may be available to you to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax adviser about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

 

Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a RIC such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend that is eligible for the capital gains tax rates.

 

An additional 3.8% “Medicare tax” is imposed on the net investment income of certain individuals with a modified adjusted gross income of over $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of joint filers) and on the undistributed net investment income of certain estates and trusts. For these purposes, “net investment income” generally will include interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, rent, net gain attributable to the disposition of property not held in a trade or business (including net gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of shares of the Fund) and certain other income, but will be reduced by any deductions properly allocable to such income or net gain. Thus, certain of the Fund’s taxable distributions and gains on the sale of Fund shares may be subject to this additional tax.

 

Sale of Shares. If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including brokerage fees, if any. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares. An election may be available to you to defer recognition of capital gain if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax adviser about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of Fund shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any net capital gain dividends you received with respect to such shares and any loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of the Fund generally will be disallowed if you acquire other shares of the Fund or other substantially identical shares within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that you dispose of the shares. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Capital losses are subject to limitations under the Code.

 

Treatment of Fund Expenses. Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you.

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units. If you exchange securities for Creation Units, you will generally recognize a gain or a loss on the securities contributed. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and your aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid for the Creation Units. If you exchange Creation Units for securities, you will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between your basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and the cash redemption amount received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units or Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

18

 

 

Additional Information

 

Other Information

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is treated as a registered investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Fund. The SEC has issued an exemptive order on which the Fund relies permitting registered investment companies to invest in exchange-traded funds offered by the Adviser beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.

 

Continuous Offering

 

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the Prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into individual shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with shares that are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(a) of the 1933 Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 of the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the CBOE BZX Exchange is satisfied by the fact that such Fund’s Prospectus is available on the SEC’s electronic filing system. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

Premium/Discount Information

 

Information regarding how often the shares of the Fund are traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available at www.tortoisecapital.com.

 

19

 

 

Financial Highlights

 

Because the Fund has not commenced operations, no financial highlights are available.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

You can find more information about the Fund in the following documents:

 

Statement of Additional Information

 

Please refer to the SAI for additional information on the Fund. The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.

 

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports

 

Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the prior fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.

 

You can obtain a free copy of these documents and the SAI, request other information, or make general inquiries about the Fund by calling the Fund (toll-free) at (855) 994-4437, by visiting the Adviser’s website at www.tortoisecapital.com or by writing to:

 

Tortoise Nuclear Renaissance ETF
5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400
Overland Park, Kansas 66211

 

You can review and copy information, including the Fund’s reports and SAI: Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov; or for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

20

 

 

The information in this preliminary statement of additional information is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary statement of additional information is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

TORTOISE CAPITAL SERIES TRUST

 

TORTOISE NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE ETF

 

Ticker Symbol: TNUK
Exchange: New York Stock Exchange

 

[●], 2025

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI relates to and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus of Tortoise Nuclear Renaissance ETF (the “Fund”) dated [•], 2025. A copy of the Fund’s prospectus (the “Prospectus”) may be obtained at no charge by calling the Fund at (855) 994-4437.

 

You may obtain a copy of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports, when available, at no charge by contacting the Fund at the phone number noted above.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
The Trust and the Fund s-1
Investment Objective, Policies, Strategies and Associated Risks s-2
Investment Objective S-2
Diversification S-2
Concentration S-3
Equity Securities S-3
Risks of Investing in Equity Securities S-4
Foreign Investments and Currencies S-5
Derivatives S-6
Exclusion of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition S-9
Risks of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives S-10
Other Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks S-11
Other Equity Securities S-11
Debt Securities S-12
U.S. Government Obligations S-15
Investment Company Securities S-15
Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”) S-16
Short-Term Investments S-16
Repurchase Agreements S-17
Reverse Repurchase Agreements S-18
Borrowing S-19
Illiquid Investments S-19
Cyber Security Risk S-20
Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Limitations S-20
Fundamental Investment Limitations S-20
Nonfundamental Investment Policies S-21
Percentage Limitations S-21
Portfolio Turnover S-22
Portfolio Holdings Information S-22
Management of the Fund S-23
Board of Trustees S-23
The Role of the Board of Trustees S-23
Board Leadership Structure S-23
Board Oversight of Risk Management S-24
Trustees and Officers S-24
Trustee Qualifications S-26
Trustee and Management Ownership of Fund Shares S-27
Board Committees S-27
Independent Trustee Compensation S-28
Code of Ethics S-28
Proxy Voting Procedures S-28
Control Persons and Principal Shareholders S-29
Investment Advisory and Other Services S-29
Investment Adviser S-29
Distribution of Fund Shares S-29
Other Service Providers S-30
Legal Counsel S-31
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm S-31

 

 

 

 

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan S-31
Marketing Support Payments S-32
Portfolio Managers S-32
Securities Ownership of Portfolio Managers S-33
Potential Conflicts of Interest Involving the Adviser and Portfolio Manager Compensation S-33
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage S-34
Purchase and Issuance of Shares in Creation Units S-35
Determination of Net Asset Value S-42
Dividends and Distributions S-43
Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations S-44
Financial Information S-54
Appendix A S-55
Standard & Poor’s Corporation S-55
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc S-58
PART C  OTHER INFORMATION C-1
SIGNATURES C-11
EXHIBIT INDEX C-12

 

 

 

 

The Trust and the Fund

 

The Fund is a newly created, non-diversified, actively managed ETF that is a series of the Trust. The Trust was organized as a Maryland statutory trust on August 13, 2024. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”), and the continuous offering of the Fund’s shares will be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).

 

The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board” or “Board of Trustees”) has the right, without shareholder approval, to establish additional series in the future; to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof; and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges. Shares of any series may also be divided into one or more classes at the discretion of the Trustees.

 

All shares of a series shall represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets held with respect to that series (subject to the liabilities held with respect to that series and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect to classes of shares of such series), and each share of a series shall be equal to each other share of that series.

 

Shares are voted in the aggregate and not by series or class, except in matters where a separate vote is required by the 1940 Act, or when the matters affect only the interest of a particular series or class. The governing instrument for the Trust provides that each shareholder of the Trust is entitled to one vote per share, and the ability to vote the fraction of any fractional share, on any matter on which the shares are entitled to vote.

 

The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Meetings of the shareholders shall be called by the Secretary of the Trust upon written request of shareholders holding, in the aggregate, not less than a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares, such request specifying the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is to be called.

 

The Board has the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series without materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of the shares of that series in the assets belonging to that series or materially affecting the rights of shares of any other series. In case of the liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated are entitled to receive a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series (or class thereof) are borne by that series (or class). Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by, or under the direction of, the Board to all applicable series (and classes thereof) in such manner and on such basis as the Board in its sole discretion deems fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever with respect to the Trust or any series of the Trust without his or her express consent.

 

All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of the Fund’s shares, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, subject only to the rights of creditors, shall constitute the underlying assets of the Fund.

 

S-1

 

 

The Fund offers and issues shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) per share only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues shares in-kind in exchange for a basket of securities, assets or other positions in which it invests (“Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The shares of the Fund will be listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The New York Stock Exchange is referred to as the “Exchange” in this SAI. The Fund’s shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the NAV of the Fund’s shares. The Fund’s shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment.

 

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions. The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption (the “Transaction Fee”). In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Fund may charge, either in lieu of or in addition to the fixed creation or redemption Transaction Fee, a variable fee for creations and redemptions in order to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction, up to a maximum of 2.00% of the NAV per Creation Unit, inclusive of any Transaction Fees charged (if applicable).

 

Investment Objective, Policies, Strategies and Associated Risks

 

The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board without approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Investment limitations identified as fundamental may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act, means the lesser of (1) 67% of the voting shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares are represented or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares). There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Fund is set forth under “Tortoise Nuclear Renaissance ETF — Investment Objective” in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

The following information supplements the discussion of the Fund’s investment objective, policies and techniques that are described in the Prospectus and contains more detailed information about the types of instruments in which the Fund may invest, strategies Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser may employ in pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective and a discussion of related risks.

 

Diversification

 

The Fund is non-diversified. A non-diversified fund is a fund that does not satisfy the definition of a “diversified company” set forth in the 1940 Act. A “diversified company” means that as to 75% of a fund’s total assets, excluding cash, government securities and securities of other investment companies, (1) no more than 5% may be invested in the securities of a single issuer, and (2) a fund may not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer.

 

Because the Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”), the Fund’s investments will be limited so that at the close of each quarter of each taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited for purposes of such calculation, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not more than 10% outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets are invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs), the securities (other than the securities of other RICs) of any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (which includes master limited partnerships, “MLPs”). These tax-related limitations may be changed by the Board to the extent appropriate in light of changes to applicable tax requirements.

 

S-2

 

 

Concentration

 

The Fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as described in the Prospectus. This may adversely affect the Fund’s performance or subject its shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies.

 

Equity Securities

 

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

Types of equity securities in which the Fund may invest:

 

Common Stocks. Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the profits and losses of a corporation, after payment of amounts owed to bondholders, other debt holders, and holders of preferred stock. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights, but the Fund does not expect to have voting control in any of the companies in which it invests. In addition to the general risks set forth above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a company in which the Fund invests is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made to the Fund as holders of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that company will be exhausted before any payments are made to the holders of common stock.

 

Master Limited Partnerships. A master limited partnership (“MLP”) is an entity that is generally taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes if certain qualifying income requirements are met.

 

An MLP has one or more general partners (who may be individuals, corporations, or other partnerships) which manage the partnership, and limited partners, which provide capital to the partnership but have no role in its management. Typically, the general partner is owned by company management or another publicly traded sponsoring corporation. When an investor buys units in an MLP, the investor becomes a limited partner.

 

MLPs are formed in several ways. A non-traded partnership may decide to go public. Several non-traded partnerships may roll up into a single MLP. A corporation may spin off a group of assets or part of its business into an MLP of which it is the general partner, to realize the assets’ full value on the marketplace by selling the assets and using the cash proceeds received from the MLP to address debt obligations or to invest in higher growth opportunities, while retaining control of the MLP. A corporation may fully convert to an MLP, although tax consequences have made this an unappealing option for most corporations. Unlike the ways described above, it is also possible for a newly formed entity to commence operations as an MLP from its inception.

 

The sponsor or general partner of an MLP, other energy companies, and utilities may sell assets to MLPs in order to generate cash to fund expansion projects or repay debt. The MLP structure essentially transfers cash flows generated from these acquired assets directly to MLP limited partner unitholders.

 

S-3

 

 

In the case of an MLP buying assets from its sponsor or general partner, the transaction is intended to be based upon comparable terms in the acquisition market for similar assets. To help ensure that appropriate protections are in place, the board of the MLP generally creates an independent committee to review and approve the terms of the transaction. The committee often obtains a fairness opinion and can retain counsel or other experts to assist its evaluation. Since both parties normally have a significant equity stake in the MLP, both parties are aligned to see that the transaction is accretive and fair to the MLP.

 

The business of certain MLPs is affected by supply and demand for energy commodities because such MLPs derive revenue and income based upon the volume of the underlying commodity produced, transported, processed, distributed, and/or marketed. Pipeline MLPs have indirect commodity exposure to gas and oil price volatility because although they do not own the underlying energy commodity, the general level of commodity prices may affect the volume of the commodity that the MLP delivers to its customers and the cost of providing services such as distributing natural gas liquids. The costs of natural gas pipeline MLPs to perform services may exceed the negotiated rates under “negotiated rate” contracts. Specifically, processing MLPs may be directly affected by energy commodity prices. Propane MLPs own the underlying energy commodity, and therefore have direct exposure to energy commodity prices, although Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Adviser” or “Tortoise Capital”) intends to target high quality MLPs that seek to mitigate or manage direct margin exposure to commodity prices. However, the MLP industry in general could be hurt by market perception that an MLP’s performance and valuation are directly tied to commodity prices.

 

Risks of Investing in Equity Securities

 

The following risk disclosure supplements the discussion of the Fund’s investment risks that appears in the Prospectus. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program and, due to the uncertainty inherent in all investments, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investors should consider their long-term investment goals and financial needs when making an investment decision with respect to shares of the Fund. An investment in the Fund is intended to be a long-term investment, and you should not view the Fund as a trading vehicle. Your shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions, if applicable.

 

General Risks of Investing in Stocks. While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company’s earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.

 

Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company’s stock may fall due to:

 

·Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services;

 

·Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and

 

·Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.

 

S-4

 

 

Small- and Medium-Sized Companies. Investors in small- and medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing in larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of small- and medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of small and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.

 

Foreign Investments and Currencies

 

The Fund may invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers and other non-U.S. investments may involve risks in addition to those normally associated with investments in the securities of U.S. issuers or other U.S. investments. All foreign investments are subject to risks of foreign political and economic instability, adverse movements in foreign exchange rates, and the imposition or tightening of exchange controls and limitations on the repatriation of foreign capital. Other risks stem from potential changes in governmental attitude or policy toward private investment, which in turn raises the risk of nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of foreign investors’ assets.

 

The financial problems in global economies over the past several years may continue to cause high volatility in global financial markets. In addition, global economies are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact a different country or region. The severity or duration of these conditions may also be affected if one or more countries leave the euro currency or by other policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations.

 

On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom (“UK”) triggered the procedures to withdraw from the European Union (“EU”) after the two-year period settlement negotiation as prescribed in Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. On January 31, 2020 the UK officially withdrew from the EU, subject to an 11 month transition period. Following a transition period during which the EU and the UK government engaged in a series of negotiations regarding the terms of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, the EU and the UK government signed an agreement on December 30, 2020 regarding the economic relationship between the UK and the EU. This agreement became effective on a provisional basis on January 1, 2021 and formally entered into force on May 1, 2021. It is still uncertain what the long-term impacts will be as a result of the commercial arrangements reached between the EU and the UK. The withdrawal could cause an extended period of uncertainty and market volatility, not just in the UK but throughout the EU, the European Economic Area and globally.

 

Additional non-U.S. taxes and expenses may also adversely affect the Fund’s performance, including foreign withholding taxes on foreign securities’ dividends. Brokerage commissions and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than in the United States. Foreign companies may be subject to different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. To the extent the foreign securities held by the Fund are not registered with the SEC or with any other U.S. regulator, the issuers thereof will not be subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC or any other U.S. regulator. Accordingly, less information may be available about foreign companies and other investments than is generally available on issuers of comparable securities and other investments in the United States. Foreign securities and other investments may also trade less frequently and with lower volume and may exhibit greater price volatility than U.S. securities and other investments.

 

Changes in foreign exchange rates will affect the value in U.S. dollars of all foreign currency-denominated securities and other investments held by the Fund. Exchange rates are influenced generally by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign currency markets and by numerous other political and economic events occurring outside the United States, many of which may be difficult, if not impossible, to predict.

 

S-5

 

 

Income from foreign securities and other investments will be received and realized in foreign currencies, and the Fund is required to compute and distribute income in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, a decline in the value of a particular foreign currency against the U.S. dollar occurring after the Fund’s income has been earned and computed in U.S. dollars may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities and other investments to acquire sufficient U.S. dollars to make a distribution. Similarly, if the exchange rate declines between the time the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Fund may be required to liquidate additional portfolio securities and other investments to purchase the U.S. dollars required to meet such expenses.

 

Depositary Receipts. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are negotiable receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence ownership of securities in a foreign company which have been deposited with such bank or trust company’s office or agent in a foreign country. Investing in ADRs presents risks that may not be equal to the risk inherent in holding the equivalent shares of the same companies that are traded in the local markets even though the Fund will purchase, sell and be paid dividends on ADRs in U.S. dollars. These risks include fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which are affected by international balances of payments and other economic and financial conditions; government intervention; speculation; and other factors. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political and social upheaval, and economic instability. The Fund may be required to pay foreign withholding or other taxes on certain ADRs that it owns. The Fund may also invest in Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) (collectively, with ADRs, “Depositary Receipts”). GDRs, EDRs and IDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. Depositary Receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

 

Depositary Receipts may be sponsored by foreign issuers or may be unsponsored. There is generally less publicly available information with respect to unsponsored Depositary Receipts and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. Unsponsored ADRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. While readily exchangeable with stock in local markets, unsponsored ADRs may be less liquid than sponsored ADRs.

 

Derivatives

 

The Fund may utilize futures contracts, options contracts and swap agreements. Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument. They are traded on futures exchanges and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant exchanges.

 

When the Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM an amount referred to as “initial margin” that is typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a “variation margin” amount may be required to be paid by the Fund or received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the marked-to-market value of the futures contract.

 

S-6

 

 

Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” or “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract to terminate the position. When the futures contract is closed out, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract position is opened or closed.

 

The Fund’s use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the amount that the Fund delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the Fund.

 

There is a risk of loss by the Fund of its initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer.

 

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as the Fund, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions.

 

The Fund may purchase and sell put and call options. A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security or an index at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security or an index at a specified price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer,” i.e., the party selling the option, a premium which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Fund may purchase put options to hedge their portfolios against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. The Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase their ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities they hold or are committed to purchase.

 

Options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves. Because options premiums paid or received by the Fund are small in relation to the market value of the investments underlying the options, buying and selling put and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in securities.

 

S-7

 

 

The Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing transaction. For example, the Fund may terminate an obligation under a call option or put option that it has written by purchasing an identical call option or put option. This is known as a closing purchase transaction. Conversely, the Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option. This is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including interest rate, index, and total return swap agreements. Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted through an FCM and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty (for a cleared swap). The notional amount is the set dollar or other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given rates.

 

Swap agreements will usually be done on a net basis, i.e., where the two parties make net payments with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Fund.

 

In a total return swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities, and the non-asset reference could be a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. The payments of the two parties could be made on a net basis.

 

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments have imposed comprehensive new regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The new regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major swap participants; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3) imposing margin requirements on swap transactions; (4) regulating and monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) imposing record keeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps, and has completed most of its rules implementing the Dodd-Frank Act swap regulations. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to as “security-based swaps,” which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits, but has not yet completed its rulemaking.

 

The use of swaps is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, because uncleared swaps are typically executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges, uncleared swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of an uncleared swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency.

 

S-8

 

 

As noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the Fund. Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. The Fund is also subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.

 

With respect to cleared swaps, there is also a risk of loss by the Fund of its initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Credit risk of cleared swap participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.

 

Exclusion of Adviser from Commodity Pool Operator Definition

 

An exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the CFTC has been claimed with respect to the Fund, and, therefore, the Adviser is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund. In addition, with respect to the Fund, the Adviser is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

 

The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forward contracts. Because the Adviser and the Fund intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment goal, to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Adviser’s reliance on these exclusions, or the Fund, its investment strategies or this SAI.

 

Generally, the exclusion from CPO regulation on which the Fund relies requires the Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, the Fund may not be marketed as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, the Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, the Adviser would withdraw its notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of a CPO, and the Adviser would be subject to registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund, in accordance with CFTC rules that apply to CPOs of registered investment companies. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser’s compliance with comparable SEC requirements. However, in the event the Adviser had to register as a CPO, the Fund might incur additional compliance and other expenses as a result of CFTC regulation governing commodity pools and CPOs.

 

S-9

 

 

Risks of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives

 

It is possible that additional government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures, options, and swap contracts, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to fully predict the effects of past, present or future legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse. It is possible that legislative and regulatory activity could limit or restrict the ability of the Fund to use certain instruments as part of their investment strategy. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions could also prevent the Fund from using certain instruments.

 

There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies. The futures, options, and swaps markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the SEC, the CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits, and the suspension of trading. The regulation of futures, options, and swaps transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government action.

 

New and developing regulation may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon its counterparties. In particular, any new position limits imposed on the Fund or its counterparties may impact the Fund’s ability to invest in futures, options, and swaps in a manner that efficiently meets its investment objective. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, including capital requirements and mandatory clearing, may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.

 

Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act governs the way funds must comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act with respect to derivatives and certain other financing transactions. Funds that do not qualify as a limited derivatives user are required to adopt and implement a written derivatives risk management program and quantitatively limit their use of derivatives based on the estimated potential risk of loss that the funds incur from their derivatives transactions. Funds that limit derivatives exposure to 10% of net assets are exempt from many of the requirements of Rule 18f-4, but must still adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage the fund’s derivatives risks.

 

S-10

 

 

Other Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks

 

Other Equity Securities

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts. The real estate securities in which the Fund may invest consist of securities issued by Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) and/or Real Estate Operating Companies (“REOCs”) that are listed on a securities exchange or traded over-the-counter. A REIT is a corporation or trust that invests in fee or leasehold ownership of real estate, mortgages or shares issued by other REITs and receives favorable tax treatment provided it meets certain conditions. REITs may be characterized as equity REITs (i.e., REITs that primarily invest in fee ownership and leasehold ownership of land), mortgage REITs (i.e., REITs that primarily invest in mortgages on real estate and other real estate debt) or hybrid REITs which invest in both fee and leasehold ownership of land and mortgages. A REIT that meets the applicable requirements of the Code may deduct dividends paid to shareholders, effectively eliminating any corporate level federal tax. As a result, REITs are able to distribute a larger portion of their earnings to investors than other corporate entities subject to the federal corporate tax. There is the risk that a REIT held by the Fund will fail to qualify for this tax-free pass-through treatment of its income. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, in addition to bearing a proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, investors will also indirectly bear similar expenses of the REITs in which the Fund invests. A REOC is typically structured as a “C” corporation under the Code and is not required to distribute any portion of its income. A REOC, therefore, does not receive the same favorable tax treatment that is accorded a REIT. In addition, the value of the Fund’s securities issued by REOCs may be adversely affected by income streams derived from businesses other than real estate ownership.

 

Preferred Stocks. Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock. Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

 

Rights and Warrants. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

 

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

 

When-Issued Securities. A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

 

When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with their other investments. The Fund will only make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities within 35 days of the trade date.

 

S-11

 

 

Debt Securities

 

The Fund may invest in a wide range of debt securities, which may include investment grade debt securities and below investment grade debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds” or “high yield bonds”). Investment grade corporate bonds are those rated BBB- or better by Standard & Poor’s Rating Service, Inc. (“S&P”) or Baa3 or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) each of which is considered a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”). To the extent that the Fund invests in below investment grade debt securities, such securities will be rated, at the time of investment, at least B- by S&P or B3 by Moody’s or a comparable rating by at least one other rating agency or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. The Fund may hold a debt security rated below investment grade if a downgrade occurs after the security has been purchased. Investments in junk bonds are speculative in nature. See Appendix A for a description of corporate bond ratings.

 

Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Changes. Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. In addition, during an economic downturn or periods of rising interest rates, issuers that are highly leveraged may experience increased financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to meet projected business goals, obtain additional financing, and service their principal and interest payment obligations. Furthermore, periods of economic change and uncertainty can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) related to the security or other assets or indices.

 

Liquidity. Bond markets have consistently grown over the past three decades while the capacity for traditional dealer counterparties to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace and in some cases has decreased. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which provide a core indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to “make markets,” are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty.

 

Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. Further, fixed income securities with longer durations until maturity face heightened levels of liquidity risk as compared to fixed income securities with shorter durations until maturity. Finally, liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for the Fund to fully honor redemption requests within the allowable time period. Meeting such redemption requests could require the Fund to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the Fund. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate holdings at the same time as the Fund, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure.

 

Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions. There may be a heightened level of interest rate risk in times of monetary policy change and/or uncertainty, such as when the Federal Reserve Board adjusts a quantitative easing program and/or changes rates. As the Federal Reserve “tapers” or reduces quantitative easing, and when the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate, there is a risk that interest rates across the U.S. financial system will rise. These policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain fixed income investments, which could cause the value of such investments to decline. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity, which occurred following the financial crisis that began in 2007, may persist in the future, potentially leading to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

S-12

 

 

Below Investment Grade Debt Securities. Below investment grade debt securities generally offer a higher current yield than that available for investment grade issues. However, below investment grade debt securities involve higher risks, in that they are especially subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions and in the industries in which the issuers are engaged, to changes in the financial condition of the issuers and to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of interest and principal and increase the possibility of default. At times in recent years, the prices of many below investment grade debt securities declined substantially, reflecting an expectation that many issuers of such securities might experience financial difficulties. As a result, the yields on below investment grade debt securities rose dramatically, reflecting the risk that holders of such securities could lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of the issuers’ financial restructuring or default. There can be no assurance that such price declines will not recur. The market for below investment grade debt issues generally is thinner and less active than that for higher quality securities, which may limit the Fund’s ability to sell such securities at fair value in response to changes in the economy or financial markets. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of below investment grade debt securities, especially in a thinly traded market. Changes by recognized rating services in their rating of a debt security may affect the value of these investments. The Fund will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, the Adviser will monitor the investment to determine whether continued investment in the security will assist in meeting the Fund’s investment objective.

 

Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.

 

The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment grade or below investment grade and may carry fixed, variable or floating rates of interest.

 

Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of their issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.

 

Corporate debt securities carry credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk and prepayment risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities.

 

S-13

 

 

Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms. Prepayment risk occurs when issuers may prepay fixed rate debt securities when interest rates fall, forcing the Fund to invest in securities with lower interest rates. Extension risk is the risk that borrowers may pay off their debt obligations more slowly in times of rising interest rates, which will lengthen the duration of the portfolio. Issuers of debt securities are also subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors that may restrict the ability of the issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities. The possibility exists therefore, that, as a result of bankruptcy, litigation or other conditions, the ability of an issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities may become impaired.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s common stock at the Fund’s option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debt, convertible debentures and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible fixed income securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general, the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” (i.e., its value as a fixed income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).

 

Convertible securities are subject to the same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.

 

Zero-Coupon Securities. Zero-coupon securities make no periodic interest payments, but are sold at a deep discount from their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity, as well as market interest rates, liquidity of the security, and the issuer’s perceived credit quality. If the issuer defaults, the holder may not receive any return on its investment. Because zero-coupon securities bear no interest, their price fluctuates more than other types of bonds. Since zero-coupon bondholders do not receive interest payments, when interest rates rise, zero-coupon securities fall more dramatically in value than bonds paying interest on a current basis. When interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities rise more rapidly in value because the bonds reflect a fixed rate of return. An investment in zero-coupon securities may cause the Fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on its investment.

 

Unrated Debt Securities. The Fund may also invest in unrated debt securities. Unrated debt, while not necessarily lower in quality than rated securities, may not have as broad a market. Because of the size and perceived demand for the issue, among other factors, certain issuers may decide not to pay the cost of getting a rating for their bonds. The creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial institution or other party responsible for payments on the security, will be analyzed to determine whether to purchase unrated bonds.

 

Yankee Bonds. The Fund may invest in Yankee bonds. Yankee bonds are U.S. dollar denominated bonds typically issued in the United States by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign banks and corporations. The Fund may also invest in Yankee certificates of deposit (“Yankee CDs”). Yankee CDs are U.S. dollar-denominated certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank and held in the United States. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities issued by U.S. issuers, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, foreign withholding or other taxes, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect and create increased risk relative to payment of principal or interest.

 

S-14

 

 

Variable and Floating Rate Securities. Variable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations must provide that interest rates are adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such as based on a change in the prime rate. The Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments (“floaters”) and engage in credit spread trades. The interest rate on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a money-market index or treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, the Fund will participate in any declines in interest rates as well. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating to a difference in the prices or interest rates of two securities or currencies, where the value of the investment position is determined by movements in the difference between the prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the respective securities or currencies. The Fund also may invest in inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). The interest rate on an inverse floater resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse floater is indexed. An inverse floating rate security may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation of similar credit quality.

 

U.S. Government Obligations

 

The Fund may invest in U.S. government obligations. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises.

 

Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises, where it is not obligated to do so. In addition, U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.

 

Investment Company Securities

 

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law, regulation or SEC order, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies, including money market funds, in excess of the limits discussed above.

 

S-15

 

 

If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

 

Rule 12d1-4 permits the Fund to invest in other investment companies, including money market funds, beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions.

 

Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”)

 

An investment in an ETN involves risks, including possible loss of principal. ETNs are unsecured debt securities issued by a bank that are linked to the total return of a market index. Risks of investing in ETNs also include limited portfolio diversification, uncertain principal payment, and illiquidity. Additionally, the investor fee will reduce the amount of return on maturity or at redemption, and as a result the investor may receive less than the principal amount at maturity or upon redemption, even if the value of the relevant index has increased. An investment in an ETN may not be suitable for all investors.

 

Short-Term Investments

 

Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits in U.S. dollar or foreign currencies. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against monies deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. These short-term instruments which the Fund may acquire must, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government. If the Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred if the Fund invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See “Foreign Investments and Currencies” above. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located, the possible confiscation or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which may adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities.

 

Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of Fund and the interest income generated from lending operations. General economic conditions and the quality of loan portfolios affect the banking industry.

 

As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount that they can loan to a single borrower, and are subject to regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations may not necessarily apply to foreign banks, thereby affecting the risk involved in bank obligations that the Fund may acquire.

 

S-16

 

 

In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under the investment strategies and policies stated above, and in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in interest-bearing time deposits or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.

 

Savings Association Obligations. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. government.

 

Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.

 

The Fund’s investment in commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase “A-2” or higher by S&P, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Appendix A.

 

Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk, among others, of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations, i.e., credit risk.

 

Money Market Mutual Funds. Generally, money market mutual funds seek to earn income consistent with the preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity. They primarily invest in high quality money market obligations, including U.S. government obligations, bank obligations and high-grade corporate instruments. These investments generally mature within 397 days from the date of purchase. An investment in a money market mutual fund is not a bank account and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency.

 

To the extent that the Fund invests in money market funds, a shareholder’s cost of investing in the Fund will generally be higher since the shareholder will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying money market mutual funds in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Furthermore, investing in money market funds could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions to a shareholder and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by the shareholder.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Under such agreements, the Fund agrees to purchase U.S. government obligations from a counterparty and the counterparty agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed upon time and price. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the security itself. Such repurchase agreements will be made only with banks with assets of $500 million or more that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or with government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Board and registered as broker-dealers with the SEC or exempt from such registration. The Fund will generally enter into repurchase agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week, although the underlying securities generally have longer maturities. The Fund may not enter into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments including such repurchase agreements. To the extent necessary to facilitate compliance with Section 12(d)(3) of the 1940 Act and Rule 12d3-1 promulgated thereunder, the Fund will ensure that repurchase agreements will be collateralized fully to the extent required by Rule 5b-3.

 

S-17

 

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from the Fund to the seller of the U.S. government obligations that are subject to the repurchase agreement. It is not clear whether a court would consider the U.S. government obligations to be acquired by the Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the U.S. government obligations before their repurchase under a repurchase agreement, the Fund could encounter delays and incur costs before being able to sell the underlying U.S. government obligations. Delays may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of the U.S. government obligations. If a court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the U.S. government obligations,

 

the Fund may be required to return the securities to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at the risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for the Fund, the Adviser seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the other party, in this case the seller of the U.S. government security.

 

Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the U.S. government obligations. However, the Fund will always receive as collateral for any repurchase agreement to which it is a party, securities acceptable to the Adviser, the market value of which is equal to at least 100% of the repurchase price, and the Fund will make payment against such securities only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer to the account of its Custodian. If the market value of the U.S. government obligations subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the U.S. government obligations to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that the Fund could be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce on the seller a contractual obligation to deliver additional securities.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary purposes with banks and securities dealers if the creditworthiness of the bank or securities dealer has been determined by the Adviser to be satisfactory. A reverse repurchase agreement is a repurchase agreement in which the Fund is the seller of, rather than the investor in, securities and agrees to repurchase them at an agreed-upon time and price. Use of a reverse repurchase agreement may be preferable to a regular sale and later repurchase of securities because it avoids certain market risks and transaction costs.

 

Reverse repurchase agreements are considered a form of borrowing and are therefore limited to up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). The use of reverse repurchase agreements by the Fund creates leverage which increases its investment risk. If the income and gains on securities purchased with the proceeds of these transactions exceed the cost, the Fund’s earnings or NAV will increase faster than otherwise would be the case; conversely, if the income and gains fail to exceed the cost, earnings or NAV would decline faster than otherwise would be the case. The Fund intends to enter into reverse repurchase agreements only if the income from the investment of the proceeds is expected to be greater than the expense of the transaction, because the proceeds are invested for a period no longer than the term of the reverse repurchase agreement.

 

S-18

 

 

Borrowing

 

While the Fund has no present intention to do so, they may engage in borrowing. Borrowing creates an opportunity for increased return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. Furthermore, if the Fund was to engage in borrowing, an increase in interest rates could reduce the value of the Fund’s shares by increasing the Fund’s interest expense. Subject to the limitations described under “Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Limitations” below, the Fund may be permitted to borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of the Fund’s assets and may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary purposes. Any borrowings for temporary purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets will count against this asset coverage requirement. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint if the Fund sells securities at that time. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased, if any. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowings or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

 

Illiquid Investments

 

The Fund may purchase illiquid investments, which may include securities that are not readily marketable and securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act. The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. The term “illiquid investments” for this purpose means any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment, as determined pursuant to the provisions of Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not be able to sell illiquid investments when the Adviser considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the investments were more liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid investments also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of investments that are more liquid. Illiquid investments also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such investments, and investments in illiquid investments may have an adverse impact on NAV.

 

Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a safe harbor from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and otherwise meet selection criteria, the Fund may make such investments. Whether or not such investments are illiquid depends on the market that exists for the particular investment. It is not possible to predict with assurance exactly how the market for Rule 144A restricted securities or any other security will develop. An investment which when purchased enjoyed a fair degree of marketability may subsequently become illiquid. In such event, appropriate remedies are considered to minimize the effect on the Fund’s liquidity.

 

S-19

 

 

Cyber Security Risk

 

Investment companies, such as the Fund, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund, the Adviser, the Fund’s custodian or transfer agent, or intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. While the Fund and its service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent or reduce the impact of cybersecurity attacks, such plans and systems have inherent limitations due in part to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics, and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by its service providers.

 

Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.

 

Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Limitations

 

This section supplements the disclosure in the Prospectus and provides additional information on the Fund’s investment limitations. Investment limitations identified as fundamental may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act, means the lesser of (1) 67% of the voting shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares are represented or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares).

 

Investment limitations stated as a maximum percentage of the Fund’s assets are only applied immediately after, and because of, an investment or a transaction by us to which the limitation is applicable (other than the limitations on borrowing). Accordingly, any later increase or decrease resulting from a change in values, net assets or other circumstances will not be considered in determining whether the investment complies with our investment limitations. All limitations with respect to nonfundamental investment policies that are based on a percentage of total assets include assets obtained or expected to be obtained through leverage.

 

Fundamental Investment Limitations

 

Except with the approval of a majority of its outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:

 

1.Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate in one or more industries that comprise the nuclear energy sector.

 

2.Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

S-20

 

 

3.Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

4.Purchase or sell physical commodities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.

 

5.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

6.Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).

 

For purposes of limitation number one (1), securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

 

Nonfundamental Investment Policies

 

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following non-fundamental restriction, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.

 

1.Under normal circumstances, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments.

 

Percentage Limitations

 

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid investments will be observed continuously. If the percentage of the Fund’s net assets invested in illiquid investments exceeds 15% due to market activity or changes in the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments in accordance with the 1940 Act and the Fund’s policies and procedures.

 

The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

 

Concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of the Fund’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.

 

Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows the Fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings up to 5% of its total assets).

 

S-21

 

 

Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by the Fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from issuing senior securities, although Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act provides an exemption from the applicable prohibitions and restrictions on issuing senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments.

 

Lending. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by their investment policies. The Fund’s current investment policy on lending is that the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in this SAI.

 

Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves the Fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

 

Real Estate. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in real estate, but does require every investment company to have the fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).

 

Commodities. The Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

Although the Fund generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations or redemption requests warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities in the Fund’s portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to above-average transaction costs and could generate capital gains that must be distributed to shareholders as short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income rates (currently as high as 37%). To the extent that the Fund experiences an increase in brokerage commissions due to a higher portfolio turnover rate, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by the increased expenses incurred and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.

 

Portfolio Holdings Information

 

The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Board of Trustees must approve all material amendments to this policy. The Fund’s portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet websites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Fund shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated each day The New York Stock Exchange is open for trading via the NSCC. Pursuant to Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, information regarding the Fund’s current portfolio holdings will be available on a daily basis at https://tortoisecapital.com/. The Trust will not disseminate nonpublic information concerning the holdings of the Fund except to the Trust’s service providers and professional advisors. In no event shall the Adviser, its affiliates or employees, or the Fund receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.

 

There can be no assurance that the Portfolio Holdings Policies and these procedures will protect the Fund from potential misuse of that information by individuals or entities to which it is disclosed.

 

S-22

 

 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Board of Trustees

 

The management and affairs of the Fund are overseen by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees consists of five individuals. The Board of Trustees establishes policies for the operation of the Fund and appoints the officers who conduct the daily business of the Fund.

 

The Role of the Board of Trustees

 

The Board provides oversight of the management and operations of the Trust. The day-to-day responsibility for the management and operation of the Trust is the responsibility of various service providers to the Trust and its individual series, such as the Adviser; Quasar Distributors, LLC, the Fund’s principal underwriter (the “Distributor”); U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, the Fund’s administrator (the “Administrator”) and transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”); and U.S. Bank, National Association, the Fund’s Custodian, each of whom are discussed in greater detail in this SAI. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and its service providers, including the agreements with the Adviser, Distributor, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Board has appointed various individuals as officers of the Trust, with responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Trust’s day-to-day operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports from these officers and service providers regarding the Trust’s operations. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) who reports directly to the Board and who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board as to compliance matters, including an annual compliance review. Some of these reports are provided as part of formal Board meetings, which are held four times per year, and such other times as the Board determines is necessary, and involve the Board’s review of recent Trust operations. From time to time one or more members of the Board may also meet with Trust officers in less formal settings, between formal Board meetings to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Trust and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Trust’s investments, operations or activities.

 

Board Leadership Structure

 

The Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to effectively perform its oversight function. The Board is comprised of four Trustees that are not considered to be “interested persons” of the Fund, as defined by the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”), and one “interested trustee.” The Board has established three standing committees, an Audit Committee, a Nominating & Governance Committee and a Distribution and Brokerage Committee, which are discussed in greater detail under “Board Committees” below. Each Committee is comprised of all the Independent Trustees.

 

The Board has appointed Tom Florence as Chairman and Andrew J. Iseman as Lead Independent Trustee.

 

S-23

 

 

In accordance with the fund governance standards prescribed by the SEC under the 1940 Act, the Independent Trustees on the Nominating & Governance Committee select and nominate all candidates for Independent Trustee positions. Each Trustee was elected to serve on the Board because of his or her experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as set forth in the subsection “Trustee Qualifications” below.

 

The Board reviews its structure regularly in light of the characteristics and circumstances of the Trust, including: the affiliated or unaffiliated nature of each investment adviser; the number of funds that comprise the Trust; the variety of asset classes that those funds reflect; the net assets of the Trust; the committee structure of the Trust; and the independent distribution arrangements of each of the Trust’s series.

 

The Board has determined that the inclusion of all Independent Trustees as members of each Committee allows all such Trustees to participate in the full range of the Board’s oversight duties, including oversight of risk management processes discussed below. Given the composition of the Board and the function and composition of its various committees as described above, the Trust has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate.

 

Board Oversight of Risk Management

 

As part of its oversight function, the Board receives and reviews various risk management reports and assessments and discusses these matters with appropriate management and other personnel, including personnel of the Trust’s service providers. Because risk management is a broad concept comprised of many elements (such as, for example, investment risk, issuer and counter-party risk, compliance risk, operational risk, business continuity risk, etc.) the oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the CCO regularly reports to the Board during Board meetings and meets in executive session with the Independent Trustees to discuss compliance and operational risks. In addition, Carrie Ramirez Schoffman, the Independent Trustee designated as the Audit Committee’s “audit committee financial expert,” meets with the Principal Financial Officer and the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure of the Fund’s financial reporting function. The full Board receives reports from the investment adviser to the underlying series as to investment risks.

 

Trustees and Officers

 

The Trustees and officers of the Trust are listed below with their addresses, present positions with the Trust and principal occupations over at least the last five years.

 

Name
and Age(1)
  Position(s) Held
With Trust, Term
of Office and Length
of Time Served
  Principal Occupation
During Past Five Years
  Number of
Portfolios in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Trustee
  Other
Directorships
Held
 
Independent Trustees
 
Carrie Ramirez Schoffman
(1973)
  Trustee; Indefinite; Since October 2024   Owner, CPA Concierge Services, LLC (since 2020); Tax Accountant, Bree Beers & Associates, PC (2017 - 2021); Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, ICON Funds (2013 - 2017); Chief Compliance Officer, ICON Funds (2004 - 2017); Chief Compliance Officer, Senior Vice President, ICON Advisers, Inc. (2004 - 2017); Staff Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2003 - 2004); Experienced Manager/Senior/Staff, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (1996 - 2003); CPA designation (since 1996).   8   Ultimus Registered Alternatives Gateway Series Trust; Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Fund; Tortoise Sustainable and Social Impact Term Fund

 

S-24

 

 

Name
and Age(1)
  Position(s) Held
With Trust, Term
of Office and Length
of Time Served
  Principal Occupation
During Past Five Years
  Number of
Portfolios in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Trustee
  Other
Directorships
Held
Keith A. Fletcher
(1958)
  Trustee; Indefinite; Since October 2024   Principal and Founder, JAHFT Solutions (since 2017); Principal and Chief Distribution Officer, Riskx Investments (2012 - 2017); Chief Marketing Officer, Guggenheim Investments/Rydex SGI (2008 - 2012); Managing Director, Lyster Watson (2007 - 2008); President and Chief Executive Officer, Fletcher Financial Group Inc. (2004 - 2007); Chief Marketing Officer, Executive Vice President, Van Eck Global (1992 - 2004).   8   Valkyrie ETF Trust II
                 
Andrew J. Iseman
(1964)
  Trustee; Indefinite; Since October 2024   Member, Governing Council, Independent Directors Council (since 2024); Adjunct Faculty, Rockhurst University (2018); Chief Executive Officer, Scout Investments (2010 - 2018); Chief Operating Officer, RK Capital Management (2009 - 2010); Chief Operating Officer, Janus Investment Fund, Janus Adviser Series and Janus Aspen Series (2007 - 2008); Senior Vice President, INTECH (2005 - 2007); Vice President of Investment Operations, Janus Capital Group (2003 - 2005); Chief Operating Officer, Berger Financial Group (1996 - 2003); Product Manager, DST Systems (1993 - 1996); Senior Compliance Examiner, FINRA (1987 - 1993).   8   Pacific Select Fund; Pacific Funds Series Trust; Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Fund; Tortoise Sustainable and Social Impact Term Fund
                 
John C. Maxwell
(1963)
  Trustee; Indefinite; Since October 2024   Lead Portfolio Manager, Delaware Ivy Investments/Waddell & Reed/Ivy Investments (2006 - 2021); Analyst and Assistant Portfolio Manager, Delaware Ivy Investments/Waddell & Reed/Ivy Investments (1998 - 2006); Consumer Staples Analyst, Fort Washington Investment Advisors (1995 - 1998); Financial Analyst, Procter & Gamble (1992 - 1995); Engineer in Charge of Construction, Camp David, White House Military Office (1986 - 1990); First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Reserves, Corps of Engineers; CFA designation (since 1998).   8   None
                 
Interested Trustee(2)
 
Tom Florence
(1962)
  Trustee; Indefinite; Since October 2024   Chief Executive Officer, Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (since 2024); Managing Director, Hamilton Lane (2021 - 2022); Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, 361 Capital (2009 - 2021); Managing Partner, Black Creek Capital (2003 - 2008); Managing Director, Morningstar Inc. (2000 - 2003); Managing Director, Pilgrim Baxter & Associates (1996 - 2000); Vice President, Fidelity Investments (1991 - 1996); Vice President, Merrill Lynch (1985 - 1991).   8   Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp.; Tortoise Sustainable and Social Impact Term Fund
                 
Officers
 
Tom Florence   President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer); Since October 2024   See above.    

 

S-25

 

 

Name
and Age(1)
  Position(s) Held
With Trust, Term
of Office and Length
of Time Served
  Principal Occupation
During Past Five Years
  Number of
Portfolios in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Trustee
  Other
Directorships
Held
Peter Sattelmair
(1977)
  Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer); Since October 2024   Director of CFO Services, PINE Advisor Solutions LLC (2021 - present); Director of Fund Operations, Transamerica Asset Management (2014 - 2021).    
                 
Amy Siefer
(1977)
  Chief Compliance Officer; Since October 2024   Director of Fund CCO Services, PINE Advisor Solutions LLC (2024 - present); Vice President at Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (2012 - 2024).    
                 
Jeffrey Kruske
(1975)
  Secretary; Since January 2025   Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer at Tortoise Capital Advisors L.L.C. (since 2025); General Counsel - Managing Director at Tortoise Capital Advisors L.L.C. (2017 - 2025); General Counsel, Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner (2011 - 2016); Attorney, Schlagel Gordon & Kinzer, LLC (2009 - 2011); Attorney, Law Office of Jeffrey S. Kruske, P.A. (2002 - 2009).     Tax-Exempt Private Credit Fund

 

 
(1)The address of each Trustee and officer is 5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400, Overland Park, Kansas 66211.

(2)As a result of his position held with the Adviser or its affiliates, this individual is considered an “interested person” within the meaning of the 1940 Act.

 

Trustee Qualifications

 

In addition to the experience provided in the table above, each Trustee possesses the following qualifications, attributes and skills, each of which factored into the conclusion to invite them to join the Fund’s Board: Ms. Ramirez Schoffman, experience as principal financial and chief compliance officer; Mr. Fletcher, experience as a chief distribution officer and chief marketing officer; Mr. Iseman, experience as a chief operating officer; and Mr. Maxwell, experience as a portfolio manager.

 

Other attributes and qualifications considered for each Trustee in connection with their selection to join the Board of the Fund were their character and integrity and their willingness and ability to serve and commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee for the Fund. In addition, as to each Trustee other than Mr. Florence, his or her status as an Independent Trustee; and, as to Mr. Florence, his roles with the Adviser were an important factor in his selection as a Trustee. No experience, qualification, attribute or skill was by itself controlling.

 

Mr. Florence serves as Chairman of the Board of the Fund. Mr. Florence is an “interested person” of the Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The appointment of Mr. Florence as Chairman reflects the belief that his experience, familiarity with the Fund’s day-to-day operations and the individuals with responsibility for the Fund’s management and operations provides the Board with insight into the Fund’s business and activities and, with his familiarity with the Fund’s administrative support, facilitates the efficient development of meeting agendas that address the Fund’s business, legal and other needs and the orderly conduct of meetings of the Board.

 

The discussion of the Trustees’ experience and qualifications is pursuant to SEC requirements, does not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having special expertise, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such Trustee or the Board by reason thereof.

 

S-26

 

 

Trustee and Management Ownership of Fund Shares

 

The following table shows the dollar range of Fund shares beneficially owned by the Trustees as of June 30, 2025.

 

  Dollar Range of Fund Shares
Beneficially Owned
(None, $1 – $10,000, $10,001 – $50,000,
$50,001 – $100,000, Over $100,000)
  Aggregate Dollar Range of
Shares in All Funds in the Trust
Independent Trustees
Carrie Ramirez Schoffman None   None
Keith A. Fletcher None   None
Andrew J. Iseman None   None
John C. Maxwell None   None
Interested Trustee
Tom Florence None   None

 

As of June 30, 2025, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

Board Committees

 

Audit Committee. The Trust has an Audit Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees. Carrie Ramirez Schoffman serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters for the Fund. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm concerning the scope of the audit and the auditor’s independence.

 

Nominating & Governance Committee. The Trust has a Nominating & Governance Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees. Andrew J. Iseman serves as Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee. The Nominating & Governance Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for the position of trustee and meets only as necessary.

 

The Nominating & Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders for vacancies on the Board of Trustees. Recommendations for consideration by the Nominating & Governance Committee should be sent to the Secretary of the Trust in writing together with the appropriate biographical information concerning each such proposed nominee. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board of Trustees will be accepted on an ongoing basis. The Nominating & Governance Committee’s procedures with respect to reviewing shareholder nominations will be disclosed as required by applicable securities laws.

 

Distribution and Brokerage Committee. The Distribution and Brokerage Committee provides oversight with respect to the distribution of shares of the Fund including services of the Distributor and Authorized Participants, creation and redemption process and trading performance of Fund shares. Keith A. Fletcher serves as Chair of the Distribution and Brokerage Committee. The Committee also oversees matters relating to the use of brokerage commissions and placement of portfolio transactions.

 

S-27

 

 

Independent Trustee Compensation

 

Beginning in July 2025, in recognition of the increased responsibilities associated with the expansion of the Series Trust—specifically, the addition of new funds—Trustee compensation was adjusted accordingly. Each Independent Trustee receives an annual retainer of $75,000. In addition, Independent Trustees receive $5,000 for each in-person Board of Trustees meeting attended and $2,500 for each meeting attended telephonically.

 

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Audit and Valuation Committee receive supplemental annual retainers of $10,000 and $7,500, respectively

 

Name of Person/Position  Aggregate
Compensation
From the Fund(1)
  Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of
Funds Expenses ($)
  Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement ($)
  Total Compensation
from the Fund and Fund
Complex Paid to Trustees(1)
Independent Trustees:            
Carrie Ramirez Schoffman  $13,929      $97,500
Keith A. Fletcher  $12,857      $90,000
Andrew J. Iseman  $14,286      $100,000
John C. Maxwell  $12,857      $90,000

 

 
(1)Estimated for the initial fiscal year ended November 30, 2026. The Fund has adopted a unitary fee structure. Under such structure, the Adviser is responsible for paying compensation of Independent Trustees.

 

Code of Ethics

 

The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics in accordance with Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit the personnel of these entities to invest in securities, including securities that the Fund may purchase or hold. The codes of ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.

 

Proxy Voting Procedures

 

The Fund and the Adviser have adopted proxy voting policies and procedures (“Proxy Policy”), which the Fund believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the Fund’s best interests and the shareholders’ best interests. Subject to the oversight of the Board, the Board has delegated responsibility for implementing the Proxy Policy to the Adviser. The Adviser has adopted Glass Lewis’ proxy voting guidelines, which are applied to all Adviser proxy votes at the time proxy votes are submitted. The Adviser will consider additional information that may become available regarding a particular proposal. This additional information may include an issuer’s or a shareholder proponent’s subsequently filed additional definitive proxy materials. Proxies are generally voted in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines; however, the Adviser may opt to override the guidelines if it is decided to be the best interest of its clients.

 

The Adviser is responsible for monitoring Fund actions and ensuring that proxies are voted in a timely manner. The Fund is not responsible for voting proxies it does not receive but will make reasonable efforts to obtain missing proxies. The Adviser shall implement procedures to identify and monitor potential conflicts of interest that could affect the proxy voting process, including (1) significant client relationships; (2) other potential material business relationships; and (3) material personal and family relationships. In the absence of contrary instructions received from the applicable Investment Committee of the Adviser, or a Managing Director of the Adviser designated by the Investment Committee all proxies will be voted in accordance with the referenced Glass Lewis guidelines. The Fund may determine not to vote a particular proxy, if the costs and burdens exceed the benefits of voting (e.g., when securities are subject to loan or to share blocking restrictions).

 

S-28

 

 

If a request for proxy presents a conflict of interest between the shareholders on the one hand, and the Adviser, the principal underwriters, or any affiliated persons of the Fund, on the other hand, management may (i) disclose the potential conflict to the Board of Trustees and obtain consent; (ii) establish an ethical wall or other informational barrier between the persons involved in the conflict and the persons making the voting decisions; (iii) abstain from voting the proxies; or (iv) use an independent third party recommendation. The Adviser will document the rationale for any proxy voted contrary to the proxy voting guidelines. Such information will be maintained as part of the recordkeeping requirements.

 

Control Persons and Principal Shareholders

 

A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. A controlling person possesses the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder vote by the Fund. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund had not yet commenced operations and no shares were outstanding.

 

Investment Advisory and Other Services

 

Investment Adviser

 

Our investment adviser is Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (previously defined as the “Adviser”), a registered investment adviser specializing in energy investing across the energy value chain, including infrastructure and MLPs.

 

The Adviser is indirectly controlled by Lovell Minnick Partners LLC (“Lovell Minnick”), a private equity firm that invests in growth-oriented companies, and is an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of Tortoise Parent Holdco LLC (“Tortoise”). A vehicle formed by Lovell Minnick owned by certain private funds sponsored by Lovell Minnick and a group of institutional co-investors owns a controlling interest in Tortoise. Our Adviser is located at 5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400, Overland Park, Kansas 66211. As of June 30, 2025, our Adviser had approximately $9.1 billion in assets under management in the energy sector.

 

Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser, subject to overall oversight by the Board, manages our investments. The Adviser regularly provides us with investment research advice and oversight and will furnish continuously an investment program for us, consistent with our investment objective and policies.

 

Distribution of Fund Shares

 

The Trust has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the Distributor, pursuant to which the Distributor acts as the Fund’s principal underwriter and distributes shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser, Administrator, Fund Accountant or the Custodian.

 

S-29

 

 

Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will receive orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of two years from its effective date and will continue in effect thereafter for successive one-year periods only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, on at least 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders or by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on at least 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment,” as defined in the 1940 Act.

 

Other Service Providers

 

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Administrator, Transfer Agent and index receipt agent (as that term is defined in the rules of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”)) for the Fund.

 

Pursuant to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, the Administrator provides certain administrative services to the Fund, including, among other responsibilities, portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports, acting as a liaison among Fund service providers, compliance control services, Fund valuation and financial reporting services, preparing non-investment related statistical, researching data as requested, arranging for the computation of performance data, including NAV per share and yield; and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Fund. In this capacity, the Administrator does not have any responsibility or authority for the investment management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. As compensation for the administration and accounting services, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services receives a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to an annual minimum fee. U.S. Bank Global Fund Services also is entitled to reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

 

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services also acts as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent under a separate agreement with the Trust.

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC, located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 acts as Distributor to the Fund.

 

Pursuant to a custody agreement between the Trust, the Fund and U.S. Bank National Association, U.S. Bank Association serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets (the “Custodian”). Pursuant to the custody agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Fund’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The Custodian’s address is 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212.

 

S-30

 

 

PINE Advisors LLC (“PINE”), located at 501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 610, Denver, Colorado 80246, provides Chief Compliance Officer and Principal Financial Officer services to the Trust pursuant to a services agreement. In consideration for these services, PINE is paid a monthly fee out of the assets of the Trust. The Trust also reimburses PINE for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Legal Counsel

 

Vedder Price P.C., located at 222 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP, located at 4200 Republic Plaza, Denver Colorado 80202, serves as legal counsel to the Independent Trustees.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

[●], located at [●], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements and the performance of related compliance tax services.

 

Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Plan

 

The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) with respect to the Fund in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. The Fund does not presently intend to make any payments pursuant to the Plan. Continuance of the Plan with respect to the Fund must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder with respect to the Fund without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of any class of the Fund that is affected by such increase. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

 

The Plan provides that the Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with FINRA rules concerning sales charges.

 

Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to shareholder accounts, and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

 

S-31

 

 

The Trust currently does not intend to utilize the 12b-1 Plan with respect to the Fund.

 

Marketing Support Payments

 

The Adviser, out of its own profits and resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may provide cash payments or other compensation (“Support Payments”) to certain financial intermediaries who sell and/or promote the sale of shares of the Fund. Subject to and in accordance with the terms of the Fund’s Prospectus and the Plan (as applicable) adopted by resolution of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, and specifically the “Payments to Financial Intermediaries” section of the Fund’s Prospectus, the Adviser may make Support Payments to such financial intermediaries related to marketing/distribution support, education training or support, shareholder servicing, sales meetings, inclusion on sales lists (including a preferred or select sales list), participation in sales programs, and for making shares of the Fund available to the intermediaries’ customers generally and in investment programs.

 

Support Payments made by the Adviser to intermediaries may be calculated in different ways, including: (1) as a percentage of net sales; (2) as a percentage of net assets; and (3) as a flat fee.

 

The possibility of receiving, or the receipt of, such Support Payments as described above may provide such intermediaries and/or their salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the Fund, and other funds whose affiliates make similar compensation available, over other investments that do not make such payments. Investors may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to the Fund and other ETFs.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The Fund is managed by the portfolio management team. The individual members of the team jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio are described below. Each member of the portfolio management team has served as portfolio manager since the Fund’s inception.

 

Primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of our investment portfolio is the joint responsibility of a team of portfolio managers consisting of Matthew Sallee, CFA, Brian Kessens, CFA, James Mick, CFA and Robert Thummel. The investment committee of the Adviser, comprised of these portfolio managers, provides investment strategy oversight to the portfolio management team who implements the strategy. While responsibility for monitoring, review, and analysis of individual securities is spread among various individual members of the portfolio management team, all portfolio management decisions and reviews are based on a team approach. Each of Messrs. Sallee, Kessens, Mick and Thummel has an employment-related agreement with the Adviser and receives base compensation for the services he provides. They are also eligible for an annual discretionary cash bonus based on the Adviser’s earnings and the satisfaction of certain other conditions. The Adviser’s earnings are based in part on the value of assets held in our portfolio. Additional benefits received by Messrs. Sallee, Kessens, Mick and Thummel are normal and customary employee benefits generally available to all full-time employees.

 

S-32

 

 

The following table provides information regarding other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, excluding the Fund, including information regarding the number of managed accounts that pay a performance fee, as of June 30, 2025.

 

Name of Manager   Account Category   # of
Accounts
  Total Assets
of Accounts
(in millions)
  # of Accounts
Paying a
Performance Fee
  Total Assets of
Accounts Paying a
Performance Fee
 
Brian Kessens                    
    Registered investment companies   5   $5,049,853,694    
    Other pooled investment vehicles   2   $69,727,834    
    Other accounts   338   $3,033,565,262   8   $992,067,670
James Mick                    
    Registered investment companies   5   $5,049,853,694    
    Other pooled investment vehicles   2   $69,727,834    
    Other accounts   338   $3,033,565,262   8   $992,067,670
Matthew Sallee                    
    Registered investment companies   5   $5,049,853,694    
    Other pooled investment vehicles   2   $69,727,834    
    Other accounts   338   $3,033,565,262   8   $992,067,670
Robert Thummel                    
    Registered investment companies   5   $5,049,853,694    
    Other pooled investment vehicles   2   $69,727,834    
    Other accounts   338   $3,033,565,262   8   $992,067,670

 

Securities Ownership of Portfolio Managers

 

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Fund.

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest Involving the Adviser and Portfolio Manager Compensation

 

Conflicts of interest may arise from the fact that the Adviser and its affiliates carry on substantial investment activities for other clients, in which the Fund has no interest. The Adviser or its affiliates may have financial incentives to favor certain of these accounts over the Fund. Any of the Adviser’s or its affiliates’ proprietary accounts and other customer accounts may compete with the Fund for specific trades. The Adviser or its affiliates may give advice and recommend securities to, or buy or sell securities for, other accounts and customers, which advice or securities recommended may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought or sold for, the Fund, even though their investment objectives may be the same as, or similar to, our objective. Certain of the funds and accounts managed by our Adviser may invest in the equity securities of a particular company, while other funds and accounts managed by the Adviser may invest in the debt securities of the same company.

 

S-33

 

 

The Adviser has written allocation policies and procedures that it will follow in addressing any conflicts. When two or more clients advised by our Adviser or its affiliates seek to purchase or sell the same securities, the securities actually purchased or sold will be allocated among the clients on a good faith equitable basis by the Adviser in its discretion and in accordance with each client’s investment objectives and the Adviser’s procedures.

 

From time to time, our Adviser may seed proprietary accounts for the purpose of evaluating a new investment strategy that eventually may be available to clients through one or more product structures. Such accounts also may serve the purpose of establishing a performance record for the strategy. The Adviser’s management of accounts with proprietary interests and nonproprietary client accounts may create an incentive to favor the proprietary accounts in the allocation of investment opportunities, and the timing and aggregation of investments. The Adviser’s proprietary seed accounts may include long-short strategies, and certain client strategies may permit short sales. A conflict of interest arises if a security is sold short at the same time as a long position, and continuously short selling in a security may adversely affect the stock price of the same security held long in client accounts. The Adviser has adopted various policies to mitigate these conflicts, including policies that require the Adviser to avoid favoring any account, and that prohibit client and proprietary accounts from engaging in short sales with respect to individual stocks held long in client accounts. The Adviser’s policies also require transactions in proprietary accounts to be placed after client transactions.

 

Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage

 

The Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, broker-dealer selection, and negotiation of brokerage commission rates. The Adviser’s primary consideration in effecting a security transaction will be to obtain the best execution. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Adviser will take the following into consideration: the best net price available; the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size of and the difficulty in executing the order; and the value of the expected contribution of the broker-dealer to our investment performance on a continuing basis. Accordingly, the price in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the execution services offered.

 

When the Fund purchases securities listed on a stock exchange, those transactions will be effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. The Fund also may invest in securities that are traded principally in the over-the-counter market. In the over-the-counter market, securities generally are traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of such securities usually includes a mark-up to the dealer. Securities purchased in underwritten offerings generally include, in the price, a fixed amount of compensation for the manager(s), underwriter(s) and dealer(s). The Fund may also purchase securities including fixed income securities directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts will be paid.

 

S-34

 

 

Subject to such policies as the Board may from time to time determine, the Adviser shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty solely by reason of its having caused the Fund to pay a broker or dealer that provides brokerage and research services to the Adviser an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to us and to other clients of the Adviser as to which the Adviser exercises investment discretion. The Adviser is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it on our behalf to such brokers and dealers who also provide research or statistical material or other services to the Fund or the Adviser. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser shall determine and the Adviser will report on said allocations regularly to the Board indicating the brokers to whom such allocations have been made and the basis therefor.

 

Purchase and Issuance of Shares in Creation Units

 

The Trust issues and redeems shares of the Fund only in large blocks, known as “Creation Units,” which amount may change from time to time. The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any day the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open for business (“Business Day”), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the authorized participant agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the dividend reinvestment service of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). The NAV of the Fund’s shares is calculated each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the Fund’s primary listing exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Fund will not issue or redeem fractional Creation Units.

 

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the securities included in the Fund’s portfolio and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities (“Non-Standard Charges”) may be recoverable from the purchaser of Creation Units.

 

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component will be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which will be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

 

S-35

 

 

The Fund through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

 

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which will be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the Fund’s portfolio or resulting from certain corporate actions.

 

Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant. In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees and taxes. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Creation Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

 

All orders to purchase shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement (the “Cut-Off Time”). The Cut-Off Time for Fund orders is expected to be 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, which may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to the Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

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An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

 

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed on any day, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook. With respect to the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cut-Off Time on the Business Day on which the order is placed. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

 

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian will cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant will deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m., Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination will be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

 

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The order will be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the Cut-Off Time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant will be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook and this SAI are properly followed.

 

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser will be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant will be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

 

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which will be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash will be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases, unless otherwise advised by the Fund, and Non-Standard Charges may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

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Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Authorized Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

 

Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor will either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor will not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

 

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered will be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination will be final and binding.

 

Creation Transaction Fee. A purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee (the “Creation Transaction Fee”) is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a Creation Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the Creation Transaction Fee from time to time based upon actual experience. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the creation order costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Fund’s investment adviser, has agreed to pay such fee. In addition, the Fund may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 2% of the value of the creation transactions for cash creations, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases for the Fund. The Fund may adjust the Non-Standard Charge from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the Creation Transaction Fee and Non-Standard Charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Fund may determine to not charge a Non-Standard Charge on certain orders when the Fund’s investment adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation of orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Creation Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Creation Transaction Fee is designed to cover. The standard Creation Transaction Fee for the Fund is $300.

 

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Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund’s. Because the Fund’s shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause a shareholder to be deemed an underwriter.

 

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with the Fund’s shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act.

 

Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

 

With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

 

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities — as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form — plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less any fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below and any Non-Standard Charges. If the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

 

Cash Redemption Method. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund, when full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the Authorized Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Redemption Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

 

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Redemption Transaction Fees. A redemption transaction fee (the “Redemption Transaction Fee”) may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and Authorized Participants will be required to pay a Redemption Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Redemption Transaction Fee is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request. The Fund may adjust the Redemption Transaction Fee from time to time based upon actual experience. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the redemption order costs associated with the order of another party, such as the Fund’s investment adviser, has agreed to pay such fee. In addition, the Fund may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 2% of the value of a redemption transaction for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for the Fund. Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the Redemption Transaction Fees and Non-Standard Charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Fund Securities to the account of the Trust. The Non-Standard Charges are payable to the Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transaction costs. The standard Redemption Transaction Fee for the Fund is $300.

 

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request will be rejected.

 

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant which has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

 

In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account the Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two Business Days of the trade date.

 

Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, the Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account the Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two Business Days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form; in such circumstances, the Fund may delay delivery more than seven days if the Fund makes such delivery as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 days. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholder will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.

 

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In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

 

Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.

 

Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

Determination of Net Asset Value

 

NAV for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that such Exchange is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

 

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The Fund’s assets are generally valued at their market price on the valuation date and are based on valuations provided by independent pricing services consistent with the Trust’s valuation policies. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund and has been delegated the responsibility for making good faith, fair value determinations with respect to the Fund’s portfolio securities. When market prices are not readily available, or believed by the Adviser to be unreliable, a security or other asset is valued at its fair value by the Adviser as determined under fair value pricing procedures approved by the Board. These fair value pricing procedures will also be used to price a security when corporate events, events in the securities market and/or world events cause the Adviser to believe that a security’s last sale price may not reflect its actual market value. The intended effect of using fair value pricing procedures is to ensure that the Fund is accurately priced.

 

The Fund’s securities which are traded on securities exchanges are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any reported sales, at the mean between the last available bid and ask prices.

 

Securities traded on a securities exchange for which a last-quoted sales price is readily available will be valued at the last sales price as reported by the primary exchange on which the securities are listed. Securities listed on Nasdaq will be valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price, which may differ from the last sales price reported. Securities traded on a securities exchange for which a last-quoted sales price is not readily available will be valued at the last bid, ask or mean between the bid and the ask price, as determined by the Adviser and disclosed in the notes of the annual report. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market in which no last sales price is available will be valued at the average of the last bid prices obtained from two or more dealers unless there is only one dealer, in which case that dealer’s last bid price is used.

 

Stocks that are “thinly traded” or events occurring when a foreign market is closed but the Exchange is open may create a situation where a market quote would not be readily available. When a market quote is not readily available, the security’s value is based on “fair value” as determined by the Adviser as valuation designee. The Fund may hold portfolio securities, such as those traded on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund’s shares are not priced. Therefore, the value of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”

 

General Policies. The Fund expects to pay out dividends from net investment income semiannually. Net realized capital gains distributions, if any, will be paid out at least annually.

 

Due to the tax treatment under current law of cash distributions made by MLPs in which the Fund invests, a portion of the distributions the Fund anticipates making may consist of tax-deferred return of capital. To the extent that distributions exceed the Fund’s earnings and profits, distributions are generally not treated as taxable income for the investor. Instead, Fund shareholders will experience a reduction in the basis of their shares, which may increase the capital gain or reduce capital loss realized upon the sale of such shares. If all or a portion of a distribution payment made by the Fund amounts to a return of capital, the Fund would provide a written notice to that effect.

 

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Dividends and other distributions on shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to shareholders of the Fund. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to shareholders of record with proceeds received from the Fund.

 

The Fund may make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute its entire annual investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), plus its net capital gain, if any, and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by shareholders for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service for use by shareholders of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Shareholders should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund issued by the Trust at NAV. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund will be taxable to shareholders to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

The following is a summary of certain additional U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the summary in the Prospectus. The discussion reflects applicable U.S. federal income tax laws as of the date of this SAI, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income, estate, gift, state, local or foreign tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders (including shareholders owning large positions in the Fund). The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the specific tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund, including applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them or the effect of possible changes in tax laws.

 

In addition, no attempt is made to address tax considerations applicable to an investor with a special tax status, such as a financial institution, REIT, insurance company, regulated investment company, individual retirement account, other tax-exempt organization, dealer in securities or currencies, person holding shares of the Fund as part of a hedging, integrated, conversion or straddle transaction or constructive sale, trader in securities that has elected the mark-to-market method of accounting for its securities, U.S. holder (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, investor with “applicable financial statements” within the meaning of section 451(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or non-U.S. investor. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes the Fund’s shares are held by U.S. persons and that such shares are held as capital assets.

 

S-44

 

 

A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of the shares of the Fund that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

·a citizen or individual resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and former long-term residents);

 

·a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

·an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

·a trust with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or the trust has made a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

A “Non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of shares of the Fund that is an individual, corporation, trust or estate and is not a U.S. holder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of the Fund, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership.

 

Regulated Investment Company Status. The Fund will seek to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Code. Provided that for each taxable year the Fund: (i) meets the requirements to be treated as a RIC (as discussed below); and (ii) distributes at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of the Fund’s investment company taxable income for such year (which includes the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses), computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction, and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such year (the “Distribution Requirement”), the Fund itself generally will not be subject to federal income taxes to the extent the Fund’s income, including the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses), is distributed to the Fund’s shareholders. One of several requirements for RIC qualification is that the Fund must receive at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships, generally including MLPs and certain LLCs (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that the Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships, generally including MLPs and certain LLCs (the “Asset Test”).

 

For purposes of the 90% Test, the character of income earned by certain entities in which the Fund invests that are not treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes (e.g., partnerships and LLCs that are not publicly traded partnerships and that have not elected to be classified as corporations under applicable regulations) will generally pass through to the Fund. Consequently, in order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund may be required to limit its equity investments in such entities if they earn income that is nonqualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test.

 

S-45

 

 

If the Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Asset Test where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Asset Test, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to the Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, although if certain requirements are met distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for noncorporate shareholders. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period longer than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

 

For each year, the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and any realized net capital gain (after taking into account any capital loss carryovers). If the Fund failed to satisfy the Distribution Requirement for any taxable year, it would be taxed as a regular corporation, with consequences generally similar to those described above.

 

If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their shares in the Fund by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.

 

The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute (and is not deemed to distribute) to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated.

 

S-46

 

 

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a RIC may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. The Fund is permitted to carry net capital losses forward indefinitely. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.

 

Under section 163(j) of the Code, the amount of business interest that a taxpayer can deduct for any year is generally limited to the taxpayer’s (i) business interest income (which is the amount of interest includible in the gross income of the taxpayer which is properly allocable to a trade or business, but does not include investment income) plus (ii) 30% of adjusted taxable income (but not less than zero) plus (iii) floor plan financing interest. The IRS has issued regulations clarifying that all interest expense and interest income of a RIC is treated as properly allocable to a trade or business for purposes of the limitation on the deductibility of business interest. As a result, this limitation may impact the Fund’s ability to use leverage (e.g., borrow money, issue debt securities, etc.). Shareholders of the Fund may also be subject to this limitation. The Fund is permitted to pass-through its net business interest income (generally the Fund’s business interest income less applicable expenses and deductions) as a “section 163(j) interest dividend.” The amount passed through to shareholders is considered interest income and can be used to determine such shareholder’s business interest deduction under Code section 163(j), if any, subject to holding period requirements and other limitations. The Fund may choose not to report such section 163(j) interest dividends.

 

Taxation of U.S. Holders. Distributions of net capital gains (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) that the Fund reports to a U.S. holder as capital gain dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long such U.S. holder has owned the shares. Long-term capital gains are generally taxed to noncorporate U.S. holders at rates of up to 20%. All other dividends of the Fund (including dividends from net short-term capital gains) to the extent of its current or accumulated earnings and profits are generally subject to tax as ordinary income, subject to the discussion of qualified dividend income below.

 

Subject to certain limitations and requirements, including holding period requirements, dividends reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income will be taxable to noncorporate U.S. holders at rates of up to 20%. In general, dividends may be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income if they are paid from dividends received by the Fund on common and preferred stock of U.S. companies or on stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund with respect to the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States or in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. “Passive foreign investment companies” (described below) are not qualified foreign corporations for this purpose. The noncorporate U.S. holder must also meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to its shares in the Fund to be eligible to treat amounts as qualified dividend income.

 

S-47

 

 

Certain dividends received by the Fund on stock of U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (i) as to which the Fund has met certain holding period requirements and (ii) that is held in an unleveraged position) may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally available to corporate U.S. holders under the Code, provided such dividends are also appropriately reported as eligible for the dividends-received deduction by the Fund. In order to qualify for the dividends-received deduction, corporate U.S. holders must also meet minimum holding period requirements with respect to their Fund shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Fund shares. The entire dividend, including the otherwise deductible amount, will be included in determining the excess, if any, of a corporation’s adjusted current earnings over its alternative minimum taxable income, which may increase a corporation’s alternative minimum tax liability. A corporate U.S. holder should consult its tax adviser regarding the possibility that its tax basis in its shares may be reduced, for federal income tax purposes, by reason of “extraordinary dividends” received with respect to the shares and, to the extent such basis would be reduced below zero, current recognition of income may be required. The Fund’s investment strategies may significantly limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.

 

The Fund’s participation in loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to U.S. holders. If the Fund participates in a securities lending transaction and receive a payment in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan in a securities lending transaction, such income generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and thus dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for taxation at the rates applicable to qualified dividend income. In addition, dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate U.S. holders.

 

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to U.S. holders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by U.S. holders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared. In addition, certain distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Fund may be “spilled back” and treated for certain purposes as paid by the Fund during such taxable year. In such case, U.S. holders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. For purposes of calculating the amount of a RIC’s undistributed income and gain subject to the 4% excise tax described above, such “spilled back” dividends are treated as paid by the RIC when they are actually paid.

 

Fund distributions, if any, that exceed the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits may be treated as a return of capital to U.S. holders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce a U.S. holder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Fund shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a U.S. holder’s basis in the Fund shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

Distributions that are reinvested in additional shares of the Fund will be taxable to U.S. holders to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

The U.S. holders will be notified annually by the Fund as to the federal tax characterization of all distributions made by the Fund. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

 

U.S. individuals with income exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married and filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which generally includes interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale, redemption or exchange of shares of the Fund or the redemption of Creation Units). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

 

S-48

 

 

A taxable U.S. holder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of such U.S. holder’s investment.

 

U.S. holders who have not held Fund shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute to a U.S. holder, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during such U.S. holder’s period of investment in the Fund.

 

A sale or redemption of shares by a U.S. holder may give rise to a gain or loss. The difference between the selling or redemption price and such U.S. holder’s tax basis for the shares sold or redeemed generally determines the amount of the gain or loss realized on the sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares. The tax basis of Fund shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Fund shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Fund shares to obtain information with respect to the available basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

 

In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Fund shares are capital assets in the U.S. holder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund shares have been held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the Fund shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the U.S. holder of long-term capital gain with respect to the Fund shares (including any amounts credited to the U.S. holder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if substantially identical shares of the Fund or other substantially identical stock or securities are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitation under the Code.

 

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Any gain or loss realized by an Authorized Participant upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held by the Authorized Participant for more than one year, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitation under the Code.

 

The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Creation Units if the Authorized Participant (or a group of Authorized Participants) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to sections 351 and 362 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of this 80% determination. If the Fund issues Creation Units to an Authorized Participant (or group of Authorized Participants) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the Authorized Participant (or group of Authorized Participants) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 

S-49

 

 

An Authorized Participant who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the Authorized Participant’s basis in the Creation Units. Any gain or loss realized by an Authorized Participant upon a redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the shares comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held by the Authorized Participant for more than one year, and otherwise will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as a long- term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains). The IRS may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitation under the Code.

 

Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

 

The Fund intends to effect a significant portion of its redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities, thus the Fund may be required to execute additional sale or exchange transactions that may increase the taxable income and net capital gain or both of the Fund and limit the tax efficiency of the Fund. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that effects its creations and redemptions only in-kind.

 

Taxation of Fund Investments. The Fund may invest in MLPs that are treated as qualified publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. Net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership is included in the sources of income from which a RIC must derive 90% of its gross income. However, no more than 25% of the value of a RIC’s total assets at the end of each fiscal quarter may be invested in securities of qualified publicly traded partnerships. If an MLP in which the Fund invests is taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, the Fund will be taxable on its allocable share of the MLP’s income regardless of whether the Fund receives any distribution from the MLP. Thus, the Fund may be required to sell other securities in order to satisfy the distribution requirements to qualify as a RIC and to avoid federal income and excise taxes. Distributions to the Fund from an MLP that is taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes will constitute a return of capital to the extent of the Fund’s basis in its interest in the MLP. If the Fund’s basis is reduced to zero, distributions will constitute capital gain for federal income tax purposes.

 

Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, (i) convert distributions that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income into ordinary income taxed at the higher rate applicable to ordinary income, (ii) treat distributions that would otherwise be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction as ineligible for such treatment, (iii) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (iv) convert long-term capital gain into short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (v) convert an ordinary loss or deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (vi) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (vii) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (viii) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions, and (ix) produce income that will not be included in the sources of income from which a RIC must derive at least 90% of its gross income each year. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to U.S. holders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve its qualification for treatment as a RIC.

 

S-50

 

 

If the Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Fund must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. However, the Fund must distribute to shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such income it is required to accrue, to qualify as a RIC and avoid federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash, to satisfy these distribution requirements.

 

The Fund may acquire debt securities that are market discount bonds. A market discount bond is a security acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value (or its adjusted issue price if it is also an original-issue discount bond). If the Fund invests in a market discount bond, it will be required to treat any gain recognized on the disposition of such market discount bond as ordinary taxable income to the extent of the accrued market discount unless the Fund elects to include the market discount in taxable income as it accrues.

 

The Fund’s investment in lower rated or unrated debt securities may present issues for the Fund if the issuers of these securities default on their obligations because the federal income tax consequences to a holder of such securities are not certain.

 

The Fund’s investments in options may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income and loss or capital gain and loss or whether capital gains and losses are long-term or short-term in nature, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses. In turn, those rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed by the Fund. It is anticipated that any net gain realized from the lapse or closing out of options contracts will be considered qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test.

 

If the Fund holds an equity interest in any “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”), which are generally certain non-U.S. corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of a 4% excise tax that can be imposed if the Fund fails to meet certain calendar year distribution requirements contained in the Code. Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.

 

S-51

 

 

The Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to any investments in those countries. Any such taxes would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. The Fund does not expect to satisfy the requirements for passing through to its shareholders any share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund, with the result that U.S. holders will not be required to include such taxes in their gross incomes and will not be entitled to a tax deduction or credit for any such taxes on their own tax returns.

 

Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain other instruments, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition also may be treated as ordinary gain or loss. These gains and losses, referred to under the Code as “Section 988” gains or losses, may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund’s investment company taxable income to be distributed to the U.S. holders as ordinary income.

 

Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required to withhold federal income tax at a rate of 24% from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. holders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified (or the Fund has been notified) by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Corporate U.S. holders and certain other U.S. holders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

 

Non-U.S. Holders. Non-U.S. holders are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. Gains realized by Non-U.S. holders from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Non-U.S. holders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if a Non-U.S. holder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a Non-U.S. holder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

 

The 30% withholding tax also will not apply to dividends that the Fund elects to report as (a) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified net interest income,” or (b) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. “Qualified short-term gain” generally means the excess of the net short-term capital gain of the Fund for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. The Fund may choose not to make such elections even if they are otherwise available. In the case of Fund shares held through a broker, the broker may withhold even if the Fund reports a payment as an interest-related dividend or a short-term capital gain dividend. Non-U.S. holders should contact their brokers with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.

 

S-52

 

 

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally requires the Fund to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of its shareholders. If a shareholder fails to provide this information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA, the Fund may be required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on Fund dividends and distributions and redemption proceeds. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from (or concerning) its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA, related intergovernmental agreements or other applicable laws or regulations. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.

 

Pursuant to proposed regulations, the Treasury Department has indicated its intent to eliminate the requirements under FATCA of withholding on gross proceeds from the sale, exchange, maturity or other disposition of relevant financial instruments (including redemptions of stock). The Treasury Department has indicated that taxpayers may rely on these proposed regulations pending their finalization.

 

A beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a Non-U.S. holder may be subject to foreign, state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a Non-U.S. holder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including substantial penalties. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Options. The Fund’s transactions in options will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by us (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to us and may defer the Fund’s losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require us to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), and (b) may cause us to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a RIC and the distribution requirement for avoiding excise taxes. The Fund will monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in the Fund’s books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent the Fund’s disqualification from being taxed as a RIC.

 

Other Issues. The Fund may be subject to tax or taxes in certain states where the Fund does business. Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from the federal tax treatment.

 

S-53

 

 

The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations based on federal tax laws and regulations that are in effect on the date of this SAI as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and its shareholders. These provisions are subject to change by legislative and administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding specific questions as to U.S. federal, foreign, state and local income or other taxes based on their particular circumstances.

 

Financial Information

 

The Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore has no performance history or financial information as of the date of this SAI. The audited financial statements for the Fund will appear in the Trust’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC and on the Fund’s website when available. When available, you may request a copy of the Fund’s financial statements at no charge by calling (855) 994-4437.

 

S-54

 

 

Appendix A

 

Standard & Poor’s Corporation

 

Description of Credit Ratings

 

A brief description of the applicable Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:

 

Long-Term Debt

 

An S&P corporate or municipal debt rating is a current assessment of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific obligation. This assessment may take into consideration obligors such as guarantors, insurers or lessees. The debt rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable. S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances. The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

 

1.Likelihood of default-capacity and willingness of the obligor as to the timely payment of interest and repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation;

 

2.Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and

 

3.Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

 

Investment Grade

 

AAADebt rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

 

AADebt rated “AA” has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.

 

ADebt rated “A” has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.

 

BBBDebt rated “BBB” is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

 

Speculative Grade Rating

 

Debt rated “BB”, “B”, “CCC”, “CC” and “C” is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics these are outweighed by major uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

 

S-55

 

 

BBDebt rated “BB” has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The “BB” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BBB” rating.

 

BDebt rated “B” has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The “B” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BB” or “BB” rating.

 

CCCDebt rated “CCC” has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The “CCC” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “B” or “B” rating.

 

CCThe rating “CC” typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” debt rating.

 

CThe rating “C” typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” debt rating. The “C” rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.

 

CIThe rating “CI” is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.

 

DDebt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.

 

Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

 

Provisional Ratings: The letter “p” indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of, such completion. The investor should exercise judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.

 

rThe letter “r” is attached to highlight derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that S&P believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns due to non-credit risks. Examples of such obligations are: securities whose principal or interest return is indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest only and principal only mortgage securities. The absence of an “r” symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.

 

S-56

 

 

LThe letter “L” indicates that the rating pertains to the principal amount of those bonds to the extent that the underlying deposit collateral is Federally insured by the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation* In the case of certificates of deposit the letter “L” indicates that the deposit, combined with other deposits being held in the same right and capacity will be honored for principal and accrued pre-default interest up to the Federal insurance limits within 30 days after closing of the insured institution or, in the event that the deposit is assumed by a successor insured institution, upon maturity.

 

NRIndicates no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.

 

Commercial Paper

 

An S&P commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from “A-1” for the highest quality obligations to “D” for the lowest. These categories are as follows:

 

A-1This highest category indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.

 

A-2Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated “A-1.”

 

*Continuance of the rating is contingent upon S&P’s receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flow.

 

A-3Issues carrying this designation have adequate capacity for timely payment. They are, however, somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.

 

BIssues rated “B” are regarded as having only speculative capacity for timely payment.

 

CThis rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a doubtful capacity for payment.

 

DDebt rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when interest payments or principal Payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period.

 

A commercial rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished to S&P by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable.

 

S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information or based on other circumstances.

 

Preferred Securities

 

AAAThis is the highest rating that may be assigned to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.

 

S-57

 

 

AAA preferred stock issue rated AA also qualifies as a high quality fixed income security. The capacity to pay preferred stock obligations is very strong, although not as overwhelming as for issues rated AAA.

 

AAn issue rated A is backed by a sound capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.

 

BBBAn issue rated BBB is regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. Although it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make payments for preferred stock in this category for issues in the A category.

 

BBAs issue rated BB is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay the preferred stock obligation. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, they are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.

 

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

 

A brief description of the applicable Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moody’s) follows:

 

Long-Term Debt

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for corporate and municipal long-term debt:

 

AaaBonds are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the Fundamentally strong position of such issuer.

 

AaBonds are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the “Aaa” group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in “Aaa” securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in “Aaa” securities.

 

ABonds possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

BaBonds considered medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

 

S-58

 

 

Ba, B, Caa, Ca, and C Bonds that possess one of these ratings provide questionable protection of interest and principal (“Ba” indicates some speculative elements; “B” indicates a general lack of characteristics of desirable investment; “Caa” represents a poor standing; “Ca” represents obligations which are speculative in a high degree; and “C” represents the lowest rated class of bonds). “Caa,” “Ca” and “C” bonds may be in default.

 

Con. (—) Bonds for which the security depends upon the completion of some act or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These are bonds secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects unseasoned in operation experience, (c) rentals which begin when facilities are completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting condition attaches. Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of construction or elimination of basis of condition.

 

(P)When applied to forward delivery bonds, indicates that the rating is provisional pending delivery of the bonds. The rating may be revised prior to delivery if changes occur in the legal documents or the underlying credit quality of the bonds.

 

Note: Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups which Moody’s believes possess the strongest investment attributes are designated by the symbols, Aa1, A1, Ba1 and B1.

 

Short-Term Loans

 

MIG 1/VMIG 1This designation denotes best quality. There is present strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad based access to the market for refinancing.

 

MIG 2/VMIG 2This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3/VMIG 3This designation denotes favorable quality. All security elements are accounted for but there is lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

MIG 4/VMIG 4This designation denotes adequate quality. Protection commonly regarded as required of an investment security is present and although not distinctly or predominantly speculative, there is specific risk.

 

S.G.This designation denotes speculative quality. Debt instruments in this category lack margins of protection.

 

Commercial Paper

 

Issuers rated Prime-1 (or related supporting institutions) have a superior capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Prime-1 repayment capacity will normally be evidenced by the following characteristics:

 

·Leading market positions in well-established industries.

 

·High rates of return on Fund employed.

 

S-59

 

 

·Conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.

 

·Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.

 

·Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

 

Issuers rated Prime-2 (or related supporting institutions) have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained. Issuers rated Prime-3 (or related supporting institutions) have an acceptable capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market composition may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and the requirement for relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

Preferred Securities Ratings

 

aaaPreferred stocks which are rated “aaa” are considered to be top quality. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.

 

aaPreferred stocks which are rated “aa” are considered to be high grade. This rating indicates that there is reasonable assurance that earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.

 

aPreferred stocks which are rated “a” are considered to be upper-medium grade. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “aaa” and “aa” classifications, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.

 

baaPreferred stocks which are rated “baa” are judged lover-medium grade, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.

 

baPreferred stocks which are rated “ba” are considered to have speculative elements and their future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.

 

S-60

 

PART C

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Tortoise Capital Series Trust

 

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a) (1) Certificate of Trust of Tortoise Capital Series Trust (the “Registrant”)(1)
  (2) Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Registrant(5)
  (3) Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, as amended(10)
(b)   Bylaws of the Registrant(2)
(c)   Not Applicable
(d) (1) Investment Advisory Agreement(5)
  (2) Form of Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement(*)
  (3) Investment Advisory Agreement for Mutual Funds(7)
  (4) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement(8)
  (5) Amendment to Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement(9)
  (6) Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement(7)
(e) (1) ETF Distribution Agreement(5)
  (2) Amendment to ETF Distribution Agreement(*)
  (3) Mutual Fund Distribution Agreement(7)
(f)   Not Applicable
(g) (1) Custody Agreement(5)
  (2) Amendment to Custody Agreement(*)
  (3) Mutual Fund Custody Agreement(7)
(h) (1) Fund Administration Servicing Agreement(5)
  (2) Amendment to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement(*)
  (3) Mutual Fund Servicing Agreement(7)
  (4) ETF Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement(5)
  (5) Amendment to the ETF Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement(*)
  (6) Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement(5)
  (7) Amendment to the Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement(*)
  (8) Services Agreement with PINE Advisors LLC(5)
  (9) Mutual Fund Servicing Agreement(6)
(i)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel(*)
(j)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm(*)
(k)   Not Applicable
(l)   Not Applicable
(m) (1) ETF 12b-1 Plan(8)
  (2) Updated ETF 12b-1 Plan(10)
  (3) Mutual Fund 12b-1 Plan(6)
(n)   Rule 18f-3 Plan(6)
(o)   Reserved
(p) (1) Code of Ethics for the Registrant(4)
  (2) Code of Ethics for Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C.(4)
  (3) Code of Ethics for Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC.(5)
(q)   Powers of Attorney(3)

 

 
(1)Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281752) filed on August 23, 2024.
(2)Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281752) filed on October 15, 2024.
(3)Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-281744 and 333-23997) filed on October 18, 2024.
(4)Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on December 6, 2024.
(5)Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on February 14, 2025.
(6)Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on February 14, 2025.
(7)Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on May 9, 2025.
(8)Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on June 13, 2025.
(9)Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on July 11, 2025.
(10)Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 811-23997 and 333-281744) filed on July 25, 2025.
(*)To be filed by amendment.

C-1

 

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control with Registrant

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 30. Indemnification

 

Section 9.5 of Article IX of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, as amended, provides as follows:

 

Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in this Section 9.5, every Person who is, or has been, a Trustee or officer of the Trust, including Persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents or independent contractors of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by such Trustee or officer of the Trust in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which such Trustee or officer of the Trust becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her service in such capacity. The Trust may, with the approval of the Trustees, provide such indemnification and advance of expenses to a Person who served a predecessor of the Trust in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of the Trust or a predecessor of the Trust. No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by the 1940 Act.

 

The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a Person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a Person.

 

Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 9.5 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that the recipient is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 9.5.

 

To the extent that any determination is required to be made as to whether a Covered Person engaged in conduct for which indemnification is not provided as described herein, or as to whether there is reason to believe that a Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification, the Person or Persons making the determination shall afford the Covered Person a rebuttable presumption that the Covered Person has not engaged in such conduct and that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

C-2

 

 

As used in this Section 9.5, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, demands, actions, suits, investigations, regulatory inquiries, proceedings or any other occurrence of a similar nature, whether actual or threatened and whether civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, Officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, Officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

Reference is made to the caption “Management of the Fund” in the Statement of Additional Information constituting Part B of this Registration Statement.

 

This item incorporates by reference the investment adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Advisers Registration (“Form ADV”) of Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (SEC File No. 801-61622).

 

This item incorporates by reference the investment sub-adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Advisers Registration (“Form ADV”) of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC. (SEC File No. 801-70485).

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

 

(a)Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1.Advisor Managed Portfolios
2.Capital Advisors Growth Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
3.Chase Growth Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
4.Davidson Multi Cap Equity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
5.Edgar Lomax Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
6.First Sentier American Listed Infrastructure Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

 

C-3

 

 

7.First Sentier Global Listed Infrastructure Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
8.Huber Large Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
9.Huber Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
10.Huber Select Large Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
11.Huber Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
12.Logan Capital Broad Innovative Growth ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust
13.Medalist Partners MBS Total Return Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
14.Medalist Partners Short Duration Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
15.O’Shaughnessy Market Leaders Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
16.PIA BBB Bond Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
17.PIA High Yield (MACS) Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
18.PIA High Yield Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
19.PIA MBS Bond Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
20.PIA Short-Term Securities Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
21.Poplar Forest Cornerstone Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
22.Poplar Forest Partners Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
23.Pzena Emerging Markets Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
24.Pzena International Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
25.Pzena International Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
26.Pzena Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
27.Pzena Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
28.Reverb ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust
29.Scharf Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
30.Scharf Global Opportunity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
31.Scharf Multi-Asset Opportunity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
32.Shenkman Capital Floating Rate High Income Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
33.Shenkman Capital Short Duration High Income Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust
34.VegTech Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust
35.The Aegis Funds
36.Allied Asset Advisors Funds
37.Angel Oak Funds Trust
38.Angel Oak Strategic Credit Fund
39.Brookfield Infrastructure Income Fund Inc.
40.Brookfield Investment Funds
41.Buffalo Funds
42.DoubleLine Funds Trust
43.EA Series Trust (f/k/a Alpha Architect ETF Trust)
44.Ecofin Tax-Advantaged Social Impact Fund, Inc.
45.AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

 

C-4

 

 

46.AAM Brentview Dividend Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
47.AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
48.AAM S&P 500 Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
49.AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
50.AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
51.AAM Sawgrass U.S. Large Cap Quality Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
52.AAM Sawgrass U.S. Small Cap Quality Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
53.AAM Transformers ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
54.AlphaMark Actively Managed Small Cap ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
55.Aptus Collared Investment Opportunity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
56.Aptus Defined Risk ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
57.Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
58.Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
59.Aptus International Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
60.Aptus Large Cap Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
61.Bahl & Gaynor Income Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
62.Blue Horizon BNE ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
63.BTD Capital Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions
64.Carbon Strategy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
65.ClearShares OCIO ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
66.ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions
67.ClearShares Ultra-Short Maturity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
68.Distillate International Fundamental Stability & Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
69.Distillate Small/Mid Cash Flow ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
70.Distillate U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
71.ETFB Green SRI REITs ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
72.Hoya Capital High Dividend Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
73.Hoya Capital Housing ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
74.LHA Market State Alpha Seeker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
75.LHA Market State Tactical Beta ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
76.LHA Market State Tactical Q ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
77.LHA Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
78.McElhenny Sheffield Managed Risk ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
79.Nationwide Nasdaq-100 Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
80.NETLease Corporate Real Estate ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
81.Opus Small Cap Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
82.Range Cancer Therapeutics ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
83.Roundhill Acquirers Deep Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

 

C-5

 

 

84.The Acquirers Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions
85.The Brinsmere Fund — Conservative ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
86.The Brinsmere Fund — Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
87.U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
88.U.S. Global JETS ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
89.U.S. Global Sea to Sky Cargo ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
90.US Vegan Climate ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
91.Vest 10 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
92.Vest 2 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
93.First American Funds Trust
94.FundX Investment Trust
95.The Glenmede Fund, Inc.
96.The GoodHaven Funds Trust
97.Harding, Loevner Funds, Inc.
98.Hennessy Funds Trust
99.Horizon Funds
100.Hotchkis & Wiley Funds
101.Intrepid Capital Management Funds Trust
102.Jacob Funds Inc.
103.The Jensen Quality Growth Fund Inc.
104.Kirr, Marbach Partners Funds, Inc.
105.Leuthold Funds, Inc.
106.Core Alternative ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
107.Wahed Dow Jones Islamic World ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
108.Wahed FTSE USA Shariah ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
109.LKCM Funds
110.LoCorr Investment Trust
111.MainGate Trust
112.ATAC Rotation Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
113.Coho Relative Value Equity Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
114.Coho Relative Value ESG Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
115.Cove Street Capital Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
116.Ecofin Global Renewables Infrastructure Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
117.Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
118.Jackson Square Large-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
119.Jackson Square SMID-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
120.Kensington Active Advantage Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
121.Kensington Defender Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
122.Kensington Dynamic Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

 

C-6

 

 

123.Kensington Hedged Premium Income ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
124.Kensington Managed Income Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
125.LK Balanced Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
126.Muhlenkamp Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
127.Nuance Concentrated Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
128.Nuance Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
129.Olstein All Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
130.Olstein Strategic Opportunities Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
131.Port Street Quality Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
132.Principal Street High Income Municipal Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
133.Principal Street Short Term Municipal Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
134.Reinhart Genesis PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
135.Reinhart International PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
136.Reinhart Mid Cap PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
137.Tortoise Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
138.Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
139.Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
140.Tremblant Global ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
141.Greenspring Income Opportunities Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
142.Hood River International Opportunity Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
143.Hood River New Opportunities Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
144.Hood River Small-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
145.Mar Vista Strategic Growth Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
146.SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
147.SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
148.Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios
149.Mason Capital Fund Trust
150.Matrix Advisors Funds Trust
151.Matrix Advisors Value Fund, Inc.
152.Monetta Trust
153.Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.
154.Nicholas Fund, Inc.
155.Nicholas II, Inc.
156.Nicholas Limited Edition, Inc.
157.Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
158.Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds
159.Perritt Funds, Inc.
160.Procure ETF Trust II
161.Professionally Managed Portfolios

 

C-7

 

 

162.Prospector Funds, Inc.
163.Provident Mutual Funds, Inc.
164.Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
165.Abbey Capital Multi-Asset Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
166.Adara Smaller Companies Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
167.Aquarius International Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
168.Boston Partners All Cap Value Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
169.Boston Partners Emerging Markets Dynamic Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
170.Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
171.Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
172.Boston Partners Global Sustainability Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
173.Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
174.Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
175.Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
176.Campbell Systematic Macro Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
177.F/m 10-Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
178.F/m 2-Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
179.F/m 3-Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
180.F/m Opportunistic Income ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
181.Motley Fool 100 Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
182.Motley Fool Capital Efficiency 100 Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
183.Motley Fool Global Opportunities ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
184.Motley Fool Mid-Cap Growth ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
185.Motley Fool Next Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
186.Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
187.Optima Strategic Credit Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
188.SGI Dynamic Tactical ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
189.SGI Enhanced Core ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
190.SGI Enhanced Global Income ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
191.SGI Global Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
192.SGI Peak Growth Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
193.SGI Prudent Growth Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
194.SGI Small Cap Core Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
195.SGI U.S. Large Cap Core ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
196.SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
197.SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
198.US Treasury 10 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
199.US Treasury 12 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
200.US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

C-8

 

 

201.US Treasury 20 Year Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
202.US Treasury 3 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
203.US Treasury 3 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
204.US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
205.US Treasury 5 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
206.US Treasury 6 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
207.US Treasury 7 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
208.WPG Partners Select Hedged Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
209.WPG Partners Select Small Cap Value Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
210.WPG Partners Small Cap Value Diversified Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
211.The RBB Fund Trust
212.RBC Funds Trust
213.Series Portfolios Trust
214.Thompson IM Funds, Inc.
215.TrimTabs ETF Trust
216.Bright Rock Mid Cap Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
217.Bright Rock Quality Large Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
218.CrossingBridge Low Duration High Yield Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
219.CrossingBridge Responsible Credit Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
220.CrossingBridge Ultra-Short Duration Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
221.RiverPark Strategic Income Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
222.Dearborn Partners Rising Dividend Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
223.Jensen Global Quality Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
224.Jensen Quality MidCap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
225.Rockefeller Climate Solutions Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
226.Rockefeller US Small Cap Core Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
227.USQ Core Real Estate Fund
228.Wall Street EWM Funds Trust
229.Wisconsin Capital Funds, Inc.

 

(b)The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

C-9

 

 

(c)Not applicable.

 

Name   Address   Position with
Underwriter
  Position with
Registrant
 
             
Teresa Cowan   Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100, Portland,
Maine 04101
  President/Manager   None
             
Susan LaFond   Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100, Portland,
Maine 04101
  Vice President/Chief Compliance Officer – Distribution Services/Treasurer   None
             
Christopher Lanza   Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100, Portland,
Maine 04101
  Vice President   None
             
Kate Macchia   Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100, Portland,
Maine 04101
  Vice President   None
             
Weston Sommers   Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100, Portland,
Maine 04101
  Chief Financial Officer and Financial and Operations Principal   None
             
Kelly Whetstone   Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100, Portland,
Maine 04101
  Secretary   None

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

All accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder are maintained at:

 

5901 College Boulevard, Suite 400, Overland Park, Kansas 66211
(records relating to its function as the investment adviser to Tortoise Capital Series Trust).

 

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120
(records relating to its function as the investment sub-adviser for the Fund).

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not applicable.

 

C-10

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the city of Overland Park, and State of Kansas on this 26th day of September 2025.

 

  TORTOISE CAPITAL SERIES TRUST
     
  By: /s/ Tom Florence
    Tom Florence
    President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated have signed the Registration Statement below.

 

Signatures   Title   Date
         
/s/ Tom Florence   Principal Executive Officer and Trustee   September 26, 2025
Tom Florence        
         
/s/ Peter Sattelmair   Principal Financial Officer and   September 26, 2025
Peter Sattelmair   Principal Accounting Officer    
         
*   Trustee   September 26, 2025
Andrew J. Iseman        
         
*   Trustee   September 26, 2025
John C. Maxwell        
         
*   Trustee   September 26, 2025
Carrie Ramirez Schoffman        
         
*   Trustee   September 26, 2025
Keith A. Fletcher        
         
/s/ Jeffrey Kruske   Attorney-In-Fact   September 26, 2025
Jeffrey Kruske        

 

 
*An original power of attorney authorizing, among others, Jeffrey Kruske, to execute this registration statement, and amendments thereto, for each of the Trustees of the Registrant, has been executed and is incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 18, 2024.

 

C-11