# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001618627
**File Stem:** 0001398344-23-002087
**Filing Date:** 2023-2
**Character Count:** 436926
**Document Hash:** ab70d38bf002541b58571e83b1a4c742
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001398344-23-002087.hdr.sgml**: 20230203

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001398344-23-002087

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 497

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 14

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230203

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230203

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20230203

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** RBB Fund Trust
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001618627
- **IRS NUMBER:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 0831

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 497
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 333-200168
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23587390

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 615 EAST MICHIGAN STREET
- **CITY:** MILWAUKEE
- **STATE:** WI
- **ZIP:** 53202
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 609-731-6256

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 615 EAST MICHIGAN STREET
- **CITY:** MILWAUKEE
- **STATE:** WI
- **ZIP:** 53202

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** PENN Capital Funds Trust
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20140904

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000079345)

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|  |  |  |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Class Name                                                                                                       | Ticker Symbol | Class ID   |
| The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF | CHRG          | C000240353 |

---

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000079345)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                                                                       | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000240353 | The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF | CHRG            |

?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?

**The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF**

(formerly, Element EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF)

(NYSE Arca, Inc.: CHRG)

PROSPECTUS

dated December 28, 2022

(As supplemented on February 3, 2023)

A series of The RBB Fund Trust

***The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.***

***THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT PASSED UPON THE MERITS OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS POOL NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED ON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT.***

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Summary Section | 1 |
| Additional Information about the Fund | 11 |
| Management of the Fund | 22 |
| How to Buy and Sell Shares | 24 |
| Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes | 25 |
| Distribution | 29 |
| Additional Considerations | 29 |
| Financial Highlights | 31 |

---

No securities dealer, sales representative, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus or in approved sales literature in connection with the offer contained herein, and if given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF (the "Fund") or The RBB Fund Trust. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities offered hereby in any jurisdiction or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer.

**SUMMARY SECTION**

**Investment Objective**

The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF (formerly, Element EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF) (the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation.

**Fees and Expenses**

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund ("Shares"). **This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund Shares.**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):** | **Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):** |
| Management Fees | 0.95% |
| Distribution (12b-1) Fees | 0.00% |
| Other Expenses<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.00% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.95% |

---

<sup>(1)</sup> "Other Expenses" have been estimated to reflect expenses to be incurred during the current fiscal year.

*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 hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that: (1) your investment has a 5% return each year, and (2) the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $97 | $303 |

---

**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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. No portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

**Principal Investment Strategies** 

The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") advised by The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC (formerly, Element ETFs, LLC) (the "Adviser"). The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by concentrating its investments in a combination of financial instruments that are economically linked to elements necessary for the production of batteries and Battery Energy Storage Systems ("BESS") used in the electric vehicle and solar industries. Such elements are currently lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt. The Fund may also invest in financial instruments that are economically linked to manganese or graphite.

A BESS is a type of energy storage system that uses batteries to store and distribute energy in the form of electricity. BESS are commonly used in electricity grids and in other applications such as electric vehicles, solar power installations, and smart homes. Generally, a BESS consists of one or more batteries that store electrical energy for use at a later time. The stored energy can then be drawn upon when needed to meet demands for power across various applications.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through a wholly-owned subsidiary (the "Subsidiary"), in lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt exchange-traded futures contracts, equity securities linked to batteries and BESS, and Collateral (as defined below). The Fund will not invest directly into metal commodities. Instead, the Fund attempts to obtain investment returns that are highly correlated to the lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt by investing in instruments such as lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt futures contracts indirectly through its Subsidiary. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt futures contracts in accordance with the limits of the federal tax laws, which limit the ability of investment companies like the Fund to invest directly in such investments.

The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund's fiscal year. The Subsidiary operates under Cayman Islands law. It is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and advised by the Adviser. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions, except that unlike the Fund, it may invest without limit in lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt futures contracts. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund's investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary.

Because the Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"), the Fund's investments in the Subsidiary are limited by certain requirements of the Code and related Internal Revenue Service regulations. Accordingly, the Fund (and the Subsidiary, as applicable) invests its remaining assets directly in equity securities linked to batteries and BESS in addition to Collateral. Collateral is defined as high-quality securities such as U.S. Treasuries, other U.S. Government obligations, money market funds, cash and cash-like equivalents (e.g., high quality commercial paper and similar instruments that are rated investment grade or, if unrated, of comparable quality as the Adviser may determine) that provide liquidity, serve as margin or collateralize the Subsidiary's investments in lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt exchange-traded futures contracts.

The Fund will have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. markets and both developed and emerging markets. The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates.

The Fund may invest in securities of companies of all sizes. Small-mid capitalization companies are those with market capitalizations at the time of investment between $2 billion and $20 billion.

As a result of its strategy, the Fund may have a relatively high level of portfolio turnover as compared to other funds, which may affect the Fund's performance due to higher transaction costs.

The Fund is "non-diversified" and therefore is not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

**Principal Investment Risks**

The value of the Fund's investments may decrease which will cause the value of the Fund's Shares to decrease. As a result, you may lose money on your investment in the Fund, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Each risk summarized below is considered a "principal risk" of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

● **Active Management Risk.** The Fund is subject to management risk as an actively-managed investment portfolio. The Adviser's investment approach may fail to produce the intended results.

● **Clearing Broker Risk:** The Fund's investments in exchange-traded futures contracts expose it to the risks of a clearing broker (or a futures commission merchant ("FCM")). Under current regulations, a clearing broker or FCM maintains customers' assets in a bulk segregated account. There is a risk that Fund assets deposited with the clearing broker to serve as margin may be used to satisfy the broker's own obligations or the losses of the broker's other clients. In the event of default, the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of its assets and may not see any recovery at all.

**●** **Collateral Risk:** If the Fund holds a significant portion of its assets in cash, cash equivalents, or other short-term investments, then its investment returns may be adversely affected and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

● **Commodity Pool Risk:** The Subsidiary's investments in futures contracts has caused it and the Fund to be deemed commodity pools, thereby subjecting each of the Subsidiary and the Fund to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") rules. The Adviser is registered as a commodity pool operator ("CPO") and the Sub-Adviser is registered as a commodity trading advisor ("CTA"), and will manage both the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Registration as a CPO or CTA subjects the Adviser to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, which could increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund or the Subsidiary. Registration as a commodity pool may have negative effects on the ability of the Fund or the Subsidiary to engage in its planned investment program. Additionally, the Subsidiary's positions in futures contracts may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices to prevent the Fund from exceeding any applicable position limits established by the CFTC. Such actions may subject the Fund to substantial losses.

● **Commodity Sector Risk:** Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, pandemics, embargoes or other trade barriers, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The prices of energy, industrial metals, and precious metals sector commodities may fluctuate widely due to factors such as changes in value, supply and demand and governmental regulatory policies. The commodity-linked securities in which the Fund invests may be issued by companies in the financial services sector, and events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund's Share value to fluctuate.

● **Counterparty Risk:** Where the Fund enters into derivative contracts that are exchange-traded or traded through a central clearing counterparty, the Fund is subject to the counterparty risk associated with the Fund's clearing broker or clearinghouse. In addition, the fund may enter into derivative contracts that are privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market. These contracts also involve exposure to credit risk, since contract performance depends in part on the financial condition of the counterparty. Relying on a counterparty exposes the Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. If a counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, this default will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease. In addition, to the extent the Fund deals with a limited number of counterparties, it will be more susceptible to the credit risks associated with those counterparties. The Fund is neither restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty nor from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Fund.

● **Credit Risk:** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security or counterparty will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due or default completely. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's or counterparty's creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value or default. In addition, the credit quality of securities may be lowered if an issuer's or counterparty's financial condition changes. The Fund could also be delayed or hindered in its enforcement of rights against an issuer, guarantor, or counterparty.

● **Currency Risk:** Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains from a favorable change in value between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency pricing may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in these contracts.

● **Cyber Security Risk:** Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its Adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the Adviser. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cyber security risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures.

● **Derivatives Risk:** Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on, and are valued in relation to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks or indices, such as futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts. Derivatives typically have economic leverage inherent in their terms. Such leverage will magnify any losses. See "Leverage/Volatility Risk" below. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with investments in more traditional securities and instruments. The primary types of derivatives in which the Fund invests in are futures contracts. The Fund may also invest in forward contracts and swap contracts . Futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and changes in the value of such instruments held directly or indirectly by the Fund may not correlate with the underlying instrument or reference assets, or the Fund's other investments. Although the value of futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements depends largely upon price movements in the underlying instrument or reference asset, there are additional risks associated with futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements that are possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments or reference assets, including illiquidity risk, leveraging risk and counterparty credit risk. A small position in futures contracts, forward contracts or swap agreements could have a potentially large impact on the Fund's performance. Trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange, and government regulations may restrict trading in swap agreements, futures contracts and options and forward contracts.

● **Emerging Markets Risk:** Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in foreign securities of developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers. The information available about an emerging market issuer may be less reliable than for comparable issuers in more developed capital markets. Investments in certain emerging markets are subject to an elevated risk of loss resulting from market manipulation and the imposition of exchange controls (including repatriation restrictions). The legal rights and remedies available for investors in emerging markets, whether individually or in combination with other shareholders, may be more limited than the rights and remedies available in the U.S., and the ability of U.S. authorities (e.g., SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice) to bring actions against bad actors in emerging markets may be limited.

● **Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk:** Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right's or warrant's expiration. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision.

● **ETF Risk.** The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks: "Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk," "Secondary Market Trading Risk," and "Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;●**Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk**. Only an authorized participant ("APs") may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are institutional investors and may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund Shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value ("NAV") and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. These events, among others, may lead to the Fund Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV and to widening bid-ask spreads. A diminished market for an ETF's shares substantially increases the risk that a shareholder may pay considerably more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. In periods of market volatility, APs, market makers and/or liquidity providers may be less willing to transact in Fund Shares. In stressed market conditions, the market for the fund's shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the fund's underlying portfolio holdings. This adverse effect on liquidity for the Fund's shares in turn could lead to wider bid/ask spreads and differences between the market price of the Fund's shares and the underlying value of those shares. Where all or a portion of the fund's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the fund's shares are listed and trading in that market is open, there may be changes between the last quote from its closed foreign market and the value of such security during the fund's domestic trading day. This, in turn, could lead to wider bid/ask spreads and differences between the market price of the fund's shares and the underlying value of those shares.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● **Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Although Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the "Exchange"), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted. Any absence of an active market could, in turn, lead to a heightened risk that there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) and there may be widening bid-ask spreads.. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. During the domestic trading day, this market price variance can be reflected as a spread between the prices quoted in the market for an immediate sale (bid) and an immediate purchase (ask or offer) of the fund's shares, known as the bid-ask spread. At the end of the domestic trading day, market price variance can be reflected as a difference between the closing market price of fund's shares and the fund's official daily NAV. When spreads widen or premiums/discounts become larger than usual, investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the fund's shares when they buy or sell in the secondary market

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● **Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk.** As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund's NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.

● **Foreign Investments Risk:** International investing may be subject to special risks, including currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protections, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. Furthermore, certain foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate its NAV. As a result, the value of the Fund's holdings may change on days when shareholders are not able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares.

● **Futures and Forward Contracts and Related Risks:** The successful use of futures and forward contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures and forward contracts are:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● futures and forward contracts have a high degree of price variability and are subject to occasional rapid and substantial changes;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the forward or futures contracts and the market value of the underlying instrument or reference assets with respect to such contracts;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● possible market disruption or other extraordinary events, including but not limited to, governmental intervention;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● potentially unlimited losses caused by unanticipated market movements;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● the Fund's inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may either have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements with respect to its derivative instruments or close certain positions at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

The use of futures contracts, forward contracts and derivative instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying an investment and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund did not employ leverage in its investment activity. Leveraging tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset class and may cause the value of the Fund's securities or related derivatives instruments to be volatile. Accordingly, the Fund's NAV may be volatile because of its investment exposure to the Fund.

There is no assurance that the Fund's investment in a derivative instrument with leveraged exposure to certain investments and markets will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

● **Gap Risk:** The Fund is subject to the risk that a commodity price will change between periods of trading. Usually such movements occur when there are adverse news announcements, which can cause a commodity price to drop substantially from the previous day's closing price.

● **Government Intervention and Regulatory Changes:** The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") (which was passed into law in July 2010) significantly revised and expanded the rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement authority of federal bank, securities and commodities regulators. There can be no assurance that future regulatory actions including, but not limited to, those authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act will not adversely impact the Fund. Major changes resulting from legislative or regulatory actions could materially affect the profitability of the Fund or the value of investments made by the Fund or force the Fund to revise its investment strategy or divest certain of its investments. Any of these developments could expose the Fund to additional costs, taxes, liabilities, enforcement actions and reputational risk.

On August 19, 2022, the SEC implemented new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives a fund can enter into, eliminates the asset segregation framework previously used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, treats derivatives as senior securities so that a failure to comply with the limits would result in a statutory violation and requires the Fund to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager. Rule 18f-4 may require the Fund to observe more stringent asset coverage and related requirements than were previously imposed by the 1940 Act.

● **Hedging Transactions Risk:** The Adviser from time to time employ various hedging techniques. The success of the Fund's hedging strategy will be subject to the Adviser's ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Fund's hedging strategy will also be subject to the Adviser's ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, the Adviser may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own cost.

● **High Portfolio Turnover Risk:** The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions, and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders in the Fund.

● **Industry Concentration Risk:** A fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund invests in securities and financial instruments related to the metals and mining industry, the Fund's performance largely depends on the overall condition of this industry. The metals and mining industry could be adversely affected by various political, regulatory, supply-and-demand, and other economic factors.

● **Leveraging Risk:** Investments in futures contracts and other derivative instruments may give rise to a form of leverage. The Adviser may engage in speculative transactions which involve substantial risk and leverage, such as making short sales. The use of leverage by the Adviser may increase the volatility of the Fund. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Fund or may adversely affect the Fund's NAV or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.

● **Lithium**, **Nickel, Copper and Cobalt Exposure Risk:** The Fund invests in financial instruments such as futures contracts and the equity securities of companies linked to lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other elements necessary for the production of batteries and BESS used in electric vehicle and solar industries, which may be susceptible to fluctuations in the underlying commodities market. Commodity prices may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors, including, where applicable, high volatility, changes in supply and demand relationships, weather, agriculture, trade, changes in interest rates and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. Securities of companies held by the Fund that are dependent on a single commodity, or are concentrated on a single commodity sector, may typically exhibit even higher volatility attributable to commodity prices. Companies involved in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries are subject to the effects of price fluctuations of traditional and alternative sources of energy, developments in battery and alternative energy technology, the possibility that government subsidies for alternative energy will be eliminated and the possibility that lithium-ion technology is not suitable for widespread adoption.

● **Liquidity Risk:** The Fund is subject to liquidity risk primarily due to its investments in derivatives. Investments in derivative instruments involve the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell the derivative instrument or sell it at a reasonable price.

● **Management Risk:** The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund's portfolio holdings, the Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these actions will produce the desired results.

● **Market Risk:** The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. The value of investments held by the Fund may increase or decrease in response to economic, political, financial, public health crises (such as epidemics or pandemics) or other disruptive events (whether real, expected or perceived) in the U.S. and global markets. Investors may lose money.

● **Metals Sector Risk:** Because the Fund invests in financial instruments that are linked to different types of commodities from the metals sector, the Fund is subject to the risks inherent in the metals sector. Such risks may include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; changes in environmental conditions, energy conservation and environmental policies; competition for or depletion of resources; adverse labor relations; political or world events; increased regulatory burdens; changes in exchange rates; imposition of import controls; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions.

The performance of the Fund in part is linked to the daily performance of the spot price of certain industrial metals, including iron ore, copper, aluminum, nickel and cobalt. Investments in metals may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the supply and demand of each metal, environmental or labor costs, political, legal, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions can affect the supply of metals, and consequently the value of metal investments. The United States or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metal investments for strategic or other policy reasons. Further, the principal supplies of metal industries may be concentrated in a small number of countries and regions. Consequently, the price of a metal held by the Fund could decline, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance.

● **Mining Sector Risk:** The exploration and development of mineral deposits involve significant financial risks over a significant period of time, which even a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge may not eliminate. Few properties which are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines. Major expenditures may be required to establish reserves by drilling and to construct mining and processing facilities at a site. In addition, mineral exploration companies typically operate at a loss and are dependent on securing equity and/or debt financing, which might be more difficult to secure for an exploration company than for a more established counterpart.

● **New Adviser Risk:** The Adviser is newly registered with the SEC and has not previously managed an exchange-traded fund. Accordingly, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Adviser's inexperience may limit its effectiveness.

● **New Fund Risk:** The Fund is a recently organized, non-diversified management investment company with no operating history. There is a risk that the Fund will not grow or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of The RBB Fund Trust may determine to liquidate the Fund.

● **Non-Diversification Risk:** The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single security may have greater impact on the Fund.

● **Non-Lithium, Nickel, Copper and Cobalt Exposure Risk:** Although the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in financial instruments such as futures contracts and the equity securities of companies linked to lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other elements necessary for the production of batteries and BESS used in the electric vehicle and solar industries, these companies may derive a significant percentage of their profits from other non-lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt business activities including, for example, the production of manganese, graphite, fertilizers and/or specialty and industrial chemicals. As a result, the performance of these non-lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt business activities and the profits of these companies from such activities may significantly impact the performance of such companies, and in turn impact the Fund's performance.

● **Operational Risk:** The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

● **Options Risk:** Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities.

● **OTC Trading Risk:** Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund may invest may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the "over-the-counter" or "OTC" market. While the OTC derivatives market is the primary trading venue for many derivatives, it is largely unregulated. As a result and similar to other privately negotiated contracts, the Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivative contracts.

● **Quantitative Trading Strategies Risk:** The Adviser may use quantitative methods to select investments. Securities or other investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole or from their expected performance for many reasons, including factors used in building the quantitative analytical framework, the weights placed on each factor, and changing sources of market returns, among others. Any errors or imperfections in quantitative analyses or models, or in the data on which they are based, could adversely affect the ability of the Adviser to use such analyses or models effectively, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund's performance. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

● **Small and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk.** The Fund invests in securities of companies of all sizes, including those that have relatively small market capitalizations. Investments in securities of these companies involve greater risks than do investments in larger, more established companies. The prices of securities of small-cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse developments specific to the company or its industry, or the securities markets generally, than are securities of larger capitalization companies.

● **Subsidiary Risk:** By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States, Delaware and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to continue to operate as it does currently and could adversely affect the Fund.

● **Swaps Risk:** In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns, differentials in rates of return or some other amount earned or realized on the "notional amount" of predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities, because swaps may be leveraged, are subject to the risk that the counterparty may default on the obligation, and may be difficult to value.

● **Tax Risk:** In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. Under the test regarding the source of a RIC's income, at least 90% of the gross income of the RIC each year must be qualifying income, which consists of dividends, interest, gains on investment assets and other categories of investment income. In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") published a ruling that income realized from swaps with respect to a commodities index would not be qualifying income. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a RIC, but there is a risk that the IRS could assert that the income derived from the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary will not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the Fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The IRS finalized Treasury Regulations that provide that the income from a foreign subsidiary that is a controlled foreign corporation is qualifying income for purposes of a fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes (1) to the extent the income is actually distributed by a foreign subsidiary for the RIC each year and (2) even if not distributed currently, to the extent the income is derived with respect to the fund's business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and became subject to federal income tax, shareholders of the Fund would be subject to diminished returns. Changes in the laws or acts of the United States, Delaware and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiaries to operate as described in this Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands act changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

**Performance Information:** 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not commence operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information will be available on the Fund's website at www.emgadvisors.com.

**Management**

*Investment Adviser and Investment Sub-Adviser*

The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser. Vident Investment Advisory, LLC ("Vident") serves as investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

*Portfolio Managers*

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Team Member** | **Primary Title** | **Start Date with the Fund** |
| William McDonough | Portfolio Manager at the Adviser | Since the Fund's inception in December 2022 |
| John Calvert | Portfolio Manager at the Adviser | Since the Fund's inception in December 2022 |
| John Raymond | Portfolio Manager at the Adviser | Since the Fund's inception in December 2022 |
| Ryan Dofflemeyer | Senior Portfolio Manager at Vident | Since the Fund's inception in December 2022 |
| Austin Wen, CFA | Portfolio Manager at Vident | Since the Fund's inception in December 2022 |

---

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares are listed on the Exchange, and investors can only buy and sell Shares through brokers or dealers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). The median bid-ask spread for the Fund's most recent fiscal year cannot be provided because the Fund did not have a sufficient trading history to report trading information and related costs. Once available, information on the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads will be provided at www.emgadvisors.com.

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as "Creation Units," which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund (the "Deposit Securities") and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account ("IRA") or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.

**Financial Intermediary Compensation**

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an "Intermediary"), the Fund's investment adviser, or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary's website for more information.

**ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND**

**Investment Objective** 

The Fund's investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of The RBB Fund Trust without the approval of the Fund's shareholders. However, as a matter of policy, the Fund would not materially change its investment objective without informing shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any such change.

**Additional Principal Investment Strategies** 

The Fund's investments are designed to achieve long-term capital appreciation by concentrating its investments in a combination of financial instruments that are economically linked to elements necessary for the production of batteries and BESS used in the electric vehicle and solar industries (currently, lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests, either directly or through the Subsidiary, in domestic or foreign lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt exchange-traded futures contracts, equity securities linked to batteries and BESS, and Collateral. The Fund may also invest in financial instruments that are economically linked to manganese or graphite

The Adviser will focus on taking positions in the key inputs for current and future battery chemistries and technologies supplying the rapidly growing global markets for (1) electric vehicles (passenger, light duty, etc.) and (2) the energy storage systems needed to store and then make available for use renewable energy from wind and solar projects and a range of other related applications.

The Adviser may use discretionary approaches aimed at identifying value investments and turning points in trends. The Adviser utilizes a disciplined approach to risk management. The Fund may sell an investment if it has obtained a target value for the relative sector, issuer, or specific security; if pricing performance or fundamental performance varies from expectations; if fundamentals deteriorate; or if the Adviser believes that alternative investments offer the opportunity to achieve more favorable risk-adjusted returns. The markets traded include domestic and foreign equity markets and commodity markets. Most of the trading is done in derivative markets, usually listed futures markets, but some trading in cash markets may take place when this is the most effective way to enter or exit a trading position. More information about the Fund's investments and portfolio management techniques, and related risks, is included in the SAI.

The investments and strategies described in this Prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

This Prospectus describes the Fund's principal investment strategies, and the Fund will normally invest in the types of securities described in this Prospectus. In addition to the investments and strategies described in this Prospectus, the Fund also may invest, to a lesser extent, in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices that are not part of its principal investment strategy. These investments and strategies, as well as those described in this Prospectus, are described in detail in the Fund's SAI. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

The Fund complies with Section 8 and Section 18 of the 1940 Act, governing investment policies and capital structure and leverage, respectively, on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary also complies with Section 17 of the 1940 Act relating to affiliated transactions and custody. With respect to the Subsidiary, the Adviser complies with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts (Section 15) as an investment adviser to a fund under Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act.

**Additional Principal Risk Information**

The value of the Fund's investments may decrease which will cause the value of the Fund's Shares to decrease. As a result, you may lose money on your investment in the Fund, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is subject to one or more of the principal risks.

● **Active Management Risk.** The Adviser actively manages the Fund's investments. Consequently, the Fund is subject to the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses employed by the Adviser may not produce the desired results. This could cause the Fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives. Additionally, legislative, regulatory or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Adviser in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.

● **Clearing Broker Risk:** The Fund's investments in exchange-traded futures contracts expose it to the risks of a clearing broker (or a futures commission merchant ("FCM")). Under current regulations, a clearing broker or FCM maintains customers' assets in a bulk segregated account. There is a risk that Fund assets deposited with the clearing broker to serve as margin may be used to satisfy the broker's own obligations or the losses of the broker's other clients. In the event of default, the Fund could experience lengthy delays in recovering some or all of its assets and may not see any recovery at all.

● **Collateral Securities Risk:** Collateral may include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, money market funds and corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper.

Some securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in which case the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. Government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund.

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause the Fund to bear indirectly a proportional share of the fees and costs of the money market funds in which it invests. At the same time, the Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of the money market fund. It is possible to lose money by investing in money market funds.

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate 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 generally are considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities.

● **Commodity Sector Risk:** Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, pandemics, embargoes or other trade barriers, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The prices of energy, industrial metals, and precious metals sector commodities may fluctuate widely due to factors such as changes in value, supply and demand and governmental regulatory policies. The commodity-linked securities in which the Fund invests may be issued by companies in the financial services sector, and events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund's Share value to fluctuate.

The Fund may gain exposure to the commodities markets through commodity-linked structured notes, swap agreements and commodity futures and options. These instruments have one or more commodity-dependent components. They are derivative instruments because at least part of their value is derived from the value of an underlying commodity index, commodity futures contract, index or other readily measurable economic variable. The prices of commodity-linked derivative instruments may move in different directions than investments in traditional equity and debt securities when the value of those traditional securities is declining due to adverse economic conditions. There cannot be any guarantee that derivative instruments will perform in that manner in the future, and at certain times the price movements of commodity-linked investments have been parallel to debt and equity securities.

● **Counterparty Risk:** Where the Fund enters into derivative contracts that are exchange-traded or traded through a central clearing counterparty, the Fund is subject to the counterparty risk associated with the Fund's clearing broker or clearinghouse. In addition, the fund may enter into derivative contracts that are privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market. These contracts also involve exposure to credit risk, since contract performance depends in part on the financial condition of the counterparty. Relying on a counterparty exposes the Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. If a counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, this default will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease. In addition, to the extent the Fund deals with a limited number of counterparties, it will be more susceptible to the credit risks associated with those counterparties. The Fund is neither restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty nor from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Fund.

● **Credit Risk:** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security or counterparty will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due or default completely. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's or counterparties' creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value or default. In addition, the credit quality of securities may be lowered if an issuer's or counterparty's financial condition changes. The Fund could also be delayed or hindered in its enforcement of rights against an issuer, guarantor, or counterparty.

● **Currency Risk:** Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains from a favorable change in value between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency pricing may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in these contracts.

● **Cyber Security Risk:** Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its Adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the Adviser. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cyber security risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures.

● **Derivatives Risk:** Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on, and are valued in relation to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks or indices, such as futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts. Derivatives typically have economic leverage inherent in their terms. Such leverage will magnify any losses. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with investments in more traditional securities and instruments. The primary types of derivatives in which the Fund invests in are futures contracts. The Fund may also invest in forward contracts and swap contracts. Futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and changes in the value of such instruments held directly or indirectly by the Fund may not correlate with the underlying instrument or reference assets, or the Fund's other investments. Although the value of futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements depends largely upon price movements in the underlying instrument or reference asset, there are additional risks associated with futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements that are possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments or reference assets, including illiquidity risk, leveraging risk and counterparty credit risk. A small position in futures contracts, forward contracts or swap agreements could have a potentially large impact on the Fund's performance. Trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange, and government regulations may restrict trading in swap agreements, futures contracts and options and forward contracts.

● **Emerging Markets Risk:** Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in foreign securities of developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers. The information available about an emerging market issuer may be less reliable than for comparable issuers in more developed capital markets. Government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging markets. Investments in certain emerging markets are subject to an elevated risk of loss resulting from market manipulation and the imposition of exchange controls (including repatriation restrictions). The legal rights and remedies available for investors in emerging markets, whether individually or in combination with other shareholders, may be more limited than the rights and remedies available in the U.S., and the ability of U.S. authorities (e.g., SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice) to bring actions against bad actors in emerging markets may be limited.

● **Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk:** Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right's or warrant's expiration. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which an exchange-traded fund invests will cause the Fund's NAV to fluctuate. The number of issuers in the Fund's portfolio will vary over time.

● **ETF Risk.** The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks: "Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk," "Secondary Market Trading Risk," and "Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;●**Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk**. Only an AP may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are institutional investors and may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. These events, among others, may lead to the Fund Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV and to widening bid-ask spreads. A diminished market for an ETF's shares substantially increases the risk that a shareholder may pay considerably more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. In periods of market volatility, APs, market makers and/or liquidity providers may be less willing to transact in Fund Shares. In stressed market conditions, the market for the fund's shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the fund's underlying portfolio holdings. This adverse effect on liquidity for the Fund's shares in turn could lead to wider bid/ask spreads and differences between the market price of the Fund's shares and the underlying value of those shares. Where all or a portion of the fund's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the fund's shares are listed and trading in that market is open, there may be changes between the last quote from its closed foreign market and the value of such security during the fund's domestic trading day. This, in turn, could lead to wider bid/ask spreads and differences between the market price of the fund's shares and the underlying value of those shares.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● **Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Although the Fund's Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in the Fund's Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange "circuit breaker" rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange. Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of the Fund's Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund's underlying holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than the Fund's Shares. Any absence of an active market could, in turn, lead to a heightened risk that there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) and there may be widening bid-ask spreads.. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. During the domestic trading day, this market price variance can be reflected as a spread between the prices quoted in the market for an immediate sale (bid) and an immediate purchase (ask or offer) of the fund's shares, known as the bid-ask spread. At the end of the domestic trading day, market price variance can be reflected as a difference between the closing market price of fund's shares and the fund's official daily NAV. When spreads widen or premiums/discounts become larger than usual, investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the fund's shares when they buy or sell in the secondary market

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● **Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk.** As with all ETFs, Shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund's NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. The market price of Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a "bid/ask" spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares. The Adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.

● **Foreign Investments Risk:** International investing may be subject to special risks, including currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protections, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. Furthermore, certain foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate its NAV. As a result, the value of the Fund's holdings may change on days when shareholders are not able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

● **Futures and Forward Contracts and Related Risks:** The successful use of futures and forward contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures and forward contracts are:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● futures and forward contracts have a high degree of price variability and are subject to occasional rapid and substantial changes;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the forward or futures contracts and the market value of the underlying instrument or reference assets with respect to such contracts;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● possible market disruption or other extraordinary events, including but not limited to, governmental intervention;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● potentially unlimited losses caused by unanticipated market movements;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● the Fund's inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;● if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may either have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements with respect to its derivative instruments or close certain positions at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

The use of futures contracts, forward contracts and derivative instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying an investment and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund did not employ leverage in its investment activity. Leveraging tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset class and may cause the value of the Fund's securities or related derivatives instruments to be volatile. Accordingly, the Fund's NAV may be volatile because of its investment exposure to the Fund.

There is no assurance that the Fund's investment in a derivative instrument with leveraged exposure to certain investments and markets will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

● **Gap Risk:** The Fund is subject to the risk that a commodity price will change between periods of trading. Usually such movements occur when there are adverse news announcements, which can cause a commodity price to drop substantially from the previous day's closing price before the Fund can exit the investment. Trading halts may lead to gap risk.

● **Government Intervention and Regulatory Changes:** The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") (which was passed into law in July 2010) significantly revised and expanded the rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement authority of federal bank, securities and commodities regulators. There can be no assurance that future regulatory actions including, but not limited to, those authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act will not adversely impact the Fund. Major changes resulting from legislative or regulatory actions could materially affect the profitability of the Fund or the value of investments made by the Fund or force the Fund to revise its investment strategy or divest certain of its investments. Any of these developments could expose the Fund to additional costs, taxes, liabilities, enforcement actions and reputational risk.

On August 19, 2022, the SEC implemented new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives a fund can enter into, eliminates the asset segregation framework previously used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, treats derivatives as senior securities so that a failure to comply with the limits would result in a statutory violation, and requires the Fund to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager. Rule 18f-4 may require the Fund to observe more stringent asset coverage and related requirements than were previously imposed by the 1940 Act.

● **Hedging Transactions Risk:** The Adviser from time to time employ various hedging techniques. The success of the Fund's hedging strategy will be subject to the Adviser's ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Fund's hedging strategy will also be subject to the Adviser's ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, the Adviser may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own cost.

● **High Portfolio Turnover Risk:** The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions, and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders in the Fund. Frequent trading may also cause adverse tax consequences for investors in the Fund due to an increase in short-term capital gains.

● **Industry Concentration Risk:** A fund that concentrates in a particular industry will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Because the Fund invests in securities and financial instruments related to the metals and mining industry, the Fund's performance largely depends on the overall condition of this industry. The metals and mining industry could be adversely affected by various political, regulatory, supply-and-demand, and other economic factors.

● **Leveraging Risk:** The Fund's use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, other derivative instruments and selling securities short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. The use of leverage by the Adviser may increase the volatility of the Fund. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Fund or may adversely affect the Fund's NAV or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also use borrowed funds to create leverage. Although the use of leverage by the Fund may create an opportunity for increased return, it also results in additional risks and can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains earned on the securities and instruments purchased with leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of the leverage, the Fund's return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income and gains from the securities and instruments purchased with such proceeds does not cover the cost of leverage, the Fund's return will be less than if leverage had not been used. In the event of a sudden, precipitous drop in value of the Fund's assets, the Fund may not be able to liquidate assets quickly enough to pay off its borrowing. Short sales of securities also involve the use of leverage. Using this investment technique may adversely affect the Fund's NAV or total return.

To limit leverage risk, the Fund will segregate assets determined by the Adviser to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board, or, when permissible, enter into offsetting transactions, to cover its obligations resulting from its use of derivative instruments. Securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the futures contract, option or other derivative is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other suitable assets. As a result, it is possible that segregating a large percentage of the Fund's assets could impede portfolio management or its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

● **Lithium, Copper, Cobalt and Nickel Exposure Risk:** The Fund invests in financial instruments such as futures contracts and the equity securities of companies linked to lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other elements necessary for the production of batteries and BESS used in electric vehicle and solar industries, which may be susceptible to fluctuations in the underlying commodities market. Commodity prices may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors, including, where applicable, high volatility, changes in supply and demand relationships, weather, agriculture, trade, changes in interest rates and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. Securities of companies held by the Fund that are dependent on a single commodity, or are concentrated on a single commodity sector, may typically exhibit even higher volatility attributable to commodity prices. Companies involved in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries are subject to the effects of price fluctuations of traditional and alternative sources of energy, developments in battery and alternative energy technology, the possibility that government subsidies for alternative energy will be eliminated and the possibility that lithium-ion technology is not suitable for widespread adoption.

If lithium-ion technology is not suitable for widespread adoption, or sufficient demand for lithium-ion products does not develop or takes long periods of time to develop, the revenues of companies that are economically tied to the lithium industry may decline. As a result of these risks, the Fund's investments can be adversely affected and you may lose money on your investment in the Fund.

Companies involved in the various activities that are related to the mining, production, recycling, mineral sands, processing and/or refining of rare earth and critical materials tend to be small-, medium- and micro-capitalization companies with volatile share prices, are highly dependent on the price of rare earth and critical materials, which may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time. The value of such companies may be significantly affected by events relating to international, national and local political and economic developments, energy conservation efforts, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, tax and other government regulations, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control devices. The mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining of rare earth and critical metals can be capital intensive and, if companies involved in such activities are not managed well, the share prices of such companies could decline even as prices for the underlying rare earth and critical metals are rising. In addition, companies involved in the various activities that are related to the mining, production, recycling, processing and/or refining of rare earth and critical metals may be at risk for environmental damage claims.

● **Liquidity Risk:** The Fund is subject to liquidity risk primarily due to its investments in derivatives. Investments in derivative instruments involve the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell the derivative instrument or sell it at a reasonable price.

● **Management Risk:** The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund's portfolio holdings, the Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these actions will produce the desired results. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

● **Market Risk:** The Fund's NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its investments. The market value of the Fund's holdings is based upon the market's perception of value and is not necessarily an objective measure of an investment's value. There is no assurance that the Fund will realize its investment objective, and an investment in the Fund is not, by itself, a complete or balanced investment program. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund, or the Fund could underperform other investments.

Periods of unusually high financial market volatility and restrictive credit conditions, at times limited to a particular sector or geographic area, have occurred in the past and may be expected to recur in the future. Some countries, including the United States, have adopted or have signaled protectionist trade measures, relaxation of the financial industry regulations that followed the financial crisis, and/or reductions to corporate taxes. The scope of these policy changes is still developing, but the equity and debt markets may react strongly to expectations of change, which could increase volatility, particularly if a resulting policy runs counter to the market's expectations. The outcome of such changes cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition, geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks, may add to instability in the world economy and markets generally. As a result of increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets, the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments may be negatively affected by events impacting a country or region, regardless of whether the Fund invests in issuers located in or with significant exposure to such country or region.

The continuing spread of an infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel strain of coronavirus (known as COVID-19) has caused volatility, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints in many markets and may adversely affect the Fund's investments and operations. The outbreak was first detected in December 2019 and subsequently spread globally. The transmission of COVID-19 and efforts to contain its spread have resulted in international and domestic travel restrictions and disruptions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, event and service cancellations or interruptions, disruptions to business operations (including staff reductions), supply chains and consumer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty that has negatively affected the economic environment. These disruptions have led to instability in the marketplace, including stock and credit market losses and overall volatility. The impact of COVID-19, and other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations or the entire global economy, the financial performance of individual issuers, borrowers and sectors and the health of the markets generally in potentially significant and unforeseen ways. Health crises caused by the recent outbreak may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in a country or region. In the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Fund and its service providers will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. Although vaccines for COVID-19 are becoming more widely available, the full impacts of a pandemic or disease outbreaks are unknown and the pace of recovery may vary from market to market, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time.

● **Metals and Mining Sector Risk:** Financial instruments such as futures contracts and the equity securities of companies linked to the metals and mining sectors can be significantly affected by events relating to international political and economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and other government regulations. Investments in metals and mining securities may be speculative and may be subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of securities. Risks of metals and mining investments include: changes in international monetary policies or economic and political conditions that can affect the supply of precious metals and consequently the value of metals and mining company investments; the U.S. or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting metals investments for strategic or other policy reasons; and increased environmental or labor costs may depress the value of metals and mining investments.

● **New Adviser Risk:** The Adviser is newly registered with the SEC and has not previously managed an exchange-traded fund. Accordingly, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Adviser's inexperience may limit its effectiveness. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to produce satisfactory returns for the Fund or preserve the Fund's assets.

● **New Fund Risk:** The Fund is recently organized, non-diversified management investment company and has no operating history. There is a risk that the Fund will not grow or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund's market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected. If the Fund fails to attract a large amount of assets, shareholders of the Fund may incur higher expenses as the Fund's fixed costs would be allocated over a smaller number of shareholders.

● **Non-Diversification Risk:** The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single security may have greater impact on the Fund.

● **Non-Lithium, Copper, Cobalt and Nickel Exposure Risk:** Although the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in financial instruments such as futures contracts and the equity securities of companies linked to lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other elements necessary for the production of batteries and BESS used in electric vehicle and solar industries, these companies may derive a significant percentage of their profits from other non-lithium nickel, copper and cobalt business activities including, for example, the production of manganese, graphite, fertilizers and/or specialty and industrial chemicals. As a result, the performance of these non-lithium nickel, copper and cobalt business activities and the profits of these companies from such activities may significantly impact the performance of such companies, and in turn impact the Fund's performance.

● **Operational Risk:** The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

● **Options Risk:** Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities.

● **OTC Trading Risk:** Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund may invest may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the "over-the-counter" or "OTC" market. While the OTC derivatives market is the primary trading venue for many derivatives, it is largely unregulated. As a result and similar to other privately negotiated contracts, the Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivative contracts.

● **Quantitative Trading Strategies Risk:** The Adviser may use quantitative methods to select investments. Securities or other investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole or from their expected performance for many reasons, including factors used in building the quantitative analytical framework, the weights placed on each factor, and changing sources of market returns, among others. Any errors or imperfections in quantitative analyses or models, or in the data on which they are based, could adversely affect the ability of the Adviser to use such analyses or models effectively, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund's performance. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

● **Small and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk.** The Fund invests in securities of companies of all sizes, including those that have relatively small market capitalizations. Investments in securities of these companies involve greater risks than do investments in larger, more established companies. The prices of securities of small-cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse developments specific to the company or its industry, or the securities markets generally, than are securities of larger capitalization companies.

● **Subsidiary Risk:** The Fund will make investments through its direct Subsidiary organized under the acts of the Cayman Islands. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The derivatives and other investments held by a Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. These risks are described elsewhere in this Prospectus. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved.

The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund, directly or indirectly, wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund's role as the direct sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund.

Changes in the laws or acts of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and in the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands act changes such that the Subsidiary SPC must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

● **Swaps Risk:** In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns, differentials in rates of return or some other amount earned or realized on the "notional amount" of predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The most significant factor in the performance of a swap transaction is the change in the specific interest rate, currency, individual equity values or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a party. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities, because swaps may be leveraged, are subject to the risk that the counterparty may default on the obligation, and may be difficult to value.

● **Tax Risk:** In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. Under the test regarding the source of a RIC's income, at least 90% of the gross income of the RIC each year must be qualifying income, which consists of dividends, interest, gains on investment assets and other categories of investment income. In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") published a ruling that income realized from swaps with respect to a commodities index would not be qualifying income. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a RIC, but there is a risk that the IRS could assert that the income derived from the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary will not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the Fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The IRS finalized Treasury Regulations that provide that the income from a foreign subsidiary that is a controlled foreign corporation is qualifying income for purposes of a fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes (1) to the extent the income is actually distributed by a foreign subsidiary for the RIC each year and (2) even if not distributed currently, to the extent the income is derived with respect to the fund's business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and became subject to federal income tax, shareholders of the Fund would be subject to diminished returns. Changes in the laws or acts of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiaries to operate as described in this Prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands act changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

**Additional Information About Non-Principal Risks of the Fund.** This section provides additional information regarding certain non-principal risks of investing in the Fund. The risk listed below could have a negative impact on the Fund's performance and trading prices.

● **Authorized Participant Concentration Risk:** Only APs may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as APs and such APs have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders. Consequently, there is no assurance that APs will establish or maintain an active trading market for the Shares. This risk may be heightened to the extent that securities held by the Fund are traded outside a collateralized settlement system. In that case, APs may be required to post collateral on certain trades on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants), which only a limited number of APs may be able to do. In addition, to the extent that APs exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units (as defined below), this may result in a significantly diminished trading market for Shares, and Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to the Fund's NAV and to face trading halts and/or delisting. Investments in non-U.S. securities, if applicable, may have lower trading volumes and may increase this risk.

● **C ash Transaction Risk:** Most ETFs generally make in-kind redemptions to avoid being taxed at the fund level on gains on the distributed portfolio securities. However, unlike most ETFs, the Fund currently intends to effect redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind, because of the nature of the Fund's investments. As such, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Therefore, the Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process, and there may be a substantial difference in the after-tax rate of return between the Fund and conventional ETFs.

● **Costs of Buying or Selling Shares Risk.** Investors buying or selling Shares of the Fund 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 the Fund's Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy 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 Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund and/or 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.

● **Interest Rate Risk:** The Fund's investments in U.S. Government securities and commercial paper will change in value in response to interest rate changes and other factors, such as the perception of an issuer's creditworthiness. For example, the value of fixed-income securities generally decrease when interest rates rise, which may cause the Fund's value to decrease. Also, investments in fixed-income securities with longer maturities fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes.

● **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 and 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.

● **RIC Compliance Risk.** **  The Fund has elected to be, and intends to qualify each year for treatment as, a RIC under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. To continue to qualify for federal income tax treatment as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. If for any taxable year the Fund fails to qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded to RICs, all of the Fund's taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders) and its income available for distribution will be reduced. Under certain circumstances, the Fund could cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but in order to do so, the Fund could incur significant Fund-level taxes and could be forced to dispose of certain assets.

● **Short-Term Investments Risk.** During periods of adverse market or economic conditions, the Fund may temporarily invest all or a substantial portion of their assets in high quality, fixed-income securities, money market instruments, and shares of money market mutual funds, or it may hold cash. At such times, to preserve capital, the Fund would not be pursuing its stated investment objective with its usual investment strategies. The Fund may also hold these investments for liquidity purposes.

The Fund may make other types of investments and may engage in various other investment practices. These investments and practices, and their risks, are described in the SAI.

**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 located at www.emgadvisors.com 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 SAI.

**MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND**

The Board of The RBB Fund Trust (the "Trust"), of which the Fund is a series, is responsible for supervising the operations and affairs of the Fund. The Adviser is responsible for the daily management and administration of the Fund's operations.

**Investment Adviser**

The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC, the investment adviser to the Fund, is located at 704 Goodlette Frank Road North, Suite 118, Naples, Florida 34102. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of JRJC Corestone LLC, which is in turn indirectly owned and controlled by John Calvert, William McDonough, and John Raymond.

Subject to the overall supervision of the Board, the Adviser manages the overall investment operations of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and policies and formulates a continuing investment strategy for the Fund pursuant to the terms of investment advisory agreements between the Trust and the Adviser (the "Advisory Agreement"). Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee that is computed and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.95% of the Fund's average daily net assets during the month. From the unitary management fees, the Adviser pays most of the expenses of the Fund, including the cost of sub-advisory fees to Vident, Subsidiary expenses**,** transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services. However, under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not responsible for interest expenses, brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, taxes and other extraordinary costs such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of business. No information regarding the advisory fees paid by the Fund is currently available, as the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

A discussion regarding the Board's approval of the Fund's Advisory Agreement and the factors the Board considered with respect to its approval will be available in the Fund's first semi-annual or annual report to shareholders.

**The Adviser's Portfolio Management Team**

John Calvert, William McDonough, and John Raymond are the Fund's portfolio managers and they each are responsible for the portfolio management decisions for the Fund's assets.

<u>John Calvert</u> 

John Calvert is Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser. Mr. Calvert is also Co-Founder and President of The Energy and Minerals Group ("EMG"). Mr. Calvert is responsible for directing EMG's strategic and investment decisions, as well as managing EMG's investment portfolio on a day-to-day basis. Mr. Calvert has more than 28 years of experience in the natural resources sector, and, prior to his tenure atop EMG, spent 13 years as an investment banker focused on the mining and natural resources industries. Mr. Calvert served as a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank Securities in the Large-Cap investment banking coverage group based in New York, where he provided strategic counsel and transaction execution advice to Deutsche Bank's global mining and metals clients. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Calvert was a Managing Director and Global Head of Mining Investment Banking at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he had global coverage responsibility for the mining sector. Mr. Calvert, in addition to his role as President of EMG, currently serves as a director on the boards of nine portfolio companies of EMG.

<u>William McDonough</u>

William McDonough is Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser. Mr. McDonough is also Founder and Chairman of Corestone Capital LLC, and is responsible for directing strategic and investment activities of Corestone and managing its investment portfolio. Prior to founding Corestone, Mr. McDonough served in a number of senior executive management roles across the financial services sector over a period of 15 years. These include co-founding a distressed debt and credit fund of funds with Avenue Capital Group in 2007, then joining Goldman Sachs to manage the private capital of the current and retired Partners of the bank from 2010 to 2013. McDonough left Goldman to co-found a Special Purpose Acquisition Company, Atlas Mara, that listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2014. Since 2014 McDonough has run Corestone Capital, investing in emerging asset classes. Mr. McDonough graduated from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree with dual concentrations in Marketing and Pre-Law.

<u>John Raymond</u>

John Raymond is Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager of the Adviser. Mr. Raymond is a Co-Founder and the Chief Executive Officer of EMG, a leading diversified natural resources-focused private equity firm. Mr. Raymond is responsible for directing strategic and investment activities of EMG and managing its investment portfolio and day-to-day activities with John Calvert. Prior to founding EMG in 2006, Mr. Raymond served in a number of senior executive management roles within the energy sector over a period of 14 years. These include his time as Chief Executive Officer of Plains Resources, Inc. ("Plains Resources"), a publicly traded company, from 2002 to 2004. Following the management-led buyout of Plains Resources in 2004, Mr. Raymond served as Chief Executive Officer of the successor entity, Vulcan Energy Corporation, from 2004 to 2005. In addition to his current role as Chief Executive Officer of EMG, Mr. Raymond serves on the boards of 25 companies, including public and private portfolio companies of EMG, as well as several companies not owned by or affiliated with EMG. Mr. Raymond graduated from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in 1992 with a B.S.M. with dual concentrations in Finance and Accounting.

**Investment Sub-Adviser**

The Fund and the Adviser have submitted an application with the SEC for an exemptive order with respect to the Fund that would permit the Adviser to engage or terminate a sub-adviser, and to enter into and materially amend an existing sub-advisory agreement, upon the approval of the Board, without obtaining shareholder approval. This arrangement has been approved by the Board and the Fund's initial shareholder. Consequently, if approved by the SEC, under the exemptive order, the Adviser would have the right to hire, terminate and replace sub-advisers when the Board and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit the Fund. The exemptive order will enable the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of sub-advisory agreements.

Vident Investment Advisory, LLC ("Vident") is a Delaware limited liability company located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. Vident was formed in 2014 and provides investment advisory services to exchange-traded funds, including the Fund. Vident is responsible for selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, as instructed by the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays Vident a fee, calculated daily and paid monthly, based on a tiered schedule tied to the Fund's net assets, subject to a minimum amount.

**The Sub-Adviser's Portfolio Management Team**

<u>Ryan Dofflemeyer</u>

Ryan Dofflemeyer has over 16 years of trading and portfolio management experience across various asset classes including both ETFs and mutual funds. He is Senior Portfolio Manager for Vident Investment Advisory, specializing in managing and trading of global equity and multi-asset portfolios. Prior to joining Vident Investment Advisory, he was a Senior Portfolio Manager at ProShares for over $3 billion in ETF assets across global equities, commodities, and volatility strategies. Before that, he was a Research Analyst at the Investment Company Institute in Washington DC. Mr. Dofflemeyer holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the University of Maryland.

<u>Austin Wen, CFA</u>

Austin Wen has eight years of investment management experience. He is a Portfolio Manager at Vident Investment Advisory, specializing in portfolio management and trading of equity portfolios and commodities-based portfolios, as well as risk monitoring and investment analysis. Previously, he was an analyst for Vident Financial, working on the development and review of investment solutions. He began his career as a State Examiner for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Mr. Wen obtained a BA in Finance from the University of Georgia and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

A discussion regarding the Board's approval of the sub-advisory agreement and the factors the Board considered with respect to the Fund will be available in the Fund's first annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.

The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of each Portfolio Manager, other accounts managed by them, and their ownership of Shares of the Fund.

**HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES**

The Fund issues and redeems its Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be (i) a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC, a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC participant (as discussed below). In addition, each AP must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.

Investors can only buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.

When buying or selling the Fund's Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares, and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.

**Book Entry**

Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.

Investors owning the Fund's Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC's participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or "street name" through your brokerage account.

**Share Trading Prices on the Exchange**

Trading prices of the Fund's Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund's daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares. To provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, or other widely disseminated means, an updated "intraday indicative value" ("IIV") for Shares as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Fund is neither involved in nor responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs. If the calculation of the IIV is based on the basket of Deposit Securities, such IIV may not represent the best possible valuation of the Fund's portfolio because the basket of Deposit Securities does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current Fund portfolios at a particular point in time. The IIV should not be viewed as a "real-time" update of the Fund's NAV because the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed only once a day, typically at the end of the business day. The IIV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the Deposit Securities.

**Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares**

The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains or losses. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time.

**Determination of Net Asset Value**

The Fund's NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV for the Fund is calculated by dividing the Fund's net assets by its Shares outstanding.

In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If such information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board.

**Fair Value Pricing**

If available, the Fund's investments in securities and other exchange-traded assets are generally valued based on market quotations. If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Fund's administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, securities will be fair valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board's ultimate supervision. The Fund will regularly value its investments in derivative instruments at fair value. The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund's portfolio holdings. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by the Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

**DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES**

**Dividends and Distributions**

The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually.

**Dividend Reinvestment Service**

Brokers may make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available to their customers who own Shares. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. In order to achieve the maximum total return on their investments, investors are encouraged to use the dividend reinvestment service. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require the Fund's shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

**Taxes**

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares of the Fund will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares of the Fund.

Unless your investment in shares of the Fund is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when: (i) the Fund makes distributions; (ii) you sell your shares listed on the Exchange; and (iii) you purchase or redeem Creation Units.

**Taxes on Distributions** 

The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains income. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares of the Fund. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund's net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates. Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares.

Distributions reported by the Fund as "qualified dividend income" are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. "Qualified dividend income" generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. The amount of the Fund's distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund's securities lending activities, if any. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of the Fund's securities lending activities, if any.

Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the character of any distributions received from the Fund.

U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund). 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.

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the shares' NAV when you purchased your shares of the Fund).

You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable to you even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment. This adverse tax result is known as "buying into a dividend."

**Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange**

For federal income tax purposes, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares of the Fund generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if those shares have been held for more than 12 months and as a short-term capital gain or loss if those shares have been held for 12 months or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such shares of the Fund. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale of shares. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

**IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans**

The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on and sales of shares of the Fund held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless it borrowed to acquire the shares.

**U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders**

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an "interest-related dividend" or a "short-term capital gain dividend," which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met.

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale of shares in the Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Fund.

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in the Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor's income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

The Fund is generally required to withhold 30% on certain payments to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Fund.

**Backup Withholding**

The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns shares of the Fund) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such backup withholding. The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

**Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units** 

An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the AP's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service ("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 AP upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the AP 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 AP for more than 12 months, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss.

The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Creation Units if the AP (or a group of APs) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 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 the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to an AP (or group of APs) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the AP (or group of APs) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

An AP 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 AP's basis in the Creation Units. Any gain or loss realized by an AP upon a redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the AP 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 AP for more than 12 months, 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 AP of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the AP as undistributed capital gains).

The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.

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 foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of shares of the Fund. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares of the Fund under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled "DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES" in the SAI.*

**DISTRIBUTION**

The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor's principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

**ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS**

**Payments to Financial Intermediaries.**

The Adviser, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may pay intermediaries, including affiliates of the Adviser, 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.

**Premium/Discount Information.**

The Fund is new and therefore does not have any information regarding how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (*i.e.*, at a premium) or below (*i.e.*, at a discount) the NAV. Once available, this information will be presented, free of charge, on the Fund's website at www.emgadvisors.com.

**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, as amended (the "Securities 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 Securities 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 Securities 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 Securities 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 Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of the Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the 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 of the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

**Additional Information.**

The Fund enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others the Fund's investment adviser, who provides 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.

**Shareholder Rights**

The Trust's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust requires shareholders bringing a derivative action on behalf of the Fund to first make a pre-suit demand and also to collectively hold at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the series or class to which the demand relates and to undertake to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any counsel or advisors used when considering the merits of the demand in the event that the Board of Trustees determines not to bring such action. Following receipt of the demand, the Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to investigate and consider the demand. In each case, these requirements do not apply to claims arising under the federal securities laws.

**Duties of Trustees**

The Trust's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that the Board is subject to the same fiduciary duties to which the directors of a Delaware corporation would be subject if (i) the Trust were a Delaware corporation, (ii) the Shareholders were shareholders of such Delaware corporation, and (iii) the trustees were directors of such Delaware corporation, and that such modified duties are instead of any fiduciary duties to which the Board would otherwise be subject. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all actions and omissions of the Board are evaluated under the doctrine commonly referred to as the "business judgment rule," as defined and developed under Delaware law, to the same extent that the same actions or omissions of directors of a Delaware corporation in a substantially similar circumstance would be evaluated under such doctrine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of the Trust's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and its By-Laws, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto of a trustee otherwise applicable under the foregoing standard or otherwise existing at law or in equity, replace such other duties and liabilities of such trustee. In addition, nothing in the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust modifying, restricting or eliminating the duties or liabilities of trustees shall apply to, or in any way limit, the duties (including state law fiduciary duties of loyalty and care) or liabilities of such persons with respect to matters arising under the federal securities laws.

**NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUND'S SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE TRUST OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE TRUST OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.**

**FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS**

There are no financial highlights for the Fund because it did not commence operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

**INVESTMENT ADVISER**

**The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC**

704 Goodlette Frank Road North, Suite 118

Naples, Florida 34102

**INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISER**

**Vident Investment Advisory, LLC**

1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515

Alpharetta, Georgia 30009

**ADMINISTRATOR AND TRANSFER AGENT**

**U.S. Bank Global Fund Services** 

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

**CUSTODIAN**

**U.S. Bank, N.A.**

1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

**INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

**Cohn & Company, Ltd.**

1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800

Cleveland, Ohio 44115

**DISTRIBUTOR**

**Quasar Distributors, LLC**

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

**LEGAL COUNSEL**

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

One Logan Square, Suite 2000

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996

**FOR MORE INFORMATION**

For more information about the Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:

**Annual/Semiannual Reports**

Once available, additional information about the Fund's investments will be provided in the Fund's annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. The annual report will contain a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its most recently completed fiscal year. The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, once available, will be available at the Fund's website at www.emgadvisors.com or by calling 1-800-617-0004.

**Statement of Additional Information**

The SAI dated December 28, 2022 provides more details about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is on file with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into (and is legally a part of) this Prospectus.

**TO OBTAIN INFORMATION**

The SAI is available, without charge, upon request along with the semiannual and annual reports (when available). To obtain a free copy of the SAI, semiannual or annual reports or if you have questions about the Fund:

**By Internet**

Go to www.emgadvisors.com.

**By Telephone**

Call 1-800-617-0004 or your securities dealer.

**By Mail**

Write to:

The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

**From the SEC**

Information about the Fund (including the SAI) and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending an electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

Investment Company Act File Number 811-23011

**The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF**

**(formerly, Element EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF)**

(NYSE Arca, Inc.: CHRG)

**A series of The RBB Fund Trust**

**Statement of**

**Additional Information**

**Dated December 28, 2022**

**(As supplemented on February 3, 2023)**

The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF (the "Fund") is a non-diversified series of The RBB Fund Trust (the "Trust"), an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on August 29, 2014.

The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC (formerly, Element ETFs, LLC) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund (the "Adviser'). Vident Investment Advisory, LLC serve as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund ("Vident" or the "Sub-Adviser").

Information about the Fund is set forth in the prospectus dated December 28, 2022 (the "Prospectus") and provides the basic information you should know before investing. To obtain a copy of the Prospectus and/or the Fund's Annual and Semi-Annual Reports (when available), please write to the Fund c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202 or call 800-617-0004. This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus but contains information in addition to and more detailed than that set forth in the Prospectus. It is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide you with additional information regarding the activities and operations of each Fund and the Trust, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.

**Table of Contents**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Fund History | 1 |
| Investment Policies and Practices | 1 |
| Investment Restrictions | 22 |
| Exchange Listing and Trading | 23 |
| Management of the Trust | 24 |
| Code of Ethics | 32 |
| Principal Holders | 32 |
| Investment Advisory Agreement | 32 |
| Portfolio Managers | 33 |
| Underwriter | 35 |
| Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units | 35 |
| Portfolio Holdings Information | 40 |
| Determination of Net Asset Value | 41 |
| Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes | 42 |
| Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage | 44 |
| Proxy Voting Procedures | 44 |
| Payments To Financial Intermediaries | 45 |
| General Information | 46 |
| Financial Statements | 47 |
| Appendix A | A-1 |
| Appendix B | B-1 |

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**FUND HISTORY**

The RBB Fund Trust, formerly known as the PENN Capital Funds Trust (the "Trust"), is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on August 29, 2014. The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series of shares of beneficial interest (each of which is a separate mutual fund) and separate classes of such series. Upon liquidation Fund shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of such Fund available for distribution to shareholders. Expenses attributable to any Fund are borne by that Fund.

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of interests (or shares) with no par value. Shares of each series have equal voting rights, and are voted in the aggregate and not by the series except in matters where a separate vote is required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), or when the matter affects only the interest of a particular Fund. The Trust's series may hold special meetings of shareholders to elect or remove Trustees (as defined below), change fundamental policies, approve a management contract, or for other purposes. The Trust's series will mail proxy materials in advance of a shareholder meeting, including a proxy and information about the proposals to be voted on. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each full share owned and fractional votes for fractional shares owned. Fund shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights. The Trust does not normally hold annual meetings of shareholders.

This SAI pertains to the shares representing interests in The Energy & Minerals Group EV, Solar & Battery Materials (Lithium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt) Futures Strategy ETF (the "Fund").

The Fund offers and issues shares at its net asset value per share ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each a "Creation Unit"). The Fund also generally offers and issues shares in exchange for a basket of securities ("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 are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the "Exchange") and trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the shares' NAVs. The shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment.

Shares of the Fund may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). 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 Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Fund may charge, either in lieu 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 POLICIES AND PRACTICES**

The Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies is described in the Prospectus. The sections below describe some of the different types of investments that may be made by the Fund as part of its non-principal investment strategy. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

With respect to the Fund's investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.

During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments that would not ordinarily be consistent with the Fund's objective.

There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Fund's Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Fund's investment policies and limitations

**Asset-Backed Securities.** The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present, although privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. In addition to the risks that are presented by mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. See "Mortgage-Backed Securities" below for additional information.

Asset-backed securities acquired by the Fund may also include collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"). CDOs include collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs") and collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities.

A CBO is a trust or other special purpose entity ("SPE") that is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed-income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities). A CLO is a trust or other SPE that is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Although certain CDOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Fund against the risk of loss on default of the collateral. Certain CDOs may use derivatives contracts to create "synthetic" exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAI. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of the Fund.

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the SPE are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the bonds or loans in the SPE and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not complete). Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO or CLO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as investor aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class. Interest on certain tranches of a CDO may be paid in kind (paid in the form of obligations of the same type rather than cash), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments.

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid investments. However, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities generally discussed elsewhere in this SAI, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results; and (v) the CDO's manager may perform poorly or default.

**Commodity-Linked Investments.** The Fund may attempt to provide exposure to the returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in physical commodities. Real assets include oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties. Commodity-linked derivative instruments include commodity index-linked securities and other derivative instruments that provide exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets. Commodity-linked investments may be more volatile and less liquid than the underlying instruments and their value may be affected by the performance of commodities and changes in interest rates as well as weather, tax, and other regulatory or political developments, overall market movements and other factors affecting the value of particular industries or commodities, such as disease (including pandemics), embargoes and other trade barriers, and acts of war or terrorism.

The Fund may invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments such as commodity-linked structured notes. The Fund may invest in commodity-linked notes that pay a return linked to the performance of a commodities index or basket of futures contracts with respect to all of the commodities in an index. In some cases, the return will be based on some multiple of the performance of the index, and this embedded leverage will magnify the positive and negative return the Fund earns from these notes as compared to the index. The principal and/or interest payments of commodity-linked derivatives are tied to the value of a real asset or commodity index. Structured notes may be structured by the issuer and the purchaser of the note. The notes are derivative debt instruments with principal payments generally linked to the value of commodities, commodity futures contracts or the performance of commodity indices and interest and coupon payments pegged to a market-based interest rate, such as LIBOR or a bank's prime rate. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or related index or investment. These notes expose the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices.

**Corporate Obligations.** The Fund may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations without limit on credit quality or maturity of debt securities. See <u>Appendix A</u> to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

**Credit Default Swaps, Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, Currency Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars.** The Fund may enter into credit default, interest rate and total return swaps. The Fund may also enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. In addition, the Fund may enter into mortgage swaps and currency swaps.

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. As examples, the Fund may enter into swap transactions for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in an economical way.

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency or security, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. As examples, credit default swaps involve the receipt of floating or fixed rate payments in exchange for assuming potential credit losses of an underlying security. Credit default swaps give one party to a transaction the right to dispose of or acquire an asset (or group of assets), or the right to receive from or make a payment to the other party, upon the occurrence of specified credit events. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Mortgage swaps are similar to interest rate swaps in that they represent commitments to pay and receive interest. The notional principal amount, however, is tied to a reference pool or pools of mortgages. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the parties' respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate a party to pay or receive interest in exchange for payment by the other party of the total return generated by a security, a basket of securities, an index, or an index component.

The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates.

A great deal of flexibility is possible in the way swap transactions are structured. However, generally the Fund will enter into credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps do not normally involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a credit default, interest rate, total return or mortgage swap defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. In contrast, currency swaps may involve the delivery of the entire principal amount of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency. Therefore, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

A credit default swap may have as reference obligations one or more securities that may, or may not, be currently held by the Fund. The protection "buyer" in a credit default swap is generally obligated to pay the protection "seller" an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the "par value" (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a credit event occurs, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the Fund as seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund.

The Fund will not enter into any credit default, interest rate, total return or mortgage swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is rated investment grade by S&P Global Ratings ("S&P") or Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), or, if unrated by such rating organization, determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

The use of credit default, interest rate, mortgage, total return and currency swaps, as well as interest rate caps, floors and collars, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, credit quality, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment instruments were not used.

**Cyber Security Risk.** The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security 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-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value ("NAV"), cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund's investment in such companies to lose value. While the Fund and its service providers have established information technology and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Fund has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser, and the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by their service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

**Exchange-Traded Funds ("ETFs").** The Fund may invest in open-end investment companies whose shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq Market System. ETF shares typically trade like shares of common stock and provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component stocks of a widely recognized index such as the S&P 500® Index. There can be no assurance, however, that this can be accomplished as it may not be possible for an ETF to replicate the composition and relative weightings of the securities of its corresponding index. Additionally, some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers and do not seek to provide investment results that correspond to an index.

ETFs are subject to risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of such investment. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to risk of poor investment, and the individual investments of an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expect, and/or the actively-managed ETFs portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. Individual shares of an ETF are generally not redeemable at their NAV, but trade on an exchange during the day at prices that are normally close to, but not the same as, their NAV. There is no assurance that an active trading market will be maintained for the shares of an ETF or that market prices of the shares of an ETF will be close to their NAV. The existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for an ETF's shares could result in such shares trading at a significant premium or discount to their NAV. In addition, the purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to a mutual fund's own expenses.

Investments in securities of ETFs beyond the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act are subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an exemptive order issued by the SEC to the exchange-traded fund. Section 12(d)(1)(A) states that a mutual fund may not acquire shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs, in excess of: 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company; 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company; or more than 10% of the fund's total assets were to be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies. See "Investment Company Shares" below for additional information.

The Fund may acquire investment company shares received or acquired as dividends, through offers of exchange or as a result of reorganization, consolidation or merger. The purchase of shares of other investment companies may result in duplication of expenses such that investors indirectly bear a proportionate share of the expenses of such mutual funds including operating costs and investment advisory and administrative fees.

**Equity Markets.** The Fund may invest in equity markets. Equity markets can be highly volatile, so that investing in the Fund involves substantial risk. As a result, investing in the Fund involves the risk of loss of capital.

**Equity Securities.** Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. 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. The Fund purchases equity securities traded in the U.S., on foreign exchanges, the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

**Common Stock.** Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

**Preferred Stock.** Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

**Warrants.** Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

**Convertible Securities.** Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

**Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers.** Investing in equity securities of small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.

**Foreign Securities.** The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are denominated or traded in foreign currencies. The Fund may also invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) through American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") or International Depositary Receipts ("IDRs"). ADRs are securities, typically issued by a U.S. financial institution (a "depository"), that evidence ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer and deposited with the depository. ADRs may be listed on a national securities exchange or may trade in the over-the-counter market. ADR prices are denominated in U.S. dollars; the underlying security may be denominated in a foreign currency. GDRs, EDRs and IDRs are securities that represent ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a non-U.S. or U.S. corporation. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Investments in depositary receipts do not eliminate the risks in investing in foreign issuers. The underlying security may be subject to foreign government taxes, which would reduce the yield on such securities.

Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with more or less foreign government regulation; less public information; less stringent investor protections; less stringent accounting, corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure standards; and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which the Fund invests. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of Fund securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on their portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

Settlement mechanics (*e.g.*, mail service between the United States and foreign countries) may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities.

Although the Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, the NAV of the Fund's shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Fund's securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which the Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Fund's securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of the Fund's securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, the Fund is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency. The Fund may invest in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) as well as foreign branches of foreign banks. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. The Fund may also invest in Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union ("EMU") imposes for membership. Europe's economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union ("EU") countries have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

In June 2016, the United Kingdom (the "UK") approved a referendum to leave the EU. The withdrawal, known colloquially as "Brexit", was agreed to and ratified by the UK Parliament, and the UK left the EU on January 31, 2020. It began an 11-month transition period in which to negotiate a new trading relationship for goods and services that ended on December 31, 2020. The UK and EU reached an agreement, effective January 1, 2021, on the terms of their future trading relationship, which principally relates to the trading of goods. Further discussions are to be held between the UK and the EU in relation to matters not covered by the trade agreement, such as financial services. Brexit may have significant political and financial consequences for the Eurozone markets, including greater volatility in the global stock markets and illiquidity, fluctuations in currency and exchange rates, and an increased likelihood of a recession in the UK. At this time, the impact of Brexit cannot be predicted, however, market disruption in the EU and globally may have a negative effect on the value of the Fund's investments. Additionally, the risks related to Brexit could be more pronounced if one or more additional EU member states seek to leave the EU.

In February 2022, Russia commenced a military attack on Ukraine. The outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could result in more widespread conflict and could have a severe adverse effect on the region and the markets. In addition, sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other countries, and any sanctions imposed in the future could have a significant adverse impact on the Russian economy and related markets. The price and liquidity of investments may fluctuate widely as a result of the conflict and related events. How long the armed conflict and related events will last cannot be predicted. These tensions and any related events could have a significant impact on Fund performance and the value of Fund investments, even beyond any direct exposure the Fund may have to issuers located in these countries.

Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and without Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro, the common currency of the EU, and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

**Forward Foreign Currency Transactions.** The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to seek to increase total return. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (*i.e.*, cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

The Fund may engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value in securities denominated or quoted in a different currency or to seek to increase total return. Cross-hedging may also include entering into a forward transaction involving two foreign currencies, using one foreign currency as a proxy for the U.S. dollar to hedge against variations in the other foreign currency.

At the consummation of the forward contract, the Fund may terminate its contractual obligation by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices. Closing purchase transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract.

The Fund's transactions in forward contracts will be limited to those described above. Of course, the Fund is not required to enter into such transactions with regard to its foreign currency quoted or denominated securities, and the Fund will not do so unless deemed appropriate by the Adviser.

If the Fund uses forward contracts as a method of protecting the value of the Fund's portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency, this does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of the Fund's foreign assets. It also reduces any potential gain which may have otherwise occurred had the currency value increased above the settlement price of the contract.

While the Fund may enter into forward contracts to seek to reduce currency exchange rate risks or to seek to increase total return, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while the Fund may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the Fund's portfolio holdings or securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the Fund. Such imperfect correlation may cause the Fund to sustain losses, which will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge, or expose the Fund to the risk of foreign exchange loss.

Forward contracts are subject to the risks that the counterparty to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing house, a default on the contract would deprive the Fund of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price.

The Fund's foreign currency transactions (including related options, futures and forward contracts) may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), for qualification as a regulated investment company.

**Futures And Options On Futures.** Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The Fund may use futures contracts and related options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes.

The Fund and the Subsidiary, through which it invests, are subject to regulation by the CFTC as commodity pools and the Adviser is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator ("CPO") with respect to the Fund under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA").

Transactions in futures and options by the Fund are subject to limitations established by futures and option exchanges governing the maximum number of futures and options that may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the futures or options were written or purchased on the same or different exchanges or are held in one or more accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more brokers. Thus the number of futures or options which the Fund may write or hold may be affected by futures or options written or held by other entities, including other investment companies advised by the Adviser. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.

An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified currency amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

There are significant risks associated with the Fund's use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the Adviser's ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce the Fund's exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.

**Investing in Emerging Countries, including Asia and Eastern Europe.** The Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging countries. The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities and the market may be dominated by a few issues or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging country issuers than is available about issuers in the United States.

Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. The markets for securities in certain emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect the Fund's ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

With respect to investments in certain emerging market countries, antiquated legal systems may have an adverse impact on the Fund. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder's investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders in U.S. corporations, the legal remedies for investors in emerging markets may be more limited than the remedies available in the U.S. and the ability of U.S. authorities (e.g., SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice) to bring actions against bad actors may be limited.

Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging countries may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit the Fund's investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer's outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. In addition, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of the Fund. The Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.

Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability and disruption than is the case in the United States, Japan and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which the Fund may invest and adversely affect the value of the Fund's assets. The Fund's investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.

The Fund may seek investment opportunities within former "eastern bloc" countries in Eastern Europe. Most Eastern European countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many Eastern European countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in many Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of Eastern European countries' attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. In addition, any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern European countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. As a result of recent events involving Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporations. Additional broader sanctions may be imposed in the future. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian and/or Ukrainian securities.

The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports. The Fund's income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund remain uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases or sales due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.

**Legal, Tax and Regulatory Risks.** Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur which may materially adversely affect the Fund. It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments and/or regulation of certain market participants' use of the same, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as a 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 by multiple regulators 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 a part of its investment strategy.

On August 19, 2022, the SEC implemented Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act providing for the regulation of the use of derivatives and certain related instruments by registered investment companies. Rule 18f-4 prescribes specific value-at-risk leverage limits for certain derivatives users. In addition, Rule 18f-4 requires the Fund to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program (including the appointment of a derivatives risk manager and the implementation of certain testing requirements), and prescribes reporting requirements in respect of derivatives. In connection with the adoption of Rule 18f-4, the SEC rescinded certain of its prior guidance regarding asset segregation and coverage requirements in respect of derivatives transactions and related instruments. With respect to reverse repurchase agreements or other similar financing transactions in particular, Rule 18f-4 permits a fund to enter into such transactions if the fund either (i) complies with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act, and combines the aggregate amount of indebtedness associated with all tender option bonds or similar financing with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the relevant asset coverage ratio, or (ii) treats all tender option bonds or similar financing transactions as derivatives transactions for all purposes under Rule 18f-4. The Fund has adopted procedures for investing in derivatives and other transactions in compliance with Rule 18f-4.

In addition, there is uncertainty with respect to legislation, regulation and government policy at the federal, state and local levels, notably as respects U.S. trade, tax, healthcare, immigration, foreign and government regulatory policy. To the extent the U.S. Congress or presidential administration implements additional changes to U.S. policy, those changes may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment, immigration, healthcare, tax rates, the U.S. regulatory environment and inflation, among other areas. Until any additional policy changes are finalized, it cannot be known whether the Fund and its investments or future investments may be positively or negatively affected, or the impact of continuing uncertainty. Each prospective investor should also be aware that developments in the tax laws of the United States or other jurisdictions where the Fund invests could have a material effect on the tax consequences to the shareholders. In the event of any such change in law, each shareholder is urged to consult its own tax advisers.

**LIBOR Risk**. The Fund may invest in certain debt securities, derivatives or other financial instruments that utilize LIBOR as a "benchmark" or "reference rate" for variable interest rate calculations. However, as a result of longstanding regulatory initiatives, LIBOR is being discontinued. Its discontinuation has affected and will continue to affect the financial markets generally and may also affect the Fund's operations, finances and investments specifically. The date of discontinuation will vary depending on the LIBOR currency and tenor. In March 2021, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA"), which is the regulator of the LIBOR administrator, announced that LIBOR settings will cease to be provided by any administrator or will no longer be representative after specified dates, which will be June 30, 2023, in the case of the principal U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors (overnight and one, three, six and 12 month), and December 31, 2021, in all other cases (i.e., one week and two month U.S. dollar LIBOR and all tenors of non-U.S. dollar LIBOR). Thus, many existing LIBOR contracts will transition to another benchmark after June 30, 2023 or, in some cases, after December 31, 2021. It is possible that a subset of LIBOR settings will be published after these dates on a "synthetic" basis, but any such publications would be considered non-representative of the underlying market. For some existing LIBOR-based obligations, the contractual consequences of the discontinuation of LIBOR may not be clear. In the United States, there have been various efforts to identify a set of alternative reference interest rates for U.S. dollar LIBOR. The market has generally coalesced around recommendations from the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (the "ARRC") convened by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The ARRC has recommended that U.S. dollar LIBOR be replaced by rates based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus, in the case of existing LIBOR contracts and obligations, a spread adjustment.

As a consequence of the FCA announcement described above (and a related announcement from the LIBOR administrator), the spread adjustments for different tenors of U.S. dollar LIBOR have been set. The FCA and certain U.S. regulators have emphasized that, despite expected publication of U.S. dollar LIBOR through June 30, 2023, no new contracts using U.S. dollar LIBOR should be entered into after December 31, 2021 and that, for certain purposes, market participants should transition away from U.S. dollar LIBOR sooner. Although the foregoing reflects the likely timing and certain details and consequences of the LIBOR discontinuation, there is no assurance that LIBOR, of any particular currency and tenor, will continue to be published until any particular date or in any particular form. Financial markets, particularly the trading market for LIBOR-based obligations, may be adversely affected by the discontinuation of LIBOR, the remaining uncertainties regarding its discontinuation, the alternative reference rates that will be used when LIBOR is discontinued (including SOFR-based rates) and other reforms related to LIBOR. There is no assurance that SOFR-based rates, as modified by an applicable spread adjustment, will be the economic equivalent of U.S. dollar LIBOR. SOFR-based rates will differ from U.S. dollar LIBOR, and the differences may be material. As a result of the LIBOR discontinuation, the Fund's performance or NAV may be adversely affected. In addition, SOFR-based rates or other alternative reference rates may be an ineffective substitute for LIBOR, resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Fund.

**Options.** The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign currencies (traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or over-the-counter markets) to manage its exposure to exchange rates or to seek and increase in total return. Call options on foreign currency written by the Fund will be "covered" as set out below.

Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

The Fund may trade put and call options on securities, securities indices and currencies, as the Adviser determines is appropriate in seeking the Fund's investment objective, and except as restricted by the Fund's investment limitations. See "Investment Limitations."

The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an "opening transaction." In order to close out an option position, the Fund may enter into a "closing transaction," which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio, to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future or to seek to increase total return. The Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium therefore. If price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for the Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund's securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

The Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

The Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. Over-the-counter options ("OTC options") differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC's position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

Risks associated with options transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while the Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.

**Portfolio Turnover Rate.** Portfolio turnover rate is defined under SEC rules as the greater of the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Fund may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one-year. The Fund may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.

**Restricted and Illiquid Investments.** Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment as defined in Rule 22e-4 is an investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments include securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Illiquid investments may include: repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days; interest rate; currency, mortgage and credit default swaps; interest rate caps; floors and municipal leases; certain restricted securities, such as those purchased in a private placement of securities, unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid; and certain over-the-counter options. Securities that have legal or contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation. With respect to the Fund, repurchase agreements subject to demand are deemed to have a maturity equal to the notice period.

ETFs do not typically hold a significant amount of restricted or other illiquid investments because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and an ETF might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid investments promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemptions within seven days. An ETF might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. To the extent an investment held by the Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to a greater liquidity risk.

The Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act but which may be sold to "qualified institutional buyers" in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Restricted Securities"). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in the Fund during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.

The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of Restricted Securities held by the Fund under the supervision of the Board. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

The Trust has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22-4. If the limitation on illiquid investments is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required, to the SEC.

**Rights Offerings and Purchase Warrants.** Rights offerings and purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right's or warrant's expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security's market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

**Risk Considerations of Medium Grade Securities.** Obligations in the lowest investment grade (*i.e.*, BBB or Baa), referred to as "medium grade" obligations, have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions and other factors are more likely to lead to weakened capacity to make interest payments and repay principal on these obligations than is the case for higher rated securities. In the event that a security purchased by the Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

**Short Sales.** As consistent with the Fund's investment objectives, the Fund may engage in short sales that are either "uncovered" or "against the box." A short sale is "against the box" if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is generally a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will: (a) maintain a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount deposited in the segregated account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund's short position.

**Special Note Regarding Market Events.** Periods of unusually high financial market volatility and restrictive credit conditions, at times limited to a particular sector or geographic area, have occurred in the past and may be expected to recur in the future. Some countries, including the United States, have adopted or have signaled protectionist trade measures, relaxation of the financial industry regulations that followed the financial crisis, and/or reductions to corporate taxes. The scope of these policy changes is still developing, but the equity and debt markets may react strongly to expectations of change, which could increase volatility, particularly if a resulting policy runs counter to the market's expectations. The outcome of such changes cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition, geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks, may add to instability in the world economy and markets generally. As a result of increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets, the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments may be negatively affected by events impacting a country or region, regardless of whether the Fund invests in issuers located in or with significant exposure to such country or region.

An outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 and has spread globally. Since then, the number of cases has fluctuated and new "variants" have been confirmed around the world. The outbreak and efforts to contain its spread have resulted in closing borders and quarantines, restricting international and domestic travel, enhanced health screenings, cancellations, disrupted supply chains and customer activity, responses by businesses (including changes to operations and reducing staff), and have produced general concern and uncertainty. Although vaccines for COVID-19 are becoming more widely available, the full impacts of a pandemic or disease outbreaks are unknown and the pace of recovery may vary from market to market. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could adversely affect national and global economies, individual companies and the market in general in a manner and for a period of time that cannot be foreseen at the present time. Health crises caused by the recent outbreak may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in a country or region. Governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with changes to fiscal and monetary policy, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions, new monetary programs, and dramatically lower interest rates. Certain of those policy changes are being implemented in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Such policy changes may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities. In certain cases, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on either specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in the Fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or to accurately price its investments. In the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Fund and its service providers will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. A pandemic or disease could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Fund's investment adviser relies, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of the Fund's service providers to perform essential tasks. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets. To the extent the Fund may overweight its investments in certain countries, companies, industries or market sectors, such position will increase the Fund's exposure to risk of loss from adverse developments affecting those countries, companies, industries or sectors. These conditions could result in the Fund's inability to achieve its investment objectives, cause the postponement of reconstitution or rebalance dates for benchmark indices, adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, negatively impacting the Fund performance, and cause losses on your investments in the Fund. You should also review the Fund's Prospectus and this SAI to understand the Fund's discretion to implement temporary defensive measures, as well as the circumstances in which the Fund may satisfy redemption requests in-kind.

**Structured Securities.** The Fund may invest in structured securities to the extent consistent with its investment objective. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, commodities, securities, indices or other financial indicators (the "Reference") or the relative change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Examples of structured securities include, but are not limited to, notes where the principal repayment at maturity is determined by the value of the relative change in two or more specified securities or securities indices.

The terms of some structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, the Fund could suffer a total loss of its investment. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the changes in the value of the Reference. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities due to their derivative nature.

**Subsidiary Risk.** The Fund makes investments through The Energy & Minerals Group EV & Solar Battery Materials Futures Cayman Fund, Ltd. (the "Subsidiary"), a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund. Investment in the Subsidiary provides the Fund with exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, and it is not currently expected that shares of the Subsidiary will be sold or offered to other investors.

The Subsidiary will invest primarily in derivative instruments, such as, commodity futures contracts, non-commodity futures contracts, such as equity index, government bond, fixed income and foreign exchange futures contracts, commodity and non-commodity swap agreements. The Subsidiary may also invest in fixed income securities and money market instruments, cash and cash equivalents with two years or less term to maturity, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions. Although the Fund may enter into these commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund will likely gain exposure to these derivative instruments indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may vary depending on the types of instruments selected by the Adviser to gain exposure to the commodities markets. To the extent that the Fund invests in the Subsidiary, the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with the abovementioned derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus and this SAI.

The Fund intends to treat physically settled futures contracts in the same manner as cash settled futures contracts through the use of a swap and/or letter agreement with the Subsidiary's futures commission merchant for the purposes of complying with Section 18 of 1940 Act. The SEC has not declared whether or not the use of such a letter agreement is sufficient for the purpose of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. There is a risk, therefore, that the SEC may deem the use of the letter agreement as insufficient and that the Fund may not be permitted to continue to gain exposure to these contracts through the use of the letter agreement.

The Fund intends to treat physically settled fx forward transactions in the same manner as cash settled fx forward transactions through the use of a letter agreement (the "Letter") with the Subsidiary's FX Prime Broker ("FXPB") for the purposes of complying with Section 18 of 1940 Act. The Letter provides that the Subsidiary will ensure the liquidation of any deliverable transactions by entering into offsetting FX spot, forward or swap transactions or by rolling forward the net currency positions under such transactions. Failing that, where the transaction is not liquidated prior to the settlement date of such transaction, the FXPB will liquidate the position prior to the settlement date at the applicable prevailing market rate. Therefore, the Letter provides that the Fund and/or the Subsidiary will never be left with an obligation to purchase or deliver the currency underlying the forward transaction.

While the Subsidiary may be considered similar to an investment company, it is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus and this SAI, is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act and other U.S. regulations. Although the Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser comply with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts with respect to the Subsidiary. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in the Prospectuses and this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** The Fund intends to continue to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund must invest in assets which produce the types of income specified in the Code and the Treasury regulations ("Qualifying Income"). Whether the income from certain derivatives, swaps, commodity-linked derivatives and other commodity-related securities, including income from the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary, is Qualifying Income is unclear. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has issued a ruling that income realized from certain types of commodity-linked derivatives would not be Qualifying Income. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a regulated investment company, but there is a risk that certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered Qualifying Income. If the Fund's income from these types of securities is determined to not be Qualifying Income, it may cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code. Moreover, an investment in the Subsidiary generally may not exceed 25% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund at the end of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year. If the Subsidiary does exceed 25% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund, in any quarter, the Fund may fail to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code. See "Taxes" below for additional information related to these restrictions.

**U.S. Government Securities.** The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

**U.S. Treasury Obligations.** U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities ("STRIPS") and Treasury Receipts ("TRs").

**U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities.** STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

**U.S. Government Agencies.** Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Fund's shares.

**NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS** 

**Investment Company Shares.** The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund's purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund's expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined, including its ETF investments.

For hedging or other purposes, the Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as exchange-traded funds, are traded on a securities exchange. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company's shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.

The SEC adopted revisions to the rules permitting funds to invest in other investment companies to streamline and enhance the regulatory framework applicable to fund of funds arrangements. While Rule 12d1-4 permits more types of fund of fund arrangements without reliance on an exemptive order or no-action letters, it imposes new conditions, including limits on control and voting of acquired funds' shares, evaluations and findings by investment advisers, fund investment agreements, and limits on most three-tier fund structures. Rule 12d1-4 went into effect on January 19, 2021. The rescission of the applicable exemptive orders and the withdrawal of the applicable no-action letters was effective on January 19, 2022.

**Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk.** The Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause the Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund's NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect the Fund's performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund's expense ratio.

**Mortgage-Backed Securities.** The Fund may invest in mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through securities, such as real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMIC"), pass-through certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs").

Guaranteed mortgage pass-through securities represent participation interests in pools of residential mortgage loans and are issued by U.S. governmental or private lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, including but not limited to the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"). Ginnie Mae certificates are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government for timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Fannie Mae certificates are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, a federally chartered and privately owned corporation, for full and timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet its obligations. Freddie Mac certificates are guaranteed by Freddie Mac, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. government, for timely payment of interest and the ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been operating under conservatorship, with the Federal Housing Finance Administration ("FHFA") acting as their conservator, since September 2008. The entities are dependent upon the continue support of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and FHFA in order to continue their business operations. These factors, among others, could affect the future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the values of their securities and the securities which they guarantee.

There is risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. The Fund may purchase U.S. government securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by the Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

CMOs and REMIC pass-through or participation certificates may be issued by, among others, U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities as well as private lenders. CMOs and REMIC certificates are issued in multiple classes and the principal of and interest on the mortgage assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates in various ways. Each class of CMOs or REMIC certificates, often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates on a monthly basis.

Typically, CMOs are collateralized by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac certificates but also may be collateralized by other mortgage assets such as whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities. Debt service on CMOs is provided from payments of principal and interest on collateral of mortgaged assets and any reinvestment income thereon.

A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the Code and invests in certain mortgages primarily secured by interests in real property and other permitted investments. Investors may purchase "regular" and "residual" interest shares of beneficial interest in REMIC trusts, although the Fund does not intend to invest in residual interests.

The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by trusts or other entities formed or sponsored by private originators of and institutional investors in mortgage loans and other non-governmental entities (or representing custodial arrangements administered by such institutions). These private originators and institutions include savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

Privately issued mortgage-backed securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (*i.e.*, non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. Since such mortgage-backed securities normally are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit standing of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, in order to receive a high quality rating from the rating organizations (*e.g.*, S&P's or Moody's), they often are structured with one or more types of "credit enhancement." Such credit enhancement falls into two categories: (1) liquidity protection and (2) protection against losses resulting after default by a borrower and liquidation of the collateral (*e.g.*, sale of a house after foreclosure). Liquidity protection refers to the payment of cash advances to holders of mortgage-backed securities when a borrower on an underlying mortgage fails to make its monthly payment on time. Protection against losses resulting after default and liquidation is designed to cover losses resulting when, for example, the proceeds of a foreclosure sale are insufficient to cover the outstanding amount on the mortgage. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit, through various means of structuring the securities or through a combination of such approaches.

Examples of credit enhancement arising out of the structure of the transaction include "senior-subordinated securities" (multiple class securities with one or more classes entitled to receive payment before other classes, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgages are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of "spread accounts" or "reserve funds" (where cash or investments are held in reserve against future losses) and "over-collateralization" (where the scheduled payments on the underlying mortgages in a pool exceed the amount required to be paid on the mortgage-backed securities). The degree of credit enhancement for a particular issue of mortgage-backed securities is based on the level of credit risk associated with the particular mortgages in the related pool. Losses on a pool in excess of anticipated levels could nevertheless result in losses to security holders since credit enhancement rarely covers every dollar owed on a pool.

Investing in mortgage-backed securities (such as those described above) involves certain risks, including the failure of a counter-party to meet its commitments, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Further, the yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences typically include more frequent interest and principal payments (usually monthly), the adjustability of interest rates, and the possibility that prepayments of principal may be made substantially earlier than their final distribution dates.

Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Both adjustable rate mortgage loans and fixed rate mortgage loans may be subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment. Under certain interest rate and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. When the Fund reinvests amounts representing payments and unscheduled prepayments of principal, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities. Thus, mortgage-backed securities, and adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities in particular, may be less effective than other types of U.S. government securities as a means of "locking in" interest rates.

Conversely, in a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many mortgage-backed securities. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. The market for certain types of mortgage-backed securities (*i.e.*, certain CMOs) may not be liquid under all interest rate scenarios, which may prevent the Fund from selling such securities held in its portfolio at times or prices that it desires.

Different types of derivative debt securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension and/or interest rate risk. Conventional mortgage pass-through securities and sequential pay CMOs are subject to all of these risks, but are typically not leveraged. Thus, the magnitude of exposure may be less than for more leveraged mortgage-backed securities.

Planned amortization class ("PAC") and target amortization class ("TAC") CMO bonds involve less exposure to prepayment, extension and interest rate risk than other mortgage-backed securities, provided that prepayment rates remain within expected prepayment ranges or "collars." To the extent that prepayment rates remain within these prepayment ranges, the residual or support tranches of PAC and TAC CMOs assume the extra prepayment extension and interest rate risk associated with the underlying mortgage assets.

The Fund may invest in floating rate securities based on the Cost of Funds Index ("COFI floaters"), other "lagging rate" floating rate securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate ("capped floaters"), and mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount. The primary risks associated with these derivative debt securities are the potential extension of average life and/or depreciation due to rising interest rates.

Recently, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-related securities (which may include certain of the mortgage-related securities in which the Fund may have invested or may in the future be invested), and may continue to do so in the future. In the event that any mortgage-related security held by the Fund is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of such mortgage-related security may decline and the Fund may consequently experience losses in respect of such mortgage-related security.

**Real Estate Investment Trust Securities.** The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for Federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT's portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on the Fund.

The REITs in which the Fund may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. The Fund is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT's return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500<sup>®</sup>.

**Risk Considerations of Lower Rated Securities.** The Fund may invest in fixed income securities that are not investment grade but are rated as low as B by Moody's or B by S&P (or their equivalents or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). In the case of a security that is rated differently by two or more rating services, the higher rating is used in connection with the foregoing limitation. In the event that the rating on a security held in the Fund's portfolio is downgraded by a rating service, such action will be considered by the Adviser in its evaluation of the overall investment merits of that security, but will not necessarily result in the sale of the security. The widespread expansion of government, consumer and corporate debt within the U.S. economy has made the corporate sector, especially cyclically sensitive industries, more vulnerable to economic downturns or increased interest rates. An economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for high yield fixed income securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding fixed income securities and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest.

The Fund may invest in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. The Fund may invest in high yield debt instruments when the Fund believes that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities. High yield fixed income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds") are considered speculative investments while generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated securities, involve greater risk of loss of principal and income (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating categories. Since yields vary over time, no specific level of income can ever be assured.

The prices of high yield fixed income securities have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed income security owned by the Fund defaulted, the Fund could incur additional expenses in attempting to obtain a recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield fixed income securities and the Fund's NAV to the extent it holds such securities.

High yield fixed income securities also present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield fixed income securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund may, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities, have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which may result in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield fixed income security's value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Fund's assets, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities. In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield fixed income securities, and this may have an impact on the Adviser's ability to accurately value such securities and the Fund's assets and on the Fund's ability to dispose of such securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield fixed income securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

New laws proposed or adopted from time to time may have an impact on the market for high yield securities.

Finally, there are risks involved in applying credit or dividend ratings as a method for evaluating high yield securities. For example, ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest or dividend payments, not market value risk of high yield securities. Also, since rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, the Fund will continuously monitor the issuers of high yield securities in its portfolio, if any, to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the security's liquidity so the Fund can meet redemption requests.

**Securities of Unseasoned Issuers.** The Fund may invest in securities of unseasoned issuers, including equity securities of unseasoned issuers which are not readily marketable, to the extent consistent with the Fund's primary investment strategies as set forth in the Prospectuses and with each Fund's policy on investments in illiquid investments.

**Special Situation Companies.** The Fund may invest in "Special Situations." The term "Special Situation" shall be deemed to refer to a security of a company in which an unusual and possibly non-repetitive development is taking place which, in the opinion of the Adviser, may cause the security to attain a higher market value independently, to a degree, of the trend in the securities market in general. The particular development (actual or prospective), which may qualify a security as a "Special Situation," may be one of many different types.

Such developments may include, among others, a technological improvement or important discovery or acquisition which, if the expectation for it materialized, would effect a substantial change in the company's business; a reorganization; a recapitalization or other development involving a security exchange or conversion; a merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a breakup or workout of a holding company; litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company's stock; a new or changed management; or material changes in management policies. A "Special Situation" may often involve a comparatively small company, which is not well known, and which has not been closely watched by investors generally, but it may also involve a large company. The fact, if it exists, that an increase in the company's earnings, dividends or business is expected, or that a given security is considered to be undervalued, would not in itself be sufficient to qualify as a "Special Situation." The Fund may invest in securities (even if not "Special Situations") which, in the opinion of the investment adviser of the Fund, are appropriate investments for the Fund, including securities which the investment adviser of the Fund believes are undervalued by the market. The Fund shall not be required to invest any minimum percentage of its aggregate portfolio in "Special Situations," nor shall it be required to invest any minimum percentage of its aggregate portfolio in securities other than "Special Situations."

**Temporary Defensive Positions.** During periods of adverse market or economic conditions, the Fund may temporarily invest all or a substantial portion of its assets in high-quality, fixed-income securities, money market instruments, and shares of money market mutual funds, or it may hold cash. At such times, the Fund would not be pursuing its stated investment objective with its usual investment strategies. The Fund may also hold these investments for liquidity purposes. Fixed-income securities will be deemed to be of high quality if they are rated "A" or better by S&P or Moody's or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. Money market instruments are high-quality, short-term fixed-income obligations (which generally have remaining maturities of one year or less) and may include U.S. Government Securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and banker's acceptances issued by domestic branches of U.S. banks that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and repurchase agreements for U.S. Government Securities. In lieu of purchasing money market instruments, the Fund may purchase shares of money market mutual funds that invest primarily in U.S. Government Securities and repurchase agreements involving those securities, subject to certain limitations imposed by the 1940 Act. The Fund, as an investor in a money market fund, will indirectly bear that fund's fees and expenses, which will be in addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund. Repurchase agreements involve certain risks not associated with direct investments in debt securities.

**INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS**

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a "majority of outstanding shares" means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

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

Except with respect to the asset coverage requirement under Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act with respect to borrowing, if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change in value of portfolio securities or amount of net assets will not be considered a violation of the investment limitation. In the case of borrowing, however, the Fund will promptly take action to reduce the amount of the Fund's borrowings outstanding if, because of changes in the net asset value of the Fund due to market action, the amount of such borrowings exceeds one-third of the value of the Fund's net assets.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Borrow
 money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter
 into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage
 for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any
 assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess
 of one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time of such borrowing.
 However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or
 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time of such borrowing,
 provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject
 to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements
 with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts,
 collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements
 with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance
 of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund's
 investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for
 purposes of this limitation;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Act
 as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, except insofar as
 it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities
 acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Purchase
 or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that
 the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein
 or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in
 real estate investment trusts;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase
 or sell commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted
 or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Make
 loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided
 that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt
 instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations
 and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers'
 acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Invest
 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment,
 in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities
 in the same industry or group of related industries, provided that there is no limitation
 with respect to instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state,
 territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their
 authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions and repurchase agreements
 secured by such instruments, except that, under normal market conditions, the Fund will
 invest more than 25% of its net assets in investments that provide exposure to the metals
 and mining industry.

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations, which may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy.

The Fund may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Make
 investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the
 Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries
 will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or
 management; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Purchase
 securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to
 engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the
 clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection
 with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments,
 including foreign exchange forward contracts, shall not constitute purchasing securities
 on margin.

The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive orders currently or in the future obtained by the Fund from the SEC. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4 and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in ETFs in excess of the limits of the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company's expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for borrowings from a bank. In the event that such asset coverage is below 300%, the Fund will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowings to obtain 300% asset coverage within three business days (not including Sundays and holidays).

The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.

Any collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, short sales and other similar instruments, and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets. The Fund may pledge, mortgage or hypothecate assets to secure borrowings permitted by the Fund's fundamental limitation on borrowing.

Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

If a percentage restriction under one of the Fund's investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

**EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING**

Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the shares of the Fund under any of the following circumstances: (i) if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules are not continuously maintained; (ii) if the Exchange files separate proposals under Section 19(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any of the statements regarding (a) the description of the Fund; (b) limitations on the Fund's portfolio holdings or reference assets; (c) dissemination and availability of the intraday indicative values; or (d) the applicability of the Exchange listing rules specified in such proposals are not continuously maintained; (iii) if, following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of shares of the Fund; (iv) if the intraday indicative value is no longer disseminated at least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's regular market session and the interruption to the dissemination persists past the trading day in which it occurred; or (v) such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of its shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker's commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

To provide additional information regarding the indicative value of shares, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, or other widely disseminated means, an updated "intraday indicative value" ("IIV") for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.

**MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST**

The business and affairs of the Trust are managed under the oversight of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and the Trust's organizational documents. The Trustees are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Trust's service providers. The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise the Trust's daily business operations.

Trustees who are not deemed to be "interested persons" of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as "Independent Trustees." Trustees who are deemed to be "interested persons" of the Trust are referred to as "Interested Trustees." The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Trustees and one Interested Trustee. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Trustee, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman's duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Trustees and the Trust's officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Trust's independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Trustees in performing their oversight responsibilities.

The Board has established seven standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Trustees to examine particular issues related to the Board's oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled "Standing Committees."

The Board has determined that the Trust's leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

**Trustees and Executive Officers**

The Trustees and executive officers of the Trust, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address, and Age** | **Position(s)** <br> **Held with** <br> **Trustee** | **Term of Office**<br> **and**<br> **Length of Time** <br> **Served<sup>1</sup>** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of Portfolios in Fund** <br> **Complex Overseen by Trustee\*** | **Other** <br> **Directorships** <br> **Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years** |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** |
| Julian A. Brodsky<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 89 | Trustee | June 2021 to present | From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). | 57 | AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies). |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address, and Age** | **Position(s)** <br> **Held with** <br> **Trustee** | **Term of Office**<br> **and**<br> **Length of Time** <br> **Served<sup>1</sup>** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of Portfolios in Fund** <br> **Complex Overseen by Trustee\*** | **Other** <br> **Directorships** <br> **Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years** |
| Gregory P. Chandler<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 56 | Trustee | June 2021 to present | Since 2020, Chief Financial Officer, Herspiegel Consulting LLC (life sciences consulting services); 2020, Chief Financial Officer, Avocado Systems Inc. (cyber security software provider); 2009-2020, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services). | 57 | FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development Company) (until December 2018). |
| Lisa A. Dolly<br> 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI, 53202<br> Age: 56 | Trustee | October 2021 to present | From July 2019-December 2019, Chairman, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm); January 2016-June 2019, Chief Executive Officer, Pershing, LLC. | 57 | Allfunds Group PLC (United Kingdom wealthtech and fund distribution provider); Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (trade association for broker dealers, investment banks and asset managers); Hightower Advisors (wealth management firm). |
| Nicholas A. Giordano<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 79 | Trustee | June 2021 to present | Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. | 57 | IntriCon Corporation<br> (biomedical device<br> manufacturer); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance)(until 2021). |
| Arnold M. Reichman<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 74 | Chairman<br>Trustee | June 2021 to present<br>June 2021 to present | Retired. | 57 | EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until August 2022). |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address, and Age** | **Position(s)** <br> **Held with** <br> **Trustee** | **Term of Office**<br> **and**<br> **Length of Time** <br> **Served<sup>1</sup>** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of Portfolios in Fund** <br> **Complex Overseen by Trustee\*** | **Other** <br> **Directorships** <br> **Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years** |
| Brian T. Shea<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 62 | Trustee | June 2021 to present | From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). | 57 | Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company); WisdomTree Investments, Inc.(asset management company) (until March 2019). |
| Robert A. Straniere<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 81 | Vice Chairman<br>Trustee | June 2021 to present<br>June 2021 to present | Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). | 57 | None. |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEE<sup>2</sup>** | **INTERESTED TRUSTEE<sup>2</sup>** | **INTERESTED TRUSTEE<sup>2</sup>** | **INTERESTED TRUSTEE<sup>2</sup>** | **INTERESTED TRUSTEE<sup>2</sup>** | **INTERESTED TRUSTEE<sup>2</sup>** |
| Robert Sablowsky<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 84 | Vice Chairman<br>Trustee | June 2021 to present<br>June 2021 to present | Since 2002, Senior Director — Investments and prior thereto Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). | 57 | None. |
| **OFFICERS** | **OFFICERS** | **OFFICERS** | **OFFICERS** | **OFFICERS** | **OFFICERS** |
| Steven Plump<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 63 | President | August 2022 to present | From 2011 to 2021, Executive Vice President, PIMCO LLC. | N/A | N/A |
| Salvatore Faia, JD,<br> CPA, CFE<br> Vigilant Compliance, LLC<br> Gateway Corporate<br> Center, Suite 216<br> 223 Wilmington West<br> Chester Pike<br> Chadds Ford, PA 19317<br> Age: 60 | Chief Compliance Officer | June 2021 to present | Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company); since 2021, Chief Compliance Officer of The RBB Fund Trust; Since 2004 Chief Compliance Officer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2009 to 2022, President of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2021 to 2022, President of The RBB Fund Trust. | N/A | N/A |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address, and Age** | **Position(s)** <br> **Held with** <br> **Trustee** | **Term of Office**<br> **and**<br> **Length of Time** <br> **Served<sup>1</sup>** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of Portfolios in Fund** <br> **Complex Overseen by Trustee\*** | **Other** <br> **Directorships** <br> **Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years** |
| James G. Shaw<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 62 | Chief Financial Officer<br> and<br> Secretary<br>Chief Operating Officer | June 2021 to present<br>August 2022 to present | Chief Financial Officer and Secretary (since 2016) and Chief Operating Officer (since 2022) of The RBB Fund, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer and Secretary (since 2021) and Chief Operating Officer (since 2022) of The RBB Fund Trust; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company). | N/A | N/A |
| Craig A. Urciuoli<br> 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 48 | Director of Marketing & Business Development | June 2021 to present | Director of Marketing & Business Development of The RBB Fund, Inc. (since 2019) and The RBB Fund Trust (since 2021); from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC (investment advisory). | N/A | N/A |
| Jennifer Witt<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 40 | Assistant Treasurer | June 2021 to present | Since 2020, Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2016 to 2020, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services; from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). | N/A | N/A |
| Edward Paz<br> 615 East Michigan Street<br> Milwaukee, WI 53202<br> Age: 51 | Assistant Secretary | June 2021 to present | Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). | N/A | N/A |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Michael P. Malloy<br> One Logan Square<br> Ste. 2000<br> Philadelphia, PA 19103<br> Age: 63 | Assistant<br> Secretary | June 2021 to present | Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). | N/A |
| Jillian L. Bosmann<br> One Logan Square<br> Ste. 2000<br> Philadelphia, PA<br> 19103<br> Age: 43 | Assistant Secretary | June 2021 to present | Since 2017, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). | N/A |

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\* Each Trustee oversees 57 portfolios of the fund complex, consisting of the series in the Trust (9 portfolios) and in The RBB Fund, Inc. (48 portfolios).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Subject
to the Trust's Retirement Policy, each Trustee may continue to serve as a Trustee until the last day of the calendar year
in which the applicable Trustee attains age 75 or until his or her successor is elected and qualified or his or her death, resignation
or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Trustee. The Board
has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office
at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Trustee or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified,
or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Mr.
Sablowsky is considered an "interested person" of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred
to as an "Interested Trustee." Mr. Sablowsky is considered an "Interested Trustee" of the Trust by virtue
of his position as a senior officer of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

**Trustee Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills**

The information above includes each Trustee's principal occupations during the last five years. Each Trustee possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his or her qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The cumulative background of each Trustee led to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve as a Trustee of the Trust. Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Ms. Dolly has over three decades of experience in the financial services industry, and she has demonstrated her leadership and management abilities by serving in numerous senior executive-level positions. Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience. Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university. Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company.

**Standing Committees** 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

*Audit Committee.* The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Trustees. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022.

*Contract Committee.* The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Trustee and four Independent Trustees. The current members of the Contract Committee are Ms. Dolly and Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of RBB Trust. The Contract Committee convened five times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022.

*Executive Committee.* The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Trustee and three Independent Trustees. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of RBB Trust when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022.

*Nominating and Governance Committee.* The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Trustees. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Trustees of RBB. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of RBB Trust's Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022.

*Product Development Committee.* The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Trustee and three Independent Trustees. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to RBB Trust. The Product Development Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022.

*Regulatory Oversight Committee.* The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Trustee and four Independent Trustees. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Ms. Dolly and Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of RBB Trust. The Regulatory Oversight Committee met four times during the fiscal year August 31, 2022.

*Valuation Committee.* The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Trustee and two officers of RBB Trust. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022.

**Risk Oversight**

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Trust through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Trust's investment advisers and other service providers, Trust officers and the Trust's CCO. The Trust is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Trust is the responsibility of the Trust's investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Trust's investment management and business affairs. Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Trust's and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Trust's investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Trust's portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Trust's CCO to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues. The Board also relies on the Trust's investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Trust, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Trust's business and reputation.

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees. For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Trust's independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Trust's respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Trust's financial position and operations.

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board's oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Trust's investments or activities.

**Trustee Ownership of Shares of the Trust**

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Fund and in all of the portfolios of the Trust (which for each Trustee comprise all registered investment companies within the Trust's family of investment companies overseen by him or her), as of December 31, 2021, including the amounts through the deferred compensation plan:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee** | **Dollar Range of** <br> **Equity Securities in the** <br> **Fund**<sup>(1)</sup> | **Aggregate Dollar Range of**<br> **Equity Securities in All**<br> **Registered Investment Companies**<br> **Overseen by Trustee within the**<br> **Family of Investment Companies** |
|  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES** |  |
| Julian A. Brodsky |  | Over $100,000 |
| Gregory P. Chandler |  | Over $100,000 |
| Lisa A. Dolly<sup>(2)</sup> |  |  |
| Nicholas A. Giordano |  | $10001-$50000 |
| Arnold M. Reichman |  | Over $100,000 |
| Brian T. Shea |  | $10001-$50000 |
| Robert A. Straniere |  | $10001-$50000 |
|  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEE** |  |
| Robert Sablowsky |  | Over $100,000 |

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<sup>(1)</sup> The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

<sup>(2)</sup> Ms. Dolly began serving as Trustee effective October 1, 2021.

As of December 31, 2021, the Independent Trustees and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Trust's investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

**Trustees' and Officers' Compensation**

Effective January 1, 2023, the Trust and The RBB Fund, Inc., based on an allocation formula, pay each Trustee a retainer at the rate of $150,000 annually, $13,500 for each regular meeting of the Board, $5,000 for each Regulatory Oversight Committee meeting attended in-person, $4,000 for each other committee (excluding the Regulatory Oversight Committee) meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

From January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022, the Trust and The RBB Fund, Inc., based on an allocation formula, paid each Trustee a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $13,500 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

Trustees are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof. An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as CCO of the Trust and served as President of the Trust until August 2022. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Trust, and such compensation is determined by the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022, Vigilant Compliance LLC received $758,511 in aggregate from all series of the Trust and The RBB Fund, Inc. for its services. Employees of the Trust serve as President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary, and Director of Marketing & Business Development and are compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022, each of the following members of the Board and the President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Director of Marketing & Business Development received compensation from the Trust and The RBB Fund, Inc. in the following amounts:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee/Officer** | **Aggregated Compensation from the Fund**<sup>(1)</sup> | **Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses** | **Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees or Officers** |
| **Independent Trustees:** |  |  |  |
| Julian A. Brodsky, Trustee | $0 | N/A | $198000 |
| J. Richard Carnall, Trustee<sup>(2)</sup> | $0 | N/A | $0 |
| Gregory P. Chandler, Trustee | $0 | N/A | $232500 |
| Lisa A. Dolly, Trustee<sup>(3)</sup> | $0 | N/A | $182000 |
| Nicholas A. Giordano, Trustee | $0 | N/A | $210000 |
| Arnold M. Reichman, Trustee and Chairman | $0 | N/A | $282000 |
| Brian T. Shea, Trustee | $0 | N/A | $182500 |
| Robert A. Straniere, Trustee | $0 | N/A | $203500 |
| **Interested Trustee:** |  |  |  |
| Robert Sablowsky, Trustee | $0 | N/A | $262500 |
| **Officers:** |  |  |  |
| Steven Plump, President<sup>(4)</sup> | $0 | N/A | $20000 |
| James G. Shaw, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Secretary | $0 | N/A | $315500 |
| Craig Urciuoli, Director of Marketing & Business Development | $0 | N/A | $262032 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup> The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. No trustee or officer fees will be charged to the Fund during its first fiscal year of operations.

<sup>(2)</sup> Mr. Carnall retired from his role as a Director effective October 1, 2021.

<sup>(3)</sup> Ms. Dolly was appointed as a Director effective October 1, 2021.

<sup>(4)</sup> Mr. Plump was appointed President on August 4, 2022.

Each compensated Trustee is entitled to participate in the Trust's deferred compensation plan (the "DC Plan"). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Trustee may elect to defer all or a portion of his or her compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Trust in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Trust. The amount paid to the Trustees under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

**Trustee Emeritus Program** 

The Board has created a position of Trustee Emeritus, whereby an incumbent Trustee who has attained at least the age of 75 and completed a minimum of fifteen years of service as a Trustee or Director of The RBB Fund, Inc., may, in the sole discretion of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Trust ("Committee"), be recommended to the full Board to serve as Trustee Emeritus.

A Trustee Emeritus that has been approved as such receives an annual fee in an amount equal to up to 50% of the annual base compensation paid to a Trustee. Compensation will be determined annually by the Committee and the Board with respect to each Trustee Emeritus. In addition, a Trustee Emeritus will be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in connection with their service, including expenses of travel and lodging incurred in attendance at Board meetings. A Trustee Emeritus will continue to receive relevant materials concerning the Fund and will be available to consult with the Trustees at reasonable times as requested. However, a Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Fund.

A Trustee Emeritus will be permitted to serve in such capacity from year to year at the pleasure of the Committee and the Board for up to three years.

Effective October 1, 2021, J. Richard Carnall serves as a Trustee Emeritus of the Trust.

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022, J. Richard Carnall received compensation for his role as a Trustee Emeritus in the following amounts:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Aggregate Compensation from the Fund**<sup>(1)</sup> | **Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses** | **Total Compensation From Fund Complex** |
| $0 | N/A | $62500 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup> The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. No trustee emeritus fees will be charged to the Fund during its first fiscal year of operations.

**CODE OF ETHICS**

The Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics ("Code of Ethics") pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, which governs personal securities trading by their respective personnel. Each Code of Ethics permits such individuals to purchase and sell securities, including securities that are purchased, sold, or held by the Fund, but only subject to certain conditions designed to ensure that purchases and sales by such individuals do not adversely affect the Fund's investment activities.

**PRINCIPAL HOLDERS**

As of the date of this SAI, no shares of the Fund were outstanding.

**INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENTS**

**Investment Advisory Agreement**

The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC, is a Delaware limited liability company with offices at 704 Goodlette Frank Road North, Suite 118, Naples, Florida 34102. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of JRJC Corestone LLC, which is in turn indirectly owned and controlled by John Calvert, William McDonough, and John Raymond.

The Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Fund pursuant to the terms of an Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") between the Trust and the Adviser. After the initial two year-term, the Advisory Agreement may be continued in effect from year to year with the approval of (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority (as defined by the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, provided that in either event the continuance must also be approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.

The Adviser manages the Fund's investments in accordance with the stated policies of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Board. The Adviser provides such additional administrative services as the Trust may require beyond those furnished by the Administrator and furnishes, at its own expense, such office space, facilities, equipment, clerical help, and other personnel and services as may reasonably be necessary in connection with the operations of the Trust.

Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, in consideration of the services provided by the Adviser, the Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee that is computed and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.95% of the Fund's average daily net assets during the month. From the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays most of the expenses of the Fund, including the cost of sub-advisory fee to the Sub-Adviser, Subsidiary expenses**,** transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services. However, under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not responsible for interest expenses, brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes and other extraordinary costs such as litigation and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of business. The remainder of the unitary management fee is retained by the Adviser. The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

No advisory fee information is provided as the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

The Adviser also serves as the investment adviser to the Subsidiary pursuant to a separate investment advisory agreement. The Subsidiary is a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the acts of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company. The Adviser does not receive additional compensation for its management of the Subsidiary.

**Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser**

The Fund and the Adviser have submitted an application with the SEC for an exemptive order with respect to the Fund that would permit the Adviser to engage or terminate a sub-adviser, and to enter into and materially amend an existing sub-advisory agreement, upon the approval of the Board, without obtaining shareholder approval. This arrangement has been approved by the Board and the Fund's initial shareholder. Consequently, if approved by the SEC, under the exemptive order, the Adviser would have the right to hire, terminate and replace sub-advisers when the Board and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit the Fund. The exemptive order will enable the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of sub-advisory agreements.

Vident is a Delaware limited liability company located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. Vident was formed in 2014 and provides investment advisory services to ETFs, including the Fund. Vident is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vident Financial, LLC. Vident Financial, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Vident Investors' Oversight Trust. Vince L. Birley, Brian Shepler, and Mohammad Baki serve as the trustees of the Vident Investors' Oversight Trust.

Vident provides investment advisory services to the Fund pursuant to the terms of a Sub-Advisory Agreement (the "Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement") among the Trust, the Adviser and Vident. After the initial two year-term, the Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement may be continued in effect from year to year with the approval of (1) the Board or (2) vote of a majority (as defined by the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, provided that in either event the continuance must also be approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.

For its services, Vident receives a fee from the Adviser that is computed and paid monthly at an annual rate based on a tiered schedule to the Fund's net assets: 0.09% on the Fund's first $250 million, 0.085% on the next $250 million, and 0.08% of the Fund's net assets in excess of $500 million, subject to an annual minimum sub-advisory fee of $85,000.

Vident is responsible for selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, as instructed by the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. The Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that Vident shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

**PORTFOLIO MANAGERS**

John Calvert, William McDonough and John Raymond are the portfolio managers responsible for investment-related services provided to the Fund by the Adviser. Ryan Dofflemeyer and Austin Wen are portfolio managers responsible for investment-related services provided to the Fund by Vident. The following table provides information regarding accounts managed by each portfolio manager as of August 31, 2022.

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Portfolio Manager;**<br> **Other Accounts** | **Total Accounts** | **Total Accounts** | **Accounts With** <br> **Performance-Based Fees** | **Accounts With** <br> **Performance-Based Fees** |
| **Portfolio Manager;**<br> **Other Accounts** | **Number** | Assets | **Number** | Assets |
| **John Calvert** |  |  |  |  |
| Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 54 | $12.5 billion | 17 | $9.9 billion |
| Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| **William McDonough** |  |  |  |  |
| Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| **John Raymond** |  |  |  |  |
| Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 54 | $12.5 billion | 17 | $9.9 billion |
| Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| **Ryan Dofflemeyer** |  |  |  |  |
| Registered Investment Companies | 13 | $2.9 billion | 0 | $0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 25 | $346 million | 0 | $0 |
| Other Accounts | 1 | $25 million | 0 | $0 |
| **Austin Wen** |  |  |  |  |
| Registered Investment Companies | 31 | $4.2 billion | 0 | $0 |
| Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 | $383 million | 0 | $0 |
| Other Accounts | 1 | $25 million | 0 | $0 |

---

***Portfolio Manager Compensation***

The compensation structure for the Adviser's portfolio managers is based upon a fixed salary as well as a discretionary bonus determined by the management of the Adviser. Salaries are determined by management and are based upon an individual's position and overall value to the firm. Bonuses are also determined by management and are based upon an individual's overall contribution to the success of the firm and the profitability of the firm. Salaries and bonuses are not based upon criteria such as performance of the Fund or the value of assets included in the Fund's portfolio.

Vident's portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus that are not tied to the performance of the Fund.

***Material Conflicts of Interest***

The portfolio managers' management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers' knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, each of the Adviser and Vident has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities and other investments among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

***Ownership of Fund Shares by the Portfolio Managers***

The portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Fund as no shares of the Fund were outstanding prior to the date of this SAI.

**UNDERWRITER**

The Trust has entered into a distribution agreement (the "Distribution Agreement") with Quasar Distributors, LLC, (the "Distributor"), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, 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.

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.

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers ("Soliciting Dealers") who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in "Procedures for Creation of Creation Units" below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board 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 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, 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 60 days' written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment," as defined in the 1940 Act.

**PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS**

**Purchase and Issuance of Creation Units**

The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement ("Participant Agreement"); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The NAV of the Fund's shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which the Exchange is open for business.

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 of the Fund and a 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).

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. Such 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 Sub-Adviser with a view to the investment objectives of the Fund.

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").

CASH PURCHASE METHOD. The Trust may at its discretion permit full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units of the Fund in instances permitted by the exemptive relief the Adviser is relying on in offering the Fund. When full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a full or partial cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser together with a Creation Transaction Fee and Non-Standard Charges, as may be applicable.

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" or "AP") must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services ("Transfer Agent" or "Fund Services") and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each AP 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 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 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."

An AP 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 AP 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 APs 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 not accept orders on such day. Orders must be transmitted by an AP 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 AP 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 AP.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an AP 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 subcustodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the AP 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 subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the AP 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 the Settlement 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.

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 AP 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 subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, 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 third 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 third 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 AP 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. 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. APs 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.

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 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) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful, so long as such action does not result in suspension of sales of Creation Units in contravention of Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act and the SEC's positions thereunder.

CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A purchase (*i.e.*, 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. 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 AP, 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 Adviser may retain all or a portion of the 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. The standard Creation Transaction Fee for the Fund is $300.

RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. 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 Securities 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 Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act.

**Redemption of Creation Units**

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 AP by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust's discretion, an AP 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 AP will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES. A redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and APs 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. 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 AP, 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 transactions 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 AP 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 AP 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 AP 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 Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an AP which has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such AP. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an AP 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 APs.

In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or AP acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three 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 AP must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three 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 three Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the AP 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.

If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. 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 relevant 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 AP 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 AP 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 AP that is not a "qualified institutional buyer," ("QIB") as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An AP 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 such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell shares of such Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of such Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to each 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.

**PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION**

The Trust has adopted, on behalf of the Fund, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund's operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund. It is the policy of the Trust that disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public ("selective disclosure") is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

The Trust discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Trust will disclose the Fund's portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-PORT, or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

The Fund's entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each business day and may be available through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet websites.

The Trust may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about the Fund's portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; Fund Services, the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Fund's proxy voting service(s); and the Trust's liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Fund. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. "Conditions of confidentiality" include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions). Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in the Fund's portfolio.

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information and, (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Fund as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Trust's and Adviser's fiduciary duties to Fund shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Trust's policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of the Fund.

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Trust's policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the CCO as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to the Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, Trustee, officer or third party service provider to the Trust's CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

**DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE**

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the sections in the Fund's Prospectus titled "HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES."

NAV is determined as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open, except that no computation need be made on a day on which no orders to purchase or redeem shares have been received. The NYSE currently observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Presidents Day (third Monday in February), Good Friday (Friday before Easter), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day.

NAV per share is computed by dividing the value of the Fund's net assets (*i.e.*, the value of its assets less its liabilities) by the total number of the Fund's shares outstanding. In computing NAV, securities are valued at market value as of the close of trading on each business day when the NYSE is open. Securities, other than stock options, listed on the NYSE or other exchanges are valued on the basis of the last reported sale price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded. However, if the last sale price on the NYSE is different from the last sale price on any other exchange, the NYSE price will be used. If there are no sales on that day, then the securities are valued at the bid price on the NYSE or other primary exchange for that day. Securities traded in the over-the-counter ("OTC") market are valued on the basis of the last sales price as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations ("NASDAQ"). If there are no sales on that day, then the securities are valued at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices as reported by NASDAQ. Stock options and stock index options traded on national securities exchanges or on NASDAQ are valued at the mean between the latest bid and asked prices for such options. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available and other assets are valued at fair value as determined pursuant to procedures adopted in good faith by the Board. Debt securities that mature in less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost (unless the Board determines that this method does not represent fair value), if their original maturity was 60 days or less or by amortizing the value as of the 61st day before maturity, if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days. A pricing service may be used to determine the fair value of securities held by the Fund. Any such service might value the investments based on methods that include consideration of yields or prices of securities of comparable quality, coupon, maturity, and type; indications as to values from dealers; and general market conditions. The service may also employ electronic data-processing techniques, a matrix system, or both to determine valuation. The Board will review and monitor the methods such services use to assure itself that securities are valued at their fair values.

The values of securities held by the Fund and other assets used in computing NAV are determined as of the time at which trading in such securities is completed each day. That time, in the case of foreign securities, generally occurs at various times before the close of the NYSE. Trading in securities listed on foreign securities exchanges will be valued at the last sale or, if no sales are reported, at the bid price as of the close of the exchange, subject to possible adjustment as described in the Prospectus. Foreign currency exchange rates are also generally determined before the close of the NYSE. On occasion, the values of such securities and exchange rates may be affected by events occurring between the time as of which determinations of such values or exchange rates are made and the close of the NYSE. When such events materially affect the value of securities held by the Fund or its liabilities, such securities and liabilities will be valued at fair value in accordance with procedures adopted in good faith by the Board. The values of any assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies will be converted to U.S. dollars based on exchange rates supplied by a quotation service.

**DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES**

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Fund's Prospectus titled "DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES." In addition, the following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations that generally affect the Fund and its shareholders. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.

It is the policy of the Trust each fiscal year to distribute substantially all of the Fund's net investment income (*i.e.,* generally, the income that it earns from dividends and interest on its investments, and any short-term capital gains, net of Fund expenses) and net capital gains (i.e., the excess of the Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses), if any, to its shareholders.

**Dividend Reinvestment Service** 

The Fund will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by beneficial owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners 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. Beneficial owners 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 Fund at NAV. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund will nevertheless be taxable to beneficial owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

**Taxes – General** 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive. The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, the Fund generally will be exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must meet three important tests each year.

First, the Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund's assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of such issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer), and no more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

Third, the Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

The Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If the Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year the Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, taxable shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

Because of the special rules applicable to regulated futures contracts under section 1256 of the Code, they are required to be "marked to market" as of the end of each taxable year, and the unrealized gain or loss on the contracts must be taken into account at that time. As a result, to the extent that there is net unrealized gain in the Fund's positions in futures contracts as of the end of any year, the Fund will generally be required to make a distribution of that amount to its shareholders. The Fund may need to liquidate positions or to borrow funds to finance such a distribution.

**Loss Carryforwards**

For federal income tax purposes, the Fund is generally permitted to carry forward a net capital loss in any year to offset its own capital gains, if any, during subsequent years.

**Taxation of Certain Investments**

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by the Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies ("PFICs"), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which the Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

Any annual net profit of the Subsidiary will be recognized as ordinary income by the Fund, but any annual net loss of the Subsidiary will not be recognized and will not carry forward.

**State and Local Taxes**

Although the Fund expects to qualify as a regulated investment company and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

**PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE**

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, the Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions, and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. These tasks have been delegated to the Sub-Adviser with the Adviser's oversight. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange are effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. In the OTC market, securities are generally traded on a "net" basis, with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price, which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or discount. Certain money market instruments may be purchased directly from an issuer, in which case no commission or discounts are paid.

The Adviser may and the Sub-Adviser does serve as an investment adviser or sub-adviser, respectively, to other clients, including private investment companies, and the Adviser may in the future and the Sub-Adviser does act as an investment adviser or sub-adviser, respectively, to other registered investment companies. It is the practice of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser to cause purchase and sale transactions to be allocated among the Fund and others whose assets are managed by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser in such manner as it deems equitable. In making such allocations, the main factors considered are the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment, the size of investment commitments generally held, and the opinions of the persons responsible for managing the Fund and the other client accounts. This procedure may, under certain circumstances, have an adverse effect on the Fund.

The policy of the Fund regarding purchases and sales of securities is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Fund's policy is to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest commission cost could impede effective management and preclude the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser from obtaining high-quality brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser rely on its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction.

In seeking to implement the Fund's policies, the Sub-Adviser conducts trades on behalf of such Fund and effects transactions with brokers and dealers that it believes provide the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. When the "best execution" criteria are satisfied, those broker-dealers who supplement the Sub-Adviser's capabilities with trading execution and research services, within the parameters of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, may be selected by the Sub-Adviser to provide brokerage services. Research services include both proprietary research (created or developed by the broker-dealer) and research created or developed by a third party. The Sub-Adviser may place portfolio transactions with a broker or dealer that furnishes research and other services to the Sub-Adviser and may pay higher commissions to brokers in recognition of research provided (or direct the payment of commissions to such brokers). The Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services, computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research, quotation services; trading; research (including proprietary) and portfolio management systems and consulting services; data; software; seminars; prime brokerage; custody and clearance services; other data services; trading and data feeds; proxy research; and trading communication services. The information and services received by the Sub-Adviser from brokers and dealers may be of benefit in the management of accounts of other clients and may not in all cases benefit the Trust directly. While such services are useful and important in supplementing its own research and facilities, the Sub-Adviser believes the value of such services is not determinable and does not significantly reduce its expenses.

No brokerage transaction information is provided because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

**PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES**

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by the Fund ("portfolio proxies") to the Adviser, subject to the Board's continuing oversight.

**Policies of the Adviser**

The Adviser's proxy voting policy establishes minimum standards for the exercise of proxy voting authority by the Adviser. The Adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures are set forth in Appendix B.

**More Information**

Each year, the Fund will make available the actual voting records relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund during the 12-month period ending June 30 without charge, upon request by calling 1-800-617-0004, or by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov*.*

**PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES**

The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of its distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediary's retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary's retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediary's retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries' customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

**GENERAL INFORMATION**

**Anti-Money Laundering Program**

The Fund has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the "Program") as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 ("USA PATRIOT Act"). To ensure compliance with this law, the Fund's Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Fund will not transact business with any person or legal entity and beneficial owner, if applicable, whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

**Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm**

Cohen & Company Ltd., located at 1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, is the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for conducting the annual audit of the Fund's financial statements. The selection of the independent registered public accounting firm is approved annually by the Board.

**Transfer Agent**

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Fund's transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent.

**Custodian**

U.S. Bank, N.A, 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, WI 53212, serves as custodian (the "Custodian") of the Fund's assets and is responsible for maintaining custody of the Fund's cash and investments and retaining sub-custodians, including in connection with the custody of foreign securities. Cash held by the Custodian, the amount of which may at times be substantial, is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to the amount of available insurance coverage limits. The Custodian and Fund Services are affiliates.

**Administrator**

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202**,** serves as the administrator (the "Administrator") and provides various administrative and accounting services necessary for the operations of the Fund. Services provided by the Administrator include facilitating general Fund management; monitoring Fund compliance with federal and state regulations; supervising the maintenance of the Fund's general ledger, the preparation of the Fund's financial statements, the determination of NAV, and the payment of dividends and other distributions to shareholders; and preparing specified financial, tax, and other reports. The Custodian, the Distributor and the Administrator are affiliates.

No administration fee information is provided because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

**Legal Counsel**

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as counsel to the Trust.

**Registration Statement**

This SAI and the Prospectus do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement the Trust has filed with the SEC. The complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed by SEC rules and regulations. A text-only version of the Registration Statement is available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.

**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**

As the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, there are no annual financial statements available at this time. Shareholders of the Fund will be informed of the Fund's progress through periodic reports when those reports become available. Financial statements certified by the independent registered public accounting firm will be submitted to shareholders at least annually.

**<u>APPENDIX A</u>**

**DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS**

**<u>Short-Term Credit Ratings</u>**

An ***S&P Global Ratings*** short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

"A-1" – A short-term obligation rated "A-1" is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

"A-2" – A short-term obligation rated "A-2" is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

"A-3" – A short-term obligation rated "A-3" exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

"B" – A short-term obligation rated "B" is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

"C" – A short-term obligation rated "C" is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

"D" – A short-term obligation rated "D" is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The "D" rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to "D" if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings – S&P Global Ratings' issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer can differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

"NR" – This indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.

***Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's")*** short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

"P-1" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.

"P-2" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.

"P-3" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

"NP" – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

"NR" – Is assigned to an unrated issuer, obligation and/or program.

***Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. ("Fitch")*** short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short-term" based on market convention.<sup>1</sup> Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

"F1" – Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

"F2" – Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

<sup>1</sup> A long-term rating can also be used to rate an issue with short maturity.

"F3" – Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

"B" – Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

"C" – Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

"RD" – Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

"D" – Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

"NR" – Is assigned to an issue of a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated.

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The "F1" rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

The ***DBRS<sup>®</sup> Morningstar Ratings Limited ("DBRS Morningstar")*** short-term obligation ratings provide DBRS Morningstar's opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. The obligations rated in this category typically have a term of shorter than one year. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the subcategories "(high)", "(middle)", and "(low)".

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS Morningstar for commercial paper and short-term debt:

"R-1 (high)" - Short-term debt rated "R-1 (high)" is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

"R-1 (middle)" – Short-term debt rated "R-1 (middle)" is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from "R-1 (high)" by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

"R-1 (low)" – Short-term debt rated "R-1 (low)" is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

"R-2 (high)" – Short-term debt rated "R-2 (high)" is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

"R-2 (middle)" – Short-term debt rated "R-2 (middle)" is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

"R-2 (low)" – Short-term debt rated "R-2 (low)" is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer's ability to meet such obligations.

"R-3" – Short-term debt rated "R-3" is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

"R-4" – Short-term debt rated "R-4" is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

"R-5" – Short-term debt rated "R-5" is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

"D" – Short-term debt rated "D" is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods. DBRS Morningstar may also use "SD" (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a "distressed exchange".

**<u>Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings</u>**

The following summarizes the ratings used by ***S&P Global Ratings*** for long-term issues:

"AAA" – An obligation rated "AAA" has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

"AA" – An obligation rated "AA" differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

"A" – An obligation rated "A" is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

"BBB" – An obligation rated "BBB" exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

"BB," "B," "CCC," "CC" and "C" – Obligations rated "BB," "B," "CCC," "CC" and "C" are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. "BB" indicates the least degree of speculation and "C" the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

"BB" – An obligation rated "BB" is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

"B" – An obligation rated "B" is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated "BB", but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

"CCC" – An obligation rated "CCC" is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

"CC" – An obligation rated "CC" is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The "CC" rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

"C" – An obligation rated "C" is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

"D" – An obligation rated "D" is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within the next five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or the next 30 calendar days. The "D" rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to "D" if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring

Plus (+) or minus (-) – Ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

"NR" – This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings' issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer can differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

***Moody's*** long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of eleven months or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody's for long-term debt:

"Aaa" – Obligations rated "Aaa" are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

"Aa" – Obligations rated "Aa" are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

"A" – Obligations rated "A" are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

"Baa" – Obligations rated "Baa" are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

"Ba" – Obligations rated "Ba" are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

"B" – Obligations rated "B" are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

"Caa" – Obligations rated "Caa" are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

"Ca" – Obligations rated "Ca" are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

"C" – Obligations rated "C" are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from "Aa" through "Caa." The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

"NR" – Is assigned to unrated obligations, obligation and/or program.

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by ***Fitch***:

"AAA" – Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

"AA" – Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. "AA" ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

"A" – Securities considered to be of high credit quality. "A" ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

"BBB" – Securities considered to be of good credit quality. "BBB" ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

"BB" – Securities considered to be speculative. "BB" ratings indicates an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

"B" – Securities considered to be highly speculative. "B" ratings indicate that material credit risk is present

"CCC" – A "CCC" rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

"CC" – A "CC" rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

"C" – A "C" rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned "RD" or "D" ratings but are instead rated in the "CCC" to "C" rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the "AAA" obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below "CCC".

"NR" – Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

The ***DBRS Morningstar*** long-term obligation ratings provide DBRS Morningstar's opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the long-term obligation was issued. The obligations rated in this category typically have a term of one year or longer. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories "(high)" and "(low)". The absence of either a "(high)" or "(low)" designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS Morningstar for long-term debt:

"AAA" – Long-term debt rated "AAA" is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

"AA" – Long-term debt rated "AA" is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from "AAA" only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

"A" – Long-term debt rated "A" is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than "AA." May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

"BBB" – Long-term debt rated "BBB" is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

"BB" – Long-term debt rated "BB" is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

"B" – Long-term debt rated "B" is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

"CCC", "CC" and "C" – Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although "CC" and "C" ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default or subordinated to obligations rated in the "CCC" to "B" range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the "C" category.

"D" – A security rated "D" is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods. DBRS Morningstar may also use "SD" (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a "distressed exchange".

**<u>Municipal Note Ratings</u>**

An ***S&P Global Ratings*** U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings' opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings' analysis will review the following considerations:

● Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

● Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

"SP-1" - A municipal note rated "SP-1" exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

"SP-2" - A municipal note rated "SP-2" exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

"SP-3" - A municipal note rated "SP-3" exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

"D" - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

Moody's uses the global short-term Prime rating scale (listed above under Short-Term Credit Ratings) for commercial paper issued by U.S. municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer's self-liquidity.

For other short-term municipal obligations, Moody's uses one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade ("MIG") and Variable Municipal Investment Grade ("VMIG") scales provided below.

***Moody's*** uses the global short-term Prime rating scale (listed above under Short-Term Credit Ratings) for commercial paper issued by U.S. municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer's self-liquidity.

For other short-term municipal obligations, Moody's uses one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade ("MIG") and Variable Municipal Investment Grade ("VMIG") scales provided below.

Moody's uses the MIG scale for U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, Moody's uses the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.

MIG Scale

"MIG-1" - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

"MIG-2" - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

"MIG-3" - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

"SG" - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

"NR" – Is assigned to an unrated obligation, obligation and/or program.

In the case of variable rate demand obligations ("VRDOs"), a two-component rating is assigned. The components are a long-term rating and a short-term demand obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer's ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term demand obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to make payments associated with the purchase-price-upon demand feature ("demand feature") of the VRDO. The short-term demand obligation rating uses the VMIG scale. VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer's long-term rating drops below investment grade.

Moody's typically assigns the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is "NR".

"VMIG-1" - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

"VMIG-2" - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

"VMIG-3" - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

"SG" – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections.

"NR" - Is assigned to an unrated obligation, obligation and/or program.

**<u>About Credit Ratings</u>**

An ***S&P Global Ratings*** issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings' view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Ratings assigned on ***Moody's*** global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

***Fitch's*** credit ratings are forward-looking opinions on the relative ability of an entity or obligation to meet financial commitments. Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) are assigned to corporations, sovereign entities, financial institutions such as banks, leasing companies and insurers, and public finance entities (local and regional governments). Issue-level ratings are also assigned and often include an expectation of recovery, which may be notched above or below the issuer-level rating. Issue ratings are assigned to secured and unsecured debt securities, loans, preferred stock and other instruments. Credit ratings are indications of the likelihood of repayment in accordance with the terms of the issuance. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e., rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation's documentation).

***DBRS Morningstar*** offers independent, transparent, and innovative credit analysis to the market. Credit ratings are forward-looking opinions about credit risk that reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation based on DBRS Morningstar's quantitative and qualitative analysis in accordance with applicable methodologies and criteria. They are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of, or meant to predict, any specific default probability. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. DBRS Morningstar issues credit ratings using one or more categories, such as public, private, provisional, final(ized), solicited, or unsolicited. From time to time, credit ratings may also be subject to trends, placed under review, or discontinued. DBRS Morningstar credit ratings are determined by credit rating committees.

**<u>APPENDIX B</u>**

**The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC**

**PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES**

**Background**

Proxy voting is an important right of investors and reasonable care, and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised.

SEC-registered investment advisers that exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)6 of the Advisers Act to (a) adopt and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between an adviser's interests and those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the adviser's proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.

**Policies and Procedures**

The Energy & Minerals Group Advisors, LLC ("EMG") has adopted policies and procedures to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities held by clients which have delegated responsibility for voting proxies to EMG. The policies and procedures are designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of clients, including fund shareholders, without regard to any relationship that any client or affiliated person of a fund (or an affiliated person of such affiliated person) may have with the issuer of the security and with the goal of maximizing value to clients and fund shareholders consistent with governing laws and the investment policies of each client. While securities are not purchased to exercise control or to seek to effect corporate change through share ownership activism, EMG supports sound corporate governance practices within companies in which clients invest.

EMG has delegated proxy voting matters to its Brokerage Committee ("Committee"). The Committee is responsible for overseeing the proxy voting process and ensuring that the voting process is implemented in conformance with these policies and procedures. The following outlines certain key aspects of the policies and procedures relating to the administration of the proxy voting process and how proxies are voted.

**Third-Party Proxy Voting Administrator**

EMG has retained a third-party proxy voting service, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS" or the "Proxy Voting Administrator"), to assist in the implementation of certain proxy voting-related functions including: providing research on proxy matters; providing technology to facilitate the sharing of research and discussions related to proxy votes; recommending and voting proxies in accordance with ISS's Sustainability Proxy Voting Guidelines; handling certain administrative and reporting items; maintaining records of proxy statements received in connection with proxy votes and provide copies/analyses upon request.

**Brokerage Committee**

The Committee, or it's designee, shall be responsible for implementing and monitoring EMG's proxy voting policy, practices, and disclosures. The Committee shall also be responsible for overseeing the Proxy Voting Administrator to determine that it accurately applies these policies and procedures and operates as an independent proxy voting agent.

The Committee's oversight process of the Proxy Voting Administrator includes an assessment of its policies and procedures, including conflict controls and monitoring, receipt and review of routine performance-related reporting, and periodic due diligence reviews. EMG requires the Proxy Voting Administrator to notify the EMG if the Proxy Voting Administrator experiences a material conflict of interest in the voting of clients' proxies.

**Proxy Voting Procedures and Guidelines**

Unless otherwise required by applicable law, proxies will be voted in accordance with EMG's proxy voting guidelines, which is a separate stand-alone document incorporated by reference into these policies and procedures. EMG has adopted the Sustainability Proxy Voting Guidelines (the "Guidelines") of ISS that are consistent with the objectives of sustainability-minded investors and fiduciaries. A summary of the Guidelines is provided bellow:

On matters of ESG import, ISS seeks to promote support for recognized global governing bodies promoting sustainable business practices advocating for stewardship of environment, fair labor practices, non-discrimination, and the protection of human rights. Generally, ISS's policy will take as its frame of reference internationally recognized sustainability-related initiatives such as the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), United Nations Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Carbon Principles, International Labour Organization Conventions (ILO), Ceres Roadmap 2030, Global Sullivan Principles, MacBride Principles, and environmental and social European Union Directives. Each of these efforts promote a fair, unified and productive reporting and compliance environment which advances positive corporate ESG actions that promote practices that present new opportunities or that mitigate related financial and reputational risks.

On matters of corporate governance, executive compensation, and corporate structure, the Guidelines are based on a commitment to create and preserve economic value and to advance principles of good corporate governance.

ISS updates its Guidelines on an annual basis to take into account emerging issues and trends on environmental, social and corporate governance topics, as well as the evolution of market standards, regulatory changes and client feedback.

**Limitations to Proxy Voting**

While EMG uses its reasonable best efforts to vote proxies there may be situations in which EMG may be unable to vote a proxy or may choose not to vote a proxy, such as where: (i) a proxy ballot is not received from the custodian bank; (ii) a meeting notice is received too late; (iii) there are fees imposed upon the exercise of a vote and it is determined that such fees outweigh the benefit of voting; (iv) there are legal encumbrances to voting, including blocking restrictions in certain markets that preclude the ability to dispose of a security if EMG votes a proxy, or where EMG is prohibited from voting by applicable law or other regulatory or market requirements, including but not limited to effective powers of attorney; (v) EMG holds shares on the record date but sells them prior to the meeting date; (vi) a proxy voting service is not offered by the custodian in the market; (vii) a security is subject to a securities lending or similar program that has transferred legal title to the security to another person; or (viii) EMG believes it is not in the best interest of the client to vote the proxy for any other reason not enumerated herein.

In some foreign jurisdictions, even if EMG uses reasonable efforts to vote a proxy on behalf of its clients, such vote or proxy may be rejected because of (i) operational or procedural issues experienced by one or more third parties involved in voting proxies in such jurisdictions; (ii) changes in the process or agenda for the meeting by the issuer for which EMG does not have sufficient notice; or (iii) the exercise by the issuer of its discretion to reject the vote of EMG. In addition, despite the best efforts of EMG and its agents, there may be situations where EMG votes are not received, or are not properly tabulated, by an issuer or the issuer's agent.

**Conflicts of Interest**

Actual and potential conflicts of interest, including conflicts of interest of our Proxy Voting Administrator, are monitored by the Committee. When a conflict is identified, the Committee first makes a determination as to whether the conflict is material. The Committee defines a material conflict as one reasonably likely to be viewed as important by the average shareholder. In the case of a material EMG conflict, EMG will vote the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of our Proxy Voting Administrator.

If our primary Proxy Voting Administrator has a conflict of interest that causes it to abstain from making a recommendation on the proxy, the Committee will determine how to vote the proxy. In making this determination, the Committee may use the Guidelines issued by ISS for similar proxy issues; may seek the recommendation of a secondary proxy voting service; or may conduct its own analysis.

**Books and Records**

EMG will maintain all required proxy voting records for five years or for such longer time as applicable law or client guidelines require. EMG may satisfy some of its record-keeping obligations including the compilation of voting information for Form N-PX as required by the Investment Company Act by utilizing its Proxy Voting Administrator. Each proxy voted by EMG for a client account is disclosed to the client. Clients may receive additional reports of proxies voted on their behalf contacting EMG.